December 30, 2025 • 42 mins
Tony and Austin talk about what happened last night, the NFL playoff scenarios, take your calls and more on ESPN 1530!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Three sixty about Cincinnati from Cincinnati, sponsored in part by
(00:05):
Skyline Chili. Stop by Skyline Chili for a three way
or cheese cony today. Feeling good, It's Skyline time. This
is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
All Right, good afternoon, Welcome in the Tuesday edition of
Cincy three sixty on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Thanks to our friends at Skyline Chili. Hope you're having
an awesome, awesome afternoon and joining the final days of
twenty twenty five. Thanks for joining us. We got a
lot to get to in the next three hours. Joe
Daniman from Fox nineteen will join us at one o'clock.
(00:41):
We have a lot of Bengals to sift through the
decision to play Joe Burrow, MO and I yesterday and
Liutoni Moo Football Show talked a lot about the twenty
twenty three draft class and some upcoming decisions that this
team will be faced with. I want to dive more
into that today. The Bearcats last night Austin. I think
it's a game when the sea and ends that people
will say, you remember when the season turned around against Lipscomb?
(01:05):
Do you remember the turnaround for Bearcats basketball against Lipscomb.
We'll see the Bearcats have the Houston Cougars on Saturday,
but you'll hear what Wes Miller had to say after
a win last night and a new starting lineup for
the Cincinnati Bearcats. We'll also talk a little bit at
Zavier Musketeers as they welcome in the Yukon Huskies tomorrow
to the Cintas Center. At five o'clock, we'll dive into
(01:27):
the week eighteen NFL schedule along with playoff scenarios. We'll
look a little bit more into that Pittsburgh Baltimore matchup,
not just for the AFC North title this year, but
implications that could have on the off season, potential coaching vacancies,
and more on the AFC North as a whole. Before
we get into that, we'll look into the top sports
(01:48):
stories around the world, and we'll take your phone calls
all throughout the afternoon five to one to three, seven, four, nine,
fifteen thirty before we.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Go any further. Okay, happy fiftieth birthday to Tiger Woods
Wow l T. Gray Eldrick turns fitty today, which means
tone he's now eligible for the Champions Tour if he
chooses to do so. Did you ever back in the
day follow the Tiger Tracker? Oh yeah, I used to
(02:23):
have every tweet and I still have the notifications on
for the Tiger Tracker. And you can imagine how much
I freaked out this morning when I woke up and
looked at my phone with a tweet from the Tiger
Tracker saying, which hasn't tweeted in five years. By the way, Oh,
happy birthday to the big fella.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Well, how about as well, Happy forty first to Lebron James.
No way, Lebron's forty one today?
Speaker 3 (02:48):
You're kidding? Is he actually?
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Him and Tiger Woods share the same birthday? My god,
Four time NBA Champ, four time Finals MVP, four time
MVP All Star for twenty years, somehow I didn't know
the Lebron was forty one forty one. I still I
just always think he's like thirty eight. Lebron James thirty
eight for the last three years one speaking of just
a kid from a speaking of age, the time has
(03:13):
settled in the NFL career of won Philip Rivers, it's over.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Well.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
They have announced today that they will let Riley Leonard
make their final start of the season in Indianapolis. Wow,
So Philip rivers three game magical run has come to
an end. He has already said he will not be
making another return to the National Football League.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Philip Rivers and Joe Flacco combined to go like one
in six.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Yeah, and their fun runs. But they were all fun games.
What a fun run? You want to talk about some fun?
How about this? Earlier today, the finalist for the twenty
twenty six Pro Football Hall of Fame have been named, right,
big Willie Style. Yes, Willie Anderson a finalist. Listen to
this class, Willie Anderson, Drew Brees.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
These are the finalist. Yes, class? Uh?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Jerry Evans?
Speaker 4 (04:03):
Was it?
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Jarry Jarry Evans, Larry Fitzgerald, Frank Gore, Tory Holt, part
of the greatest show on turf.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Luke Keickley, Cincinnati's own.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Luke Keigley was fantastic again last night.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
I was gonna say today. Playbook, the Monday Night Playbook
might be my new favorite thing.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
It was really really good.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Em and Dan Orlofsky.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
I think talks just a little too much, but it's
really good.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
I think they're still trying to work through some things.
Of working together, but from a knowledge standpoint and the
insights that you get, especially from Luke Keighley man that
is awesome. Luke Keigley is a finalist, Eli Manning, Terrell Suggs,
He Sizzle, Adam VINENTERI Beast, Reggie Wayne, Kevin Williams, Jason Witten,
(04:46):
Darren Woodson, and Marshall Yonda.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
I think Breeze obviously is a shoe in. Okay, Fitzgerald
obviously is a shoe in. Keikley obviously is a shoe in. Sure.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
What about the Eli question.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
I don't I think Eli is I don't think anybody
else on that list really should be in other than
Adam Viniti. I know that this is a hot talk,
hot hot take, but I adamantly deny any notion that
Jason Witten is a Hall of Famer. He's just not.
(05:19):
He is the most overrated player in the history of
the National Football League. But he will get in. He'll
probably get in this class.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Do you think he'll get in this class?
Speaker 4 (05:29):
I do.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
I do, just because he was a cowboy, because people
liked him. But make no mistake, there is no more
overrated player in the history of this league than Jason
Wittler exactly if if he didn't play for the Cowboys,
nobody would know who he is. So that makes me
(05:53):
say that I think there's a really good chance that
Big Willie gets in the whole will and keep in mind,
in the Senior Committee, Anders Anderson is also a finalist,
so there's a chance the Bengals could get two in.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Okay, some other happenings. How about this The Joker Nikola Jokic, Yes,
suffered a leftne hyper extension on Monday. He's going to
be reevaluated in four weeks, so four week absence coming
up for the Joker. What's going on with Stefan dis.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Stefan Diggs is facing charges in Boston from a December
second incident, which would have been the day after they
played the Jets the first time and beat them. There
is a felony strangulation charge against Stefan Diggs, among other things.
(06:50):
Apparently he is offered this person, the alleged victim, a
financial settlement that they are negotiating at the moment, but
it is felony, strangulation and assault charges that are being
levied against Stefan Digs. The Patriots have made a statement
that said they are aware of the accusations. He has
(07:11):
informed the organization that he categorically denies the allegations and
that the Patriots support support Stephan Diggs. So they will
continue to gather information cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities
in the NFL as necessary.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Okay, So how about this, Chip Kelly has found a
new home, chip Northwestern's OC.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Good for him.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Chip Kelly, Northwestern, good for him? What else do we have?
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Ah?
Speaker 2 (07:38):
How about this? I follow along with the college football
Transfer portal? Why well listen to this. There are already
thirty three hundred players in the portal. Here's the thing, Austin.
The D one portal doesn't open until January. Tewod there
are already thirty three hundred athletes in the next transfer
(08:01):
portal window and the D one period has not opened yet.
You better have a plan if you plan on entering
the transfer portal, because I don't think enough student athletes
have that plan. Also, Monday Night football last night? Yes,
is Matthew Stafford still the MVP? I think in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
I think so because the votes were put in early December.
If I'm not mistaken. Okay, should he be the MVP?
Of the National Football lead. Yeah, I still think so.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Okay, last night what a fun one if you're an
Atlanta Falcons fan or just a fan of football in general.
The Falcons nearly blew a twenty one point lead that
would have been the first twenty one point lead they
had blown since the Super Bowl lead that they blew. Wow,
but they beat the Rams last night. They jumped up
on the Rams twenty one to nothing. Jesse Bates had
(08:54):
himself a pick six former Bengal Jesse Bates.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
And who else had one?
Speaker 4 (09:00):
Well?
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Xavier Watshead too.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Yeah, uh, the guy that everybody wanted the Bengals to
pick at safety.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Would you take me right now? Xavier wats or Barrett
Carter Xavier watts Okay, they jump out to a twenty
one nothing lead, also behind a Bijon Robinson ninety three
yard touchdown run right before the half that put at
Lanta up twenty one to nothing.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Jon has that easy gas unbelievable. Next thing, you know,
he's at top speed and you ain't.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
K watching that last time, I'm like, man, how are
the Falcons so bad?
Speaker 3 (09:28):
It looks like he's not even drynk. I know. That's
the thing.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Got talent for the last ten years, I've got talent.
You want to talk about that division and turmoil. Man
Falcons and the Saints are playing the best football the
teams that are actually playing for something. The Panthers and
the Bucks are both struggling. And now, because of Atlanta's
win last night, if Atlanta beats the Saints, the Panthers
are automatically in.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
That's correct.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Yeah, So the Saints beat the Falcons and the Bucks
beat the Panthers, then the bu that's correct. But the
Bucks no longer control their own destiny.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
That's right. Tampa has to win and Atlanta has to
lose or tie. Meanwhile, Carolina wins or ties, or Atlanta
beats New Orleans.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
It felt last night like the Rams were gonna complete
the comeback. It was twenty four to ten and the
Falcons were lining up for a very makeable field goal
and Jared Verse blocks the kick and then returns its
seventy six yards himself to make it twenty four to seventeen.
(10:34):
Rams then tie it up in the fourth corner, Like
all right, I've seen how this goes before. But shout
out to Kirk Cousins and Bijon Robinson. They get him
back into field goal range, and with twenty one seconds left,
Zane Gonzalez hits a fifty one yarder and the Falcons
beat the Rams twenty seven to twenty four.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
I think with what we've seen in the NFL with
a guy like Philip Rivers coming back, with what Joe
Flacco has done, with the discourse around younger quarterbacks maybe
not being able to read defenses and the whole progression
and all that other stuff, I think it's fascinating the
future of one Kirk Cousins and what that would mean
(11:13):
for him, because clearly there is still a market for
a guy like him. I think he'd be really good
with Shanahan's offense in San Francisco, But hell, they've got
mac Jones to back up brock Purty. Sure, Where could
kirk Cousins end up next year? I think is a
fun storyline in then it's a good.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Question outside of the Bearcats win last night, other teams
locally in action College Basketball Slate, what do you make
of the bounce back for the Norse Austin going to
Robert Morris.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Expected out a surprise? Whatsoever? Took care of business over
there with Bobby mow you know how it go.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Yep. Other teams in action last night? Can I tell
you who's really good? Michigan basketball not interested. They were
up fifty at one point early in the second half
against ten and two McNeese State. They are going to
win one twelve to seventy one. A night of blowouts, really.
Iowa State cruised, Purdue cruised, Houston, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Florida, Georgia,
(12:11):
and Iowa all blowout victory winners last night, including the
Cincinnati Bearcats, who dominated for the most part outside of
a little bit of a slow start. The Bearcats dominated
Lipscomb last night. We'll talk a little more about that game.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
I tuned in a couple minutes late and I was thinking, oh, yep,
here we go, and then the thing, you know, they're
up twenty.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
We'll talk more about that game later on in the
show tonight. Sixteenth ranked Louisville is an action. I believe
Kentucky is off. They've got quite a long break. I
believe Kentucky is off until Saturday when they yeah go ahead.
When they traveled to Alabama to take on the.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
How many times I can just throw you off of
thought today.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Take on the Crimson Tide.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
I'm in demon mode. This is my last day until Friday.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
So the Bearcats are in action on Saturday against Houston.
We'll talk more about that. And how about the Muskies
Big East play. They welcome in Hurley's Yukon Huskies tomorrow
at five o'clock. That's a big one.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
The money's on Xavier all right. I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
That's a big one at the Centa Center. It's a
big one. And speaking of big ones college football bowls,
it's one of.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
Those games it's tough like because the students aren't on campus. Really, yeah,
that was I remember that from the beginning of the year.
People were not happy that that was when the Yukon
game got scheduled.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
One hundred percent. That's number four ranked Utah, by the way,
Yukon or yeah, Yukon. I'm thinking of Utah. I'm in
Big twelve mode. Baby.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Yeah, I heard SATs a finalist for the Utah job.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
We'll see. I can't confirm or deny anything.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Uh Washington, the Steelers tight end, had surgery this morning
on his broken arm. His season is officially over. The
big fella for Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Okay, anything else that we've we've missed. We have college
football playoff gets back in action tomorrow Ohio State Miami.
Then there's three games on New Year's Day. We'll dive
into those a little bit more, maybe later today, but
tomorrow as well. There are bowl games happening today in
college football Coastal Carolina and Louisiana Tech and the Radiance
(14:21):
Technologies Independence Bowl. What yep, Tennessee and Illinois in the
Liberty Mutual not the Liberty Bowl, the Liberty Liberty, the
Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl, and then tonight the Valero
Alamo Bowl sixteenth ranked USC.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
I'm curious, does Moe say all the company names for
these bulls? Probably? I don't pay them to.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Probably not. I just think that a lot of the
games are funny and they think they take on TCU.
Has there been more of a fall from Grace than
what Lincoln Riley has done?
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Oh, some of us have been Lincoln Riley haters from this.
He's never won anything.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
He's non existent anymore.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
He coaches Heisman Trophy winners and that's it. Yeah, what
are those guys do in the league? In his press
confer right now?
Speaker 2 (15:04):
In his press conference for the Alamo Bowl, he blamed
Notre Dame for ending the historic rivalry.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
Well that's fine, that's probably true. So take that Notre Dame.
Take that post, Simmons deserve.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
We took Notre Dame at their word that they would
play us any time, anywhere. That proposal was rejected, not
only rejected. Five minutes after they get the call was
announced that they had scheduled another opponent b YU might
be the fastest scheduling acting college football history, said Lincoln Riley.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
I do think it's cool that it's a home and
home with BYU.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Yeah, agreed. Maybe I don't think maybe they think that
by you can help them more than USC can anymore.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
I was gonna say that's probably a fair point if
you're looking at it from perspective like by you probably can. Yep,
that probably would be a better opponent than USC. I
love to hate on Notre Dame, but I don't think
they do a bad job scheduling at all. Uh Like,
I think that they're a pretty good schedule.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
I think this year they were more the product of
the teams they had scheduled just didn't perform. Well, Yeah,
I don't think it was a week schedule by many accounts,
but nonetheless that's where we're at here on December thirtieth.
Here's we're gonna do tomorrow is gonna be a little
bit of a hybrid show. We'll have a normal first
hour and then we're gonna do some some best of
(16:19):
as a year in review of what happened the last
couple of years.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
So, in case you missed it on Christmas Day.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Lance, Moe, Austin, myself all locked in a room right
recapping the year. We're going to play that in the
second and third hour tomorrow. So here's the deal. If
you want anything else to add to the show, or
you want to to talk outside of just talkbacks, that
would mean you need to get your phone calls in
today five, one, three, seven, four, nine, fifteen thirty. When
(16:46):
we come back, let's dive into what's at stake here
first in week eighteen playoff scenarios and what that could
mean to the AFC North going into next year. That
happens next on the Home of the Bengals ESPN fifteen
thirty Natties Sports Station. Hey Alexa, who got traded.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
In the Nattie Brought to you by Postman Law on
ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
Welcome back since he three to sixty. ESPN fifteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports Station. A couple things that I want to
clean up from segment number one. We mentioned Lebron's forty
first birthday. We mentioned Tiger's fiftieth birthday. I can't believe
I missed one. Kenyon Martin, Kenyon Happy Birthday. Kenyon Martin, Okay,
should be at the top of the list for Cincinnati folks.
(17:42):
Kenyon Martin Happy Birthday. Also heard a response on Twitter,
Oh boy, just heard the Jason wittenslander wanted to note
he's second all time for tight ends and receptions and
yards and was an excellent blocker. Your response, Austin.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
At the time of Jason Witten's retirement in twenty thirteen,
are you ready for this?
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (18:04):
He ranked thirty fifth in yards per reception since Okay,
so let me tell you this is since entering the
NFL in two thousand and three, among tight ends with
at least two hundred receptions. At the time of his
retirement in twenty eighteen, he was thirty fifth out of
forty seven in yards per reception behind Tony Scheffler, Kobe Fleener,
(18:27):
and Anthony Fossano. When it came to yards after catch
per reception three point seventy five, that was forty first
out of forty seven. How about air yards per target
seven point nine, that was twenty third. Let's continue with
more multi touchdown games. He had five, the sixth most
over that span, but he's tied with Marcedes Lewis, Owen
(18:49):
Daniels and Tyler Eifertz.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Show daniels Man.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
How about this when you compare others with more Again,
Witton had five, Antonio Gates had twenty one, Gronkowski fi fifteen,
Gonzales twelve. Witten has never had a three touchdown game.
How about this career games with ten receptions less than
one hundred yards five, that's the most ever Jason Witten
(19:14):
ten receptions less than one hundred yards. How about some
players that have never had a game like that catch.
Rob Gronkowski never did it, Antonio Gates never did it,
Travis Kelcey never did it. That might have changed over
the past year or so, but that's more than Tony
Gonzalez who had three, and Jimmy Graham who had one
(19:34):
career totals combined. Last little bit here. Since Witten entered
the league in two thousand and three, forty four players
have recorded at least one season with eighty receptions and
ten touchdowns. Jason Witten is not one of them. Six
tight ends have done so. Jimmy Graham did it three times,
Gates did it twice, Gronkowski twice, Clark once, Gonzalez once,
(19:56):
and Jordan Reid once. And that list includes play like
Drew Bennett, Chris Chambers, Miles Austin, and Eric Decker who
did it three times. Now, again, this is relatively right
at the beginning of the Chiefs dynasty, so I'm sure
Travis Kelcey has surpassed many of these as well. So yeah,
he's got a lot of receptions in a lot of yards,
(20:17):
but he never won anything. And when you compare him
to the other like middling tight ends across the league
at that time, he was just one of those guys.
And the only reason we know about him is because
he played for the Dallas Cowboys and he had that
cool moment where he ran with his helmet off and
that was badass. I'll give him that, but he's just
a guy okay, and he always has been all right,
(20:38):
not to mention he was awful as the color commentator
on Monday Night Football.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
All right, here we go, Week eighteen. Here are your
NFL playoff scenarios. The NFC is a little bit easier
here right now. San Francisco plays Seattle on Saturday. This
one is very simple. A San Francisco win Austin would
clinch the NFC West End the number one seed, which
gets the loan first round by and home field advantage.
(21:05):
A Seattle win against San Francisco gets them the loan
first round by NFC West Division title and home field advantage.
Pretty cut and dry, right The Carolina Panthers go to
Tampa on Saturday at four point thirty. Carolina needs to
win or tie, or have the Falcons beat the Saints.
(21:27):
The only way the Bucks get in is with a
win and an Atlanta tie or loss against the Saints.
Last night's loss drops the Rams to the sixth seed.
The Niners are currently the fifth seed. The Green Bay
Packers are your seventh seed. But the field is set.
It's just playoff seeding right now. Between Carolina and Tampa.
(21:48):
Whoever's gonna win that division? Philly is your division winner
Chicago division winner as well. Out of the NFC. In
the AFC, here's what we have. The Denver Broncos Austin
can clinch the number one seed and a first round
by with home field advantage with a win or a
New England loss or a New England loss and a
(22:08):
Jacksonville loss. So a couple of their scenarios with Denver,
the Patriots need to win and have the Denver Broncos lose,
and the Jacksonville Jaguars would need a win versus Tennessee
followed with a Denver loss and a New England loss.
But how about that Austin Jacksonville can still get the
number one overall seed. But Jacksonville also has to win
(22:32):
to avoid a chance of Houston winning the AFC South.
So Houston is still alive in the AFC South as well.
And then we all know what happens on Sunday night.
It's Ravens, It's Pittsburgh stealers. This one is very very simple.
Austin winning, You're in. Yes, there's been speculation that a
(22:55):
Pittsburgh loss maybe could mean the end for Mike Tomlin.
I wonder with a fallout if the Baltimore Ravens lose
and miss the playoffs. This game, to me, yes, it's
crucial for this year and who's going to advance in
the playoffs. Because one of these teams is going to
make the playoffs and the noise around that team will quiet.
(23:16):
But for another one of these teams Austin, this season
will be viewed as a complete failure for Pittsburgh because
they had everything in front of them. They just had
to win an easy I'm not saying easy, but they
had a couple chances to close the door on this.
And for the Baltimore Ravens, you're a preseason betting favorite
or co betting favorite to win the Super Bowl and
you might not even be in the playoffs. That is
(23:36):
a massive failure. There are questions Austin around the Baltimore
Ravens with Lamar Jackson and with Harball and where that
team is going. I think there are significant questions in
Pittsburgh with the future of Mike Tomlin and what they're
going to do at quarterback. And it just feels it's
called what it is. It's an aging roster. It's a
roster that's getting older, not as dominant on defense. This year.
(23:57):
At some point you mentioned aging Derek, He's got to
slow down. At some point, Lamar's body, at least for
this year, is started to give out a little bit,
and you wondered, all of the hits and the running
that he did early in his career, would that ever
be the case? But I know we're talking about Week eighteen, Austin,
but I can't help but think when you look at
the Ravens and you look at the Pittsburgh Steelers and
(24:18):
you start to think of twenty twenty six, are the
Bengals in the most enviable spot going into twenty twenty
six from at least a roster standpoint.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
Yeah, I think Cleveland has a pretty decent roster. They
got to figure out quarterback, but like I still think
they're what they have figured out now. I don't know
the severity of quin Shawn Judkins, but the production that
they got out of their rookies this year, Carson Swessinger
is going to win the defensive Rookie of the Year.
Harold Fannin looks like a hit. Quin Shawn looks like
a hit. Now, obviously you still got to figure out quarterback,
(24:50):
but that defense is still very good and they're probably
gonna have they are going to have the Jags first
round pick. They're gonna have two first round picks. So
I think Cleveland might be in the best in terms
of like top to bottom roster than any of the
other number nine though. But that's the difference, right, And
so there's questions obviously about the quarterback position in Baltimore,
(25:11):
questions about the quarterback position in Pittsburgh, questions about the
quarterback position in Cleveland. So for that reason, I feel
like it's Cleveland and Cincinnati very close to one another,
and then a halfway decent gap between Pittsburgh and Baltimore.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Yeah. One other NFL note. Moegger pointed this out last night.
Right now betting favorite to win the Super Bowl Seattle
and the Los Angeles rams at plus five fifty And
as moe pointed out, one of the co favorites to
win the Super Bowl is currently a sixth seed in
the NFC.
Speaker 3 (25:40):
Can they win three playoff games? Great question the road.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
There was also yesterday a poll question that we came
up with what we were doing the Tony and moo
Football Show. And I want to ask you this, Austin,
if you could hire one of these coaches to coach
your football team next year, the AFC North, because I
think it's fascinating. I have Pittsburgh friends who would take
(26:05):
Zach Taylor and a heart beat. A lot of the
fans in Cincinnati, or some of the fans in Cincinnati
are ready to move on from Zach Taylor and would
take Mike Tomlin and a heart beat. Kevin Stefanski has
been a coach of the year. You look at what
Harrball has done in Baltimore. Moe put it as a
poll question yesterday, one of those coaches to coach the
Cincinnati Bengals next year, who would your pick me?
Speaker 3 (26:25):
Of the four? Yes, current AFC North coach Zach Taylor.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
I was surprised on Moe's Twitter poll that Mike Tomlin
got thirty seven percent of the votes, John Harball got
thirty five percent, Stefanski got sixteen, and just twelve percent
of the votes went to Zach Taylor.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
Why are you surprised by that? People hate his guts?
Speaker 2 (26:48):
I just I but I thought at a.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
There's this thought out there that the grass is always greener.
I don't know, if you're a big fan, why you
would think Mike Tomlin is this great coach. He's just
rotated coordinators over and over and over and over again
over the course of his career. They haven't won a
playoff game in ten years. They he won the Super
Bowl with Bill Cowers team and with the Hall of
(27:15):
Fame quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger got blown out in the
other Super Bowl by the way that they got to
I mean, he's he's it's the same stuff over and
over again. They play the same game every year. That's cool,
you're in the conversation at nine and eight, But I mean,
we had this whole thing last year. The standard is
higher than nine and eight. It's more than just get
(27:36):
to the playoffs. It's more than just be above five hundred.
That's all Mike Tomlin has done.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
I was sent a stat yesterday that Mike Tomlin in
their last five games against teams entering with eight or
more games below five hundred is oh four and one.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Going back to twenty twenty, the lost to Ryan Finley
here for a two to ten and one Bengals team.
To say, Zach Taylor's been pretty good against him. They
tied the zero to eight Lions in twenty twenty one.
They lost in twenty twenty three to the two and
ten Cardinals. In twenty twenty three they lost to the
two and ten Patriots, and last week they lost to
the three and twelve Cleveland Browns.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
They've lost to Cleveland and Cleveland like four years in
a row, haven't they. I just think by the way
they lost to the Browns in a playoff game at
home led by Baker Mayfield, I.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Just think it's I think there is significant fallout that
happens from the losing team on Sunday night.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
I believe the words that Adam Schefter said is that
there is a wide ranging of potential outcomes for whoever
loses that game. Yeah, I feel like if Pittsburgh gets
to the playoffs, he's safe.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Yes, I think both teams are safe. What do you mean, well,
I mean I don't think with a loss, does Baltimore
think about harball at all.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
Yeah, That's what I'm saying, Like, yeah, they're both coaches.
I think if.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
I think a lost for the one makes it uneasy.
Speaker 3 (28:53):
Correct, But you just said both are safe.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
No, I mean whichever one makes the playoffs a safe.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Okay, Yeah, I agree. The thing that I think is
interesting with hardball is Now, there's these rumors out there
about this disconnect with Lamar jacks two time MVP Lamar Jackson.
We have no proof that this is really happening, but
there's a rumor out there that Lamar's been staying up
late playing video games and falling asleep in meetings. Him
and Kyler, Him and Kyler and Jermaine Burton. I don't
(29:20):
know if is it a call of duty release? That's time.
I got a PS five now, is this like a release?
Call of duty is dead?
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (29:26):
Wow, it's over man. Okay, but that's I could do
three hours on that. I don't want to talk about it, but.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
We'll take a break. We'll come back. We'll open up
the phone lines five, one, three, seven, four nine, fifteen thirty.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
We'll also see North runs through the state of Ohio
from now on.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
There it is. We'll talk well from football from Monday on.
It's like football in the state of Ohio as well.
Still to come. ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station. Thanks
to Skyline Chiley.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
You've been listening to football in the NATI on ESPN
fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati dy Bengals.
Speaker 5 (30:05):
Your front row seat to the fiercest debates in sports.
Mo Egger today at three pm on ESPN fifteen thirty.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
Welcome back since he three sixty. You're listening on ESPN
fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station and a service of Skyline Chili.
Our phone lines are open, open, and we welcome you
to call in five one, three, seven, four nine fifteen thirty.
We'll go there right now to talk to Mike. What's up, Mike?
Speaker 4 (30:35):
Hey, guys, Merry Christmas.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
Merry Christmas. Not too bad, Mike, how about you?
Speaker 4 (30:42):
Worst I've ever had in my life.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.
Speaker 4 (30:45):
Yeah, it was not good at all. How about you, Austin?
Speaker 3 (30:50):
Not too bad at all?
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Man?
Speaker 3 (30:51):
I was. I was pretty pretty happy.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
Good for you. Hey, you know what I got? I
never heard that. End of the year shown again on
Thursday Tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
Tomorrow, it'll be a normal, normal first hour and then
we'll we'll rerun some of it to kind of recap
twenty twenty five and look ahead to twenty twenty six
an hour two and three.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
I wonder if you included my announcement of having spent
time in prison. That rocks the.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
It did? It did? That was one of the point
a major major point in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 4 (31:26):
Well, so, I've never felt so bad in my life.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Prison run.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
You know what's intriguing me right now is about the Bengals.
Is I think the Bengals and the Niners are a
lot alike in their in their in their entire team.
Think about think about the quarterbacks, both really good, really good,
and then compare the defenses not that good. The offenses
(31:53):
can score on anybody. There's just a lot of similarities there.
Except I would take Shamhan over Zach Taylor all day long.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
Yeah, I would take that. And I think too with
Robert Sala. I think he's gonna find his footing. They've
been decimated with injuries. Anytime you lose a guy like
Fred Warner, that's a lot to overcome. They lost Nick Bosa,
So I get the defense and what they need to
be doing. But man, like, when you watch San Francisco
A lot of times I watch the Bengals, and this
(32:19):
is not to discredit z Act, but you see the
greatness of Joe Burrow shine through all the time. When
I watch San Francisco, you just constantly see movements and
schemes and players and setting up different things. And I
think what Shanahan has done with Brock Party, and they
did it shorthanded the other night without George Kittle and
(32:39):
I Yuke's been out all year. But what I think
is fascinating is you can watch now in person and
you can see Brock Party's confidence growing game the game
and the players have talked about that as well, but
there's a great, great level of confidence in which they
are playing with. They're only gonna get healthier, and very quietly,
as we met, they're going to be playing for the
(33:01):
number one overall seed on Saturday.
Speaker 4 (33:03):
Now, who in the hell will have even guessed that
a month ago. None of us, None of us, unless
maybe one of you did. I don't think so. I
haven't heard anybody say they said possible playoff team, but
number one seed. No, nobody saw that. And that was
a really fun game to watch.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
Oh yeah, it was awesome. Awesome.
Speaker 4 (33:24):
Now I know you don't like me talking about well
I stuff, but that game last night.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
Of course we always complained about the associating because it's
just so pervasive anymore, and not in that game, but
in all games the mess calls, but that call on too.
Two out well there when they were trying to come
down and score that.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
Yeah, that was and the and the announcers were adamant
as well that that is a that is a clear
pass interference call would have obviously at the very minimum,
gave the Rams a chance to kick the field goal
to tie and even a shot at the end zone
to win it. But I agree that that was a
call that both announcers were in agreement with that that
was a clear pass interference. But I think Aikman as
(34:08):
well as like, that's just a hard call to make
in the moment when things are are happening so fast.
But it did it. It It changed the outcome of
the game and in turn changes the outcome of the
playoff seating as well for the Rams.
Speaker 4 (34:20):
Yeah, it really screwed them because at five they would
have had not easy going but pretty not bad.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
At six, Yeah, it's a whole different a whole different animal.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
Oh they're in trouble now. What what's the ruling you
guys on on when they're going to review something? Can
they not ever review pass interference or how's that work?
Speaker 2 (34:39):
I don't believe so that's not reviewable yet, is it? Austin?
Speaker 3 (34:42):
No, they did it for a year and it was
a train wreck. So they took it back off.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
And it's hard, like Austin said, because the year they
did it, it just became an absolute mess and the
flow of the game was was taken out. But you
see the other side of it, when you start talking
about well playoff seating and affecting a chance to get
to a Super Bowl, that's a major miscall for sure.
Speaker 3 (35:06):
I think coaches should be able to challenge it. And
my big thing with pass interference is I don't feel
like the officials ever accurately enforced the rule, especially when
you consider balls that are uncatchable. There are a lot
of pass interference calls made on balls that are nowhere
(35:27):
near being able to be caught, or they're out of bounds,
or it's stuff that it really doesn't affect the play.
So I think that should be enforced better. Yeah, I
think coaches should be able to challenge it, and if
that's the case, then within two minutes they should be
able to look at it as well.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
From the booth, yep, I got it.
Speaker 4 (35:44):
I couldn't agree more. And boy was that a hell
of a catch by Puka oh Man.
Speaker 2 (35:48):
I thought he brought it in completely. It would have
been one of the greatest catches I've ever seen.
Speaker 4 (35:52):
Oh but you know what the Rams today, it's on them, man, Yep,
they blew it. They took that. Evidently they took the
team too lightly. I know they had two starting offensive
linemen out to two or three defensive starters and then Russell.
But still they just acted in the first half like
they weren't interested. Yeah. So anyway, guys, that's all I
(36:15):
gott and I hope the Bear Test can win that game.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
You and me both, Mike, you and me both. I
know what, Austin, thanks. I don't think. I don't think
this guy. I think it's gonna be wild before they
win another game.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
Yep, let me ask you this, Austin. Who's gonna win
more games than their conference?
Speaker 2 (36:32):
Xavier or you see ooh Xavier. But it won't be
by much. At the bottom. I think the bottom of
the Big East is much weaker than the bottom.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
Of the bag. The Nku is already up by like
four games, and both of them so the Norse.
Speaker 4 (36:44):
Yeah, the Norse whip the crap out of either one.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Mike, thank you, thank you, Mike, thanks Mike.
Speaker 3 (36:52):
Yeah, I thought it was, you know, convenient Norse not
on the schedule for the Bearcats this year.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
You know what we didn't talk about from last night.
One final thing in Monday Night Football. The Stafford missed
to Xavier Smith on that the last player or last
drive of the game, and people blame Stafford. By Stafford's reaction,
I think he was expecting Smith to cut that more
towards the sideline.
Speaker 3 (37:13):
Yeah, and then I heard Dan Orlofsky kind of put
it on Stafford because of the position of the defender
and that the receiver he thought did the right thing.
So there's a lot of different ways to look at it.
That's why it's a really big miss, man. That's why
I appreciated that that broadcast, because Luke Keikley, on one hand,
is saying exactly what you're saying, and on the other hand,
Orlovski saying, well, here's probably what you know Stafford was thinking.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
I think they found It's hard to change how broadcast review,
but I think they found something with that. I really do.
We'll take a break. We'll finish up our number one
with some Cincinnati Bengal conversation. It's not the last Bengal conversation.
We'll have some in the third hour as well, and
obviously with Joe Danaman. To kick off our number two
at Sincy three to sixty ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
(37:56):
Here's an alley you don't can buy blue stop a job.
Speaker 4 (38:00):
The past from Kirk Grees good look coming off the
scream I can recently throwing it up to Big.
Speaker 2 (38:04):
Mellons free State buckets for Mustafa job. He's up to
Mustafa Chom on the lau from Kerkkrisa last night, part
of Mustapha Chom's eighteen point output. Kirk Crisa also made
five threes in the game to go along with u
Or to add to his fifteen points. We'll talk more
about the Bearcats as we get into the third hour
(38:25):
of today's show, But that call thanks to Dan Hord
back to back days, by the way, for Dan Hord
won on the Cody Ford Wooly Mammoth call and not
on the Mustapha cham aliyup, that's our Win Schulers call
of the day. Thanks to our friends at win Schuler's.
Their fantastic cheese spreads pairwell with anything if you're thinking
about a New Year's Eve party, or having people over
(38:46):
for the big game tomorrow, or the big games on Saturday,
or the huge game in Memphis, Tennessee on Friday. Make
Win Schulers part of the party, thanks to our friends
at Win Schulers. Just a couple of minutes here before
we get to Joe Daneman. Austin, I want to spend
some time later on the show about the twenty twenty
three draft class for the Cincinnati Bengals. But we learned
(39:10):
yesterday that Joe Burrow and Zach Taylor's adamant and sane.
Joe Burrow gives us the best chance to win. He's
going to start in this game on Sunday, and I
disagree with it. And Austin, you've been one that has
wanted Joe Burrow to play down the stretch, but you
also agreed that you'd be good with Joe Burrow and
his season coming to an end before Sunday's game against
(39:31):
the Cleveland Browns. Why is that.
Speaker 3 (39:33):
We've seen all we needed to see. He got back
out there, he played well. We know what the offense
can look like. They're not chasing wins, they're not chasing statistics,
they're not chasing incentives or stats. Maybe there's a couple
guys that might be doing that, But he came back
from the injury, he played well, he can still do it.
(39:54):
There's no doubt about his ability. There's no need this.
The game doesn't matter. It matters to Miles Garrett, which
we're raise me and that's part of it as well.
And they're gonna be doing everything in their power to
get Miles that sack, which means they're gonna bring some
exotic pressures, they're gonna move them around, they're gonna do
some stuff that maybe, Yeah, I just don't want to miscommunication. Yeah,
(40:15):
and I don't know that. I don't see Miles as
the type of guy who's gonna try to go kill
Joe Burrow. No, I think there is a mutual respect there.
But still you don't want him being exposed to any
sort of hit like that.
Speaker 2 (40:27):
Yeah, if if you're going to play him, and they
are obviously you talk about guys still going for some
I think Chase Brown needs fifty three rushing yards for
a thousand. That's something you want to highlight. He's thirty
four or forty four yards away from fifteen hundred total.
There are things that can still be accomplished. But as
you said, you know what this offense can be. We've
(40:49):
seen that on full display. I do think it's interesting.
You know, we saw a couple sets with extra linemen
in the game against Arizona. Do you if you're going
to play him, do you go out there and say
we're going to play our normal stuff or do you
play him with the understanding of maybe some more max
protect maybe maybe take care of him a little bit more.
Speaker 3 (41:10):
I think it would be on Zach Taylor to formulate
a game plan that is very similar to what you
would see in a preseason game. Agreed, or you're going
to get the ball out quick. You might move the pocket.
You're not going to force him to make a ton
of different reads and stretch and push the ball down
the field. Now Cleveland historically has taken that away from
you anyways, But I think it's a lot of RPOs,
(41:34):
quick slants, dumping it off screen, game all that sort
of stuff to kick the ball out of Burrow's hands quick,
not only because you don't want to give up that
zack to Miles Garrett number one and number two. You
just don't want him to get hit.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
Yeah, we will break for the final time an hour
number one. When we come back, Joe Danaman, a Fox
nineteen will help us kick off the second hour of
Cinty three to sixty. It happens next on the Home
of the Bengals PN fifteen thirty Cincinnati sports station.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
WCKY, Cincinnati. Make us the number one preset on your
car radio and on the free, new and improved iHeartRadio app.
Free never sounded so good.
Speaker 2 (42:10):
ESPN fifteen thirty
Three sixty about Cincinnati from Cincinnati, sponsored in part by
(00:05):
Skyline Chili. Stop by Skyline Chili for a three way
or cheese cony today. Feeling good, It's Skyline time. This
is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
All Right, good afternoon, Welcome in the Tuesday edition of
Cincy three sixty on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Thanks to our friends at Skyline Chili. Hope you're having
an awesome, awesome afternoon and joining the final days of
twenty twenty five. Thanks for joining us. We got a
lot to get to in the next three hours. Joe
Daniman from Fox nineteen will join us at one o'clock.
(00:41):
We have a lot of Bengals to sift through the
decision to play Joe Burrow, MO and I yesterday and
Liutoni Moo Football Show talked a lot about the twenty
twenty three draft class and some upcoming decisions that this
team will be faced with. I want to dive more
into that today. The Bearcats last night Austin. I think
it's a game when the sea and ends that people
will say, you remember when the season turned around against Lipscomb?
(01:05):
Do you remember the turnaround for Bearcats basketball against Lipscomb.
We'll see the Bearcats have the Houston Cougars on Saturday,
but you'll hear what Wes Miller had to say after
a win last night and a new starting lineup for
the Cincinnati Bearcats. We'll also talk a little bit at
Zavier Musketeers as they welcome in the Yukon Huskies tomorrow
to the Cintas Center. At five o'clock, we'll dive into
(01:27):
the week eighteen NFL schedule along with playoff scenarios. We'll
look a little bit more into that Pittsburgh Baltimore matchup,
not just for the AFC North title this year, but
implications that could have on the off season, potential coaching vacancies,
and more on the AFC North as a whole. Before
we get into that, we'll look into the top sports
(01:48):
stories around the world, and we'll take your phone calls
all throughout the afternoon five to one to three, seven, four, nine,
fifteen thirty before we.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Go any further. Okay, happy fiftieth birthday to Tiger Woods
Wow l T. Gray Eldrick turns fitty today, which means
tone he's now eligible for the Champions Tour if he
chooses to do so. Did you ever back in the
day follow the Tiger Tracker? Oh yeah, I used to
(02:23):
have every tweet and I still have the notifications on
for the Tiger Tracker. And you can imagine how much
I freaked out this morning when I woke up and
looked at my phone with a tweet from the Tiger
Tracker saying, which hasn't tweeted in five years. By the way, Oh,
happy birthday to the big fella.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Well, how about as well, Happy forty first to Lebron James.
No way, Lebron's forty one today?
Speaker 3 (02:48):
You're kidding? Is he actually?
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Him and Tiger Woods share the same birthday? My god,
Four time NBA Champ, four time Finals MVP, four time
MVP All Star for twenty years, somehow I didn't know
the Lebron was forty one forty one. I still I
just always think he's like thirty eight. Lebron James thirty
eight for the last three years one speaking of just
a kid from a speaking of age, the time has
(03:13):
settled in the NFL career of won Philip Rivers, it's over.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Well.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
They have announced today that they will let Riley Leonard
make their final start of the season in Indianapolis. Wow,
So Philip rivers three game magical run has come to
an end. He has already said he will not be
making another return to the National Football League.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Philip Rivers and Joe Flacco combined to go like one
in six.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Yeah, and their fun runs. But they were all fun games.
What a fun run? You want to talk about some fun?
How about this? Earlier today, the finalist for the twenty
twenty six Pro Football Hall of Fame have been named, right,
big Willie Style. Yes, Willie Anderson a finalist. Listen to
this class, Willie Anderson, Drew Brees.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
These are the finalist. Yes, class? Uh?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Jerry Evans?
Speaker 4 (04:03):
Was it?
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Jarry Jarry Evans, Larry Fitzgerald, Frank Gore, Tory Holt, part
of the greatest show on turf.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Luke Keickley, Cincinnati's own.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Luke Keigley was fantastic again last night.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
I was gonna say today. Playbook, the Monday Night Playbook
might be my new favorite thing.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
It was really really good.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Em and Dan Orlofsky.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
I think talks just a little too much, but it's
really good.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
I think they're still trying to work through some things.
Of working together, but from a knowledge standpoint and the
insights that you get, especially from Luke Keighley man that
is awesome. Luke Keigley is a finalist, Eli Manning, Terrell Suggs,
He Sizzle, Adam VINENTERI Beast, Reggie Wayne, Kevin Williams, Jason Witten,
(04:46):
Darren Woodson, and Marshall Yonda.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
I think Breeze obviously is a shoe in. Okay, Fitzgerald
obviously is a shoe in. Keikley obviously is a shoe in. Sure.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
What about the Eli question.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
I don't I think Eli is I don't think anybody
else on that list really should be in other than
Adam Viniti. I know that this is a hot talk,
hot hot take, but I adamantly deny any notion that
Jason Witten is a Hall of Famer. He's just not.
(05:19):
He is the most overrated player in the history of
the National Football League. But he will get in. He'll
probably get in this class.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Do you think he'll get in this class?
Speaker 4 (05:29):
I do.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
I do, just because he was a cowboy, because people
liked him. But make no mistake, there is no more
overrated player in the history of this league than Jason
Wittler exactly if if he didn't play for the Cowboys,
nobody would know who he is. So that makes me
(05:53):
say that I think there's a really good chance that
Big Willie gets in the whole will and keep in mind,
in the Senior Committee, Anders Anderson is also a finalist,
so there's a chance the Bengals could get two in.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Okay, some other happenings. How about this The Joker Nikola Jokic, Yes,
suffered a leftne hyper extension on Monday. He's going to
be reevaluated in four weeks, so four week absence coming
up for the Joker. What's going on with Stefan dis.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Stefan Diggs is facing charges in Boston from a December
second incident, which would have been the day after they
played the Jets the first time and beat them. There
is a felony strangulation charge against Stefan Diggs, among other things.
(06:50):
Apparently he is offered this person, the alleged victim, a
financial settlement that they are negotiating at the moment, but
it is felony, strangulation and assault charges that are being
levied against Stefan Digs. The Patriots have made a statement
that said they are aware of the accusations. He has
(07:11):
informed the organization that he categorically denies the allegations and
that the Patriots support support Stephan Diggs. So they will
continue to gather information cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities
in the NFL as necessary.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Okay, So how about this, Chip Kelly has found a
new home, chip Northwestern's OC.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Good for him.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Chip Kelly, Northwestern, good for him? What else do we have?
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Ah?
Speaker 2 (07:38):
How about this? I follow along with the college football
Transfer portal? Why well listen to this. There are already
thirty three hundred players in the portal. Here's the thing, Austin.
The D one portal doesn't open until January. Tewod there
are already thirty three hundred athletes in the next transfer
(08:01):
portal window and the D one period has not opened yet.
You better have a plan if you plan on entering
the transfer portal, because I don't think enough student athletes
have that plan. Also, Monday Night football last night? Yes,
is Matthew Stafford still the MVP? I think in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
I think so because the votes were put in early December.
If I'm not mistaken. Okay, should he be the MVP?
Of the National Football lead. Yeah, I still think so.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Okay, last night what a fun one if you're an
Atlanta Falcons fan or just a fan of football in general.
The Falcons nearly blew a twenty one point lead that
would have been the first twenty one point lead they
had blown since the Super Bowl lead that they blew. Wow,
but they beat the Rams last night. They jumped up
on the Rams twenty one to nothing. Jesse Bates had
(08:54):
himself a pick six former Bengal Jesse Bates.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
And who else had one?
Speaker 4 (09:00):
Well?
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Xavier Watshead too.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Yeah, uh, the guy that everybody wanted the Bengals to
pick at safety.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Would you take me right now? Xavier wats or Barrett
Carter Xavier watts Okay, they jump out to a twenty
one nothing lead, also behind a Bijon Robinson ninety three
yard touchdown run right before the half that put at
Lanta up twenty one to nothing.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Jon has that easy gas unbelievable. Next thing, you know,
he's at top speed and you ain't.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
K watching that last time, I'm like, man, how are
the Falcons so bad?
Speaker 3 (09:28):
It looks like he's not even drynk. I know. That's
the thing.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Got talent for the last ten years, I've got talent.
You want to talk about that division and turmoil. Man
Falcons and the Saints are playing the best football the
teams that are actually playing for something. The Panthers and
the Bucks are both struggling. And now, because of Atlanta's
win last night, if Atlanta beats the Saints, the Panthers
are automatically in.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
That's correct.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Yeah, So the Saints beat the Falcons and the Bucks
beat the Panthers, then the bu that's correct. But the
Bucks no longer control their own destiny.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
That's right. Tampa has to win and Atlanta has to
lose or tie. Meanwhile, Carolina wins or ties, or Atlanta
beats New Orleans.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
It felt last night like the Rams were gonna complete
the comeback. It was twenty four to ten and the
Falcons were lining up for a very makeable field goal
and Jared Verse blocks the kick and then returns its
seventy six yards himself to make it twenty four to seventeen.
(10:34):
Rams then tie it up in the fourth corner, Like
all right, I've seen how this goes before. But shout
out to Kirk Cousins and Bijon Robinson. They get him
back into field goal range, and with twenty one seconds left,
Zane Gonzalez hits a fifty one yarder and the Falcons
beat the Rams twenty seven to twenty four.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
I think with what we've seen in the NFL with
a guy like Philip Rivers coming back, with what Joe
Flacco has done, with the discourse around younger quarterbacks maybe
not being able to read defenses and the whole progression
and all that other stuff, I think it's fascinating the
future of one Kirk Cousins and what that would mean
(11:13):
for him, because clearly there is still a market for
a guy like him. I think he'd be really good
with Shanahan's offense in San Francisco, But hell, they've got
mac Jones to back up brock Purty. Sure, Where could
kirk Cousins end up next year? I think is a
fun storyline in then it's a good.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Question outside of the Bearcats win last night, other teams
locally in action College Basketball Slate, what do you make
of the bounce back for the Norse Austin going to
Robert Morris.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Expected out a surprise? Whatsoever? Took care of business over
there with Bobby mow you know how it go.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Yep. Other teams in action last night? Can I tell
you who's really good? Michigan basketball not interested. They were
up fifty at one point early in the second half
against ten and two McNeese State. They are going to
win one twelve to seventy one. A night of blowouts, really.
Iowa State cruised, Purdue cruised, Houston, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Florida, Georgia,
(12:11):
and Iowa all blowout victory winners last night, including the
Cincinnati Bearcats, who dominated for the most part outside of
a little bit of a slow start. The Bearcats dominated
Lipscomb last night. We'll talk a little more about that game.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
I tuned in a couple minutes late and I was thinking, oh, yep,
here we go, and then the thing, you know, they're
up twenty.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
We'll talk more about that game later on in the
show tonight. Sixteenth ranked Louisville is an action. I believe
Kentucky is off. They've got quite a long break. I
believe Kentucky is off until Saturday when they yeah go ahead.
When they traveled to Alabama to take on the.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
How many times I can just throw you off of
thought today.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Take on the Crimson Tide.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
I'm in demon mode. This is my last day until Friday.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
So the Bearcats are in action on Saturday against Houston.
We'll talk more about that. And how about the Muskies
Big East play. They welcome in Hurley's Yukon Huskies tomorrow
at five o'clock. That's a big one.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
The money's on Xavier all right. I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
That's a big one at the Centa Center. It's a
big one. And speaking of big ones college football bowls,
it's one of.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
Those games it's tough like because the students aren't on campus. Really, yeah,
that was I remember that from the beginning of the year.
People were not happy that that was when the Yukon
game got scheduled.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
One hundred percent. That's number four ranked Utah, by the way,
Yukon or yeah, Yukon. I'm thinking of Utah. I'm in
Big twelve mode. Baby.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Yeah, I heard SATs a finalist for the Utah job.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
We'll see. I can't confirm or deny anything.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Uh Washington, the Steelers tight end, had surgery this morning
on his broken arm. His season is officially over. The
big fella for Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Okay, anything else that we've we've missed. We have college
football playoff gets back in action tomorrow Ohio State Miami.
Then there's three games on New Year's Day. We'll dive
into those a little bit more, maybe later today, but
tomorrow as well. There are bowl games happening today in
college football Coastal Carolina and Louisiana Tech and the Radiance
(14:21):
Technologies Independence Bowl. What yep, Tennessee and Illinois in the
Liberty Mutual not the Liberty Bowl, the Liberty Liberty, the
Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl, and then tonight the Valero
Alamo Bowl sixteenth ranked USC.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
I'm curious, does Moe say all the company names for
these bulls? Probably? I don't pay them to.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Probably not. I just think that a lot of the
games are funny and they think they take on TCU.
Has there been more of a fall from Grace than
what Lincoln Riley has done?
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Oh, some of us have been Lincoln Riley haters from this.
He's never won anything.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
He's non existent anymore.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
He coaches Heisman Trophy winners and that's it. Yeah, what
are those guys do in the league? In his press
confer right now?
Speaker 2 (15:04):
In his press conference for the Alamo Bowl, he blamed
Notre Dame for ending the historic rivalry.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
Well that's fine, that's probably true. So take that Notre Dame.
Take that post, Simmons deserve.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
We took Notre Dame at their word that they would
play us any time, anywhere. That proposal was rejected, not
only rejected. Five minutes after they get the call was
announced that they had scheduled another opponent b YU might
be the fastest scheduling acting college football history, said Lincoln Riley.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
I do think it's cool that it's a home and
home with BYU.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Yeah, agreed. Maybe I don't think maybe they think that
by you can help them more than USC can anymore.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
I was gonna say that's probably a fair point if
you're looking at it from perspective like by you probably can. Yep,
that probably would be a better opponent than USC. I
love to hate on Notre Dame, but I don't think
they do a bad job scheduling at all. Uh Like,
I think that they're a pretty good schedule.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
I think this year they were more the product of
the teams they had scheduled just didn't perform. Well, Yeah,
I don't think it was a week schedule by many accounts,
but nonetheless that's where we're at here on December thirtieth.
Here's we're gonna do tomorrow is gonna be a little
bit of a hybrid show. We'll have a normal first
hour and then we're gonna do some some best of
(16:19):
as a year in review of what happened the last
couple of years.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
So, in case you missed it on Christmas Day.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Lance, Moe, Austin, myself all locked in a room right
recapping the year. We're going to play that in the
second and third hour tomorrow. So here's the deal. If
you want anything else to add to the show, or
you want to to talk outside of just talkbacks, that
would mean you need to get your phone calls in
today five, one, three, seven, four, nine, fifteen thirty. When
(16:46):
we come back, let's dive into what's at stake here
first in week eighteen playoff scenarios and what that could
mean to the AFC North going into next year. That
happens next on the Home of the Bengals ESPN fifteen
thirty Natties Sports Station. Hey Alexa, who got traded.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
In the Nattie Brought to you by Postman Law on
ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
Welcome back since he three to sixty. ESPN fifteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports Station. A couple things that I want to
clean up from segment number one. We mentioned Lebron's forty
first birthday. We mentioned Tiger's fiftieth birthday. I can't believe
I missed one. Kenyon Martin, Kenyon Happy Birthday. Kenyon Martin, Okay,
should be at the top of the list for Cincinnati folks.
(17:42):
Kenyon Martin Happy Birthday. Also heard a response on Twitter,
Oh boy, just heard the Jason wittenslander wanted to note
he's second all time for tight ends and receptions and
yards and was an excellent blocker. Your response, Austin.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
At the time of Jason Witten's retirement in twenty thirteen,
are you ready for this?
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (18:04):
He ranked thirty fifth in yards per reception since Okay,
so let me tell you this is since entering the
NFL in two thousand and three, among tight ends with
at least two hundred receptions. At the time of his
retirement in twenty eighteen, he was thirty fifth out of
forty seven in yards per reception behind Tony Scheffler, Kobe Fleener,
(18:27):
and Anthony Fossano. When it came to yards after catch
per reception three point seventy five, that was forty first
out of forty seven. How about air yards per target
seven point nine, that was twenty third. Let's continue with
more multi touchdown games. He had five, the sixth most
over that span, but he's tied with Marcedes Lewis, Owen
(18:49):
Daniels and Tyler Eifertz.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Show daniels Man.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
How about this when you compare others with more Again,
Witton had five, Antonio Gates had twenty one, Gronkowski fi fifteen,
Gonzales twelve. Witten has never had a three touchdown game.
How about this career games with ten receptions less than
one hundred yards five, that's the most ever Jason Witten
(19:14):
ten receptions less than one hundred yards. How about some
players that have never had a game like that catch.
Rob Gronkowski never did it, Antonio Gates never did it,
Travis Kelcey never did it. That might have changed over
the past year or so, but that's more than Tony
Gonzalez who had three, and Jimmy Graham who had one
(19:34):
career totals combined. Last little bit here. Since Witten entered
the league in two thousand and three, forty four players
have recorded at least one season with eighty receptions and
ten touchdowns. Jason Witten is not one of them. Six
tight ends have done so. Jimmy Graham did it three times,
Gates did it twice, Gronkowski twice, Clark once, Gonzalez once,
(19:56):
and Jordan Reid once. And that list includes play like
Drew Bennett, Chris Chambers, Miles Austin, and Eric Decker who
did it three times. Now, again, this is relatively right
at the beginning of the Chiefs dynasty, so I'm sure
Travis Kelcey has surpassed many of these as well. So yeah,
he's got a lot of receptions in a lot of yards,
(20:17):
but he never won anything. And when you compare him
to the other like middling tight ends across the league
at that time, he was just one of those guys.
And the only reason we know about him is because
he played for the Dallas Cowboys and he had that
cool moment where he ran with his helmet off and
that was badass. I'll give him that, but he's just
a guy okay, and he always has been all right,
(20:38):
not to mention he was awful as the color commentator
on Monday Night Football.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
All right, here we go, Week eighteen. Here are your
NFL playoff scenarios. The NFC is a little bit easier
here right now. San Francisco plays Seattle on Saturday. This
one is very simple. A San Francisco win Austin would
clinch the NFC West End the number one seed, which
gets the loan first round by and home field advantage.
(21:05):
A Seattle win against San Francisco gets them the loan
first round by NFC West Division title and home field advantage.
Pretty cut and dry, right The Carolina Panthers go to
Tampa on Saturday at four point thirty. Carolina needs to
win or tie, or have the Falcons beat the Saints.
(21:27):
The only way the Bucks get in is with a
win and an Atlanta tie or loss against the Saints.
Last night's loss drops the Rams to the sixth seed.
The Niners are currently the fifth seed. The Green Bay
Packers are your seventh seed. But the field is set.
It's just playoff seeding right now. Between Carolina and Tampa.
(21:48):
Whoever's gonna win that division? Philly is your division winner
Chicago division winner as well. Out of the NFC. In
the AFC, here's what we have. The Denver Broncos Austin
can clinch the number one seed and a first round
by with home field advantage with a win or a
New England loss or a New England loss and a
(22:08):
Jacksonville loss. So a couple of their scenarios with Denver,
the Patriots need to win and have the Denver Broncos lose,
and the Jacksonville Jaguars would need a win versus Tennessee
followed with a Denver loss and a New England loss.
But how about that Austin Jacksonville can still get the
number one overall seed. But Jacksonville also has to win
(22:32):
to avoid a chance of Houston winning the AFC South.
So Houston is still alive in the AFC South as well.
And then we all know what happens on Sunday night.
It's Ravens, It's Pittsburgh stealers. This one is very very simple.
Austin winning, You're in. Yes, there's been speculation that a
(22:55):
Pittsburgh loss maybe could mean the end for Mike Tomlin.
I wonder with a fallout if the Baltimore Ravens lose
and miss the playoffs. This game, to me, yes, it's
crucial for this year and who's going to advance in
the playoffs. Because one of these teams is going to
make the playoffs and the noise around that team will quiet.
(23:16):
But for another one of these teams Austin, this season
will be viewed as a complete failure for Pittsburgh because
they had everything in front of them. They just had
to win an easy I'm not saying easy, but they
had a couple chances to close the door on this.
And for the Baltimore Ravens, you're a preseason betting favorite
or co betting favorite to win the Super Bowl and
you might not even be in the playoffs. That is
(23:36):
a massive failure. There are questions Austin around the Baltimore
Ravens with Lamar Jackson and with Harball and where that
team is going. I think there are significant questions in
Pittsburgh with the future of Mike Tomlin and what they're
going to do at quarterback. And it just feels it's
called what it is. It's an aging roster. It's a
roster that's getting older, not as dominant on defense. This year.
(23:57):
At some point you mentioned aging Derek, He's got to
slow down. At some point, Lamar's body, at least for
this year, is started to give out a little bit,
and you wondered, all of the hits and the running
that he did early in his career, would that ever
be the case? But I know we're talking about Week eighteen, Austin,
but I can't help but think when you look at
the Ravens and you look at the Pittsburgh Steelers and
(24:18):
you start to think of twenty twenty six, are the
Bengals in the most enviable spot going into twenty twenty
six from at least a roster standpoint.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
Yeah, I think Cleveland has a pretty decent roster. They
got to figure out quarterback, but like I still think
they're what they have figured out now. I don't know
the severity of quin Shawn Judkins, but the production that
they got out of their rookies this year, Carson Swessinger
is going to win the defensive Rookie of the Year.
Harold Fannin looks like a hit. Quin Shawn looks like
a hit. Now, obviously you still got to figure out quarterback,
(24:50):
but that defense is still very good and they're probably
gonna have they are going to have the Jags first
round pick. They're gonna have two first round picks. So
I think Cleveland might be in the best in terms
of like top to bottom roster than any of the
other number nine though. But that's the difference, right, And
so there's questions obviously about the quarterback position in Baltimore,
(25:11):
questions about the quarterback position in Pittsburgh, questions about the
quarterback position in Cleveland. So for that reason, I feel
like it's Cleveland and Cincinnati very close to one another,
and then a halfway decent gap between Pittsburgh and Baltimore.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Yeah. One other NFL note. Moegger pointed this out last night.
Right now betting favorite to win the Super Bowl Seattle
and the Los Angeles rams at plus five fifty And
as moe pointed out, one of the co favorites to
win the Super Bowl is currently a sixth seed in
the NFC.
Speaker 3 (25:40):
Can they win three playoff games? Great question the road.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
There was also yesterday a poll question that we came
up with what we were doing the Tony and moo
Football Show. And I want to ask you this, Austin,
if you could hire one of these coaches to coach
your football team next year, the AFC North, because I
think it's fascinating. I have Pittsburgh friends who would take
(26:05):
Zach Taylor and a heart beat. A lot of the
fans in Cincinnati, or some of the fans in Cincinnati
are ready to move on from Zach Taylor and would
take Mike Tomlin and a heart beat. Kevin Stefanski has
been a coach of the year. You look at what
Harrball has done in Baltimore. Moe put it as a
poll question yesterday, one of those coaches to coach the
Cincinnati Bengals next year, who would your pick me?
Speaker 3 (26:25):
Of the four? Yes, current AFC North coach Zach Taylor.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
I was surprised on Moe's Twitter poll that Mike Tomlin
got thirty seven percent of the votes, John Harball got
thirty five percent, Stefanski got sixteen, and just twelve percent
of the votes went to Zach Taylor.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
Why are you surprised by that? People hate his guts?
Speaker 2 (26:48):
I just I but I thought at a.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
There's this thought out there that the grass is always greener.
I don't know, if you're a big fan, why you
would think Mike Tomlin is this great coach. He's just
rotated coordinators over and over and over and over again
over the course of his career. They haven't won a
playoff game in ten years. They he won the Super
Bowl with Bill Cowers team and with the Hall of
(27:15):
Fame quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger got blown out in the
other Super Bowl by the way that they got to
I mean, he's he's it's the same stuff over and
over again. They play the same game every year. That's cool,
you're in the conversation at nine and eight, But I mean,
we had this whole thing last year. The standard is
higher than nine and eight. It's more than just get
(27:36):
to the playoffs. It's more than just be above five hundred.
That's all Mike Tomlin has done.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
I was sent a stat yesterday that Mike Tomlin in
their last five games against teams entering with eight or
more games below five hundred is oh four and one.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Going back to twenty twenty, the lost to Ryan Finley
here for a two to ten and one Bengals team.
To say, Zach Taylor's been pretty good against him. They
tied the zero to eight Lions in twenty twenty one.
They lost in twenty twenty three to the two and
ten Cardinals. In twenty twenty three they lost to the
two and ten Patriots, and last week they lost to
the three and twelve Cleveland Browns.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
They've lost to Cleveland and Cleveland like four years in
a row, haven't they. I just think by the way
they lost to the Browns in a playoff game at
home led by Baker Mayfield, I.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Just think it's I think there is significant fallout that
happens from the losing team on Sunday night.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
I believe the words that Adam Schefter said is that
there is a wide ranging of potential outcomes for whoever
loses that game. Yeah, I feel like if Pittsburgh gets
to the playoffs, he's safe.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Yes, I think both teams are safe. What do you mean, well,
I mean I don't think with a loss, does Baltimore
think about harball at all.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
Yeah, That's what I'm saying, Like, yeah, they're both coaches.
I think if.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
I think a lost for the one makes it uneasy.
Speaker 3 (28:53):
Correct, But you just said both are safe.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
No, I mean whichever one makes the playoffs a safe.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Okay, Yeah, I agree. The thing that I think is
interesting with hardball is Now, there's these rumors out there
about this disconnect with Lamar jacks two time MVP Lamar Jackson.
We have no proof that this is really happening, but
there's a rumor out there that Lamar's been staying up
late playing video games and falling asleep in meetings. Him
and Kyler, Him and Kyler and Jermaine Burton. I don't
(29:20):
know if is it a call of duty release? That's time.
I got a PS five now, is this like a release?
Call of duty is dead?
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (29:26):
Wow, it's over man. Okay, but that's I could do
three hours on that. I don't want to talk about it, but.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
We'll take a break. We'll come back. We'll open up
the phone lines five, one, three, seven, four nine, fifteen thirty.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
We'll also see North runs through the state of Ohio
from now on.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
There it is. We'll talk well from football from Monday on.
It's like football in the state of Ohio as well.
Still to come. ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station. Thanks
to Skyline Chiley.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
You've been listening to football in the NATI on ESPN
fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati dy Bengals.
Speaker 5 (30:05):
Your front row seat to the fiercest debates in sports.
Mo Egger today at three pm on ESPN fifteen thirty.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
Welcome back since he three sixty. You're listening on ESPN
fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station and a service of Skyline Chili.
Our phone lines are open, open, and we welcome you
to call in five one, three, seven, four nine fifteen thirty.
We'll go there right now to talk to Mike. What's up, Mike?
Speaker 4 (30:35):
Hey, guys, Merry Christmas.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
Merry Christmas. Not too bad, Mike, how about you?
Speaker 4 (30:42):
Worst I've ever had in my life.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.
Speaker 4 (30:45):
Yeah, it was not good at all. How about you, Austin?
Speaker 3 (30:50):
Not too bad at all?
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Man?
Speaker 3 (30:51):
I was. I was pretty pretty happy.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
Good for you. Hey, you know what I got? I
never heard that. End of the year shown again on
Thursday Tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
Tomorrow, it'll be a normal, normal first hour and then
we'll we'll rerun some of it to kind of recap
twenty twenty five and look ahead to twenty twenty six
an hour two and three.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
I wonder if you included my announcement of having spent
time in prison. That rocks the.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
It did? It did? That was one of the point
a major major point in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 4 (31:26):
Well, so, I've never felt so bad in my life.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Prison run.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
You know what's intriguing me right now is about the Bengals.
Is I think the Bengals and the Niners are a
lot alike in their in their in their entire team.
Think about think about the quarterbacks, both really good, really good,
and then compare the defenses not that good. The offenses
(31:53):
can score on anybody. There's just a lot of similarities there.
Except I would take Shamhan over Zach Taylor all day long.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
Yeah, I would take that. And I think too with
Robert Sala. I think he's gonna find his footing. They've
been decimated with injuries. Anytime you lose a guy like
Fred Warner, that's a lot to overcome. They lost Nick Bosa,
So I get the defense and what they need to
be doing. But man, like, when you watch San Francisco
A lot of times I watch the Bengals, and this
(32:19):
is not to discredit z Act, but you see the
greatness of Joe Burrow shine through all the time. When
I watch San Francisco, you just constantly see movements and
schemes and players and setting up different things. And I
think what Shanahan has done with Brock Party, and they
did it shorthanded the other night without George Kittle and
(32:39):
I Yuke's been out all year. But what I think
is fascinating is you can watch now in person and
you can see Brock Party's confidence growing game the game
and the players have talked about that as well, but
there's a great, great level of confidence in which they
are playing with. They're only gonna get healthier, and very quietly,
as we met, they're going to be playing for the
(33:01):
number one overall seed on Saturday.
Speaker 4 (33:03):
Now, who in the hell will have even guessed that
a month ago. None of us, None of us, unless
maybe one of you did. I don't think so. I
haven't heard anybody say they said possible playoff team, but
number one seed. No, nobody saw that. And that was
a really fun game to watch.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
Oh yeah, it was awesome. Awesome.
Speaker 4 (33:24):
Now I know you don't like me talking about well
I stuff, but that game last night.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
Of course we always complained about the associating because it's
just so pervasive anymore, and not in that game, but
in all games the mess calls, but that call on too.
Two out well there when they were trying to come
down and score that.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
Yeah, that was and the and the announcers were adamant
as well that that is a that is a clear
pass interference call would have obviously at the very minimum,
gave the Rams a chance to kick the field goal
to tie and even a shot at the end zone
to win it. But I agree that that was a
call that both announcers were in agreement with that that
was a clear pass interference. But I think Aikman as
(34:08):
well as like, that's just a hard call to make
in the moment when things are are happening so fast.
But it did it. It It changed the outcome of
the game and in turn changes the outcome of the
playoff seating as well for the Rams.
Speaker 4 (34:20):
Yeah, it really screwed them because at five they would
have had not easy going but pretty not bad.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
At six, Yeah, it's a whole different a whole different animal.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
Oh they're in trouble now. What what's the ruling you
guys on on when they're going to review something? Can
they not ever review pass interference or how's that work?
Speaker 2 (34:39):
I don't believe so that's not reviewable yet, is it? Austin?
Speaker 3 (34:42):
No, they did it for a year and it was
a train wreck. So they took it back off.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
And it's hard, like Austin said, because the year they
did it, it just became an absolute mess and the
flow of the game was was taken out. But you
see the other side of it, when you start talking
about well playoff seating and affecting a chance to get
to a Super Bowl, that's a major miscall for sure.
Speaker 3 (35:06):
I think coaches should be able to challenge it. And
my big thing with pass interference is I don't feel
like the officials ever accurately enforced the rule, especially when
you consider balls that are uncatchable. There are a lot
of pass interference calls made on balls that are nowhere
(35:27):
near being able to be caught, or they're out of bounds,
or it's stuff that it really doesn't affect the play.
So I think that should be enforced better. Yeah, I
think coaches should be able to challenge it, and if
that's the case, then within two minutes they should be
able to look at it as well.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
From the booth, yep, I got it.
Speaker 4 (35:44):
I couldn't agree more. And boy was that a hell
of a catch by Puka oh Man.
Speaker 2 (35:48):
I thought he brought it in completely. It would have
been one of the greatest catches I've ever seen.
Speaker 4 (35:52):
Oh but you know what the Rams today, it's on them, man, Yep,
they blew it. They took that. Evidently they took the
team too lightly. I know they had two starting offensive
linemen out to two or three defensive starters and then Russell.
But still they just acted in the first half like
they weren't interested. Yeah. So anyway, guys, that's all I
(36:15):
gott and I hope the Bear Test can win that game.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
You and me both, Mike, you and me both. I
know what, Austin, thanks. I don't think. I don't think
this guy. I think it's gonna be wild before they
win another game.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
Yep, let me ask you this, Austin. Who's gonna win
more games than their conference?
Speaker 2 (36:32):
Xavier or you see ooh Xavier. But it won't be
by much. At the bottom. I think the bottom of
the Big East is much weaker than the bottom.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
Of the bag. The Nku is already up by like
four games, and both of them so the Norse.
Speaker 4 (36:44):
Yeah, the Norse whip the crap out of either one.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Mike, thank you, thank you, Mike, thanks Mike.
Speaker 3 (36:52):
Yeah, I thought it was, you know, convenient Norse not
on the schedule for the Bearcats this year.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
You know what we didn't talk about from last night.
One final thing in Monday Night Football. The Stafford missed
to Xavier Smith on that the last player or last
drive of the game, and people blame Stafford. By Stafford's reaction,
I think he was expecting Smith to cut that more
towards the sideline.
Speaker 3 (37:13):
Yeah, and then I heard Dan Orlofsky kind of put
it on Stafford because of the position of the defender
and that the receiver he thought did the right thing.
So there's a lot of different ways to look at it.
That's why it's a really big miss, man. That's why
I appreciated that that broadcast, because Luke Keikley, on one hand,
is saying exactly what you're saying, and on the other hand,
Orlovski saying, well, here's probably what you know Stafford was thinking.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
I think they found It's hard to change how broadcast review,
but I think they found something with that. I really do.
We'll take a break. We'll finish up our number one
with some Cincinnati Bengal conversation. It's not the last Bengal conversation.
We'll have some in the third hour as well, and
obviously with Joe Danaman. To kick off our number two
at Sincy three to sixty ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
(37:56):
Here's an alley you don't can buy blue stop a job.
Speaker 4 (38:00):
The past from Kirk Grees good look coming off the
scream I can recently throwing it up to Big.
Speaker 2 (38:04):
Mellons free State buckets for Mustafa job. He's up to
Mustafa Chom on the lau from Kerkkrisa last night, part
of Mustapha Chom's eighteen point output. Kirk Crisa also made
five threes in the game to go along with u
Or to add to his fifteen points. We'll talk more
about the Bearcats as we get into the third hour
(38:25):
of today's show, But that call thanks to Dan Hord
back to back days, by the way, for Dan Hord
won on the Cody Ford Wooly Mammoth call and not
on the Mustapha cham aliyup, that's our Win Schulers call
of the day. Thanks to our friends at win Schuler's.
Their fantastic cheese spreads pairwell with anything if you're thinking
about a New Year's Eve party, or having people over
(38:46):
for the big game tomorrow, or the big games on Saturday,
or the huge game in Memphis, Tennessee on Friday. Make
Win Schulers part of the party, thanks to our friends
at Win Schulers. Just a couple of minutes here before
we get to Joe Daneman. Austin, I want to spend
some time later on the show about the twenty twenty
three draft class for the Cincinnati Bengals. But we learned
(39:10):
yesterday that Joe Burrow and Zach Taylor's adamant and sane.
Joe Burrow gives us the best chance to win. He's
going to start in this game on Sunday, and I
disagree with it. And Austin, you've been one that has
wanted Joe Burrow to play down the stretch, but you
also agreed that you'd be good with Joe Burrow and
his season coming to an end before Sunday's game against
(39:31):
the Cleveland Browns. Why is that.
Speaker 3 (39:33):
We've seen all we needed to see. He got back
out there, he played well. We know what the offense
can look like. They're not chasing wins, they're not chasing statistics,
they're not chasing incentives or stats. Maybe there's a couple
guys that might be doing that, But he came back
from the injury, he played well, he can still do it.
(39:54):
There's no doubt about his ability. There's no need this.
The game doesn't matter. It matters to Miles Garrett, which
we're raise me and that's part of it as well.
And they're gonna be doing everything in their power to
get Miles that sack, which means they're gonna bring some
exotic pressures, they're gonna move them around, they're gonna do
some stuff that maybe, Yeah, I just don't want to miscommunication. Yeah,
(40:15):
and I don't know that. I don't see Miles as
the type of guy who's gonna try to go kill
Joe Burrow. No, I think there is a mutual respect there.
But still you don't want him being exposed to any
sort of hit like that.
Speaker 2 (40:27):
Yeah, if if you're going to play him, and they
are obviously you talk about guys still going for some
I think Chase Brown needs fifty three rushing yards for
a thousand. That's something you want to highlight. He's thirty
four or forty four yards away from fifteen hundred total.
There are things that can still be accomplished. But as
you said, you know what this offense can be. We've
(40:49):
seen that on full display. I do think it's interesting.
You know, we saw a couple sets with extra linemen
in the game against Arizona. Do you if you're going
to play him, do you go out there and say
we're going to play our normal stuff or do you
play him with the understanding of maybe some more max
protect maybe maybe take care of him a little bit more.
Speaker 3 (41:10):
I think it would be on Zach Taylor to formulate
a game plan that is very similar to what you
would see in a preseason game. Agreed, or you're going
to get the ball out quick. You might move the pocket.
You're not going to force him to make a ton
of different reads and stretch and push the ball down
the field. Now Cleveland historically has taken that away from
you anyways, But I think it's a lot of RPOs,
(41:34):
quick slants, dumping it off screen, game all that sort
of stuff to kick the ball out of Burrow's hands quick,
not only because you don't want to give up that
zack to Miles Garrett number one and number two. You
just don't want him to get hit.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
Yeah, we will break for the final time an hour
number one. When we come back, Joe Danaman, a Fox
nineteen will help us kick off the second hour of
Cinty three to sixty. It happens next on the Home
of the Bengals PN fifteen thirty Cincinnati sports station.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
WCKY, Cincinnati. Make us the number one preset on your
car radio and on the free, new and improved iHeartRadio app.
Free never sounded so good.
Speaker 2 (42:10):
ESPN fifteen thirty
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