11/19/25 - Bengals Game Plan

Dan Hoard & Dave Lapham get you set for the week 12 matchup between the Bengals and Patriots. Special Guest Vincent Rey

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Bengals Game Plan presented by bud Light on
the Bengals Radio Network. Brought to you by bud Light,
bud Light, Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy, paincoreps Paycore
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Kettering Health, Official healthcare provider of the Cincinnati Bengals. This

(00:25):
is ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
A very pleasant, good evening, everybody, Greetings from the Bengals
Game Plan Show presented by bud Light, Easy to Drink,
Easy to Enjoy. I'm Dan Hord alongside Dave Lapham. We'll
get to our special guest momentarily. We're on the road
tonight at a place we have not been to before.
This is the first of two times we will broadcast
from this venue, and I'm going to spend just a

(00:52):
minute or so telling you about it. It is called
the Dorothy Lane Market. Yes, lap you know I'm a foodie.
You are right. This is the nicest grocery store I
have ever.

Speaker 3 (01:05):
Been in in my life.

Speaker 4 (01:07):
That's saying something.

Speaker 3 (01:08):
It's incredible.

Speaker 4 (01:09):
It is it really is. So it is. It's amazing.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
This is the official gourmet grocer of the Cincinnati Bengals.
It's a family business that started in Dayton in the
nineteen forties now and it's fourth generation. They expanded into
the Cincinnati area. Coming to Mason, we are at seventy
two hundred Mason Montgomery Road in August. So the place
looks brand new. It's spectacular.

Speaker 4 (01:35):
It is. I mean, that's a that's a great word
for it. It's it's it's everything. If you're hungry, by
the way, yeah, we'll be here for a while.

Speaker 3 (01:44):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Picture like a grocery store that happens to have like
five of the nicest restaurants in town.

Speaker 4 (01:48):
It's like there's restaurants everywhere. If you want if you
want beef, if you want turkey, you want chicken.

Speaker 3 (01:54):
Pizza, peace fresh from Italy, no question, whatever.

Speaker 4 (01:57):
You want it, whatever you want, stop by, We got
we got you taken care of.

Speaker 3 (02:01):
All right again.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
The address is seventy two hundred Mason Montgomery Road, the
Dorothy Lane Market. We are here until eight o'clock tonight.
And now let's get to our special guest, because he
is a very special game is that he played for
the Cincinnati Bengals for nine years. He was part of
five playoff teams in Cincinnati, and since twenty twenty one,

(02:24):
he has remained with the Cincinnati Bengals as the team's chaplain.
Let's hear it for Vinnie Ray.

Speaker 4 (02:31):
A man, a man, the legend Vinny Ray.

Speaker 3 (02:35):
And now it's good to be here. Great to see you.

Speaker 2 (02:38):
Fortunately we get to see you on a semi regular
basis when you're down at the stadium, but it's always
great when we do. Phil folks in a little bit
about what your current role entails being the chaplain for
an NFL team.

Speaker 5 (02:51):
Yes, so chaplaincy throughout professional sports, let alone the National
Football League looks different for every organization, but generally you're
there to care for the player spiritual needs. The game
of football, even now, it's still a very much though

(03:12):
a spiritual game. Many many men have some sort of faith,
and I'm there to walk with those men who want
to grow in their faith and be a help, be
a benefit to everyone there.

Speaker 4 (03:25):
That's that's quite a responsibility. I mean, I don't know,
I get maybe responsibility is not quite the quite the
right word, but I mean you were chosen. I mean
you were you were blessed. I firmly believe, like Anthony
Munyos we were talking about him earlier, he's going to
be a guest here the next time we're back at
this location. He is a December tenth. December tenth, Anthony

(03:48):
Munhos will be will be in the house. He is
probably as good as human being as I've ever known
in my whole life, no question about it. As are
you of any Ray. I don't know you as well.
Uh didn't. We weren't teammates as such, but I know
all about I've heard a lot about you from players
and coaches, and uh, you do walk the walk, man,

(04:10):
and that's there's something to be said for that, and
God bless you man.

Speaker 3 (04:14):
Thank you. No, I'm uh to be mentioned in the.

Speaker 5 (04:16):
Same category with Anthony muy Man. I know him as
mister Moon. He's a man of great character, great integrity,
says what he means, means what he says, and that's
what I try to be.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
So every day inside the Bengals locker room, in the
dining room and so forth, there's a big video board
that describes practice begins at this time, the meetings at
that time, and I frequently see references to Bible studies.
Do you lead those or they player led?

Speaker 5 (04:45):
So I lead the majority of them. Okay, sometimes players
will speak. Oftentimes they'll speak, and I want to leave
room for that, but I'm generally leading those, and most
of the time it's an encouragement. Uh the game of
football in the National Football League, it's always pressure, pressure
to perform, and if you're performing, if you're winning, sometimes

(05:09):
it's even more pressure to keep it going. Then also
in football, in this game, you lose one game, it's
a big deal.

Speaker 3 (05:18):
You lose two games, it's like the skies falling.

Speaker 5 (05:22):
And I'm there to be an encouragement in the good
times and the not so good times for those men
and to give them words of encouragement that come from
God's words.

Speaker 4 (05:32):
Well, I guess that's a good way to transition to
this edition of the Cincinnati Bengals to twenty twenty five edition. Defensively,
let's say it's been challenging for Al Golden and his
defensive coaches, no question about it. It hasn't gone as
anticipated or hoped. They haven't played up to that level

(05:55):
of expectation. Why do you think that is? What do
you think the biggest reason.

Speaker 3 (06:01):
You know, I'm not too sure. I know it's not
for a lack of trying.

Speaker 5 (06:06):
I know it's not for a lack of effort because
I'm also at some of the practices weekly and I
get to see the work that they're putting in. At times,
I'm around for some of the meetings they have. I
see the work they're putting in as a defense. But
as coach Jack says, you just keep working it, you
keep drilling it. Everyone puts in a little more effort

(06:29):
until finally that damn breaks.

Speaker 3 (06:31):
And I've been a part of teams where you're like.

Speaker 5 (06:34):
Man, what's happening. We're putting in the work. We're not
seeing the fruits of our labor. But you just keep going.
You just keep knocking, you keep hammering, and the wall
breaks down. And you can think that that last hammer
broke the wall down, but it was every single one
of those hammers that did the work. So I'm not
sure what the issues are. I know that they are

(06:57):
actively trying to get it fixed from top down.

Speaker 2 (07:00):
You lived there as a player. Your first year twenty ten,
the Bengals had a rough year. Fans were down on
the team. It was a team that had some issues,
you know, locker room, on the field, et cetera. The
following year you started to run a five straight playoff trips.
So this stuff can flip really quickly, and as you

(07:22):
talk to guys, you can communicate that. I'm sure absolutely.
I remember that first year, my rookie year. We were
two and one, feeling pretty good, and then we were two.

Speaker 3 (07:32):
And eleven, right, so ten weeks later, I'll never forget that.

Speaker 5 (07:36):
And it's not like you're not close in games, but
you're just when we were losing, it's like you got
to stop losing before you start winning in a way,
So just practicing those good habits, and then it did
turn around and we were I would say a successful team,
successful defensively and in all three phases, including special teams.
And but I just wanted to say that I do

(08:00):
make sure every chance I get to remind the players
that football is what they do, it's not who they are.
So many times we can they can focus as this
is my identity, this is who I am. People treat
me a certain way because of how I perform. What's
gonna happen when I can't perform at that level anymore?
And I want to remind them that what they do

(08:22):
matter is yes, but who they are matters more.

Speaker 4 (08:25):
Boy, two and a half months without a win, ten
ten games, ten games in a row. I mean to
put it in perspective, if you're a salesperson for P
and G, that's like you didn't get in order for
two and a half months, and your bosses are all
over you. You know, it's like, you know, hey, I'll
give you another another week. If you don't get some
sort of in order. If the worm doesn't turn here,

(08:47):
you're gone. You're out of here. Or you know, like
Jeff Ruby or place like this. Yeah, you know, I'm
gonna I'm gonna open up every every ten ten weeks,
every two and a half months, gonna open a new location,
you know, and find the spot and research it and
get it done and get great people providing you the

(09:08):
product for you to move and to sell. I mean,
but to have lack of success for ten weeks?

Speaker 3 (09:16):
Yes, what's that?

Speaker 4 (09:18):
What would that be? What was that like when you
were experiencing that first hand? What was that like for
you in your family?

Speaker 1 (09:23):
Man?

Speaker 5 (09:24):
At first, this is almost fifteen years ago now, I think,
But at first you're like Okay, we'll turn it around
after two, three, four games, and then it just keeps happening.

Speaker 3 (09:36):
And most games in the NFL a decided by touchdown
or lesson.

Speaker 5 (09:39):
Yeah, so you keep somewhere in the fourth quarter you
lose the lead, or somewhere you're getting close and you
kind of run out of time. Right, but it starts
you start to think like, man, will this ever end?

Speaker 3 (09:52):
So? But but it will.

Speaker 5 (09:53):
You just but you have to keep doing the You
don't need to switch up, just do the things you
were coached to do over and over at an intense level.

Speaker 4 (10:01):
You almost feel like you're jinx right, and there's no
such thing really used that, but I mean it's like,
I feel like you do feel like it for sure.

Speaker 2 (10:08):
So the three of us have something in common. None
of us grew up in Cincinnati, right, but it became
our home. Lap grew up in New England, played for
the Bengals. Cincinnati became his home. I grew up near Buffalo,
started working in Cincinnati. Cincinnati became my home. You grew
up in New York City. Queens specifically played college ball
at Duke, came to Cincinnati to play for the Bengals.

(10:30):
Cincinnati has become your home. Why did you and your
wife elect to stay in Cincinnati.

Speaker 3 (10:36):
We love Cincinnati, like it's a great city.

Speaker 5 (10:40):
Absolutely. I can just go on about how grid of
a city it is. Cincinnati number one. It's close to
many other cities around here. My wife's from Chicago four
hour drive maybe four and a half.

Speaker 3 (10:54):
There's other yeah, other close cities.

Speaker 5 (10:56):
There's a lot of good business going on in this
city where us I would say, like not the biggest city,
but we have pretty big businesses here. And I think, yes,
a number is pretty I think pretty affordable. Now I'm
coming from Queens, New York, so it's you know, it
could be more affordable, right. It's very much so a

(11:17):
family city. I'll tell you what. Whenever I have four children,
and whenever I bring my kids to the aquarium or
to the zoo or to the Cincinnati Museum, it's not
a whole day affair.

Speaker 3 (11:28):
You know. We have passes, so we just show up.
We can just show up.

Speaker 5 (11:31):
And go and then we're anywhere out So that it's
just it's just an easier city to live in and
raise a family.

Speaker 3 (11:38):
And I don't see myself leaving there.

Speaker 4 (11:41):
You go, Okay, Queens and then you come to Cincinnati.
How big of an adjustment was it to make for you,
your wife, your children, your family. How big of an
adjustment Queens in the in the You know, that's a
that's a much different dynamic up there in the Northeastern

(12:02):
and here here in the Midwest and Cincinnati, Ohio.

Speaker 5 (12:05):
Yes, so I do miss the the pizza at times.
I missed the pizza.

Speaker 2 (12:09):
You need to try the pizza Tonight Lane Market. We
walked over there. It's impressive, Italian style, authentic.

Speaker 5 (12:17):
But one thing I another thing that I love about
since he is the high school football. I'm a big
high school football fan here and I'm always tracking to
see how the teams are doing, how the schools are doing.

Speaker 3 (12:31):
In New York, many of.

Speaker 5 (12:33):
The high schools did not have football programs, so I
had to actually travel two hours to get to high
school every day, really to a school that had a
reputable football program.

Speaker 3 (12:42):
Each way right each way in the bus every single day.
So I was out the house at six am every day.

Speaker 5 (12:49):
Man, Yeah, one day, yes so, But yeah, it's a
it was a lot going on. It's the diversity in
New York, let alone Queens. It's one of the most
I think the most diverse county in the country. That's
pretty cool. But I'll tell you what, I don't think
I'm going back there. I think stay right here.

Speaker 3 (13:11):
All right.

Speaker 2 (13:11):
It's about six point fifteen. We're gonna be here until
eight o'clock tonight. If you are in the area, anywhere
in the Cincinnati area, you don't have dinner plans yet tonight,
come out and join us here at the Dorothy Lane Market. Pizza, burgers, sushi,
plenty of other stuff to eat. There's a wine bar,
there's a craft beer bar. We've got plenty of seats available.

(13:32):
We've got Vinni Ray joining us until seven lap and
I are here until eight.

Speaker 3 (13:36):
Again.

Speaker 2 (13:36):
We are at the Dorothy Lane Market, seventy two hundred
Mason Montgomery Road, the official gourmet grocer of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 4 (13:45):
There's something for everybody here, no doubt. I mean whatever food.
I mean, if you like beef, if you like poultry,
if you like you know, turkey, your chick or whatever
the case, if you like him, whatever, got it all,
got it all here for you.

Speaker 3 (13:57):
They have some of all of it.

Speaker 2 (13:58):
They are going to sell a lot of turkeys before Thanksgiving.

Speaker 4 (14:01):
Well, they sure are.

Speaker 2 (14:02):
They are locally raised. Thousands, thousands and thousands, no, thousands.
All right, We're gonna take a time out. When we
come back. We're gonna play a highlight. Found a little
discovery about Vinnie Ray that I think is going to
be entertaining when we come back. This is the Bengals
Game Plan Show. We're presented by bud Light, Easy to Drink,

(14:23):
Easy to Enjoy on ESPN fifteen thirty. Danlod and Dave
Lapham with you tonight with our special guest, Vinnie Ray,
broadcasting live from the Dorothy Lane Market here in Mason.
The address is seventy two hundred Mason Montgomery Road. We
have dubbed it the nicest grocery store on the face

(14:45):
of the earth. That is the official gourmet grocer of
the Cincinnati Bengals. They have lots of food to eat, lots.

Speaker 3 (14:51):
Of things to drink.

Speaker 2 (14:52):
There's a wine bar, there's a craft beer bar. We
have just been presented with the Bengal Burger. Yes, this
is a burg It is awesome, stuffed with pimento cheese
on a roll that's made in house. Lap has tried it.
What do you think, Lap awesome?

Speaker 4 (15:10):
It's just it's good.

Speaker 3 (15:11):
I'll get there.

Speaker 4 (15:12):
Bestbergertation in my life, right.

Speaker 2 (15:16):
The superlatives are flowing here at the Dorothy Lane mark
if this place is something else. We took a little
tour when we arrived. I will be spending heavily at
the end of the show. My wife was going to
be very happy when I come home.

Speaker 3 (15:28):
All right. Our guest is Vinnie Ray.

Speaker 2 (15:31):
Vinnie had a great career with the Bengals as a
linebacker and as a special team's ace. There was a
pick six along the way. There were several other interceptions
along the way, including this one that I discovered a
little bit earlier this afternoon. Another big third down play here,
third and ten from the Cincinnati thirty three. They are

(15:53):
within the long field goal range of Tucker Flaco back
to throw, force to scramble up in the air.

Speaker 3 (15:58):
That's in a second.

Speaker 2 (16:00):
It is picked up by Vinnie Ray at the thirty
five yard line thanks to the pressure applied to Joe Flacco.

Speaker 3 (16:08):
You intercepted Joe Flacco.

Speaker 2 (16:11):
Did you remind Joe Flaco the fact that you have
intercepted him?

Speaker 3 (16:16):
I left that out. I'll just bring that up with
Cleveland Baltimore. Baltimore was in Baltimore, Baltimore.

Speaker 2 (16:24):
So you played your last NFL game in twenty eighteen,
is that correct, Yes, twenty eighteen. You're two years younger
than Joe Flacco. Are you astounded by what this guy
is doing at age forty?

Speaker 3 (16:36):
Yes, he's It's amazing.

Speaker 5 (16:39):
I'll share this, you know, it is a little detail
just from being at practice.

Speaker 3 (16:45):
Uh, I'll share this all right, all right, inside the insider. Right.

Speaker 5 (16:51):
Yeah, at practice during the week, he had a he
had a shoulder, right shoulder injury, and he's he's working
through it. Well, he's he's throwing, but he's thrown with
his other arm, you know, a little bit, ye left hand. Yeah,
he's throwing, and then once he gets warmer, he throws

(17:13):
with his right you know. And that was only one day,
but it just showed you the grit he has. And
like the players see that and it inspires them. I
think coaches see that and it inspires them.

Speaker 3 (17:30):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (17:30):
This is a man who's been very productive in this
league for multiple teams. He's been to a Super Bowl,
he's won a Super Bowl, he's been a Super Bowl MVP.
And seeing him he's in there getting rehab and he's
fighting through it's a standard. When somebody, when your leader,
when your quarterback is setting the standard like that, everyone

(17:50):
sort of falls in line and uh, yeah, how does
he throw lefty? I just saw it one time. I
just noticed it. I'm like, whoa, I just saw his
left hands. I don't know how much he did it,
but I saw him do it once and but maybe
he was just warming his shoulder up.

Speaker 2 (18:08):
But he's certainly not going to do it in a game.
There was an infamous moment in Bengals history when former
Bengals quarterback Gus Farac, under pressure, tried to throw a
left handed pass that was promptly intercepted.

Speaker 3 (18:20):
It was not good.

Speaker 2 (18:21):
So I trust the fact that you know, Joe just
did it because he was running through the plays and
saved a little wear and tear in the shoulder.

Speaker 3 (18:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (18:29):
I think the point there was he's he's practicing through game,
as oftentimes players do.

Speaker 3 (18:36):
But he's older than most players out there right, so
and for him.

Speaker 5 (18:41):
To still to still do it, it's something that I
think the guys really, they really they saw that and
it was motivational.

Speaker 4 (18:49):
Over forty years old and still and still going strong.
Tiger Johnson, God rest his soul, My first offensive line
coach with the Cincinnati Bengals. He would when he if
he saw Joe Flacco throw that ball left handed, he
would say, oh, he's amphibious. Yeah he had he had

(19:10):
the a right. That was about it. But uh, really,
these guys are at the NFL level. The athleticism is
off the charts. Yes, and for guys do things that
normal human beings just don't do, don't even think about doing. Yes,
and and uh, you know, I remember the first guy

(19:30):
that I first genetic phenomenon that I ever experienced in
the National Football League was Mike Reid, a defensive tackle
with the Cincinnati Bengals, first round pick out of Penn
State Top ten draft. He was ridiculous. The guy. He's
written Stranger in My House Inside. He's a country hit songwriter.
And he played. He was a concert pianist when he

(19:53):
was playing with the Cincinnati Bengals. When he was still playing,
he read in himself Tuxedo, went to the Cincinnati Symphony
and put on a show. I mean it was unbelievable,
so sold it out. But this guy, he was he
was a freak, a freaking athlete, and that's what you
go up against, you know. When you come to the
National Football League. Speak to what it's like to come
from the college level of football to the National Football League.

(20:15):
What kind of an adjustment is that mentally, physically you know,
at every level.

Speaker 5 (20:19):
Yes, so number one, the physical difference and uh lap
I'll tell I'll say the biggest adjustment for me and
what I see now even the players now, I think
is seeing the offensive linemen and the skill, the footwork,
the athleticism there you go of the like that is

(20:39):
just I knew it's a different level and adjusting to that,
adjusting to the what the speed of the game, And
it's not that people have gotten faster, it's just that
they're doing things quicker, and the ball is out quicker,
the routes are being run sharper, and uh everything, so

(21:00):
much more attention to detail. So yes, the athleticism is amazing,
but the attention to detail, the focus that.

Speaker 3 (21:10):
Just to bring you into a normal week.

Speaker 5 (21:12):
You're having your watching film, you're going through a playbook
and you're watching what you're supposed to do. Then you
go out on the field and you walk through what
you just watched, and then you jogg through what you
just walk through, what you watched, and then you do
it full speed. So you do all of that in
a day and you're there, I don't know long time,
and then the next day you do it on Thursday.

(21:34):
Then the next day you do it Friday, and then
you watch on Saturday, and then you do it full
speed in the game.

Speaker 3 (21:39):
That's your test day. So it's just it's amazing.

Speaker 5 (21:42):
As I'm on the outside looking in now, it's amazing
the attention to detail that all these players have, that
these coaches have, and the techniques that they're coaching over
and over and over again. It's just such a high level,
and the differences between each player is very small.

Speaker 3 (22:01):
At times.

Speaker 5 (22:02):
You may have a backup player who's who has more talent,
more ability, but that that starter he's just so consistent
and one of the I mean, I've always heard the
best ability is availability, so being available, but the second
best is reliability.

Speaker 3 (22:18):
Can we rely on you? And on accountability? Yes?

Speaker 4 (22:21):
Accountabilities yes, yeah.

Speaker 5 (22:23):
So the oftentimes a coach would rather a consistent eight
than somebody who's gonna bring a ten but might bring
a six.

Speaker 4 (22:29):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (22:29):
So if you can bring the same thing every single
day and it's it's a it's an amazing thing to
see the attention.

Speaker 3 (22:36):
To detail in this league.

Speaker 2 (22:38):
Want to circle back to Joe Flacca for just a second,
because he didn't practice today.

Speaker 3 (22:43):
They've kind of.

Speaker 2 (22:43):
Settled into into a routine now where he doesn't practice
on Wednesday, he throws on Thursday, sees how the shoulder feels.

Speaker 3 (22:52):
Maybe he'll throw on Friday.

Speaker 2 (22:53):
But obviously he's been fine on game day, so he's
kind of managing that shoulder issue. But today, with Lacko
not throwing, Joe Burrow started doing eleven on eleven stuff
for the first time. As he comes back from his
toe injury. He wants to play. He wants to play
regardless of whether the Bengals in their next few games

(23:13):
or lose their next few games. He's determined to come
back this year, no doubt. How do you feel about that,
Benny Man, I am all for it. Joe Burrow when.

Speaker 5 (23:25):
He's not the biggest, most talkative guy, but the respect
that they have for him, everyone in that building when
he says something, everyone's listening, everyone's looking, and everyone goes
as he goes. So it's for him to be back
out there, It's like, okay, man, Joe's back out here.

(23:46):
Let me make sure I have my ducks in order.
Let me make sure I'm I'm doing everything correct. Let
me make sure I'm competing my tail off in practice.
Let me make sure I'm doing that because he's out here.
So I personally, I'm all for it. Let's compete. Let's
let's go out there and give our best effort every
single snap.

Speaker 4 (24:05):
So I agree with you. I think anything you can
do to raise the boat, you know, raise the level
of play. And Joe fla Joe Burrow. Not that Joe
Flacco hasn't risen the boat. I think the guys respect
him a lot too. And what he brings to the
table as a leader and a quarterback. How he throws
the football. He has a beautiful throwing motion. But Joe

(24:28):
Burrow is just a different breed of cat man. You know,
he's like they broke the mold. It's kind of like
one of one. When you meet him, it's like he's
so focused. You know, you start talking football at Joe
Burrow and he like looks right through you. You know, it's
like his eyes. Man, he's focused on you and what
you're talking about. It's like, well big time, and he's
he is an unbelievable athlete. I mean he can what

(24:51):
things he can do with his feet as well as
his throwing arm and and are just extraordinary. So when
you get a guy like like Joe Burrow back at practice,
the energy and enthusiasm even in practice is probably a
noticeable lift, you know. So he does, he raises that
whole boat, and you know that's why he makes good

(25:12):
chunk of money. He's gonna continue to make a good
chunk of money. That's what those guys are paid to do.
What is it like like, for example, when you were
playing a boomeros Iasen was out and they said he
was going to be out for two months, but he
came back and won in a month. Cut that time
in half. And I'm here to play because I love

(25:32):
you guys. I'm here because you guys are my brothers.
You guys are my family. I'm here because I want
to be with you guys, through thick and thin. What
does that mean to you as.

Speaker 3 (25:42):
A player, Yeah, it.

Speaker 5 (25:45):
Inspires you and it causes you to say, man, I
need to give everything I have. I need to make
sure I'm getting good rest at night. I need to
make sure I'm eating properly. I need to make sure
I'm perfectly hydrated. Yep, because of.

Speaker 3 (25:58):
This guy, and he's that he's the guy.

Speaker 5 (26:01):
If this guy has given everything he has, what more
do I have that I can give? One of the
night before games. I have a chapel message for those
who would like to come out. You know, it's completely volunteer,
and I think the idea of it this week is
going to be what will you do with what you've
been given? We've all been given amazing talents, we've been

(26:25):
given amazing relationships, but we've been given time. So what
will you do with what you've been given? In this
game on Sunday at one pm? You know, after that
or after this year or whenever. It's not promised, So
what will you do with what you've been given? And
when a guy like that is saying no, people thought
I was going to come back then, but I'm back

(26:47):
before that because I'm hungry. It's like, man, he's set
in the standard, let me follow suit.

Speaker 4 (26:52):
I got that right.

Speaker 2 (26:53):
We are going to take a time out of it.
Chomped down a few bits of the Bengal Burger, yes,
which Lap has proclaimed the great burger he has ever had.

Speaker 4 (27:01):
No question, you've had a few.

Speaker 3 (27:02):
I've had a few.

Speaker 4 (27:03):
I've had a few. Yeah, I've thrown down I'm not wimpy,
not as many as wimpy, but I've thrown down my
shirt burgers.

Speaker 2 (27:09):
All right, We are hanging out tonight at the Dorothy
Lane Market. We're in Mason. The address is seventy two
hundred Mason Montgomery Road. This is the official gourmet grocer
of the Cincinnati Bengals. But don't let that title fool you.
This is also a great place to come out, eat,
have a drink, have a glass of wine, listen to
the rest of our show. We are here until eight
o'clock tonight. Our special guest, Vinnie Ray is with us

(27:32):
until seven o'clock tonight. Will continue in just a moment.
This is the Bengals Game Plan Show presented by bud Light.
Easy to drink, Easy to enjoy on ESPN fifteen thirty.
He takes the staff, he drops back.

Speaker 3 (27:45):
It's a deep drop.

Speaker 2 (27:47):
Rivers throws down the middle of the field and it
is hitterceptance at the forty eight ya line. Philip Rivers
with his first interception of the day. It was a
deep drop, and Vinnie Ray intercepted Philip Rivers. Another highlight
from our special guest tonight, Vinnie Ray, as we broadcast
live from the Dorothy Lane Market here in Mason. Seventy

(28:09):
two hundred Bason Montgomery Road is the address. Come out
and join us if you would like to get something
great to eat, have a glass of wine, have a
craft beer. They've got it all here. You can also
do shopping for the rest of your life right at
Cincinnati's Gourmet Grocer, the official gourmet grocer of the Cincinnati Bengals.
We have just been given some of their pizza made

(28:31):
on location. Great thin crust, very authentically Italian is how
I would just describe that pizza is thin.

Speaker 4 (28:40):
Then it has been worked over. Now we are easy
to digest.

Speaker 2 (28:46):
We've also been given killer brownies and they are awesome.
So we are We're going to gain ten pounds tonight
at least, and it will be well worth it. Sorry, Peg,
when I get home, it's gonna be a little bit chunky,
tough luck.

Speaker 3 (29:00):
That's all good.

Speaker 2 (29:01):
So, Vinnie, you played for the Bengals for nine years
linebacker special teams ace. Let's talk linebackers because right now
the Bengals are starting two rookies Dimitrius Knight and Barrett
Carter drafted this year and plugged right in there in
the starting lineup. Demetrius from day one and Barret Carter

(29:21):
just a few weeks into the season. Let's hear from
head coach Zach Taylor on his expectations with a season
of motoring along for these two rookie linebackers starting this year.

Speaker 6 (29:34):
I continue to see progress being made, and that's what
we're asking those guys. Keep making progress, eliminate the same
mistakes over and over. They've got tremendous attitudes. They are
hel bent on playing at a very high level this
season and helping this defense help us win games.

Speaker 2 (29:50):
So put it into perspective for us, how difficult is
it for rookies at your old position?

Speaker 5 (29:56):
Man, I could not imagine now. I didn't for myself personally.
I didn't start playing on defense until maybe my third
year and not starting really, so they're at another level
than I am. But being out there, you can get
mental reps, which are awesome. In practice, you can get
practice reps, full speed reps. That's all great, but it's

(30:19):
something about game day reps when you're out there, when
it's first and ten start the second half when it's
a big third down and you're at home and the
crowd's going wild, when it's you know, the other teams
on their goal line and you're at their house. So
those things it's hard to replicate. And these guys are

(30:40):
just getting better every time. It's starting to make more
plays that I mean, this is just me just as
a as somebody viewing. I see them as trusting the
defense more that a. They have a desire to continually
get better at all times in from the film room
to the practice field to the game. And uh, I

(31:03):
get to spend a little time with them, uh and
their linebackers. So I'm partial to live man as a
former you know, one day in my past, they used
to be that. So I love seeing them out there,
seeing them, hearing them talking and getting everyone on the
same page.

Speaker 3 (31:18):
What a responsibility these guys have.

Speaker 5 (31:20):
They're some of the the youngest guys on the on
the defense, and they're charged to communicate with those in
front of them at the defensive line, who have their
hand in the dirt, who can't see right, They can't
see everything, so they have to they're their their eyes
and then they have to communicate with those on the
back end. This is huge responsibility and it's gonna pay

(31:41):
off dividends.

Speaker 3 (31:42):
Yes. Uh.

Speaker 5 (31:44):
Some say next year, but I say even this year,
because at this point they're not they're not being looked
at the players rookies anymore, and they're elevating their play
and they're because they've gotten so many repetitions. So it's
a it's cool to see their growth and the responsibility
that they don't sulk at it and say, oh, man,

(32:05):
I got too much on my plate, I'm only twenty
two or whatever. No, they invite that responsibility.

Speaker 4 (32:12):
Yeah, that's you put it so well. And in conversations
I've had with Al Golden about the young linebackers and
they are, like you say, Vinny, they're probably the youngest
players on the team by a position group, you know,
I mean with injury. Now, the guys that are playing collectively,
they don't have a whole lot of years experience in
the National Football League. But Al Golden told me that, man,

(32:34):
their football IQ is off the charts, and their overall
intelligence regular IQ is off the charts as well. They're
smart guys. And you, being from Duke being in a
linebacker in the NFL, you can relate to that, but
to me, it's Al Golden has a big responsibility to,

(32:54):
you know, get these guys ready and get them performing
at a very high level for the Bengals defensive football
team because they are so young and they're going against
guys like Aaron Rodgers, who's even older than Joe Flacco,
you know, at the quarterback position, and they're going against
guys that are so gifted athletically. You know, on a
week to week basis in the National Football League. What

(33:14):
kind of a responsibility is that for a young linebacker
on a weekly basis to take on that burden, that
responsibility both physically and mentally.

Speaker 5 (33:24):
Yes, it okay, So physically, of course, I see them
doing all the we used to call modalities, but all
the modalities. Love it, all the rehab and even prehab.
You know, maybe they're not injured, but being in there
working on that flexibility. There's so many things that are
available to them in that facility now. So I see

(33:47):
them doing that, but we know it's a most of
the game is right between the ears and they to
see them embracing the responsibility, them accepting responsible ability, saying
hey that was my fault. I have to communicate that better.
I have to do this better, instead of saying, hey,
I'm I'm just a I'm a young guy. You know,

(34:08):
I shouldn't have this responsibility. Those thoughts are not going
through their mind. It's hey, whatever it takes for me
to do my job, be my one eleventh, whether it's
defending my gap, patrolling my area in the field, my
guy who I'm guarding. They're taking that responsibility on and
they're only going to keep going up.

Speaker 4 (34:28):
They're embracing it, right, I mean they're not they're not
shying away from it. They're not saying, oh, this is
too much. You know, my mind is blown. I can't
I can't handle this. They're they're just the opposite, you know,
they're saying, give me more.

Speaker 5 (34:41):
And they've played I mean, I know we're talking college,
but they've played in some big time college YEP games,
big time universities. Yes, and a Batterer was at Clemson,
and I played at Clemson one time many years ago,
and it was extremely loud there. So they've played big
games before. And it's yes, this is another level, but

(35:04):
they're up.

Speaker 3 (35:04):
To the task.

Speaker 2 (35:05):
All right, We're gonna squeeze in another time out which
will give us another opportunity to graze on the delicious
food here at the Dorothy Lane Market, our address seventy
two hundred in Montgomery Road. This is the first of
two shows we are going to do from this venue.
We will be back here on Wednesday, December tenth. Anthony
Munos will be our guest again that night, more with

(35:27):
Vinnie Ray when we continue. This is the Bengals Game
Plan Show, presented by Bud Light on ESPN fifteen thirty
hoking back to throw, has time has passed? Deflect and
intercepted by Vinny Ray. Ray tackled it to twenty and
that should be coffin nails.

Speaker 4 (35:44):
Bam, bam bam.

Speaker 2 (35:47):
We are broadcasting live tonight from the Dorothy Lane Market
here in Mason. It is the official gourmet grosser of
the Cincinnati Bengals. This place is absolutely awesome. I'm going
to be spending time and money as soon as the
radio show is finished and bringing home some great stuff
for my wife.

Speaker 4 (36:05):
There you go, and spreading.

Speaker 2 (36:08):
Speaking of that, if you're looking for holiday gift ideas,
they've got great food gifts for the holiday here at
the Dorothy Lane Market. So again, come out and check
it out Sometime seventy two hundred Mason Montgomery Road started
in Dayton's made its way to Cincinnati. This is the
first location here. Who knows if there'll be more down

(36:30):
the road, but this one is great. Seventy two hundred
Mason Montgomery Road is the address. Then, we've heard a
few of your highlights from your playing days on the
show tonight. Do you miss playing and if so.

Speaker 3 (36:42):
What do you miss? I do not miss playing.

Speaker 5 (36:46):
Okay, it's it's cool to watch. I just like that
more watch and be there for the guys. But no,
it's the price that you have to pay to actually
line up and to.

Speaker 3 (37:05):
Just be decent. Like the price to pay. It's it's
too much.

Speaker 2 (37:09):
This guy played twelve years in the pros.

Speaker 3 (37:11):
You played nine.

Speaker 2 (37:11):
I mean, you guys took your share of shots, that's
for sure. Y.

Speaker 5 (37:14):
Yes, I'll say this though, I think the doing something,
accomplishing something you think is worthwhile with others, that is
a cool thing, no doubt. But you can still do
that outside of the game of football. So which I
think I do that now what I do so? But

(37:36):
but yeah, I know I don't. I don't miss it.
That's exactly what you do you put it perfectly? I
mean accomplishing something worthwhile with others, you know, and what
led you to be a man of God? I mean
you obviously your religion is vitally important to who you are.
It's a big part of what Jenny Ray is all about.

(37:59):
And people that know you love you for that. What
when when did you say this is what I want
to do with my life.

Speaker 4 (38:08):
I somehow want religion to be a very very big
important factor in my life.

Speaker 3 (38:13):
Yes, that's a great question, A good question.

Speaker 5 (38:16):
So I grew up in a family that faith was important,
going to church was important, living out your faith was important.
But when I left home, I think I was seventeen
and I left home went for college.

Speaker 3 (38:31):
And you're an early.

Speaker 4 (38:33):
Guy, dude, you're a smart guy man, seventeen years old
getting it to do.

Speaker 5 (38:36):
Come on, vinn. I was young and I'd done baby.
But I'm like, hey, I'm I'm grown. I'm going to
live how I want to live. And faith was something
that I say, I had, like on the shelf. It
was one of the things in my compartment. Here's my faith.
His my job of football, is my job of school,
his my social life. But there was a man I

(39:00):
met who was a chaplain at Duke, who's actually the
chaplain for the New England Patriots. Were coming in here,
cool Mannion coming. Yeah, Well, this guy's named Mitch. He
would he was our coach. He was a coach on
the team and a chaplain, and he just shared with

(39:22):
me about what it means to live your faith and
for it not to be one of the many things
you do, but for it to have an impact in
everything you do. And from there, I said, you know
what I want to make my faith important, which is
I want to follow Christ. I want to be a
follower of Him in everything. I want that to impact

(39:42):
every area of my life. So not just something I
bring out Sunday morning or right before a game, good
luck charm, but something to impact my entire life.

Speaker 3 (39:53):
And it's been ever since.

Speaker 2 (39:55):
All Right, we've got you here for one more segment.
We're going to take a time out. When we come
in flown by Dan it has any ray so good.

Speaker 3 (40:03):
No doubt.

Speaker 2 (40:03):
When we come back, we will play America's favorite game.

Speaker 3 (40:06):
Show, Know Your School.

Speaker 2 (40:08):
Oh, big five questions about Duke University. You need to
get at least three rights? Can you kill it to
be declared a winner. Okay, This is the Bengals Game
Plan Show, broadcasting live from the Dorothy Lane Market here
in Mason. The address is seventy two hundred Mason, Montgomery Road,
and our show is presented each week by bud Light
Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy on ESPN fifteen thirty.

(40:33):
Dan Ordon Dave Lap them back on the Bengals Game
Plan Show, presented by bud Light, Easy to Drink, Easy
to Enjoy, live from the Dorthy Lane Market here in Mason.
If you missed the beginning of the show, this is
the first of two shows we are going to do
from this location. It is Cincinnati's nicest grocery store, the

(40:53):
official gourmet grocer of the Cincinnati Bengals. And it's not
just a grocery store, it's a restaurant, a bar.

Speaker 3 (41:00):
It's got it all.

Speaker 2 (41:01):
We mentioned early in the show pizza, burger, sushi, Well,
we didn't want to be hip hypocritical, so we're gonna
try it all.

Speaker 3 (41:08):
The least we can do.

Speaker 4 (41:09):
Right, equal opportunity, try it all.

Speaker 2 (41:13):
The Killer Brownie is our fantastic Lap just wondered about
some sushi, and some sushi I just been delivered.

Speaker 3 (41:20):
Dave we're talking.

Speaker 4 (41:21):
Shrimp there, right, shrimp sushi, lobster suit, Oh my gosh,
lobster sushie. Now you're talking about a guy from New England.
So my great uncle uncle Bob was a lobster whoever
you call him fisherman, I guess lobster man. Yeah, he
had he had the lobster traps and all that, and
my goodness, look at that. It's another form of sushi.

Speaker 2 (41:44):
Yep, all right, we're just gonna keep eating, all right
before he tries lobster sushi. Yes, it is time to
play America's favorite game.

Speaker 3 (41:55):
Show Man, Know your School.

Speaker 2 (41:58):
Five questions about Duke University for Vinnie Ray A proud
grat They have the Vinnie Ray Award at Duke University.

Speaker 4 (42:08):
Is that right?

Speaker 3 (42:08):
That's awesome?

Speaker 2 (42:09):
Is that like the best defensive player who gets the
Vinnie Ray Award?

Speaker 5 (42:13):
It's the best line. Which we have two players on
the team right now who have been recipients of that.

Speaker 4 (42:22):
Really, how about that? Coming full circle?

Speaker 2 (42:25):
Shaka Hayward yep, Joe Giles Harris, Impress, impress?

Speaker 3 (42:31):
All right.

Speaker 2 (42:32):
Five questions about Duke You must get at least three
right to be a winner. Question number one, do it
spell Shayzewski just kidding, r I s H E W
s K I that is incorrect. You can you can
not very Actually you can try that for extra credit

(42:53):
at the end if you'd like.

Speaker 3 (42:54):
But here we go. Question number one.

Speaker 2 (42:56):
What is the nickname of the Duke student section at
basketball games?

Speaker 3 (43:01):
Cameron Crazy Boom? You are one for one. That is correl.

Speaker 4 (43:06):
Off to a hot star, Vinnie.

Speaker 3 (43:08):
Let's do it. Question number two.

Speaker 2 (43:09):
The most prominent building at Duke sores two hundred and
ten feet above campus and includes five pipe organs.

Speaker 3 (43:20):
What building am I referring to? I don't know the
name of it. I would say the Duke Chapel. That
is it? That is you are.

Speaker 2 (43:31):
Yeah, does not have an unusual name.

Speaker 3 (43:33):
It is the Duke Chapel. You are correct, you are
two for two.

Speaker 4 (43:36):
Do it.

Speaker 2 (43:37):
Following a trend of non permitted bonfires, Duke started a
tradition in nineteen eighty six where something very specific gets
burned after wins over North Carolina or national championship victories.

Speaker 3 (43:55):
What is that item that gets burned? Benches? Benches?

Speaker 2 (43:59):
Is correct?

Speaker 3 (44:00):
I was, I was there for it. Kind of a
cool tradition, Yes, it is, ye.

Speaker 4 (44:07):
What do they do with the ashes afterwards.

Speaker 3 (44:08):
I wonder, I don't know, I wasn't there for it.

Speaker 4 (44:13):
Contributions, you gonna give X number.

Speaker 2 (44:16):
Rather than having an out of control bonfire after a
big win, they take these campus benches, huge benches, huge
ben so like one at a time for the.

Speaker 5 (44:25):
Fire, right, Yeah, but they're all thrown in the middle.
I'm on West Campus and I remember the It's happened
multiple times. But when we won the national championship my
last year, there everyone, there's thousands of people around, it's
dark out, and there's this huge fire in the middle.

Speaker 3 (44:44):
It's just these huge benches.

Speaker 5 (44:46):
That you have to like climb up to get on,
and people are carrying them and throwing me.

Speaker 3 (44:52):
Yeah, it's kind of.

Speaker 2 (44:53):
Dangerous, it is, but it's less dangerous than what preceded
it when it was completely out of control. At least
there's some structured to all right, this is what we're burning,
and this is where we're burning it, all right? Question
number four. What Heisman Trophy winning quarterback was the last
coach to lead Duke to a conference title.

Speaker 3 (45:12):
Steve spurs Steve Spurrier.

Speaker 4 (45:13):
Is correct, Steve superior.

Speaker 2 (45:17):
Vinnie is going for the perfect score, but he was not.
He was not willing to spells. That's that's real question
number five. In nineteen forty two, a famous bowl game
was played at Duke because of the fear of a
Japanese attack on the West coast following Pearl Harbor. This

(45:38):
bowl game has played away from It has been played
outside of its normal spot two times, once at Duke.
What bowl game am I talking about?

Speaker 3 (45:47):
Rose Bowl? The Rose Bowl is correct, the big.

Speaker 4 (45:53):
Tradition there.

Speaker 2 (45:54):
Nineteen forty two Rose Bowl was held at Duke.

Speaker 4 (45:57):
That's great trivia right there.

Speaker 2 (46:00):
To Oregon State. But it was still kind of a
cool nugget, all right. Five for five. Skrzyzewski is spelled
k r z c. That's right, y zosies e w
s K I.

Speaker 7 (46:14):
Got, I got the e ws and you got the K.
I went, you got the K. It was just in
between the K and the usky. Yeah, yea ch it
can happen to anybody. Benny, Thank you so much for
coming out and doing this. We really appreciate it. Always
good to visit with you. Uh, bring some food home
to those four ghiddos.

Speaker 5 (46:34):
Oh yes, they're gonna they're gonna love it. They love pizza.
So I'm gonna be uh popular.

Speaker 3 (46:39):
There we go, bring this home.

Speaker 4 (46:40):
You're all right.

Speaker 3 (46:42):
Let's hear it for Vinnie Ray. We are late for
a break. We'll take a time out.

Speaker 2 (46:47):
This is the Bengals Game Plan Show presented by bud
Light on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (46:53):
This is Bengals game Plan presented by bud Light on
the first Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network wrote to you
by bud Light. Bud Light Easy to Drink, Easy to
Enjoy or bac or is Cloud to be the official
HR software provider of US Cincinnati Bengals. Kettering hillth Best
Care for the Best Fans, Ketting hillth Official healthcare provider

(47:16):
of the Cincinnati Bengals. This is Cincinnati's ISTN fifteen thirty,
the official home of the Bengals.

Speaker 2 (47:23):
Dan Ordon, Dave Lap them back at the Dorothy Lane
Market here in Mason. This is the place for people
that love food. It is the official gourmet grocer of
the Cincinnati Bengals. They have just delivered steak. Now, We've
got steak lap.

Speaker 4 (47:37):
Unbelievable steak, mushrooms, some nice butter being melted on the stag.
Oh my gosh, snow calories there none none, whatsoever. We
have been given the Bengal burger stuff with pimento cheese,
thin cruss pizza as if it were flown in from Italy.
But it's made here. Lobster sushi, killer brown and now steak.

(48:02):
It's crazy.

Speaker 2 (48:03):
Yeah, I'm not leaving what they have mattresses here.

Speaker 3 (48:06):
I may sleep here tonight.

Speaker 4 (48:07):
I really like this concept, Lynn, my lovely wife. I
like the concept of having dessert during the middle of
the dinner. You know, you have it. You have a
little beef, have a lobster sushi.

Speaker 3 (48:18):
Eat Roddy and then start over.

Speaker 4 (48:20):
Yeah, and then maybe go to I don't know, reverse it,
go lobster Thunderstate the.

Speaker 3 (48:27):
Yeah, I know what you think.

Speaker 4 (48:29):
You know?

Speaker 3 (48:30):
All right.

Speaker 2 (48:31):
We've got Bengals football coming up this Sunday, Cincinnati at
home against the New England Patriots, arguably the hottest team
in the NFL. They bring an eight game winning streak
to town, and the Bengals, of course, will not have Jamar.
Chase Jamar has been suspended for one game. That suspension
was upheld last night for spitting on an opponent Last

(48:51):
Sunday in Pittsburgh. He got into it with Jalen Ramsey
and unfortunately did something that he shouldn't do. He'll be
the first to admit it. He let his emotions get
the best of him and it's going to cost him
one game and a pretty significant chunk of change several
hundred thousand dollars. Yeah, we know Jamar Chase well enough
to know this is a one time thing. He won't

(49:12):
do anything like this again. He's a great person. Spend
any time with Jamar Chase and you absolutely love the guy.
Let's hear from head coach Zach Taylor defending Jamar Chase
this week.

Speaker 6 (49:26):
I think Jamar Chase is will go down as one
of my favorite all time players and favorite all time
leaders and everything he's about. So I keep hearing this,
it's like we're trying to make something out of the
situation that it's the only thing that's kind of upset
me as I'm sitting in here, because for a guy
that has done everything we can to build our organization around,
he's been off not perfect. I'm not perfect, I trust me.

(49:47):
I made plenty of mistakes yesterday people don't see on camera.
Unfortunately his what was and so he's gonna have to
wun up for that, and that'll be part of his journey.
He's still in some ways, he's a veteran, he's still
I think he's going to play a long time, and
so when you look at the overall part of his career,
this will be the beginning of his career in a
lot of words, a lot of ways. I hope you
understand my position on this, because he's a guy who's

(50:09):
done everything he could possibly could to help us win
and do things the right way.

Speaker 2 (50:13):
I completely understand his position on this. Now as part
of the suspension, Jamar cannot be in the building this
week that Zach Taylor cannot reach out to him. He's
kind of, you know, not allowed to communicate during the
one week suspension. He'll be back in the building next.

Speaker 4 (50:28):
Monday, right. And Paul Brown when he was coaching the Bengals,
he was my first head coach back in seventy four,
and you know, he had many sayings, and he said
one of them was, you know you are what your
actions and your reactions say you are. And unfortunately, Jamar

(50:56):
did something that was regrettable, something that I'm sure right
after as soon as you probably did it, it was like, damn,
why did I do that? I mean, that's that's that
shouldn't I shouldn't have done that. I overreacted to that,
and it's part of the growing up process. You know,
Jamar is still a young a young person, a young man.

(51:18):
But I agree with you, Dan, I love Jamar Chase
and I think all of his teammates do too, no doubt,
and the coaches do. I mean, Jamar Chase maybe loved
as much as any player on the Cincinnati Bengals roster.
I mean, I think if you went through that locker
room and took a poll, you would not find one
person that was like Jamar Chase, that the guy's a jerk.

(51:39):
Everybody loves Jamar Chase. But does that excuse does that
excuse what he decided to do you know on game day? No?

Speaker 3 (51:48):
No, of course that right.

Speaker 4 (51:50):
So you know he's paying He's paying a price, He's
paying a heavy price, and I'm sure he feels terrible
about it.

Speaker 2 (51:57):
I don't know what Jalen Ramsey did to get under
his skin. Yeah, but I do know that aj Green
got into a fight of Jalen Ramsey years ago. In
the immediate aftermath, there were reports that Jalen Ramsey said
some things that were so far beyond right. What two
athletes would ever say to each other. He denied it.
Aj would never go there after the incident, he wanted

(52:19):
to go away. But Jalen Ramsey has shown the ability
to get under the skin of two of the nicest
Bengals that we've gotten to know over the last fifteen.

Speaker 4 (52:30):
Years, no question, two of the nicest wide receivers of
all time, you know. And yeah, the word on Jalen
Ramsey around the league, by many players is that he's
a jerk. You know, he can be that type of guy.
He can be that guy. He can be the guy
you put it so well, get under your skin. You know,

(52:51):
there's no place in sports from name calling, particularly name
calling you know, with a bunch of cuss words surrounding it,
or whatever the case may be, questioning the heritage of
your yourself with your family, you know, it's those kind
of things are way way off base. It's now you've
gone way too far. So I know Zach's taken a

(53:15):
lot of heat for a lot of things that have
gone on this season and for this football game in particular,
going on the road and getting spanked by Pittsburgh like
what happened. But I admire him for sticking up for
his player, and he's he's standing up tall for Jamar Chase,
And yeah, I think he loves and respects Jamar Chase

(53:35):
as a football player and more importantly, as a human being.
So good for good for Zach Taylor.

Speaker 2 (53:41):
Jamar Chase has missed five games before, five entire games
before the Bengals have a winning record. In those five games,
they've gone three and two. They've averaged about twenty four
and a half points. Obviously, when Jamar is out, that
puts the spotlight on T Higgins right In the games
that Jamar has missed, T has averaged six for one
hundred and two yards, So he's played very well under

(54:03):
those circumstances. I had the opportunity to ask Tea a
few questions about this situation earlier today. T you are
not going to have your guy Jamar Chase out there
with you on Sunday.

Speaker 3 (54:15):
How does that affect you?

Speaker 8 (54:17):
I don't feel like it affects me too much. You know,
at the end of the day, I said, I go
out there and do my job. So whether he's out
there or not.

Speaker 2 (54:25):
In the games he's missed in the past, you've averaged
one hundred and two receiving yards. I know he's your
guy and you want him out there, but is there
a tiny part of you that looks forward to the
challenge of when he's not Yeah, it's.

Speaker 8 (54:37):
Always a tone when he's not there, obviously, but you know,
I just look forward to helping my team get a
win at the end of the day. That's that's the
overall goal here, and not necessarily you know, looking for
you know, the opportunities because he's not there for myself.
But you know, obviously they're going to be there, and
the opportunity is not going to just be there for me.

(54:58):
They're going to be there for Andre Mitche, Charlie, Mike,
you know, all the other guys that's that's pass catchers,
even Chase Brown. So no, we just got to take
a uh, take advantage of those opportunities that we that
we got this weekend, you know, and try to come
out on a w and.

Speaker 2 (55:14):
Those other guys are going to have to step up.
So he mentioned Andre Yo, c Vash, Charlie Jones. He said,
the name Mike Mike Sicki is eligible to come back
this week. Yep, I don't think Jermaine Burton is going
to be in the.

Speaker 4 (55:27):
Mix, but I agree with that that could.

Speaker 3 (55:29):
Be the case.

Speaker 2 (55:30):
We'll see, But this team's got a lot of weapons. Obviously,
Jamar is the best of the bunch, but it's not
impossible to overcome his absence for a game, even against
a really good Patriots defense.

Speaker 4 (55:42):
I agree with you, Dan, and uh you know, I think.
I think T Higgins is a competitor, a professional in
every sense of the word. The way he comports himself,
the way he handed himself in the locker room, with
his teammates, with his coaches, with the media. T Higgins

(56:03):
is a prideful guy and he's a hell of a
football player. This guy is a great wide receiver. He'd
be the number one wide out on thirty one other
teams in the National Football League. But he loves playing
with Jamar Chase. They're best friends on and off the
football field. You know, they hang together. They want to

(56:25):
try to spend as much time as they possibly can together.
And that's good. That's good for the Cincinnati Bengals. And
now T Higgins gets a chance to show the whole
world that hey, I'm pretty good too. I'm six four plus,
I'm two hundred and fifteen pounds plus. I've got immense
athletic ability. I can stop and change direction on a dime.

(56:49):
I'm an exquisite route runner. I've got long arms, big
strong hands that can pluck the football out of the air,
put it away, never put it in jeopardy of losing it,
turning the football over. I can be a guy that
Joe Flacko and Joe Burrow can rely on and depend

(57:09):
on when they put the football in my vicinity, I
have a total sense of responsibility that I have to
go get that football. And that's the thing that t
Higgins is. I think all of his teammates respect about him.
He attacks the football. He goes after the football like

(57:31):
you know.

Speaker 3 (57:32):
Like us with the food here.

Speaker 4 (57:33):
Yeah, like my last last piece of food on the
table here, got to get that, bad boy. But it's
almost like, you know, geez, there's money out there. Try
to grab as much as she can before the money
goes away. He he is a physical specimen, very very strong,
and he does attack the football with the best of them.
He high points the football. By that, I mean when

(57:54):
you know when the ball is there born, it's up
about twelve feet in the air. He could go up
and catch it at at its highest point or very
shortly thereafter as it's coming down, and catch it at
a higher level than almost any defensive back or linebacker
in the National Football League. This guy's special. This guy's
a hell of a football player. And Zach Taylor knows that,

(58:17):
and he knows how important it is to have a
guy like him in the absence of a guy like
Jamar Chase.

Speaker 2 (58:23):
He will be trying to tie an NFL record on
Sunday by catching a touchdown pass in his tenth consecutive
home game. He's done it in nine straight. The record
is ten, shared by Chris Carter and Bob Hayes. T said, Bob, yeah,
he said to me today, Well, Jamar made it a
little bit harder, but we'll see if he's able to
haul in another right from Joe Flacco this Sunday against

(58:45):
New England. Speaking of the Patriots, We're going to take
a time out when we come back, we will head
to Boston to talk to their radio voice, Bob Socy
and find out how this team has gone from four
wins last year and four wins the year before to
being nine and two so far this season.

Speaker 4 (59:01):
Amazing.

Speaker 2 (59:02):
This is the Bengals Game Plan Show. We're presented by
bud Light. We're broadcasting live tonight from the Dorothy Lane
Market in Mason here on ESPN fifteen thirty. Thanks so
much for turning into The Bengals Game Plan Show, presented
by bud Light. Easy to drink, easy to enjoy. We
are broadcasting tonight from the Dorothy Lane Market here in Mason,

(59:24):
Lap and I are here until eight o'clock tonight. We'll
be back on Wednesday, December tenth, and our special guest
that night will be the greatest Bengal of them all.

Speaker 3 (59:32):
Big Game, Anthony Munyo.

Speaker 2 (59:33):
Yes, sir, look forward to talking to Anthony on December tenth.

Speaker 4 (59:37):
The greatest tackle to ever play the game, no doubt
about it.

Speaker 2 (59:40):
It's the Bengals and Patriots this Sunday at one o'clock.
This week's game, presented by care Source. The Bengals looking
to knock off a team that's put together an eight
game winning streak and to find out how the Patriots
have done it why they're playing so well this year.
We welcome in one of my favorite announcers and people
in the National Football League, my longtime friend, the voice

(01:00:00):
of the Patriots Bob soci Bob.

Speaker 3 (01:00:03):
How are you my man?

Speaker 9 (01:00:05):
Hey, I'm doing great, Dan, and the feeling is mutual
and you know that. And Dave, congratulations on your entry
into the Ring of Honor. Well deserved.

Speaker 4 (01:00:14):
Oh, Bob, I appreciate that, sir, Thank you very much,
very kind Sport's coming from a true professional like yourself.

Speaker 2 (01:00:20):
So, Bob, let's talk about the Pats. They're nine and two.
Here's my question. Is this roughly what you expected? Are
you mildly surprised or are you out and out shocked
to be nine and two at this point.

Speaker 3 (01:00:35):
Of the year.

Speaker 9 (01:00:36):
Dan, I'm somewhere between mildley surprised and out and out shocked,
especially after a one and two start for the Pats
losing to Pittsburgh for example, and we three turning the
ball over five times, losing the opener to Las Vegas
as well, and we've seen how poorly the Raiders have
played since that week one game. I thought the Patriots
would be much improved. Mike Rabel taking over coaching staff,

(01:01:00):
with a lot of cohesiveness and chemistry and experience you
could see in training camp with the Patriots were headed
for a much more competent and competitive season, Drake May
certainly looked like he was poised to improve, not as
much as I believe today is as he has. I think,
you know, his rapid growth in Josh McDaniel's system has

(01:01:23):
been really startling in a lot of respects, and they
certainly upgraded the roster considerably. The free agent class that
they brought in certainly added a lot of talent in
spots where they last year were barren. And I think
the draft class you could see that there was some
athleticism there with Trey Van Anderson for example, in the

(01:01:43):
preseason that they've been lacking a potential playmaker. But the
way this season has gone from that one and two
start to beating the Bills on Sunday Night in Buffalo
and the bounce they got from that game, and the
way they have consistently competed and then it's a big thing.
This is a team that's where it's because they continued
to compete. The defense gives up an opening drive score

(01:02:04):
with regularity, but then they find a way to turn
things around. Drake May, for the most part, is taking
care of the football. They haven't beaten themselves, They've taken
advantage of bad football and they've made a lot of
big plays, something that really not existing in recent years.
I've joked with people around here for the last few
weeks that we've had more offensive highlights, you know, in

(01:02:26):
Week ten, in Week nine and week eight than we
had in two seasons combined for the Patriots in twenty
twenty three, twenty four. So the variety of ways in
which they've done it.

Speaker 4 (01:02:37):
Yeah, Bob, I look at the eighty five plus eighty
five point differential you kidding me in the second quarters
plus fifty three. Yeah, in the third quarter, it's what
is it plus thirty five or something like that. It's
it's crazy over plus over one hundred in the second
and third quarter. What's the reason for that? What's what's

(01:02:59):
the turnround? What do you attribute it to? Is it coaching?
Is it players, you know, responding to the to the
great coaching? Is it a combination? What do you think?

Speaker 9 (01:03:10):
Yeah, David, I think you do start with the coaching,
and certainly, you know, the players ultimately are the ones
who are responsible for the performance on the field. And
when people ask about Drake May and the difference that
Josh McDaniels has made as the offensive coordinator and play
caller and the difference that Mike Rabel has made in
ways that he's challenged him. I think you still go
to Drake May's ability and his coach ability, and I

(01:03:33):
think that's the case for the entire team. I mentioned
competence and confidence and cohesiveness for the Patriots coaching staff
during training camp that it was evident, and I think
that carried over to their players. I think this is
a team that was fully bought in when the season started,
and their faith wasn't shaken after that one and to start,

(01:03:57):
and as I mentioned the defense, you know, they're not
exactly you know, a team that racks up a lot
of impressive numbers year. They've given up a fair number
of big plays. They haven't gotten to the quarterback as
often as we thought they would, they haven't turned the
ball over in the last two games, and they give
up opening drive touchdowns or field goals in almost every game.

(01:04:20):
And yet you know they have guys out there that
are competing effort and finish. You watch the effort to
the football on just about every play, and I think
that's kind of a sign of this team as a whole. Offensively,
you can get the ability to distribute the football what
Drake may has done in terms of his past distribution
to players. The first quarter might be Stefan Diggs who

(01:04:43):
gets them going. By the third quarter it's Mac Collins
who spent the first half blocking for them. It's just
seems like there's a you know, with each series, which
with each quarter there is a different guy that is
playing a pivotal role in terms of taking control of
these games. But I do think you start with Rabel,
the culture he's built, the confidence that he's still He's

(01:05:04):
been very careful in terms of always handled this team,
including a guy like Romaderi Stevenson just to quick aside,
who hasn't played the last few weeks because of an injury.
You remember the fumble he had on Christmas Eve a
few years ago, and those problems have persisted the last
couple of years for him. Talent is back, but the
inability to hold out of the ball if fumbling issues.
Early this season, Rabel stuck with him. Rabel didn't bury him,

(01:05:26):
and I think that's the way Mike has coached these
guys as at whole, and they've responded very well to it.

Speaker 2 (01:05:32):
The Voice of the Patriots, Bob Socie is our guest.
The Patriots have done something this year that the Bengals
need to do next year. They fixed their defense in
one year, because last year these two teams gave up
nearly the same amount of points. The Bengals gave up
four to thirty four, the Patriots gave up four to seventeen.

(01:05:52):
This year, the Bengals defense has gotten worse. The Patriots
are fifth in the NFL and points allowed. How did
New England fix defense in one year?

Speaker 9 (01:06:03):
Well, Dan, you look at a couple of things, and
I mentioned the free agent class, and you start right there,
including the big ticket item that they got in free
agency in Milton Williams. And you won't see him this weekend.
Of course, he's on injured reserve now. But he's been
a guy that came in coming off a Super Bowl
and the performance he had against the Chiefs, a contract
paying him in excess of ninety seven million dollars, playing

(01:06:27):
in training camp with something to prove the way he worked,
a guy that has been able to double his staff
count from Philadelphia when he was in that rotation that
the Eagles had up front as talented and as deep
as they are, and they were with him in that
defensive line. He's become an instant leader for this team
and he's going to be missed this week. I think
he's been interest to see how they respond these next

(01:06:48):
few weeks without Milton Williams. Harold Landry, known commodity for
my verable former Titan Calevon chase On has been a
bit of a revelation. Former number one pick. Has been
a bit of a journeyman the last few years, already
with a career high in sacks, and he's played with
really a great motor that's shown up on special teams
as well. That's what Rabel points to when he talks
about him. And you look at the linebackers. Robert Splane

(01:07:12):
former Titan Steeler, gritty Guy Jack Gibbons another former Titan,
undrafted player, but he's come up big for them the
last couple of weeks with some high volume tackle games.
In the secondary. Carlton Davis another free agent signee along
with Christian Gonzalez. Gonzalez I think is one of the
best cornerbacks in the NFL. The numbers may not reflect that.

(01:07:34):
He's not one of those guys that gets a lot
of interceptions, kind of like the outfielder with the good
arm and baseball that people don't run on its teams.
But when you look at, you know, the free agent
players they've acquired. I mentioned several of them there up front, Williams,
Chase on Henry or Landry. You look at the cornerback Davis.
They haven't had many misses, if any at all in

(01:07:56):
free agency this year and that's really a rare thing.
And the other the other point that has to be
made to the schedule. We thought going into this season,
you know, in terms of media circles here, but the
Patriots would have a soft schedule. The numbers bear that out.
Now it's been a very favorable schedule for them to
turn things around. When you look at the caliber of

(01:08:17):
the quarterbacks they faced in the timing of some of
the games today, this defense hasn't really gone up against,
you know, really a frontline player in you know, the
opposing team's offense since Josh Allen in Week five. When
you really look at who they faced over the last weeks,
they've gone up against some good running backs, but they've

(01:08:37):
been able to shut them down in one dimensional offense,
and the run defense has been very good for them.

Speaker 4 (01:08:43):
When you look at it. It all starts with the
owner of Robert Craft. Robert Craft is a winner. Robert
Craft doesn't accept anything other than winning in your best
performance and so doing. And you know, he had a
great head coach that he teamed up with in Bill Belichick,

(01:09:04):
that made beautiful music together in the Boston, New England area,
and fans, I think, get a little bit spoiled, you know,
with the success year after year after year that they
were able to achieve. How difficult is how tough was
the task for able to turn the worm, so to speak,

(01:09:26):
to flip the switch, to get this team turned around
in such a short period of time.

Speaker 9 (01:09:33):
You know, David, it's really interesting when Brabel came to
New England a couple of years ago when he was
still the head coach of the Titans, and you may
or may not remember this, he was inducted into the
Patriots Hall of Fame during a bye week for the Titans,
and it was at a point in time where if
the writing wasn't on the wall in Nashville, then it
was about to be. And Mike Brabel gave a halftime

(01:09:56):
speech at Jillette Stadium and he said, I believe the
words were we've got a game to win. Belichick was
the head coach then Rabel was about to be fired
at seasons end by the Titans. Uh. Grod Mayl was
it was, you know, in in line for the Patriots job.
It was in his contracts as the heir apparent for

(01:10:17):
Belichick to Belichick. Uh. And you know it was at
that weekend in in Foxborough when it seemed like Mike
Brabel made his his his desires clear. And you know
when things didn't work out with Girod Mayo last year,
and it was it was very apparent by season's end,

(01:10:37):
you know, well before the season came to close. But
the Patriots really were in a situation that they had
ill advisedly put themselves in. Not only would the head
coach is inexperience. Uh, he didn't have any coordinating experience.

Speaker 3 (01:10:54):
Really.

Speaker 9 (01:10:55):
He was somebody who hadn't coached outs or hadn't built
up a rolodex, so to speak, of coaching candidates to
build a staff. So from the start last season it
was kind of learning on the fly, and it was
building a staff on the fly. And then they didn't
spend any money really in free agency. The draft picks
including a second round is no longer with the organization
Jalen Folk. Outside of the selection of Drake may really

(01:11:18):
didn't work out for them. So things right from the
start of twenty twenty four for the Patriots put the
organization in the situation where by season end, I think
Robert Kraft came to realization that he had to make
drastic changes. And it was interesting because when Belichick left
in twenty and twenty four at the end of that season,

(01:11:39):
the Patriots kind of changed their mo in terms of
how they ran the organization from a football standpoint and
more collaborative. Belichick was all powerful when it came to football.
He was the decision maker at the top of the
pyramid in football operations, and I think after he left
with John Mail the ownership, they wanted their football team back.
Went through that experience with girod Mayl. I think it

(01:12:02):
convinced Robert Craft to go out and get Mike Rabel
and to put more power in his lap. Not to
the extent that Belichick had, but certainly with a lot
more influence over decisions. Mike was able to bring in
some people he had full trust in confidence who were
with him in Tennessee Ryan Cowden, John Stryker, an Ohio
State guy who's going to be a future GM when

(01:12:25):
you hear about you know, his resume and his credentials
with people around the league. So I think the experience
of twenty twenty four and the failure and really right
from the outset a season that was doomed for them
put them in position because of Robercraft's desire not to
relive that experience, but also to you know, to make

(01:12:45):
the right changes and get the right guy. And my
vable made it clear a couple of years ago that he,
you know, this was a job that he coveted, and
the Patriots got him. They're very fortunate to get.

Speaker 2 (01:12:56):
Him, valuing one heck of a job, that's for sure. Bob,
appreciate you time, as always looked forward to seeing you
in the press box on Sunday morning.

Speaker 9 (01:13:04):
Travel c all right, thanks Dan, I appreciate I have
a great call on Saturday night. We'll see you Sunday.

Speaker 4 (01:13:10):
Thanks, Bob, You do the same, all right.

Speaker 2 (01:13:11):
That is the voice of the Patriots, Bob. So see,
we'll take a time out. We're broadcasting live from the
Dorothy Lane Market, the official gourmet grocer of the Cincinnati Bengals.
He address seventy two hundred Mason Montgomery Road, The Bengals
Game Plan Show on ESPN fifteen thirty Dan Ordon Dave

(01:13:33):
Lapham broadcasting live tonight from the Dorothy Lane Market, the
official gourmet grocer of the Cincinnati Bengals. If you've never
been here before.

Speaker 3 (01:13:41):
Shame on you.

Speaker 4 (01:13:41):
It's right, it's your fault.

Speaker 2 (01:13:42):
Well hasn't been open in Cincinnati for all that long,
So we'll cut you some slack. But you need to
get here soon. The place is incredible. I can't wait
to come back.

Speaker 4 (01:13:51):
Right.

Speaker 2 (01:13:51):
Seventy two hundred Mason Montgomery Road is the address. Great food,
gifts for the holidays, great food. If you come out
here while you're shopping, you can get wine, you can
get craft beers. It's an incredible place. And again we'll
be back here on Wednesday, December tenth, lessen a month,
less than a month, with Anthony Munoz spending an hour
with us that night. All right, it is seven thirty seven.

(01:14:13):
We've been broadcasting for an hour and thirty seven minutes,
and we really have not talked about the.

Speaker 3 (01:14:18):
Bengals defense, all right, should we? I guess we have to.

Speaker 2 (01:14:21):
We probably should they've been struggling. They've been struggling. They're
given up thirty three points a game. They've allowed twenty
seven or more in nine straight. Patriots have only had
one game this year where they've given up twenty seven
and that's the most that this week's opponent has given up.
The obvious thing I think we all see and get
frustrated by are the mistackles. The Bengals lead the league

(01:14:44):
in that category. Al Golden, the defensive coordinator, was asked
about it earlier this week. He talked about the need
to get more people to the ball, more hats to
the ball. That's really the key to being a great
tackling team. According to their defense, it's a coordinator. So
I followed up on that question with Al Golden. Can

(01:15:06):
you talk about getting more hats to the ball some
of those tackling situations.

Speaker 3 (01:15:09):
Is that just running hustle?

Speaker 10 (01:15:12):
It's effort, effort, anticipation vision, Like for example, on the
on the last third and eleven, you know we should
by the time by the time the quarterback hitches and
then goes flat, he's not going back at that point.
The rush is coming, so he's not going to hitch again.

Speaker 3 (01:15:30):
And then go downfield.

Speaker 11 (01:15:31):
So once he does that, we gotta we got to
snap our eyes and vision and we got to go.
And that that will that anticipation will get more more
hats to the to the ball for sure. And then
it's it's effort, you know, like we have to have
elite effort all the time. And uh we had so
many plays where we had great effort Joe Sai, Miles Murphy.

(01:15:52):
I mean, just Chase plays, you know, guys on the perimeter,
and uh so we need the same, you know, to
be true on a couple of those plays as well.

Speaker 2 (01:16:04):
The technique's got to be better. And and L's words
right there, elite effort all the time.

Speaker 4 (01:16:09):
Elite effort is is a big, big factor. And when
he says Chase plays, what he means is you didn't
get there on the first effort of the pass rush.
You don't quit, you don't sty, You recover and try
to make another play and get after the quarterback and
sack the quarterback. And I agree with them. I don't
think that the Bengals defense sucks because they want to,

(01:16:32):
you know, I mean, I don't think they want to
be the worst defense in the National Football League. In
terms of points allowed. That's not anybody's goal, but uh,
they need to they need to pick it up. I
mean they're they're they're tracking for historically poor season right
now in terms of Cincinnati Bengals football, in terms of

(01:16:52):
any really organizations football. So the coaches are gonna have
to do a better job of teaching the fundamentals and
the techniques that they want the players to utilize and execute.
Al Golden is gonna have to make sure that the
coaches are all in the same page in that regard,
and that's up to him as the coordinator to do that.

(01:17:14):
Al Golden has shown himself to be capable of turning
a defense around in a short period of time. He
did it not to day and they ended up going
to the National Championship Game with a defense that he coached.
So it's not like it's foreign to him. He knows
what he has to do. He knows what it takes

(01:17:34):
for a defense to compete at that high level. So
now it's just a matter of getting it done, and
they have to get it done quickly because their schedule
the next few weeks might be as tough as there
is in the National Football League.

Speaker 3 (01:17:48):
No doubt.

Speaker 2 (01:17:49):
Yeah, Patriots at nine and two Ravens who are red hot. Yep,
Buffalo feeling a little bit angry after losing a couple
of recent games, and then Baltimore again.

Speaker 3 (01:17:59):
That that is a brutal stretch. It is.

Speaker 4 (01:18:01):
It's a tough stretch. You get your division rival who
historically has finished first in the division year after year
after year. They have a frequent quarterback, a genetic phenomenon.
And Lamar Jackson, I mean, he can run you. He
can throw the football and hurts you. He can run
the football and hurts you equally well. So he's a
he's a genetic phenomenon. He's a one off. There's not many.

(01:18:26):
There's not any other than Lamar Jackson's in the National
Football League in my estimation. There are guys maybe that
come close, that have the ability to throw it and
run it, but not like Lamar Jackson. He is a
unicorn in my opinion. And you know, then, like we
talked about Buffalo, you're kidding me. Alan, the guy, he's

(01:18:47):
another genetic marvel. I mean, not many people can throw
the football like that guy. The thing when I watch
him throw the deep ball, Dan, the thing that amazes
me is how low the trajectory is. I mean, he
can throw a freaking rocket and it's a straight line
shot down the football field. Those line Yeah, great, great analogy.
Fifty five sixty yards down the football field on a

(01:19:10):
frozen freakin' rope. It's unbelievable.

Speaker 2 (01:19:13):
All Right, we're gonna take a time out. When we
come back, we're gonna hear from Joe Flacco on what
it's been like to play in Cincinnati's in his eighteenth year.
He's played in Baltimore, New York with the Jets, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Denver,
now Cincinnati few and he likes it here. We'll hear
from Joe Flacco on that when we come back. This
is the Bengals Game Plan Show presented by bud Light,

(01:19:34):
broadcasting live from the Dorothy Lane Market in Mason on
ESPN fifteen thirty. Dan Order Dave Laugham broadcasting live tonight
from the official gourmet grosser of the Cincinnati Bengals, the
Dorothy Lane Market here in Mason. Seventy two hundred Mason
Montgomery Road is the address. We've got about fifteen minutes

(01:19:57):
left in the show. Then we are going to continue
to just wolf down this incredible food that they have
been bringing us all night. Yeah, no doubt. We need
to thank Calvin and the staff here at the Dorothy
Lane Market. They have been awesome. We look forward to
coming back on December tenth, right for their special guest,
Anthony Munoz Legend. The Bengals have a home game coming

(01:20:17):
up on Sunday at one against the Patriots. This will
be Joe Flacco's fourth start at pay Corp Stadium, is
sixth overall, but his fourth at pay Corps. In the
previous three home games, he's led the Bengals to thirty three,
forty two, and thirty eight points. They have averaged more
than thirty seven points a game at home with Joe

(01:20:38):
Flacco had quarterbacked. Unfortunately, the defense is giving up a
bunch and they've gone one and two in those games.
But he's been sensational. And I asked him today about
his impressions of playing here, because he's in his eighteenth season,
he's forty years old, He's played with a bunch of
different teams. Here's Joe Flacco on being a Cincinnati Bengal.

Speaker 12 (01:20:59):
Being in Ohio like and and you can just tell
you know how much football you know means to people
in this part of the country, and you know from
the time they were probably young. So everybody has that
that good knowledge of football, and you can tell they
care about it a lot, and they have those expectations

(01:21:19):
and and they get themselves excited to come in and
cheer for us in those games. I've played here a
good amount and honestly, I probably missed that part of
it a little bit, you don't, you know, But when
when you're here and you know, you kind of walk
around the city and you know, you get to see
people from here, you can tell how into it they are,

(01:21:41):
just with the little who days on, you know, on
the side of the road and things like that. I'm
not quite sure how to respond yet. I still feel
a little funny saying it, but but I'm getting there.

Speaker 2 (01:21:55):
Lapisar fifteenth year together broadcasting Bengals games. I have Joe
Flack now on my first team all great guy team.

Speaker 4 (01:22:04):
Yeah, what a good guy he is. He's just just
a phenomenal human being, you know, I mean, lives life
the way it's supposed to be lived. You know. He's
a father of five, five husband, one wife, one wife, yes,
which is all good. So yeah, he's he's a he's
a leader of men, you know, And and uh, I

(01:22:26):
think the Bengals scouting department, organizationally, you know, the owner,
head coach, coordinators, everybody catching a lot of heat interservedly.
So Bengals aren't playing well enough, and when they don't,
you catch that kind of heat. But it was a
hell of a move trading for Joe Flacco for a
pick swap for a pick swap. I know, I know

(01:22:47):
it pissed Tom Mike Tomlin off for sure. I mean,
it's like, what the hell is Cleveland doing? He couldn't
believe it, But uh, it really is remarkable that they
were able to pull off trade that that they did.
And equally remarkable, I think it's, like, really one of
the bigger stories in the National Football League is how
well he has played in the early weeks here of

(01:23:10):
his career with the Cincinnati Bengals. And you know, like,
you damn those the number of points averaging thirty seven,
thirty eight points a game, that's that's sick. And you're
only one in two in those football home games. Yeah, unbelievable.
So you know, hopefully he continues to play at that
kind of a level. With the Newland Patriots coming to

(01:23:33):
town because the way they play with, the discipline they
play with, and the energy and emotion and excitement that
they that they play with, and Mike Rabel, you know,
running the show. They're going to have to play, you know,
gonna have to score a lot of points and they're
going to have to play a sound discipline football game.

(01:23:53):
So better get ready because New England, New England, they
want to win their tenth. They want to get dead none.

Speaker 2 (01:24:02):
Mike Rabel has coached five times previously against the Bengals,
all when he was the head coach at Tennessee. Cincinnati
four and one against him, including that famous playoff game
in twenty twenty one. Tennessee the number one seed in
the AFC and the Bengals were able to go to
Nashville and beat them.

Speaker 4 (01:24:17):
Yeah, and uh, the biggest thing that I know Rabel
is going to be harping on and preaching to his
football team this week is the big old capital T turnovers.
Do not turn the football over, be turnover adverse? You
know of what it like the plague Because the Cincinnati Bengals,

(01:24:39):
I think they were minus seven right now and the
Patriots are even in the turnover department.

Speaker 2 (01:24:45):
So are you amazing to be nine and two and
be even, Yeah, you would expect them to be plus
eight something like yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:24:52):
And it just it goes to how well every phase
is playing. Offense, defense, and special teams. All of them
are playing winning football, not relying on the other side
of things to pick them up from one week to
the next. Every single week they go into the football
game totally prepared at all three phases, and I think
that's credit the Vrabel and his coaching staff to have

(01:25:12):
those guys ready to play at such a high level.
But again, I think I think the turnovers, man, the
Bengals can't they can't be even. They have to be
the Bengals have to be plus one plus two plus three,
and therefore, you know, the Patriots be minus one minus
two minus three. For the Bengals to have a chance
to compete and be in the football game in the

(01:25:35):
fourth quarter with a chance to win the football game,
if they don't win the turnover battle, I don't think
they have much of a chance to winning the football game.

Speaker 2 (01:25:42):
Honestly, all right, we're gonna take a time out. We
mentioned earlier on the show that Joe Flacco did eleven
on eleven stuff at practice today for the first time
since coming back from his toe injury. We'll talk about
that and the possibility of a Burrower return at some
point this year. This is the Bengals Game Plan Show

(01:26:02):
presented by bud Light Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy
on ESPN fifteen thirty. Final segment of the Bengals Game
Plan Show presented by bud Light, Easy to Drink, Easy
to Enjoy, Live from the Dorothy Lane Market here in Mason.
If you thank you are in order. Thank you to
our engineer Mike Mills, came out to a new venue,

(01:26:24):
scouted it out a few weeks ago, made sure that
everything would work on the broadcast, and always does a
fabulous job. Thank you, Mike. Thank you man, no doubt.
Thank you to Tarren Bland back in the studio, team man.
Thank you to Calvin and Dennis and everybody here at
the Dorothy Lane Market, our new favorite place in town,
the official gourmet grosser of the Cincinnati Bengals. We will

(01:26:47):
be divving up a lot of takeout when we go
home tonight. We've got steak, we got pizza. I get
the burger because you ate yours.

Speaker 4 (01:26:54):
I did.

Speaker 2 (01:26:54):
There's a chopped where are killer brownies? We are going
to go home with a nice big bag of pitties?

Speaker 4 (01:27:01):
Totally content, I mean food coma possibilities.

Speaker 3 (01:27:05):
We like it.

Speaker 2 (01:27:06):
Yes, all right, we promised to talk about Joe Burrow
before we wrap things up. We only have a couple
of minutes left. My feeling on the return of Joe
Burrow has changed when he began practicing. Actually, I'll take
that back throughout his recovery period. I would say privately
and publicly if they're not in contention, I don't think

(01:27:26):
he should come back, right, I've changed my mind.

Speaker 4 (01:27:28):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (01:27:28):
I think he should come back. He wants to play.
He's healthy, yep. He plays football. There's an inherent risk
in playing this sport. But he thinks that he can
improve and he can help the team build momentum going forward.
If the doctor says he's good to go, let him play.

Speaker 4 (01:27:44):
And that's the key. I think the doctor has to
feel like he is one hundred percent ready to go.
If he's eighty five percent, no, ninety percent, no way,
ninety ninety nine point nine percent, Nope, got to be
one hundred percent, And he has to believe it because Joe.
If Joe's sixty percent, Joe Burrow will say I.

Speaker 3 (01:28:06):
Want to play six.

Speaker 4 (01:28:09):
I want to play yeah exactly. I mean he he's
that kind of guy. He's competitive, he loves his teammates,
he loves the Cincinnati Bengals, he loves the Bengal fans.
He loves playing in front of the Cincinnati Bengal fans.
He loves the National Football League stage. Everything about it
just uh, you know, gives him juice. Man. It makes

(01:28:30):
it makes his life more enjoyable. You know, his dad, Jimmy,
played at a high level. He played in the National
Football League for a little bit and then went up
to Canada and played.

Speaker 3 (01:28:41):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (01:28:42):
The family, the Borough family is all about the game
of football. So if Joe Burrow is he says he's
one hundred percent, and the and the trainers and doctors
and all the medical people put him through a battery
of test battery of workouts, and they say, you're right,
you're dred percent. You can play football this week. That's

(01:29:03):
the only way I would let Joe Burrow play football
this year.

Speaker 2 (01:29:07):
Won't be this week, could be next week in Baltimore.
More likely, if he does come back. The earliest to
be the Buffalo game in Buffalo the week after that,
but we'll see that's down the road. We're out of
time tonight. Thank you to everybody who came out to
be part of the show. You've been listening to the
Bengals Game Plan Show presented by bud Light on ESPN
fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (01:29:27):
This was Bengals Game Plan presented by bud Light on
the Bengals Radio Network. Brought to you boy bud Light,
bud Light, Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy, Peycourps Peycor
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(01:29:50):
ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals,