12/10/25 - Bengals Game plan

Dan Hoard & Dave Lapham with Special Guest Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz get you set for the do or die game against the Baltimore Ravens Sunday Afternoon.

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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. Pay Corps
paycorep is proud to be the official HR software provider
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Best Fans, Kettering Health, Official healthcare provider of the Cincinnati Bengals.

(00:24):
This is ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of the
Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
And away we go. A very pleasant, good evening, everybody,
Greetings from Dorothy Lane Market. More on that momentarily. This
is the Bengals Game Plan Show presented by bud Light,
Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy Here on ESPN fifteen thirty.
I'm Dan Horde, Dave Lapham's on his way, Hopefully Lapp
will be joining us shortly. We are going to get

(00:51):
you ready for the Bengals Ravens game coming up on
Sunday one o'clock at pay Corps Stadium. Over the next
two hours and for the second time, we are doing
a show tonight from Dorothy Lane Market is the official
gourmet grocer of the Cincinnati Bengals and it is the
nicest grocery store on God's Green Earth. I mean, I

(01:15):
mean it. This place is awesome. If you love food,
you will love the Dorothy Lane Market. And that is
not only food to take home. It is a grocery store,
after all, but food to eat here, Burgers, pizza, sushi,
you name it, they've got it. There's a craft beer bar,
there's a wine bar. It's a great place to hang out.
And it's the holiday season. So if you are looking

(01:37):
for a gift, you'll find some great ideas here. If
you need something to bring to a holiday party, you
can find it here. Again. It's the Dorothy Lane Market,
the official gourmet grocer of the Cincinnati Bengals. The address
seventy two hundred Mason Montgomery Road, and we are here
until eight o'clock tonight. For the first hour of our show. Tonight,

(01:59):
we are joined by the Goat, the greatest of all time,
not only when it comes to the Cincinnati Bengals, but
when it comes to offensive linemen in pro football history.
An eleven time Pro Bowler, a member of the Bengals
Ring of Honor, a member of the Pro Football Hall
of Fame. The one and only Anthony Munio's. I want

(02:26):
to ask the first question, if you don't mire away, who.

Speaker 3 (02:29):
Was the genius that set this up to do the
show at this place.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
That is a very good question. I am so happy
that the Bengals have this relationship now with Dorothy Lane Market,
because this place is incredible, and my people tell me
that the Munio's family has been coming here since it
opened last year as fairly regular customers.

Speaker 3 (02:52):
I've been here a few times. I love that. You know,
my wife comes here.

Speaker 4 (02:56):
A bit more than I do, but we do shop together,
so we've been here quite a bit and then we
love it. We're you know, if I was a lot younger,
I could walk home, but at my age, I'm gonna
take the car.

Speaker 3 (03:07):
I don't live that far.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
Well, I want to thank you for being here, not
only because it's the holiday season and you're busy with
your kids and your grandkids, but you also recently had
a knee replacement. Very recently. You've had one done successfully.
This is the other. I'm sure it's going to work
out great, so I really appreciate you coming so shortly
after surgery.

Speaker 4 (03:27):
It is I know when we confirm this, I said, hold,
I'm in unless something happens and I won't be able
to make. But last Thursday I had my lefknee replaced
and so I'm six days out. I'm using the cane
only because the PT, my wife and I think maybe
the doctor wants me to use it.

Speaker 3 (03:45):
But I tell you what's amazing. And I had a
Thursday in PT for.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
An hour and a half.

Speaker 4 (03:48):
Last Friday, they gave me the weekend off, and then
three days this week I've been in PT. And I
did my left one last year about two days before Thanksgiving.
You do things and you learn from that. I said, no,
don't do it two days before thanks you only enjoyed
Thanks Jimmy.

Speaker 3 (04:03):
So I did it a week.

Speaker 4 (04:05):
After and I'm praying that my left one reacts like
the right one because I've had a lot of surgeries
in my life and prior to this left on. My
right replacement was the best surgery I've ever had. And
I have every joint and operated on and it has
been amazing. Just at a year, it feels unbelievable. So
you know, I'm gonna do my part in the rehab.

(04:25):
I know the doctor's done his part in the surgery
and replacing it, so my goal is you know, I
have a simulator at home, Dan, I don't know if
you know that. And last year I started hitting balls
late January. I have a big tournament the first week
of March, so I'm looking to play in that tournament,
a couple of day tournament down in Boca, and I'm
looking forward to.

Speaker 3 (04:46):
Hints. It's gonna be a little tougher because you're.

Speaker 4 (04:48):
A pretty good golfer, so you know, the back leg
of the right hander isn't as doesn't take as much
pressure as at rightney. We're turning on that or that
left me, so we'll see what happens. But yeah, I'm thankful,
you know what I mean. It's just it's just a
scar about that big and no.

Speaker 2 (05:05):
Big well, everybody that I know that's had knee replacements
talks about it is completely life changing. You know. It
heals quickly. You feel like you wish you had done
it much earlier. So I'm sure you're going to uh
make it through this great. But on the other hand,
of the little finger on the left hand remains crooked.
You're just not going to have that fixed. I don't

(05:26):
have to walk on it. I can still hold the
golf cub it doesn't hurt. So and if I hadn't
straightened out, would you be talking about it?

Speaker 5 (05:34):
No?

Speaker 6 (05:34):
Yeah, I don't want to lose this conversation piece. I mean,
what is wrong with it? I go on, looks great,
looks great. It's a young man right here. He's never
seen anything like that in his life.

Speaker 7 (05:44):
He just lost his appetite.

Speaker 2 (05:46):
I'm sorry. Well, we were hoping that we were going
to be talking about a thrilling victory when we had
you on the show this week. We texted a few
days ago and I said, hopefully we'll be talking about
a thrilling win over Buffalo. Is it incredib game? Joe
Burrow played brilliantly. Unfortunately, he made one pass that needed
to be about three inches higher in the air to

(06:08):
get it over the leaping outstretched arms of Christian Benford,
who made a spectacular play that swung the game.

Speaker 4 (06:14):
You know, I was sitting in my recliner and I
tried to actually help, but get over.

Speaker 3 (06:20):
I could not affect the pass. And you're right.

Speaker 4 (06:22):
I sat there and watched the game and Joe was
just phenomenal. I mean some of those I mean the
touchdown pass to Chase Brown, you know, right at the
goal line and team making the catches, and just the
way he handles himself. I mean, it's just unbelievable to
watch this young man. You know, people like been asking me.

Speaker 3 (06:38):
Why is he coming back? I mean I said, you
know what, when you're a football player and you love
the sport and you love playing the game, you want
I don't care how your team's doing.

Speaker 4 (06:47):
It's your profession. It's what you get paid to do.
And it didn't surprise me to do is back. That's
why Joe Burrow is back playing and playing at the.

Speaker 2 (06:54):
High level, a really high level. I mean, in the
first half of the Thanksgetting Nice game, he was okay,
he wasn't terrible. But from the second half of that
game through the Buffalo game, it looks like he hasn't
missed a day of practice, much less two and a
half months.

Speaker 4 (07:12):
And the way he threw the ball in that snow,
I mean, the snow is gonna affect the football a
little bit the way it spins, but it really didn't
affect his ball at all.

Speaker 3 (07:20):
I mean it was tight and he was spinning it.

Speaker 4 (07:22):
But you're right that second half of the first game
that the Thanksgiving the game and then up until that
pass the guy.

Speaker 3 (07:28):
I mean, he just it would be for me.

Speaker 4 (07:31):
Who played with two unbelievable quarterbacks Kenny Anderson and Boomer
I would have loved to play maybe two or three
games with Joe Burrow.

Speaker 2 (07:38):
Today's birthday was he twenty nine? I wish, I wish
twenty nine years old? Wow, yep, got Philip UPPs. It
goes fast.

Speaker 3 (07:49):
Shoot amazing.

Speaker 2 (07:49):
I mean, Philip Rivers is coming back at the age
of forty four, so we've got many years left of
Joe Burrow. But it does underscore let's give this guy
great players around so they can get back to a
Super Bowl, get back to multiple super Bowls, and win
one sometime in the day.

Speaker 4 (08:06):
I agree. I totally agree. And that's uh, you know,
it's not like it's an unknown.

Speaker 3 (08:11):
What is this team? Okay, let's get in this war
room and see let's determine what I mean. They know
what they need.

Speaker 4 (08:17):
I mean, if you're scoring twenty five to thirty five
points a game, but you're losing games, you know that
you need people on the other side to stop you know,
other offenses, and you need guys that are gonna rush
the passer.

Speaker 3 (08:28):
Uh, you need guys that are gonna stop the run.
I mean, so it's obvious what we need.

Speaker 4 (08:33):
And man, if we could, if we could get a
you know, not even maybe middle of the road above
middle of the road defense.

Speaker 3 (08:40):
Look out.

Speaker 4 (08:41):
I mean it's but if you we could get a defense,
it's one of the top ten in the NFL, I'm
gonna I'm gonna start making reservations now, you know, for
those Super Bowl sides.

Speaker 3 (08:50):
But I agree with you. I agree with you. You know,
the offensive line has been playing better.

Speaker 4 (08:54):
I think they they're buying into Scott Peters technique, you know,
the pass protection, the run game. So I'm excited about that.
I mean, it's you know, you keep talking about the offense.
You know, Chase and t and you know Brown and
you know, but then.

Speaker 3 (09:08):
Kaseki the guys, he was awesome, Yeah amazing, Yeah he
is awesome.

Speaker 4 (09:13):
But you know, so this, you know, at camp this year,
we talked a lot, you know, some at camp, and
I was very very optimistic about this team this year,
and it's pretty frustrating to see what's happened. Of course,
you know, the injury to Joe didn't help, but I
believe we still have that core of players where we
can make that run.

Speaker 2 (09:32):
Here's the good news as far as I'm concerned. If
you look at that offense, everybody's under contract. Burrows signed
through twenty twenty nine, Jamar has signed for four more years,
Tea has signed for multiple years, Kasiki signed for two
more years. Chase Brown is still in his rookie contract.
The offensive linemen are all under contract, So you'll supplement

(09:52):
the offense with some depth in spots. On me to
do that always, but your free agent dollars, your high
draft picks, they can all be used on defense. Identify
some of the young guys, guys like DJ Turner who
might go to the Pro Bowl this year, Identify which
of those guys can be part of the future, and
then just throw every resource that you have to trying

(10:15):
to build a good defense.

Speaker 4 (10:17):
I agree, I mean it's wouldn't it be fun? You know,
Santa Clair this year, next year? So right, so far
next year, I'm not sure I think it is. I'm
afraid that I'm mistaken, but I wouldn't mind going back
to so far and instead of you know, sitting on
that end line where Chase was wide open, and I
look Aaron Donald's on top. Maybe you know, it's a
little different and we're celebrating, but I'm pretty sure it's

(10:37):
in so far La. So that would be pretty cool
to be able to go back after this, uh you know,
Super Bowl in Santa Clara, but you're right, I mean offensively,
it's there. And then just uh just start willing to
do and say, what's wrong with the you know, buying
some guys on defense to you know, I look at
Texans Tech. You know, I'm talking college, but look at

(10:59):
their starting for defensive lineman. They weren't there last year.
I mean they came from programs and they've you know,
texted one of the best teams now because they went
out and got some guys and they made the right choices.
It's one thing to spend money and bring guys in.
It's another thing when you go out and spend that money,
get the right personnel, get the guys that you know,
not just you know, they walk in and you're in

(11:21):
awe because of the way they look. You walk in
and awe because you see the heart and the mind
and these guys, which are probably the toughest thing you
know to see.

Speaker 3 (11:29):
But if you watch enough tape, you can see those
type of intangibles.

Speaker 2 (11:33):
It's actually a very good team to bring up. Also
for this reason, where are they spending the most defensive line?
I mean they've spent a lot on just about every position,
but they really went out and dropped a ton of
money on their defensive line. David Bailey, their number one
sack guy, is probably going to be a top ten
draft pick. So that's what they identified as an area

(11:55):
that they wanted to focus on, and obviously that's something
that the Bengals need to continue to improve.

Speaker 4 (12:01):
Well, you know the last two years, number one defensive
minute Mylin Schamar.

Speaker 3 (12:05):
I mean it's those It's time.

Speaker 4 (12:07):
I mean, you're not drafted as the number one guy
and you know by a team to sit around and
you know develop.

Speaker 3 (12:13):
I mean at least when we were playing that you
know they threw in there. It's time to go. Your
number one pick. You've got to produce, and you've got
to produce in the in the level that you're drafted,
and that's coming in and being a game changer.

Speaker 4 (12:25):
You know, that's why you're you're drafted as the number
one guy. We have two guys there that that's why
they drafted them and hopefully that will continue to progress
for those two and and next year they play lights out.

Speaker 2 (12:36):
Shamar Stewart has obviously been injured for much of this year,
but he was a full participant in practice today. Good
he is able to come back this week. He's gone
through the four weeks that he had to serve on IR,
so hopefully he'll come back play the final four games.
Look good in those four games, build a little momentum
toward next year.

Speaker 3 (12:53):
You know. And that's classic.

Speaker 4 (12:54):
I mean, you know, it's not looking very good for playoffs,
but it's your profession.

Speaker 3 (13:00):
People say, well, you know, like with the Joe Burrows,
they let me.

Speaker 4 (13:03):
Just shut it down and just wait till next year,
you know. And always here they're gonna lose a few games.

Speaker 3 (13:09):
So they can get a higher round pick I said.

Speaker 4 (13:11):
It doesn't work that way, you know, because you do
that now your job's in jeopardy if you're not playing
up to the level that you should be playing. So
they have to go out these last four games and
just show that, hey, we didn't do what we wanted
to do this year, but we're not giving in to
this record. We're gonna go out and if we have
to upset some of these teams that might be you know,
playoff but I'm not sure if any of the teams

(13:32):
we have remaining are you know, looking at playoffs. But
they just got to go out and prepare and not
give in. You know, we used to talk about if
the season was pretty much over with four or five games.
We said, you cannot be packed and ready to go
with three games left. That's I mean, you hate to
see that because to me, if you're packed, if you
have your stuff packed and you're ready to get to

(13:54):
wherever you are in the offseason, you're not totally in
to play those final games.

Speaker 2 (13:58):
Yeah, and clearly they were giving everything they had last
week in Buffalo. Unfortunately they came up a little bit short.
All Right, we are live from the Dorothy Lane Market,
the official gourmet grocer of the Cincinnati Bengals. We are
going to be here until eight o'clock tonight. Anthony Munoz
will be here until seven o'clock tonight. We've got some
stuff to give away, including an autographed Anthony Munho's jersey.

(14:22):
How great would that be before Christmas to walk out
of here with that tonight. We'll have some other items.
It'll be perfect to have signed by Anthony as well.
This is the Bengals Game Plan Show presented by bud Light,
Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy, on ESPN fifteen thirty.

(14:43):
Welcome back to the Bengals Game Plan Show presented by
bud Light, Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy here on
ESPN fifteen thirty. I'm Dan Horde, along with the greatest
Bengal of them all, eleven time pro bowler Anthony Munos,
the Pro Football Hall of Famer. Anthony is with us
until seven o'clock tonight and hoping that Dave Lappolm will
be joining us shortly as well. Here at the Dorothy

(15:05):
Lane Market in Mason. This place is awesome. If you
love food, you will love The Dorothy Lane Market started
in the Dayton area, recently made it down to the
Cincinnati area. This is the first Cincinnati area location. I
was here for the first time three or four weeks
ago when we did a show here, and I'm telling
you it's an amazing place. I told my wife about it.

(15:28):
She was hoping to be here tonight. Our son is
coming home from college this evening, so she has to
pick them up at the airport, otherwise peg would be
spending our money right now, and Sam might not have
enough left to go back to college by the time
she was done, because you can really go to town
all over this place. They've just brought us some food.
Lobster rolls have arrived. They have them year round here

(15:52):
at the Dorothy Lane Market. I'm sure they get the
lobster flown in so that it's super fresh. Those are
available at Jack's Grill, which is in the meat department.
And again last time we were here, we had their
special burger tremendous. The pizza it's like you're in Italy,
super thin, crust, really delicious. They've got great sushi, so

(16:12):
and so for.

Speaker 4 (16:13):
Those that like crab salad, yeah, that is something my
wife brings home just about every time she's here. She
loves the crabs out and of course I'm not gonna
let it just sit in the gotta.

Speaker 2 (16:23):
Do your part.

Speaker 4 (16:24):
I gotta do my part, and part take us and
with the crab solads pretty good too.

Speaker 2 (16:28):
I would imagine the Muna's Muna's grandkids could enjoy some
things from the Urthy Lane Market.

Speaker 3 (16:34):
They could, you know, I'm sure they spend quite a bit.
You know.

Speaker 4 (16:38):
It's nice that they're not on our tab, although they
still are at times. But yeah, they have Michelle and Luke,
who they live like five hundred yards in front of us.

Speaker 3 (16:46):
They have two boys.

Speaker 4 (16:47):
They have a son that's a freshman and front son
that's a sophomore. Than two girls fifth and seventh grade.
But the boys, the boys can eat. I'll pick them
up from basketball practice and I mean, I don't know
why I ask them a question. You got hungry, Yeah,
we don't want to go, and then we'll go eat.
But yeah, it's so much fun having them right in
the front. And but yeah, so this is h this

(17:09):
is amazing.

Speaker 2 (17:09):
But it really is. All right, Let's talk about an
area of expertise for you, and that is the offensive line.
Throughout the Joe Burrow era, we've all been hoping for
the Bengals to build him the type of offensive line
that can give him the best protection possible. I feel
like they're getting there. The second half of this season.

(17:31):
This offensive line is playing extremely well. What are your observations.

Speaker 3 (17:35):
I agree they're playing better.

Speaker 4 (17:36):
And I think a lot of times when you get
a new line coach in there's a tweak in the
in the technique you're doing some new technic and it.

Speaker 3 (17:45):
Takes a while.

Speaker 4 (17:45):
I mean, you know a lot of people say I had
some teammates when I was playing to say, all you
got to do is stay in front of the guy
in front of you and keep them, you.

Speaker 3 (17:51):
Know, state put your body between him and the quarterback.
That's how you got to do. And as I suppose, that's.

Speaker 5 (17:57):
No.

Speaker 4 (17:57):
So I really believe they're coming along. They have played
better in the run game too. I mean, you know,
Chase Brown is so tough. I mean, he's running, and
we still got p Ryan, who's you know, can grind
it out too. But I agree with you, they have
been playing better early in the season. I was, come on, guys,
you got you gotta move. You got a trend in
the right direction. I think they have been. So that's

(18:17):
been a good thing because you know, the little guys
that tackle, you know, been doing them on a course,
fair child and Carris is solid in the middle, and
so yeah, I'm I'm excited about what's been going on
up front with them.

Speaker 2 (18:30):
I think the last time a Marius Mims was little
was in the in the womb. He is a gigantic
human being, so you've got him at right tackle twenty
two years old in his second season, didn't play a
ton of football at Georgia. You've got a starter who's
a rookie at left guard and Dylan Fairchild, third round
pick this year. Jalen Rivers has started a lot of

(18:52):
games at the right guard this year as a rookie.
He's not currently starting Dalton Reisner is. But I feel
like that trio memes fair Child and eventually again Rivers. Man,
if they could get three young guys like that that
stick together for a long time like you and Max
Montoya did, not that they're going to be that good,
but to have two building blocks or in this case,

(19:14):
three building blocks like that would be awesome.

Speaker 4 (19:16):
And that's a good quarter, I mean, an excellent quarter
to start with. I mean you got to tackle and
two you know, interior guys, and then you know, you
continue to build on the Rivers. I've been really impressed
with them, his versatility, and he's mentioned starting at right guard.

Speaker 3 (19:29):
But you know, it's not like they have to go
out there and overhaul the entire in all five guys.
I mean, they have some young.

Speaker 4 (19:34):
Guys that are pretty good football players. So that's what's
really encouraging. That's what allows me to be optimistic. And
you know the fact that you mentioned they're all hundred
you know, the whole offense is just about all under contract.
That to me says there's some you know, we got some.
We got some exciting football coming up here in the
next couple of years, two, three, four years.

Speaker 2 (19:54):
Orlando Brown Junior has a year left on his deal
after this year. Ted Kerris signed a one year extension
at the beginning of the year, so they're back for
at least one more year. One of the reasons why
I love Orlando Brown Junior as much as I do
is his respect for the guys that came before him.
Part of that is his dad was a high level
NFL player, Zeus as he was known. But I had

(20:16):
the great fortune of setting up a podcast with you
and Orlando Brown Junior shortly after he signed with the Bengals.
It was one of the most fun things I've ever
done because I had written down a list of, you know,
fifteen questions or something like that. I thought I was
going to basically kind of oversee this conversation. I barely
got a word in because Orlando was so thrilled to

(20:39):
have the opportunity to talk to you.

Speaker 4 (20:41):
You know, that's the exciting thing when you get young
players that understand and have a sense of history of
the game. I've been around some guys that, you know,
they see, you know, a player that they should know
who it is, and it's like, who's that guy, and
they're like, whoa who that guy? But you know, guys
like Orlando Brown you mentioned his dad played at a

(21:02):
high level, they understand. It's just like with me, I
understood the guys that came before us and that we
stood on their shoulders as we.

Speaker 3 (21:10):
Were playing the game.

Speaker 4 (21:12):
Orlando's one of those guys that really understands the you know,
the legacy of guys that played beforehand, and that's a
that's a pretty cool thing about it. So, you know, therefore,
with his dad having played, and you know, it's really
a motivator, an incentive for you to continue that legacy
and and really give it all and want.

Speaker 3 (21:30):
To perform at a high level.

Speaker 2 (21:32):
Scott Peters techniques are different. I've never seen an offensive
line coach coach it quite like he does. Now I'm
no expert, I'm just standing nearby trying to observe, you
know what He's doing with these guys. When you stood
at training camp and watched, what was your initial impression, because,
like I said, it's a little bit unusual.

Speaker 4 (21:52):
Well, you have to understand, I worked a couple of
mini camps for Scott Peters several years ago, so it
was right when he was starting out with the things
he would doing. You can say that Jim McNally mentored
him also because Jimmy coached him and I think goes
with the giants. So when I sit there and watch,
I watched and I'd mentioned the lap, I turned the
lap and I said, looks familiar, right, because he kind

(22:13):
of incorporates a lot of what we did into some
new stuff. And uh so, I mean it didn't surprise me.
I knew that he had some pretty good technique to
bring in with the guys. Again, it's just buying into it.
Uh And you know, it's like when I first came
to the Bengals. Uh, I had a great foundation because
we were using our hands and doing stuff at USC.

(22:34):
But now you get into the zone blocking scheme and
the perception of the blown zone blocking scheme was so much.
It's such a finesse. It's you know, you can't that's
the furthest from the truth. If you truly run the
zone blocking scheme the way you should be it should
be run, it gives you an opportunity come off and
really dominate the defensive line and the backers.

Speaker 3 (22:55):
So uh, and it's a lot of what you know
Scott is doing is pretty press.

Speaker 4 (23:00):
I like what he's doing because he's incorporating some of
the old with the new, and I think that happens.
It happened when I was playing, you know, when I
first got in the league, we did some things and
then it was funny. I'd laugh because I'd get further
into my career and it was like you rename things,
but you just kind of tweak stuff you had before.

Speaker 3 (23:16):
Then I go coach other.

Speaker 4 (23:18):
NFL teams, like in the early two thousands, and I
had a guy who was kind of a Jim McNally
kind of a you know, kind of a teacher, and
I would go right when camp started. This was with
the Bears, and I'd go the day before the player started,
so we would go through all the technique that we're
gonna teach him, and he would go, now we're gonna
go we're gonna.

Speaker 3 (23:36):
Do some stuff.

Speaker 4 (23:36):
This year a little different, and I'd sit there and
he would put it on the one. I would just
kind of chuckle because I think, to myself, I think
I did that in eighty five, eighty six, but now
we renamed it, and so it was easy for me
to teach it because I'd been taught for years and years.
And that's what happens a lot of times is there's
a few different things with technique, but for the most part,

(23:56):
like they say, there's nothing new under the sun, I
don't care who.

Speaker 3 (23:59):
You are, and you think that you're like the guru
of different things.

Speaker 4 (24:02):
You look at offenses so complex, but what they're doing
I've heard, I adn't seen it before.

Speaker 2 (24:08):
All right. The offensive line is making progress. The defense
still has a ways to go. We'll talk about that
with our guest Anthony Munoz when we continue. We are
live at the Dorothy Lane Market here in Mason. It's
the Bengals Game Plan Show presented by Bud Light here
on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 8 (24:26):
Seven, forty one to go. Cincinnati leads by ten points.
Allen facing a blitz, gets away from Cedric Johnson, sprinting
to the thirty twenty ten five touchdown. Wow, forty yards
on the run for Josh Allen as Cincinnati blitzed and
ran right by him.

Speaker 9 (24:46):
They did, they did. I mean, it's like, locate the quarterback,
find the football, don't just run off into space.

Speaker 2 (24:57):
We are back on the Bengals Game Plan Show presented
by bud Light, Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy, here
on ESPN fifteen thirty. I'm Dan Horde. Were joined in
the first hour of the show tonight by Pro Football
Hall of Famer Anthony Munos. Let's again give Anthony a
round of applause for coming out and joining us tonight
here at the Dorothy Lane Market in Mason. Anthony doing

(25:20):
the show despite a recent knee replacement. That is a
fine human being We've got on the show this evening,
and we are really appreciative of Anthony giving us an
hour of his time.

Speaker 4 (25:30):
Dannah, come on, you talk about we have how many
pharmacists close by here?

Speaker 3 (25:34):
I mean, come on, I remember the show.

Speaker 4 (25:40):
No, I'm just I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. It's
crazy because I've never been one. I mean, when I'm
in the hospital, I don't hesitate the pay in medicine.
But I had the surgery Thursday. Took a pain pill
Thursday night, and that was it. I just do not
like I'd rather take some tyl and all and ice.
And so I'm totally coherent.

Speaker 3 (25:58):
I know what's going on. I drove here and I'll
drive home and I'll get there.

Speaker 2 (26:03):
You're a football player, put a little ice on it, trying.

Speaker 3 (26:06):
To go little sand I'm gonna go out and get
some of that snow and rub it on it.

Speaker 2 (26:09):
And all right. So we just heard the highlight of
Josh Allen's forty yard touchdown run against the Bengals key
touchdown in the fourth quarter of last week's game. And unfortunately,
until that play, the defense was actually playing pretty well.
They had given up eleven points in the first half,
eighteen points in the game to that point, there were

(26:32):
seven minutes left in the game. By the end of
the game, it was thirty nine points. Unfortunately, So I
feel like the defense had been making some progress. They
were playing reasonably well against a good team on Sunday,
and then you know that Josh Allen touchdown, then the
defensive touchdown, then the interception gave them a short field.
The next thing, you know, a bunch of points around

(26:53):
the board.

Speaker 4 (26:53):
What how about if I'm not mistaken five takeaways Thanksgiving Day?

Speaker 2 (26:58):
Yes, against Baltimore, that's I mean.

Speaker 4 (27:00):
So I was impressed with the way they were playing,
and you're right, up until that avalanche, you know, with
all that that happened, they had been playing really well.
I mean, you know, so doing pretty well in the
run and but so, you know, but it's just amazing
you have all that momentum and you get that one,
you know, pick six and then the next deflection and
it's kind of like, you know, you don't want that

(27:22):
to affect you, but it's gonna affect you. I mean,
you got to just that's the toughest part about sports
is you you're gonna hit some adversity.

Speaker 3 (27:30):
I mean not just in a season, but during the game,
and it's how you react to it.

Speaker 4 (27:34):
And man, and that was just like a big old
avalanche that just came crumbling down. But you're right, they
were playing extremely well up until then.

Speaker 2 (27:43):
So I did a segment a few weeks ago with
your former teammate Chris collins Worth, and we're talking about
the defense, and he said something that really resonated with me.
He said, when I go, you know, to various cities
to do Sunday night football, and we visit with the
other team's coaches before every game, all of the offensive coaches.
The number one thing they're worried about is the pass rush.

(28:05):
They figure that they can succeed if their quarterback has time.
So on the flip side of that, that to me
is the number one thing this defense needs to improve
going into next year. Now, they need some improvements at
other spots too, don't get me wrong, But first and foremost,
they've got to have a defense that can consistently put
pressure on the other team's.

Speaker 4 (28:25):
Quarter Well, let's look at the overall picture. You get
the guys up front with tremendous pressure on a quarterback.
That's gonna make your secondary that much better because they're
not gonna have to cover guys forever because the quarterback's
back there. And I heard somebody saying he's not back
there burping the baby. You know, he's got to look
and he's gotta make the throw. So if you have
that pass rush consistently, the guys back on the defensive back,

(28:48):
they're gonna you know, they're not gonna have to cover
as long, and that makes them even better.

Speaker 3 (28:51):
But you're right.

Speaker 4 (28:52):
You look at teams that are consistently good not only
guys off the corner, but they have some guys in
the middle that can you know, bring it, you know,
to man on man and even sometimes they can split
double teams. And nothing worse than the quarterback there and
that pressure right here and the guys coming around the corner.

Speaker 3 (29:08):
So I agree with you.

Speaker 4 (29:09):
I mean that that is one thing that is just
a game changer when you have not just one guy,
but when you can have a couple guys working together
or one from each side, and then it becomes like
who are you going to double? As an offensive coordinator
and as an offensive football team, now you have to
pick your poison. You can't go man on man with
each guy that can bring it on the pass rush.
So you know, now you cause that offense offensive coordinator

(29:32):
to really look at what they have to do. Which
way they you know, to shift the line or slide
the line, or who's going to help and you know
sometimes you know, you have to chip that, so that
kind of eliminates the receiver for at least initially, you know.

Speaker 3 (29:44):
So I agree with you. We need we need those
guys bringing it off the edge.

Speaker 2 (29:50):
They've been playing rookie linebackers together a lot. Barrett Carter's
in there for almost every snap, fourth round draft pick,
He's wearing the green dot. He's the guy that's communicating
with the defensive coordinator. Demetrius Knight is in there a
lot as well. How hard is that position for a rookie.

Speaker 3 (30:07):
That's tough.

Speaker 4 (30:07):
I mean, you figure, you know, you're you're having to
you know, make the call run pass. Uh, you know,
I don't care what position you're in. As a rookie,
it's tough.

Speaker 3 (30:21):
I mean, especially when you're in there playing all the time.
That's what that was.

Speaker 4 (30:24):
The challenge that I loved being a rookie is that
I got drafted high, so I was gonna study my
tail off to make sure I was there mentally. But
it's still all rookies learn. I mean, it's all tough.
I don't I don't care who you are. It's going
to be a tough at times sometimes. But when you
have two rookies in there together, extremely tough.

Speaker 3 (30:42):
You know.

Speaker 4 (30:43):
It's one thing to have a rookie and that may
be a veteran guy that can help out, but now
you have two guys that are seeing a lot of
the same thing for the things for the first time.
So the fact that they've been in there, it's only
going to be better for them next year.

Speaker 2 (30:56):
Let's hope, I mean, you're taking the lumps now and
hope that those guys are good to go next year.
All Right, We're gonna take a time out. Among the
many accomplishments that Anthony had in his great NFL career
was being named the NFL's Man of the Year before
it was called the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

Speaker 3 (31:13):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (31:14):
Ted Carris is the Bengals nominee for that award this year.
We're gonna hear from Ted and talk about that honor
when we come back. This is the Bengals Game Plan Show.
We are live from Dorothy Lane Market, seventy two hundred
Mason Montgomery Road here in Mason, the Bengals Game Plan
Show on ESPN fifteen thirty. We are back on the

(31:42):
Bengals Game Plan Show presented by bud Light, Easy to Drink,
Easy to Enjoy. We are live tonight at the Dorothy
Lane Market here in Mason with eleven time Pro bowler
and Pro Football Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz, who is
enjoying some of the stake, the filet that has just
been brought by. We started with lobster rolls. Now they've

(32:03):
brought by steak, chicken, asparagus, mushrooms, mushrooms, fries. This is incredible.

Speaker 3 (32:10):
It's unbelievable and shows you have how long we offer.
Three hours of night here.

Speaker 2 (32:18):
I feel like I should be This is awesome. Our
thanks to everybody here at Dorothy Lane Market for their
hospitality and their food. Kudos to the chef, incredible work.
And yes, this will all be gone by the end
of the show. Between me, Mike, Mills, Nicky and you
before you go, we'll crush it.

Speaker 4 (32:36):
Well, I live so close, I can just stay here
for the I don't have to be on air. I'll
hope you guys clean up afterwards. Are all about service,
you know. Oh, that's very kind of you. Before the
commercial break, I mentioned that one of the many honors
you received in your playing career was being named the
NFL's Man of the Year. It's the highest award that
the NFL gives out each season, not only for your

(32:58):
playing excellence, but for your work in the community, and
this year's Bengals nominee is Ted Carris. It's the second
time that Ted has been nominated since joining the Cincinnati
Bengals four seasons ago. Let's hear from Ted Carris on
being nominated for this year's Walter Payton Man of the
Year Award.

Speaker 10 (33:18):
The main thing I want to say is just gratitude
towards the Cincinnati fan base and everyone around the country
that's bought us since he had and bought into the
mission that we're trying to do, and we have huge
plans in twenty twenty six. I can't wait to get
him going. I've been really We've been really working hard
behind the scenes to get these going. So hopefully, you know,
when we get back for the spring, it will already
be underway. And this whole mission, it was completely organic

(33:41):
and nothing I set out to do. I didn't set
out to be a hat guy, that's for sure, or
really a public philanthropist. But I'm blessed with this opportunity
and really it's the energy and spirit of the city
and I hope we win it all for the people
of this town.

Speaker 2 (33:57):
I hope he does too. It's such an awesome things.
So when Ted Carris came to Cincinnati signs as a
free agent to come here and play offensive line. Just
as a nice gesture to his new teammates. He thought, Hey,
what can I do that would be something good, just
to you know, begin to befriend these guys. So he
has these hats made that say Cinci on the front.

(34:19):
Turns out some people like them expressed an interest. Hey
where can I get that hat? The next thing he
realizes is this can be a force for good.

Speaker 4 (34:28):
I'll tell you what. I'm a I'm a baseball hat guy.
I think I might have a few too many. My
wife continues to say, do you need that many baseball Now,
I'm not exaggerating. I might have like four hundred and
fifty baseball hats and I have at least maybe ten
since he hats And I know for our foundation, we've
done hats for our coaches at our camps.

Speaker 3 (34:49):
We just do you know, some hats for different events.
But and I appreciate one of the things he said.
It wasn't like he said out.

Speaker 4 (34:56):
You know a lot of us don't have that plan
of being, you know, going out in winning these awards.
You know, it's more of you have the platform to
go out and to hopefully help be an impact in
the community, and before I started my foundation, I was
helping a bunch of other groups, just being available because
there's a lot of great causes out there, as we know,
in Cincinnati and the greater Cincinnati area. And it wasn't

(35:19):
like I sat there and you know, studied my game
plan and wanted to win football games. I was a
husband and father and then okay, here's this Man of
the Year you know plan that it was just let's
just go out and do what we can to have
an impact. And this award is pretty special because you know,
you win awards as a football player, you know, and
there's a lot of them there, but now this is

(35:41):
who you are as a person, what you've done in
your family, your community, and using the platform that God
has given me to have an impact on young people.

Speaker 3 (35:49):
And that's why it's so special.

Speaker 4 (35:51):
And you know, you look at the list of former
winners and I'm rooting for Ted because of a great
job he does. And I think with full time Bengal
players and guys that have played here for quite if
Ted wins.

Speaker 3 (36:06):
It might be like nine, eight or nine guys that
have won the award.

Speaker 4 (36:09):
Going back to Kenny Anderson, Reggie Williams, you know with myself,
Boomer Mediaz william I mean as you just go on
and on of guys that have spent most of their
career here and then they go somewhere else and win
the award. So the fact that this commit to me,
this community is such a great community, such a engaging community.
It's such a giving community. It's so easy to go

(36:31):
out and want to use that platform to have an
impact because I tell people, for thirteen years I played
for the Bengals, fifty plus guys.

Speaker 3 (36:38):
In the last twenty five years with my foundation, I've
been on a big, big team.

Speaker 4 (36:44):
It is a whole Greater Cincinnati era and you know,
my foundation has my name on it, but that's where
it ends. It's the team, it's the community. And to
hear Ted say that, and the guy's amazing. I got
to know him. And the first thing he said, if
I can ever do anything for your foundation, don't and hesitates.
And you know when guys say that, and they're really
honest about it, and you know, guys are just saying

(37:05):
that just to say it, and he's been I got
to share one thing we've done and we're going on
our second year. We hold our foundation dinner right here
at the manor house down the street, and we're celebrating.

Speaker 3 (37:16):
Twenty five years.

Speaker 4 (37:18):
And like a lot of people do live auction items,
I always want to make them personal experiences. You know,
there's things that a lot of people do, but I
want personal experiences. So last year, I'm always thinking of
things that maybe the fans want the experience. So I'm
thinking Ted's talk or his words are kind of ringing
in my mind. So I called Ted and I said, Ted,
I got an idea. Let me know if you're in.

(37:39):
I said, one of our auction.

Speaker 3 (37:41):
Items at my dinner. I'm gonna call it let's dine
with the old line.

Speaker 2 (37:46):
I love it.

Speaker 4 (37:47):
So the first thing when he said I'm in, first
thing I did, I group text lap On Montoya Blados
or Rhymers is outtown.

Speaker 3 (37:55):
But Walter Kazerski and I say, guys, I have an idea.

Speaker 2 (37:58):
We're going to do this.

Speaker 4 (37:59):
You would I mean it was like five minutes they
said I'm in, and then Ted got hall his offensive lineman.
We sold two groups and we had at a local
restaurant and I know us old guys. A lot of
guys said, we're gonna do that again next year. They
enjoy just being with the young guys and asking questions.
The young guys enjoyed being with us old guy. So
this year we're doing it again. And it's funny because

(38:21):
last year we had like a five thirty start time
and it was in Westchester, so coming from pay Corps
all the way, it was a little.

Speaker 2 (38:27):
Bit of a hall.

Speaker 3 (38:28):
And so they all walk in and Ted, you know.

Speaker 4 (38:31):
We had originally said, hey, bring the starters, but then
finally he just brought the whole offensive line.

Speaker 3 (38:36):
But they come walking in and we're all.

Speaker 4 (38:38):
The old guys are already there, and Ted says, yeah,
I said, we were near the end of our meeting
and I told the line coach, I said, we gotta go.
We got to end this meeting now because we're gonna
be late for Munos's dinner. So and I mean, so
we had a chance to sell that. And but that's
just the type of guy Ted is, and what he's
done in this great community is just I just love

(39:01):
seeing it. So I'm rooting for him to win the
award to well deserved and what he does is amazing.
But yeah, so I have a few of those since
he hats and I got black ones, green ones, orange
and black ones, and I got the Americans, you know,
flag ones on it. I mean, I got a variety
of my wife looks, and I'm just do you need
all those? Well they're not the same, they're different. But yeah,

(39:23):
so I just I really hope that he wins the award.

Speaker 2 (39:25):
And just as your foundation is going strong in year
twenty five, Ted said this week after being our last
week actually after being nominated again for the Walter Payton
Man of the Year Award, the Cincinnati hat is never
going away. As long as he is on the face
of the earth, he will be promoting this cause to
try to help out intellectually disabled folks, adults find homes,

(39:52):
you know, be able to live productive lives, get jobs,
things like that. It's a cause that's near and dear
to Kenny Anderson, and it's been a great cause for
Ted as well.

Speaker 11 (40:03):
You know.

Speaker 3 (40:03):
And it's an amazing thing about it.

Speaker 4 (40:05):
We have so many guys in this community that are
out given the guys I've played with after I've.

Speaker 3 (40:09):
Played and now you know, with the guys that are
playing now that it just.

Speaker 4 (40:12):
Speaks volumes about this community and the engagement with the
former players and the players now, and I believe it'll
continue to go for Ted for years.

Speaker 3 (40:21):
And years and years down the road.

Speaker 2 (40:22):
Agreed. All right, We're gonna take our final time out
in this hour. When we come back, we will play
America's favorite game show, Know Your School Five Questions about
the University of Southern California with former Trojan Anthony Munoz.
This is the Bengals Game Plan Show presented by bud Light.

(40:43):
We are live at the Dorothy Lane Market, the official
gourmet grocer of the Cincinnati Bengals. Here on ESPN fifteen thirty.
Welcome back to the Bengals Game Plan Show presented by
bud Light. Easy to drink, Easy, we too enjoy. Here
on ESPN fifteen thirty, were live at the Dorothy Lane Market,

(41:04):
the official gourmet grocer of the Cincinnati Bengals. We are
eating like kings and we appreciate the hospitality. Again. If
you love food, you will love the Dorothy Lane Market,
seventy two hundred Mason Montgomery Road. In front of us,
we have filet, chicken, lobster, pizza fries. It's amazing. It's amazing.

(41:29):
And if it sounds like I've just finished chewing something.
Every time we come back from a commercial, I plead
guilty as charged. Time to play America's favorite game show,
Know Your School. Five questions about the University of Southern
California for a proud former Trojan, Anthony Munyo's.

Speaker 3 (41:48):
Wet a little gracier since I'm much older and.

Speaker 2 (41:51):
You only need to get three rights to be a winner,
you get three out of five.

Speaker 3 (41:55):
USC.

Speaker 2 (41:55):
By the way, I win as much as you can eat.
USC was the school that I dreamed of going to
as a kid growing up near Buffalo, New York. Because
my childhood hero OJ Simpson, I had great taste in heroes.
OJ went to USC. Therefore, I wanted to go to USC.

(42:16):
I wore USC gear to school.

Speaker 3 (42:18):
Wow, I was all in you and George Grin all
the way.

Speaker 2 (42:23):
Yeah, how about that? George, of course played baseball. Yeah,
but yeah, I dreamed of being a Trojan. My dreams changed,
wound up with Syracuse. It all worked out for the
best great move question number one. USC has a history
of great running backs, including OJ, Marcus Allen, Reggie Bush,
and others. None of those three guys I mentioned, Simpson,

(42:46):
Allen or Bush is the Trojans all time leading rusher
who is and not?

Speaker 3 (42:54):
This isn't my question, but you also have Mike Garrett.

Speaker 2 (42:56):
Sure. I mean, oh, I could have read off eight
more names.

Speaker 4 (43:00):
So that's an easy one, and a lot of people
go really. So we came in together as freshman. My
freshman year, I didn't start, but I played a lot,
and we would play about a quarter and a half
because our team would put games away early on. So
our quarterback, who was here for a little bit rob hurdle,
he'd warm up and he'd start, you going, come on,

(43:21):
vice squad, we're coming in. So number twelve would come
in and he would just I mean crazy amount of yards.
Of course, we had Ricky Bell who had two thousand
that year, and then, of course this number twelve was
a three year starter after that Heisman Trophy winner, number
one pick for the Cleveland Browns.

Speaker 2 (43:38):
Charles White, correct, Charles White is the correct answer. You
helped him win a Heisman Trophy? Would that have been
your junior year?

Speaker 3 (43:45):
Junior year? One of the years I played seven games
before I got hurt, and.

Speaker 2 (43:51):
Those knees are still being replaced.

Speaker 3 (43:53):
That's right. I'm taking care of him. They took care
of me for a lot of years.

Speaker 2 (43:57):
After college, and I'm thinking of all right, question number two,
you played baseball at USC. Some people might not know that,
but you played baseball in addition to playing football for
the legendary coach Rod Dato. He had a bat boy
in the nineteen forties who became a Hall of Fame
Major League manager. Who is that bat boy? Wow?

Speaker 3 (44:20):
In nineteen deep right there?

Speaker 2 (44:22):
Huh wow.

Speaker 3 (44:24):
I should know that because that was my guy, Rod Dato,
Hall of Fame coach, Hall of Fame.

Speaker 2 (44:32):
Manager, manager. Yeah, this USC bat boy the nineteen forties,
the Hall of Fame manager.

Speaker 3 (44:38):
I'm thinking about it because they were so close as friends, Lasorda.

Speaker 2 (44:45):
That is incorrect. There is a local tie, however, Sparky
and oh my goodness, wow, Sparky Anderson apparently wow, that's
if I have the story straight, was playing on an
adjacent field, found a baseball that was like hit over

(45:05):
the fence, brought it back to coach Dato. He was
so impressed. Sparky is like eight or nine years old.
He was so impressed. He said, kid, you want to
be a batboy. Sparky was a batboy for like the
next three years. That's and of course became one of
the greatest managers of all time.

Speaker 3 (45:21):
So Rod Data the coach I played for at USC
coach forty two years at USC for one dollar a year.

Speaker 2 (45:27):
That's right.

Speaker 4 (45:28):
And he actually won a national championship in forty eight,
fifty eight, sixty eight.

Speaker 3 (45:35):
And his last one, which I was a member of,
was seventy Wow.

Speaker 2 (45:38):
How about that?

Speaker 4 (45:39):
And he actually won seventy seventy one, seventy two, seventy three,
and seventy four five in a row.

Speaker 2 (45:44):
What happened in eighty eight?

Speaker 3 (45:46):
You know I was running about Bontana in the Super Bowl.

Speaker 2 (45:52):
All right? Question number three. The Trojans play their home
games at the Memorial Coliseum. At the main entrance, there
is a symbol recognizing an event that has been held
there twice and will return in twenty twenty eight. What
is that event? The Olympics, the Summer Olympics. You are correct.

Speaker 4 (46:12):
Actually, our our innermural field when I was at school
and our freshman dorm was here, amiral, That interial field
is now the swim stadium they built for the Olympics
in eighty four.

Speaker 2 (46:24):
All right. Question number four, you need to get one
of the last two right to be a winner. Pressures
on what is the name of the USC marching band,
Spirit of True, the Spirit of Troy. Impressive, very very impressive.

Speaker 4 (46:43):
So back I got all these stories, if you don't mind.
So back when I was signed, when I signed to college,
I was I wanted to go there, And as soon
as they recruited me, I mean, I was signed, sealed,
and delivered to USC. I don't know if it's because
of the tradition, the school, or the horse. I still
don't know what got me there.

Speaker 2 (46:58):
A white horse is nice.

Speaker 4 (46:59):
That was back in the day when the head coach
would show up to your house Wednesday morning and you
would sign your letter intent. So I'm waiting there and
I'm expecting John Robinson. So this big Cardinal Cadillac drives
up and I'm sitting there with my mom, just the
two of us, and I look and it's John Robinson
driving and he's got a partner in the shotgun.

Speaker 3 (47:18):
And I went man, I said, that's coach Stato.

Speaker 4 (47:21):
So they both showed up at my house, they come in,
I signed my letter of intent and they would come on,
we're gonna drive you to school. I said, great, So
John's driving. I shut I sit in the front seat.
Dato gets in the backseat. So that's about a ten
minute drive to my high school. So we pull out
and all of a sudden, a lot of young people
don't know what eight track tapes are, but we go
and John Robinson goes, here's a little something to get

(47:42):
you fired up, and he puts the tape in the
car and I couldn't have I can't tell you what
happened that day at.

Speaker 3 (47:49):
School because he put in.

Speaker 4 (47:50):
He goes, here's a Spirit of Troy and they're playing,
you know, we actually have two songs, Fight On, and
then we have Conquest, which comes from a movie.

Speaker 3 (47:58):
And I mean, I was so geekd I got out
of the car and I thought I was floating the
class and it was. But that was I mean, that
was a great experience.

Speaker 5 (48:08):
That was it? Right?

Speaker 3 (48:09):
So that's Fight On, and then we have Conquests, which
is Dune, and of course we we do this Fight
On and then Victor U s l A. They wave
their keys.

Speaker 4 (48:27):
You know when when you can't do what US is
if they refer to us as University of Spoiled Children,
so they do their keys and uh so we have
I have fun with Max Montoya, who was a U C.

Speaker 3 (48:37):
L a guy, but uh yeah, so Conquest and.

Speaker 4 (48:39):
Fight On I would if you're if you're a college fan,
I would recommend pull those two songs up. And fight
On is great, that's but listen to Conquests from the beginning.

Speaker 3 (48:51):
To the end.

Speaker 2 (48:52):
I mean, I'm sold.

Speaker 4 (48:54):
I see some young people, but us old guys. You
want to go back out and play a little more football.
I don't care what kind of shape. And after you
listen to Conquict, I'm killing that up for the ride home,
all right. Fifth and final question, You were way past
the top of the hour. Sorry tearing back in the studio,
but it's Anthony Munoz.

Speaker 2 (49:09):
You understand. Fifth question. You are among fourteen former Trojans
in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The first was
inducted in nineteen seventy seven and is probably better known
for his broadcasting career than his playing career. Name this
former USC standout not only.

Speaker 4 (49:30):
A broadcasting career, probably one of the best looking guys
that played football.

Speaker 2 (49:35):
He was a handsome man back in the day. Kathy
Lee knew it.

Speaker 3 (49:39):
I know Frank Gifford, that's correct, Frank Frank Gifford.

Speaker 2 (49:42):
Yeah, yeah, get to know Frank over the years.

Speaker 3 (49:45):
You know, some not a lot.

Speaker 4 (49:48):
There's some guys that I mean, he was still alive.
But there's some guys that didn't make it back to
Canton as much as others. But you know, I've been
in twenty seven years and some of the guys I
got to meet and be around. I mean a lot
of you are from Ohio. You probably remember the old
Cleveland Browns. I mean to get to know Auto Graham
and Dante, Blue Fingers Lovelli and lou the Toa Groza.

Speaker 2 (50:10):
I mean, we I have nicknames like they had back.

Speaker 3 (50:12):
How about Bullet Bill Dudley of the Steelers, Crazy Leg Hirst.
I I got to be with those guys and.

Speaker 4 (50:18):
Get to know them, Crooked Pinky Munos. Watch your eyes
or I'll pinky. But no, it's I still pinch myself
every time. And we've lost a lot of those guys.

Speaker 3 (50:33):
But yeah, it's Frank Gifford was amazing, great voice, great voice.

Speaker 2 (50:38):
Well, you talk about good timing. Just as I'm about
to say goodbye to you, our man Dave Lapham has
arrived in the nick of time. We still have a
lot of food, Lap, Yes, we saved you some food.
Lap We've got file at we've got chicken, we've got pizza,
we've got fries. You come from the area up there

(51:01):
in the right, Yeah, all right, so we are going
to take a time out. Anthony. I can't thank you enough.
This is always such a thrill for me when I
have the opportunity to spend the time with you on
the radio, on the golf course, wherever you are the best.
We're so lucky that you decided to stay in Cincinnati

(51:22):
after your Hall of Fame playing career. You've done so
much for our community you continue to do so. Thank
you from the bottom of our heart.

Speaker 4 (51:28):
Thank you appreciate it, and thank you guys that I
can leave some things never leave me as a California guy,
like leaving.

Speaker 3 (51:37):
Sporting events early.

Speaker 4 (51:38):
So I know that as I drive home from downtown
to Mason that I could listen to you and laugh
on the radio and it's just like I mean, you
guys draw the picture, just like I got a television set.
So appreciate both of you, guys and what you guys
do for us as fans still and getting a chance
to listen to you guys. But this is a great
community and I love being here. Thanks for doing this
In our both of our backyard slaps is right around

(52:00):
the corner.

Speaker 2 (52:01):
You enjoy dining with the O line.

Speaker 3 (52:03):
All right, we'll laugh of you there.

Speaker 2 (52:06):
All right, we'll take a time out. We've got about
fifty three more minutes to go. It's the Bengals Game
Plan Show presented by bud Light, live from the Dorothy
Lane Market on ESPN in fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (52:18):
This is Bengals Game Plan presented by bud Light on
the first Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network. Brought to you
by bud Light, blood Light, Easy to Bring, Easy to Enjoy,
pay Corps. Paycorp is Cloud to be the official hr
software provider of US Cincinnati Bengals. Ketteringhialth Best Care for
the Best Fans. Ketteringhialth, Official healthcare provider of the Cincinnati Bengals.

(52:42):
This is Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of
the Bengals.

Speaker 2 (52:48):
Two tight ends in the game for Cincinnati, Burrow screens
it out to.

Speaker 8 (52:52):
The right, picked off by Buffalo running it back Kristin
Benford being chased by Jamar Chase a touchdown for the
Buffalo Bills. Burrow tried to throw a screen and Benford
coming from the edge, jumped up, picked it off and
ran it to the house for a go ahead Buffalo touchdown,

(53:15):
and Joe Burrow.

Speaker 7 (53:15):
Can't believe it.

Speaker 9 (53:16):
He's going to the sideline shaking his head like I
can't believe what.

Speaker 3 (53:20):
I just saw.

Speaker 2 (53:22):
Well, as you know, that was the play that changed
the game last Sunday in Buffalo, the pick six by
Christian Benford that helped Buffalo take the lead for the
first time and the Bills obviously went on to win
the game. I'm Dan Hord with Dave Lapham. This is
the second hour the Bengals Game Plan Show, presented by
Bud Light. We are live at the Dorothy Lane Market
here in Mason. We appreciate Anthony Munos for spending first

(53:45):
hour with us tonight. Now Lapp has arrived and he
can join in the feasting which has been going on.
I just tried some of this filelet It's amazing, just
look amazing. It looks it is cooked to perfection. Thank
you to the chef, back to Jack's Grill, and to
the folks here for their incredible hospitality. We love coming here,

(54:06):
no doubt. We'll do it anytime that Dorothy Lane Market
would like us to come out and do the show.
So let's talk about the state of affairs. With four
games to go, the Bengals playoff hopes dangling by a
thread at this point. If they win their last four games,
they would need Baltimore to lose two out of four. Now,
if the Bengals win their last four, one would obviously

(54:28):
be over Baltimore this week, and then they would need
the Steelers to lose three out of four. So that's
where things stand. Gotta go four and oh, Ravens need
to lose two, Steelers need need to lose three. Possible, possible, Definitely,
not probable, but possible.

Speaker 7 (54:45):
Probable for sure, Yeah, highly unlikely.

Speaker 9 (54:48):
I really think Raven's gonna lose two. They're gonna lose
to the Bengals. I mean, that's that's given. We've got
a road game at Green Bay. Yeah, that's that'll be
tough duty. You know, Pittsburgh losing three out of four
with the playoff hopes on the line. I don't see
Mike Tomlin allowing the football team to to fall into
that trap.

Speaker 2 (55:09):
Can we talk about those four games? Yeah, Monday Night
football at home against Miami.

Speaker 7 (55:15):
Probably a win, yeah, probably, but Miami could hang with them.

Speaker 9 (55:19):
But I think Pittsburgh win's a close one.

Speaker 2 (55:21):
Road game at Detroit, probable loss.

Speaker 9 (55:24):
I think so. I think Dan Campbell will have the
Lions in a frenzy and hopefully they're raw.

Speaker 2 (55:29):
And big road game at Cleveland, big.

Speaker 9 (55:34):
Division rival, but I don't see the able to do it.
They need a lot of reinforcements.

Speaker 2 (55:40):
Sanders has been relatively impressive.

Speaker 9 (55:43):
He's been good, Yeah, he has. I mean, I think
I think he's got a bright future. I do think
that Cleveland is going to be better.

Speaker 2 (55:49):
Their defense is good enough to win them any game.

Speaker 9 (55:53):
When you have a guy like Miles Garrett, when you
have a dominant, you know, defensive player like that, you
know any game can be okay. Well, Miles Garrett might
just take it over. So hopefully Miles Garrett takes it
over and beats the Pittsburgh Steels. That would be great.

Speaker 2 (56:09):
And they end with a home game against Baltimore. So
they just beat Baltimore in Baltimore. Yeah, the Ravens are
going to be bound and determined to try to split
the season series, just as they will be this week
again Cincinnati. Right in any case, it's possible they could
lose three of those games right.

Speaker 7 (56:27):
I would not bet my kids college our grandkids college education.

Speaker 9 (56:32):
But it is there's always a chance.

Speaker 2 (56:36):
Sorry, Lucy, you are not going to college.

Speaker 9 (56:40):
Lucy, Well, you're gonna have to go to a secretarial
school or.

Speaker 2 (56:45):
I gambled it away.

Speaker 9 (56:46):
Yeah exactly.

Speaker 2 (56:47):
Pittsburgh was going to lose out of four.

Speaker 9 (56:49):
Yeah, yep, but I mean really, the Bengals has been
a yo yo season, up and down season. There's no question,
more down than up. Unfortunately I didn't I didn't anticipate,
of course, I didn't anticipate Joe Borrow missing the number
of games that he missed as well, you know, and
other injuries that they've had. But I do think that

(57:10):
when they were in OTAs, in mini camps and all
that they were thinking they were going to be a factor,
they were going to be in it until until the
very end, and unfortunately injuries and other things have prevented
them from being in that position.

Speaker 2 (57:25):
Today is Joe's twenty ninth birthday.

Speaker 9 (57:27):
About that twenty nine, we did time going years going man.

Speaker 2 (57:31):
I did say when we were talking to Anthony at
the beginning of the show, it is a reminder that
there's a responsibility to surround him with as many great
players as they possibly can going forward, yep, to get
this guy the Super Bowl ring that he's capable of
bringing to Cincinnati.

Speaker 9 (57:49):
Absolutely, you know, you don't want to waste any more
years and three years in a row now they haven't
made the playoffs and Joe Burrow is the quarterback now
again playing less than half the time, probably half games
and steps. So it's not like, you know, you can't
see reasons why, but got to make the playoffs with

(58:13):
that guy, and you've got to make a run, multiple
year run at the playoffs and get to the championship game,
get to the Super Bowl, win a Super Bowl. I
would love to see Joe Burrow be the quarterback that
leads the Bengals to the Promised Land, that they win
their first Super Bowl with Joe Burrow under center in
the shotgun playing the quarterback position and you know, utilizing

(58:34):
every weapon and having co MVPs maybe an offense and
the defensive MVP for the Bengals in that Super Bowl,
because it does. It takes a complete balanced effort from
your football team offense, defense, and special teams to win
the Big One.

Speaker 8 (58:52):
For sure.

Speaker 2 (58:52):
All Right, we're gonna take a time out when we
come back, it'll be this week's Know the Faux segment.
We're going to be joined over the phone by former
Ravens linebacker Brad Jackson. He also played at the University
of Cincinnati. Sure he always knows what's going on with
the Ravens, and we'll talk to him about why Baltimore
has a losing record with four games left in the
regular season. This is the Bengals Game Plan Show. We

(59:15):
are live at the Dorothy Lane Market here in Mason.
You love food, You'll love Dorothy Lane Market. This is
ESPN fifteen thirty. We are back at the Dorothy Lane
Market here in Mason. It's the Bengals Game Plan Show,
presented by bud Light. Easy to Drink, Easy to enjoy,

(59:36):
Horden Lapham going to town on the feasts. Oh yeah,
that have been provided this evening. You just polished off
a lobster roll. You have New England cred, yes, having
grown up in Massachusetts. How would you rate the Dorothy
Lane Market lobster role?

Speaker 9 (59:52):
Exceptional? I mean really really good. My family is still
everybody but me is up in the New England area,
and if they were here tonight, they would think they
were in New England eating some main lobster.

Speaker 2 (01:00:04):
Yeah, it's really good, very good, super fresh. This steak
is delicious. Haven't tried the chicken yet. I'll get there.
Just add some fries. The pizza might happen at some point,
we'll see if. But you know what, we're doing all
of this feasting. And I need to also mention that
the official baked good specialists of the Bengals radio networkers

(01:00:27):
here tonight, Nita, and we are not going to let
her leave without thanking Nita. Oh, there she is for
providing the goodies. Nita is the best. She takes care
of us. Yes, whenever she makes it to a show, Nita,
we appreciate you. Thank you so much. We will have
dessert at the end of all of our proteins that

(01:00:48):
we're throwing down.

Speaker 7 (01:00:49):
Then we go sugar brownies, cookies, candy. Yeah that dog hunt, Nita.
Life is good to work, all right.

Speaker 2 (01:00:56):
We'll be joined by Brad Jackson here momentarily as well,
up with him from Baltimore. But before we do, these
two teams just played a week and a half ago
Thanksgiving Night. The Bengals won by eighteen in Baltimore. Baltimore's
favored This Sunday the pollsters apparently not, are the oddsmakers

(01:01:18):
rather not buying into the fact that the Bengals were
dominant the first time around. What say you, Dave Lapham?

Speaker 9 (01:01:24):
Yeah, I mean I hope that the Bengals players and
coaches look at that and use it as motivation, right,
no question about it. It's like they're coming to Cincinnati.
They're coming to our house. We have to protect our house.
Baltimore Rings have to travel to Cincinnati and hopefully everybody
gets to watch them put a little spanking on the

(01:01:45):
Ravens and send them back to Baltimore.

Speaker 2 (01:01:48):
All right, Time to welcome in our guest. He joins
us from Baltimore where they won a Super Bowl, ring
as a member of one of the great defensive teams
of all time, coached by Marvin Lewis, who is the
defense coordinator at the time. Prior to that, one of
the greatest juicy Bearcats of all time, particularly in football,
but also played a role for Bob Huggins on the

(01:02:08):
basketball team. Were welcome in, our buddy, b Jack Brad Jackson, sir,
how you doing.

Speaker 3 (01:02:14):
My man?

Speaker 5 (01:02:15):
I'm doing well, man. I apologize for running lately.

Speaker 12 (01:02:18):
We've been I'm still recovering from we had our thirty
our super Bowl twenty.

Speaker 5 (01:02:23):
Fifth anniversary of the weekend.

Speaker 11 (01:02:24):
So I did have a chance to see Marvin over
this weekend, and you know you talked about that defense
and uh so, yeah, it's been it's been a whirlwind
of a weekend. But obviously we're here talking about this
week's matchup, which you know has so much to do.

Speaker 5 (01:02:40):
You know, I missed you guys on Thanksgiving.

Speaker 11 (01:02:42):
I guess you guys weren't were not playing on eating
uh you know, turkey, but we're playing on having raven
when you guys came out here, because I would have
invited you to the house for pregame dinner.

Speaker 9 (01:02:55):
Oh man, I'll tell you, I'm jealous. Would love to
around Thanksgiving have a celebration with a Super Bowl victorious
football team. You know, I mean, that's it's it's it
really is incredible. I mean, what's it like to have
everybody's got goals and things they want to achieve. What's

(01:03:19):
it like, Brad, to be a member of a Super
Bowl winning football team that that gifted and talented or franchise.
What's that like?

Speaker 5 (01:03:29):
Well, hopefully you guys get there.

Speaker 11 (01:03:30):
I think you know, obviously the Bengals, and you know
my affinity for the for the city of Cincinnati, and
you know, I have love for the Queen City. So
but but it is an amazing feeling, and so I
think sometimes you get caught up and you forget about it.
And in this past weekend, when the majority of all
of our teammates minus those who have passed on and

(01:03:51):
I think, you know minus actually the tight end group,
the entire tight end group did not make it in.

Speaker 5 (01:03:58):
It was amazing to see.

Speaker 11 (01:03:59):
And then you kind of you know, the things that
they had around the city for the team, you know,
you know, party on Friday, party on Saturday. Then you know,
the things that they did at the stadium on Sunday.
Was it was a great honor to be here because
you know, when we won the Super Bowl in two thousand,
uh you know, it was my third year in the league,
and I thought, I was I thought that was the norm.

(01:04:19):
So I thought we'd went like five rings, and then
you realize how difficult it is. And obviously the team,
you know, they won one in twenty twelve, you know,
and Ray lose last year.

Speaker 5 (01:04:31):
You know, when they got hot, you.

Speaker 11 (01:04:32):
Know, after the male Hai miracles they call it out
here with Flaccos, you know, bonded.

Speaker 5 (01:04:37):
To Jacoby Jones, who obviously is no longer with us
as well.

Speaker 11 (01:04:40):
So you know, you have two trophies and you know,
twenty something years whatever it is, thirty years that the
franchise has been in place. So uh, there's a lot
that goes on with that, and it just shows you
how difficult it is. And you know when you hear
the talking kids and you know, the Twitter, the Twitter
media people and the people that don't really under understand

(01:05:01):
how hard it is to win. Just look at what
the Kansas City Chiefs are going through right now. I mean,
you know, the Bengals have had some good, good teams
in the past that probably, like you said, you know,
forty were you know, under Marvin probably had a chance
to get there. Obviously they made the Super Bowl, you
know with Zach. So uh, it's just hard to win.
And so you know, I'm very honored and blessed and

(01:05:22):
fortunate to uh, you know that we finished the job
back in two thousand. Uh, and that's something that you
know carries on forever, and it you know, it elevates
the franchise to another level. So I think obviously with
the you know, with Burrough and some of the pieces
that the Bengals have, like they're they're not that far away.

Speaker 5 (01:05:40):
You need a little bit of luck and uh and
the dominant defense to go.

Speaker 11 (01:05:44):
We're on a way because we all know, it doesn't
matter how good your offensive is when it gets January
and and into that first week of February, you got
to pack your defense and your special teams no matter
what happens. So so yeah, but it's it was a
great honor, so fortunate, less and honored, but you know,
it was a great way to represent the University of
Cincinnati also as a Bearcat, you know, super Bowl.

Speaker 2 (01:06:07):
Champion, Brad. The Ravens expected to be in the Super
Bowl mix this year, and it's not impossible that it
could still happen, but it sure doesn't look like it's
going to. They're a game under five hundred. What have
been the Ravens' biggest issues, because it's more than the
few games that Lamar missed.

Speaker 11 (01:06:27):
Yeah, I mean they again they talked about out here
the team being one and five. You know, they were,
you know, like Lamar missing games, but they were one
and three before you know, he's had his injuries, and
I mean it's bad all the way around. I mean,
I'm here, and you know.

Speaker 5 (01:06:41):
Obviously, this this past week, after losing the Pittsburgh on.

Speaker 11 (01:06:44):
Sunday, you know, and going under five hundred to you know,
the you know, the fish grease has been ratcheted up
on everybody wanting coach Harball, you know, to be fired.
And you know, I'm sure if the outcome of Sunday's
game would have been different and the outcome would be
in Pittsburgh, it'd be fire coach Tomlin. So it's going
to go back and forth between fans and media and

(01:07:06):
the talking kids. But there's just a lot Lamar's not
playing well. I think he hasn't had a touchdown in
his last three and a half games, and so like
in any capacity of you know, so obviously they had
one that you know likely kind of should have had,
but you know, unlikely that that would be a call
with this the referees in this day and age. So

(01:07:28):
you know, defensively, they've had their issue special teams. You know,
that was a big component. Even in Sunday's game. You
missed the pat you miss the field goals. It's just
a collective effort for whatever reason of why the Ravens
are six and seven. When you know, I mean if
you look at you know what every publication and you
know the four letter broadcasting network, you know, Worldwide Leader

(01:07:51):
of Sports and any other network, everyone would think that
the Ravens would be one of the top four teams
in the AFC, and unfortunately they're on the out side
looking in. And it's just been you know, a collaborative
effort from all three phases as to why they've been
unsuccessful and then that point and unfortunately, there's most people

(01:08:15):
who thought that this team was going to win fourteen
games minimum this year. When you come into the season
and you look at you know, who they had on
the schedule, they were already circling wins. And so unfortunately
that's not been the case. And here they are trying
to battle with what four weeks I believe it left
to go and having you know, the Bengals, you know
here on Sunday and then you got the Patriots and

(01:08:37):
then the Packers and then the Steelers. So you know,
there's some hope, but there's also a realistic opportunity that
you could actually go, you know, lose the last six,
you know, losing to the Bengals on Thanksgiving night and
then losing to the Steelers on Sunday, and you know,
if they go out to Cincinnati and and don't get
it done, and then you got to go, you know, you.

Speaker 5 (01:08:55):
Got the Patriots and then you finish on the road
in Green Bay and you guys know, Lap you played there.
You've done it, Hordy, you've done it.

Speaker 2 (01:09:02):
You know.

Speaker 11 (01:09:02):
I was fortunate enough that whenever I played the Packers,
it was no later than October. So I can't even
imagine him going to Lambeau in December twenty seventh and
trying to figure out what that what that weather is
going to be like. And didn't finish up with the
Steelers in Pittsburgh. So it's a daunting task. And like
they said, the fat Lady isn't singing, but she's humming.

Speaker 9 (01:09:23):
Yeah. You know, you look at the Baltimore Ravens got stars,
I mean, superstar players. Dereck Henry's a stud. What a
load man. You know, he's two hundred and fifty pounds
six y three plus probably closer to six four. I
mean that looked that's like a big linebacker lining up

(01:09:44):
at the running back position, coming downhill and trying to
punish you and punish people. I do think that it's
a challenge. Obviously the game's left for the Ravens, but
it's not an impossibility, particularly if they get that running
game going and take some pressure off Lamar and let
Lamar you know, play action pass and utilize his his

(01:10:05):
tight end one of the best in the business, maybe
the best in the business. I think. I think that
Baltimore is still, you know, some a football team that
people respect and are you know, know that they have
to bring it in order to win the football game
against the Baltimore Ravens. What do you think, Well, I.

Speaker 11 (01:10:26):
Mean, you're right, you know that. But the problem is
is Baltimore fans and I hear it a lot, you
know when I'm out in public and started Christmas shopping
and doing the events, and you know, I mean, you
look at this season and you got five games, only
five games where Derrick Henry has had more than twenty
touches to than twenty carries, like so they I mean,
you're talking about games where, for example, against the Bengals

(01:10:47):
and you guys are there on Thanksgiving night, he's averaging
six yards of carry and he finishes with ten carries
and for ten for sixty with along of twenty eight.
He's it's almost like, you know, you remember the Michael
Jordan's and Kobe Bryanton basketball players, and you know, I
remember my Bearcat teammates like mel Levy used to always
argue with Hugs and Ruben Patterson and those guys that
the more shots they got up, the more of a

(01:11:09):
rhythm that they got into. We've all been around the
game of football for a long time that it's no
different than running backs.

Speaker 5 (01:11:15):
The more opportunities that.

Speaker 11 (01:11:16):
They get, the more that they get into rhythm, the
more that that engine gets going. And then, of course,
like you said, laugh, the more that it wears on
the defense when you have a two hundred and sixty
pound guide that's still running a four or five, and
that is a home run hitter realistically every time he
gets into the secondary, because we all know this league
does not hit anymore.

Speaker 5 (01:11:35):
They're a bunch of armed tackling grab on and hold.

Speaker 11 (01:11:38):
On and hope for tacklers, and so you have to
give him the volume. And that's been a frustrating thing
that has been in the Baltimore media. You know, whether
it's social print or television, it's the fan base. And
of course you know Harves is stood up there and
answer the questions, and you know that they tried to
do this thing, but you know they could kind of
skate away from it when you were playing the Bears,

(01:11:58):
who at that time were out hot, and you know,
the Ravens beat him, and then they had Miami and
Minnesota and Cleveland and the Jets, and so when you're
you're kind of it's almost like for yazy, you know,
for the for the young folks out there, that's the
fake gold, you know, where they got into this false
sense of security where they're like, Okay, we can get
there for fifteen and eighteen and eleven and twelve.

Speaker 5 (01:12:19):
And still win games.

Speaker 11 (01:12:21):
And then when you're you know, you're you're running around.
And even the Buffalo lost early in the year, they
lost forty one to forty. He had eighteen carries for
one hundred and sixty nine yards and they basically put
him in that you know, put a jacket on him
in the third.

Speaker 5 (01:12:34):
And fourth quarters of those games.

Speaker 11 (01:12:36):
So it's frustrating because I know, winning a Super Bowl.
Our team was built because Trent Bill for our quarterback,
Tony Banks, our quarterback.

Speaker 5 (01:12:44):
They were not the guys that were.

Speaker 11 (01:12:45):
Going to go out there, and they obviously didn't have
the MVP talent that Lamar Jackson has, and so we
relied on the running game. And so when you're struggling
on offense, as the Ravens have been, with pass protection,
with the offensive line, with Lamar's inaccuracy, with wire receivers
running the wrong routes, with wire receivers dropping the ball,
you know, then get back to what you can do

(01:13:06):
that you can count on to hang your hat on,
and that's running. Derrick Henry and Keaton Mitchell and those
type of players in the running backs, and obviously Justice
Hills be down and then you have Ali, you know,
the rookie from Marshall. You know, these are all guys
that are all different backs, that are all been explosive
and can make plays.

Speaker 5 (01:13:22):
But yet for some.

Speaker 11 (01:13:23):
Reason, the offensive coordinating to play calling. And I'm not
in the building right now, you know, I don't even
what I am in the building. I tend to go
to the defensive side and try to sit and see what's.

Speaker 2 (01:13:34):
Going on there, you know.

Speaker 11 (01:13:36):
But there is a question and a problem of why
you're just not saying, Derrick Henry is December. We've kind
of managed your workload all week, all year for the
most part, whether intentionally or unintentionally. So guess what you're
gonna get twenty five to thirty carries this Sunday and
we're just going to see what happens. And you know
we did that with Jamal Lewis, and that's you know,

(01:13:57):
like you said earlier that that's why we were world champions.

Speaker 5 (01:14:00):
Played to our defense, We.

Speaker 11 (01:14:01):
Played what was working and what the other team allowed
us to get, and then you were successful.

Speaker 5 (01:14:06):
And that's that's the whole point of the game. You
have to find out.

Speaker 11 (01:14:08):
Every week, in every quarter, in almost every series, as
you guys are well aware of, it's going to be different,
and you have to make those adjustments and find out
what can we take advantage of with our weapons. And
Dereck Henry is one of the biggest and best weapons
you could have in the National Football League, which is
why he's over another thousand yards with four games ago.

Speaker 2 (01:14:27):
Right, Brad, always great to pick your brain, And I
am praying that the Ravens offensive coordinator did not hear
this segment because I don't want they got.

Speaker 6 (01:14:37):
They got so many words.

Speaker 5 (01:14:40):
Yeah, they got so many words over there.

Speaker 11 (01:14:43):
Todd Munkin is not gonna worry about what Bjack has
to say.

Speaker 5 (01:14:46):
But I'm glad to hear from you guys. God bless
you all.

Speaker 2 (01:14:49):
I love you all.

Speaker 11 (01:14:50):
You know that go bear Cats and everybody that listens
and watch the shows, the Bearcat first and Baltimore segments.
So God bless everybody. Have a half to be a
safe holiday. And and uh and I heard you before
and you first when I first came all that that
y'all was going with with the Ravens button this week
is so hopefully it's not a total butt whipping.

Speaker 2 (01:15:09):
Uh.

Speaker 11 (01:15:09):
And the best team finds a way to win. But
God bless you all. Happy Holidays.

Speaker 5 (01:15:12):
About loving you guys, be safe in your families.

Speaker 2 (01:15:15):
Right back at you. I appreciate your Christmas. That is
a great former right right back at you, great former Bearcat,
great former raven Our buddy Brad Jackson. We'll take a
time out. When we come back, we will discuss the
Pro Bowl candidacy of DJ Turner. This is the Bengals
Game Plan Show, live from the Dorothy Lane Market, the

(01:15:36):
official gourmet grocer of the Cincinnati Bengals here on ESPN
fifteen thirty, going to Dave lap up back on the
Bengals Game Plan Show presented by Bud Light Live from
the Dorothy Lane Market here in Mason. We have been
going to town. Yes, the Patriot pastry chef showing off,
Oh my god, his magic or her magic. I apologize

(01:15:58):
and they don't know the tender, but wow, we've just
received a tray of pastries that look simply divine.

Speaker 9 (01:16:04):
Lord, have mercy.

Speaker 2 (01:16:06):
We are going to arm wrestle for who gets what
at the end of the show. Yeah, I like your
chance on that. All right, Let's talk about the Pro
Bowl candidacy of Bengals cornerback DJ Turner. He's in his
third NFL season. Broke his collar bone last year, missed
the final six games of the year, wasn't in the

(01:16:27):
starting lineup in Week one this year, but when he
got his chance, he capitalized. He is now following the
best receiver on the other team every week. They don't
leave him on one side or the other. They basically say,
all right, that's the guy, go shut him down. And
he has been Let's hear from head coach Zach Taylor
on Pro Bowl candidate DJ Turner.

Speaker 13 (01:16:50):
He's earned all this. You know, he's not a guy
that just speaks and doesn't put in the work. He's
I've told you know, stories all season about training camp,
conversation with him, him and just really proud of him,
the way he's handled everything and the way that he
just fights every week. And you can just feel they
I mean, you can genuinely feel the confidence from him
oozing off of him. And he's He's been a tremendous

(01:17:12):
asset for us. He's a really good communicator. It's really
important to him. He understands what it means to cover
their best guy. He understands all that that entails the
good in the bat and he's willing to embrace it
all and proud of the season he's having and he'll
just continue to lead us. And there's some great opportunity
here starting with this game as well. So I'm excited

(01:17:32):
to watch DJ finish out the year.

Speaker 2 (01:17:35):
We've seen his coverage ability lap. But the thing that
you often bring up on the broadcast is how good
of a tackler he is. At one hundred and eighty
five pounds.

Speaker 9 (01:17:43):
He is, Dan He's remarkable. I think the thing that
is impressive talking about taking that best receiver. You know,
we used to call it and they still do shadow.
You know, you shadow that guy, me and my shadow.
Wherever that guy goes, you go with him in motion,
motion and come back run routes. It's you're in his

(01:18:04):
jockstrap all day long. You're just part of the deal.
And he's done a hell of a job of that.
And when they do catch the football, like you mentioned, Dan,
there's no yards have to catch. I mean, I don't
know what his stats are in terms of allowing yards
after reception of the football, but they have to be
amongst the lowest in the National Football League. He is
a sure tackler.

Speaker 2 (01:18:26):
I know.

Speaker 9 (01:18:26):
Coach Golden really loves how he approaches work every day
at practice. You know, he's like first one on the field,
last one to leave, always looking for more, always asking
the coaches, you know, for more information, more keys. What
do I need to look for? How do you want
me to respond? How do you want me to play
this technique? And he's physical, I mean for one hundred

(01:18:48):
and eighty five pounds, he gets people on the ground,
you know, for no not an inch extra and the
way he does it gets his head across the bow,
stops people, maybe knocks them back, wraps them up, take
to the ground, and it's picture perfect. He's a really,
really good player. And if he doesn't make the Pro
Bowl this year, and might not, I mean, once guys

(01:19:10):
make it, they continue to make it kind of thing.
But at some point in time when he makes it,
he's going to continue to make it. And I think
it's going to happen.

Speaker 2 (01:19:18):
Second round draft pick, so he's not eligible for the
fifth year option. That's just first round draft picks. But
the trade off is at the end of this year,
his third year, he will be eligible for a second contract.
Man would love the Bengals to get out ahead of
this one, sign him before it, you know, comes down
to free agency, franchise tag stuff like that. If they

(01:19:39):
could just go ahead and preemptibly lock him up for
a few more years, that would be great.

Speaker 9 (01:19:43):
It would be great. And my understanding is, you know,
talking to coaches, particularly Al gold All, thinks he loves
Cincinnati and he would, all things being fair and equal,
he'd love to be a Cincinnati Bengal. So I think
if the Bengals do step up in a timely fashion
and say we think you're a big part of our future.
We think you're a big part of the community here

(01:20:06):
in Cincinnati. We want you here and we want you to,
you know, have a family and raise your family here.
That's that's what we're looking at here, long term, big picture.
I think he's the kind of guy that would be
excited about that. I really do.

Speaker 2 (01:20:19):
All Right, we're gonna take a time out. When we
come back, we'll talk about a guy, excuse me, who
is a full participant at practice earlier today, Shamar Stewart. Well,
we see him back in action this Sunday against Baltimore.
That's coming up next. This is the Bengals Game Plan
Show presented by bud Light Live from the Dorothy Lane Market,

(01:20:40):
the official gourmet grocer of the Cincinnati Bengals, Here on
ESPN fifteen thirty. Dave Lap I'm back on the Bengals
Game Plan Show presented by bud Light, Live from the
Dorothy Lane Market here in Mason. Christmas is approaching. If
you are looking for food related gifts, look no further
than the Rothy Lane Market. You will find something here

(01:21:02):
that a loved one or friend will love. I can
promise you that if you're going to somebody's Christmas party,
you feel like you need to bring something there. You're
not quite sure what come here. Look around You'll find
something perfect.

Speaker 9 (01:21:17):
No question.

Speaker 7 (01:21:17):
And a lot of people here, great employees with a
great attitude absolutely help you find something no special.

Speaker 2 (01:21:25):
All right, let's talk about Shamar Stewart, Bengals first round
draft pick this year. Thought he looked great in training camp,
had big expectations for him, and unfortunately he's missed most
of the season due to injury. Played in two games,
suffered an injury, he was out for a while, came
back for three games, suffered another injury. He's been out
for a while. Now he is eligible to come back.

(01:21:47):
He can be added back to the roster this week.
He was a full participant in practiced today. Right, Here's
what he had to say after practice about his desire
to come back and finish strong.

Speaker 12 (01:22:00):
Of course, you know, I mean the player I am.
You know, I'm very proderfaul like like, I want to
be the best there ever is. But you know, sometimes
it takes time to get there. So, you know, especially
with these injuries, I just sit back and reflect on
what I could do better, how I could be a

(01:22:21):
better player for my coaches, how to be more coachable,
you know, just pick up piece pick up every piece
of nugget they give.

Speaker 2 (01:22:30):
Out there in meetings.

Speaker 9 (01:22:31):
So when I come back is like a seamlessener, just transition.

Speaker 2 (01:22:36):
I like Shamar. I think he's about the right stuff.
Plays hard, practice is hard. Sits in the first row
of the meetings trying to soak stuff in. It's a
bomber that this season has kind of been a lost
cause to this point. It would be nice if he
could play in these last four games and do a
few things that can make him feel better about his

(01:22:56):
rookie year and hopefully build towards something big next year.

Speaker 9 (01:23:00):
One hundred thousand percent, Dan, And I think you know,
the coaches hope that's the case. That you know, he
comes back healthy healthy, that's been his issue, and it
comes back and teaches you a little bit with that
great athletic ability and gets hurt the same thing hurt again.
It's it's like a cycle of vicious cycle. But if

(01:23:21):
if the if the coaches feel like smar Stewart's a
real deal. Uh, he can he can do things for us.
He can play, he plays the run exceptually well, he's
very strong, very physical, knocks people back two gaps. People
can hit a gap with playing a shoulder penetrating. He's
got outstanding talent, uh physical talent to be a great

(01:23:43):
pass rusher. He's trying to put together moves that he's
that he's learning from other veteran players as well as
his coaches, So they want to know what they've got
with him going after that rookie year, going going into
a second year player. If he's in a ending star
that that takes care of check the box on one

(01:24:03):
of the one of the needs defensively. So I think
they're hoping keeping their fingers crossed, fingers and toes. Everything
he can cross, they're crossing and they hold Bengal fans
are too.

Speaker 2 (01:24:14):
I think the new d line coach Jerry Montgomery has
helped Miles Murphy and Joseph Osai improve. They've gotten better
and better during the course of the year. I think
he can help Shamar unlock some of this talent. Unfortunately,
they're just not going to get a lot of production
out of them in year one.

Speaker 9 (01:24:31):
Exactly.

Speaker 7 (01:24:32):
Yeah, I mean the clock's ticking, it's winding down.

Speaker 9 (01:24:34):
But I do agree. I think that Miles Murphy and
and Joseph Asai both had a lot of meat on
the bone going into the season. You know, they had
many miles to walk before they rest, and they've done it.
They've walked a good number of miles. And I think
there there's less, uh less meat on that bone, man,
but there is still some. And I think the young

(01:24:57):
defensive ends that we're talking about, that that little trio
right there is going to be something to contend with
down the road and in the future.

Speaker 2 (01:25:05):
All Right, we're gonna take our final time out. When
we come back, we will discuss the craziest story in
the NFL this week, and that is Philip Rivers coming
out of retirement at age forty four with ten kids
at home to play for the Indianapolis Colts. My goodness,
if he can do it, you can do it, Dave Lapple, Yeah.

Speaker 9 (01:25:26):
Right, yeah, that would be I'll tell you what, I
don't have ten kids when and what's the deal? You ready?

Speaker 3 (01:25:32):
Can we do it?

Speaker 7 (01:25:34):
Eight more?

Speaker 9 (01:25:36):
Eight more? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:25:36):
All right, we'll discuss that when we come back. This
is the Bengals Game Plan Show presented by Bud Light
on ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 3 (01:25:43):
Thirty Great Coaches.

Speaker 2 (01:25:49):
Final segment of the Bengals Game Plan Show presented by
bud Light live from the Dorothy Lane Market here in Mason.
A few thank yous before we wrap things up. Thank
you to our engineer Mike Mills. Mike, I appreciate Mike's
hard work every week. Thank you to Tearing Anything but
Bland back in the studio right. Thank you to Nita,

(01:26:11):
the official pastry chef Bengals Radio Network. Thank you to
Anthony Munoz who came out and spent more than an
hour with us tonight despite having a recent knee replacement.
Thank you to Calvin and his staff here at the
Dorothy Lane Market. You folks are awesome. Appreciate the hospitality
and the great food. We've got takeout boxes that we

(01:26:32):
are going to be filling up. And most of all,
thank you to the Bengals fans who came out to
be part of the show. We always appreciate you each
and every week, so thank you for coming out and
being here tonight. So let's spend the last few minutes
talking about Philip Rivers. You may not remember this lap,
maybe you do. When he was still playing the first
time around, up until twenty twenty, whenever we had a

(01:26:54):
game where he was the quarterback. I would say he
is my all time favorite non Bengal. I love Philip Rivers.
I love his attitude, he approaches I do he's he's
such a good guy. Yeah, you know, ten kids at home.
He's been coaching high school football for the last four years.
His season is over. He's coming back to the rescue

(01:27:15):
in Indianapolis. We'll see if he gets the play or not.
But at forty four years old, this is one of
the strangest, craziest, coolest comebacks of all time. It really is.

Speaker 9 (01:27:26):
I mean it's almost like Philip Rivers this instead of
this is your life, this is your football life, you know,
And I mean the chapters are extenuous. You know, there's
so many of them. And I mean he was a
great player at every level, high school, college, National Football League,
and everywhere every level that he played, every football team

(01:27:48):
he played for. Everybody absolutely loved and adored the guy
because look how he approaches it, how he approaches the
game of football, how he approaches the game of life.
And when you're when your husband and a father of
ten man, you don't have a whole lot of extra time.

Speaker 2 (01:28:07):
You know, he's a grandfather.

Speaker 9 (01:28:08):
It's unbelievable. Yeah, unbelievable at his age forty four, forty
four unreal. So he started having chilling little ones when
he was young. He was probably early twenties when he
had his first child. It's it really is. It really
is a remarkable story. There will be uh you know
the whatever network it does, so and so this is

(01:28:31):
your life. O. J. Simpson, whoever Philip rivers this is
your life. It'll be it'll be a very very interesting
uh movie to watch because it'll have an interesting ending.
I wonder what the ending's going to be. It's yet
to be written.

Speaker 2 (01:28:46):
We'll see. All right, we are out of time again.
Thank you to everybody who came out to the show tonight.
Lap In Wayneboxmeller will be at the on the Rhyane
Eatery this Friday, Yes, two thirty to five thirty. It's
a two thirty to five thirty show this week. Their
special guest in the final hour the great Sam Huppard,
Sam Patcha.

Speaker 14 (01:29:06):
I'll tell you what man fumble in the jungle. Yes,
back to the house we go, one hundred and two
big yards. All right, that's going to do it. First
show tonight again. Thanks so much to everybody who came out.
You've been listening to the Bengals Game Plan show presented
by bud Light here on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (01:29:25):
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. Paycorps paidcor
is proud to be the official HR software provider of
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(01:29:48):
ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals,