I get everybody.

I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast the because I gotta have faith.

I gotta have faith.

Addition, as the Bengals look to improve to three to zero with Jake browninghead quarterback, as they head to Minnesota to face the Vikings.

Coming up, Jim Nantz from CBS Sports tells us why he believes the Bengals can still be a playoff team.

I'll go one on one with kicker Evan McPherson, who explains how a rules change is helping kickers routinely make field goals from crazy distances, and in our nother faux segment, we'll get the inside scoop on the one and one Vikings from their radio analyst Pete Bursich.

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Now let's get to football.

Beginning with his first NFL start two years ago, Jake Browning has taken the majority of the snaps at quarterback in eight games for the Bengals, including last week's win over Jacksonville.

In those games, the Bengals are five and three, a winning percentage that would get a team to the playoffs.

That's why the players and coaches are confident that Jake will keep the team in the hunt until the return of Joe Burrow.

I discussed it with Dave Lapham.

He knows it.

The coaches know it, his teammates know it, the fans know it, ownership knows it, management knows it.

He's been there, done that.

It's nothing foreign to him.

It's nothing that is overwhelming him.

He's not like petrified, you know, wide eyed, like, oh my god, am I ready for this?

He knows he is.

He has full confidence that he is.

He knows that his teammates respect him.

He knows that his teammates know that he can get it done.

And that is something that's very comforting, you know, when you're put in a position where you're replacing a superstar who does everything exceptionally well at a very high level physically, mentally.

I mean, Joe Burrow is as good as there is.

So is it a challenge Heck yeah.

But is it something that Jake Browning shies away from.

Hell?

No, he will meet the challenge.

I think he'll play exceptionally well.

I think his graph will go up.

I think he will have games that are going to be very, very good, you know, borderline extraordinary.

He's capable of that kind of thing.

He can throw the ball like that, He throws the ball well.

He can hit tight spots down the football field and a ways down the football field, not dink and dunk stuff.

I like Jake Browning makeup.

I like everything about him.

I think he's got leadership qualities.

He's a football savant, guru, has been involved with the game his entire life.

So he's got a lock to offer, There's no question about it.

Absolutely.

Cincinnati sports fans have dealt with their share, more than their share, really of heartbreak when it comes to injuries.

One of the most devastating about twenty five years ago in Kenyan Martin broke his leg when the Bearcats looked like they were going to win the NCAA tournament that year, and I was working at Fox nineteen at the time.

A few days later.

Bob Huggins said to us, Hey, what if I pop out of a coffin on your Sunday night TV show to send the message we're not dead yet.

So we managed to get a coffin.

He did it.

I mean, if it happened now would be incredibly viral.

But it was a fun thing back then.

And Zach Taylor was asked earlier today, you know, did you gather the troops and give them a you know, we're still a live type speech?

Here was his response.

I haven't felt the need to do that because just the energy at two and oh, and how these guys have what if they've done for us to very difficult games that some teams don't win, we found a way to win two and oh.

So these guys have.

A lot of confidence in themselves and each other, a lot of confidence in Jake, and so again, our focus right now is just being three now.

It's a tremendous opportunity go on the road in the hostile environment, one of the toughest we'll overface against the team that we got a lot of respect for.

They've obviously had some tremendous seasons and they're fighting the same way we are right now.

So the team is in a really good heads face right now.

Expect a great days of work and then we'll go from there.

I like that you don't have to say, hey, we're still alive when you're two and oh.

You've got faith in your backup quarterback because he proved it two years ago, not to mention last Sunday, the ninety two yard fifteen play drive to win the game in the final four minutes, So you don't have to rally the troops with a big a it's not over yet.

They know they can do.

This absolutely, And I mean I don't think John Q fan realizes how difficult the fifteen play drive in the NFL is.

To sustain a drive for fifteen snaps, overcome third down situations, fourth down situations, and ultimately score to win a football game with eighteen seconds to play.

That is heady stuff.

That's that's you know, stuff that you'll find on Hall of Fame quarterbacks resumes, you know, and they might have done it multiple times.

But Jake Browning, I mean, no flies on Jake Browning.

Now he knows what he's doing.

He knows his team's offense, he knows the skill players that he has, he knows how to utilize them.

He knows how to get him to football, where to get him the football, when to get him the football.

I think Jake Browning is going to play exceeding well.

I'll be shocked that he doesn't.

When he filled in in those seven games back in twenty twenty three, he completed seventy percent of his pass is twelve towns seven picks, had a passer rating of ninety eight point four, and during that seven game stretch, he was second in the NFL in passing yards.

Only Dak Prescott had more.

So it's not like he managed the game.

Yeah, in those seven games and the defense was winning it or they were, you know, running for two hundred yards a game, they kept doing what they do.

They made slight adjustments to what he does best.

Little more under center, a little more play action, a lot of screens, stuff like that.

But it's not like you got to reinvent the wheel when he takes over for Joe Burrow.

No, true, I mean he does understand the screen game.

He is very very competent.

The way he sets up a screen.

You know, people think, oh, you know screen, it's like it's it's cookie cutter.

It's really not.

There's an art form.

There's a skill set to setting up a screen properly, and he has it.

You know, your footwork, your timing, you know when you get the ball to the to the running back.

He's he's got all that down.

That that part of it is is almost like that that's gonna happen.

That that's that's part of the game.

That's building block one.

But he can attack the field deep.

He throws the ball well.

His deep ball is about as good as maybe a lot of starters in the National Football League.

He puts a lot of zip on it.

It doesn't hang up in the air.

He's got, you know, a trajectory that's that's crisp and sharp.

He puts it in great spots.

His his accuracy is phenomenal.

The seventy percent.

You know how many quarterbacks complete seventy percent of their passes the season.

It's that's not yeah, that's not standard operating procedure.

Man, it is a short list, and he's one of them.

That's that's a tribute to UH, to Jake Browning, who you know, doesn't get a whole lot of live snaps in the NFL, to hone that craft and he's still performs and plays at a high level.

I was talking to one staff member and he said, the dude is simply a winner, and that seems like the ultimate cliche to me.

But then you look at the track record University of Washington thirty nine and fourteen as a starter oh went to the fourteen College Football Playoff as a sophomore, the Fiesta Bowl as a junior, the Rose Ball as a senior.

Now, Washington's been historically a good, really good yeah football program, but they don't go to the fourteen Playoff, Fiesta Bowl, and Rose Bowl back to back to back in their history.

That says a lot to me about Jake Browning it does.

I mean, he took a good program and elevated it, and that's not an easy thing to do, but he did it, and he did it for multiple years.

He wasn't a one hit wonder.

He did it back to back to back.

You you know, this guy can cut the mustard.

I mean he's a prime time perform warmer and I'm looking forward to what he what he does.

I think he can do a lot.

I think his teammates believe in him.

I think they trust him, I think they like him.

All those components you have to have to have success as a quarterback in the National Football League, and I think Jake Brown is going to have success.

I think he's gonna have some really big games this year.

I think he's gonna make a little bit of a run.

That's a good segue for this, let's hear from Andre Yosi Vash and why he has faith in Jake Browning.

Because we've seen him do it before.

And you know, just because he's a backup doesn't mean he doesn't have starting potential.

You know, we have one of the best qbs in the world at the Helm, and you know, Jake is not able to be a starter just because of the situation he's in, and now he is, and we all are confident in him because he's.

A great player.

He plays, you know, a gunslinging type of play.

So that's you know, that's how gunslingers think.

Just throw the ball and yeah, and just be really aggressive.

Zach Taylor pushed back on the term unslinger a little bit earlier today.

I mentioned that that to him, But I think Andre means it in the sense that he's confident, he's not afraid to let it rip.

You know, he's not just chucking it up there hoping guys will make plays.

Not gunslinger in that sense.

But guy carries himself like he knows he belongs.

And he does he and his teammates know he does.

He knows he does.

He knows that his teammates know.

I mean.

It's it's it's no surprise that Jake Browning can win football games in the National Football League.

He did it in high school, he did it in college at a very high level.

He performed at extremely high level to lead his football teams to successful seasons.

Jake Browning is just doing what he does and doing what he does best, and he's enjoying himself.

He's having fun.

I think that's a that's a big part of it.

Don't put undue pressure on yourself.

Don't make it bigger than it is.

It's football.

You know, you've done it your whole life.

It's not any different.

It's just performed at at a higher level in front of bigger crowds, on national television, tremendous media coverage.

I mean, it's not you know, you're You're not in Kansas anymore, you know, any But he can get it done.

He can play, and I think he's going to prove to a lot of people that he can play at a very very high level.

The only team in NFL history to have a perfect season was the nineteen seventy two Miami Dolphins.

Their starting quarterback Bob Greasy, broke his ankle in Week five, and veteran backup Earl Morale kept the team rolling until Greasy returned in the playoffs.

Now, I'm not saying the Bengals will go undefeated, but they have already proven they can win games with Jake Browning.

And as you're about to hear, my first guest on this edition of the pod agrees, when you tune in to the Bengals this week on CBS, you will hear the network's number one broadcast crew.

And it is always a treat for me to visit with one of the best who ever do it, the great Jim Nance.

Jim, I thought about introducing you with your signature greeting, but then I decided I would rather hear it in your voice.

Ah, thank you and hello friends.

Great to be on here with you.

Dan's become kind of a tradition unlike any other.

So I got two of them in there as I love it.

So, Jim, I think of you first and foremost as a great storyteller.

So let's look at the game this week.

What is the storyline in your mind with the Bengals trying to get to three and oh with Jake Browning at quarterback.

Well, I think when you look at it.

How will the national broadcast come on the air and headline it.

It's going to be the battle of the backup quarterbacks.

You know it's going to start there.

Pretty much have resigned myself on Sunday night to the fact we would not be seeing Joe.

I was hoping this was not a long term.

Injury, but I pretty much came to accept that he wouldn't be there for this game.

The JJ McCarthy injury, I didn't see that.

I watched the game.

I didn't know that he would be out.

So that's the headline on it.

But you know, you have a Cincinnati team that it hasn't been pretty, but it's two to zero and that's all that counts in this league as this team tries to find itself, especially now that Jay Browning takes over a quarterback.

But what a shame.

I just feel really badly for.

This organization, for the fan base that you got to go through this again.

But you know, I've done all the math on it as far as Joe's injury, and I figure, I figure he's going to miss twelve games.

That's what I've kind of come to the conclusion.

Twelve games, which means.

He could be back for weeks sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen if the reports are accurate, if this is a three month injury.

So if you take the twelve games and let's say the Bengals in those twelve games go don't shoot the messenger here, don't be mad at me now.

But if you went six and six, that would be eight and six with three games to go, and you got Joe back to lead you into the postseason.

Okay, this doable.

You can make something out of that.

You can actually go as you know, as far as this team will take you.

Let's say you go seven and five, Joe gets the job back.

Maybe when he's nine and five.

That's that's not bad, you know.

And if it goes crazy and this team goes eight and four, which is going to take a lot in that division and a schedule that you know, it's it's it's definitely got its trappings this schedule, we go eight and four, he comes back and takes over a ten and fourteen and could fight for the division.

So I think six and six is what you hope for the next twelve weeks, and then the Cincinnati team could still achieve all the goals that had set out to do when training camp open.

Jake Browning led them to a four and three record in twenty twenty three when he took over for Joe Burrow.

You called the next to last game of the regular season that year, Bengals at Chiefs.

Jake Browning had the Bengals win the lead in the fourth quarter before Kansas City came back and won that game.

So you and Tony are well aware of what Jake Browning is capable of doing.

I've been impressed every time I've seen him step in.

I really have.

Okay, I know he threw some untimely picks.

Picks are always untimely, by the way, but I know that last week, you know, he had some miscues, but he also had some very high marks and I'm impressed.

I'm really impressed at what he's been able to do.

And I think that experience from two years ago will serve this team well.

I don't think the situation is too big for him now.

And I'm not going to say it's business as usual, but this offense sputtered last week in Week one, we know that, and they started to open it up this past week.

We're back to seeing Jamar Chase be Jamar Chase team scored a touchdown.

You know, the next guy up that's kind of got to be more of a force is Chase Brown because I thought coming into the season he might be the most productive running back in the league, and I think he still can be.

Speaking of Jamar Chase, you've been behind the mic for several of his best games and most memorable moments.

There was the two hundred and sixty six yard game against Kansas City.

You've called more than five hundred NFL games for CBS.

Is Jamar on the short list of the best wide receivers you've seen.

I knew that in that game that you just alluded to.

That was his rookie year, And yeah, he put up two sixty six in the next to the last week of the regular season and the Bengals clinched the division at the end of that game and he had three touchdowns.

So now he has and he's still just a young kid.

So it is I mean, it is frightening what he could statistically rack up when it's all said and done.

Let's hope he goes through a career without any major injury setbacks.

But yeah, I would have him on that very short special list.

You got to remember, though you alluded to it, I've I've broadcast five hundred plus games now in my career.

I go back to Jerry Rice.

I had Jerry Rice games a lot of them early in my career, so that's the standard.

But who has followed suit that's been able to do jaw dropping things on a pretty steady basis and rack up Star Wars numbers almost every single week.

It's it's definitely Jamar Chase.

So it's gonna be interesting.

By the way, on Sunday, you got you got Jamar and you got Justin Jefferson.

You got the two old LSU teammates that are going to be on the field, and that's going to be fascinating to see.

He's also quite special.

As you know, Jimmy expected to see JJ McCarthy and his third NFL start.

Instead, it'll be the veteran Carson Wentz with his fifteen and five years.

What are the biggest the challenges the Vikings post for the Bengals this week.

Well, I think they're going to be a little bit of a of an angry team, given fact they laid an egg on Sunday night against Atlanta and couldn't couldn't find the end zone.

So there are a lot of people that thought that this team last year won fourteen games in the regular season.

And yes, their quarterback Sam Darnell went off in free agency and signed with Seattle, But I think a lot of people felt like the parts were in place for them to be a Super Bowl contender.

And they've already lost one home game, that was their home opener against the Falcons, and you know, they're ready to feast.

They're ready to make a statement back and try to, you know, get on the north side of five hundred and not come out of the box with two home losses.

I think they're going to be extremely fired up for this game, even though they don't have their starting quarterback.

CBS is celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the NFL today this Sunday, Retro Graphics Old Music Brent Musburger is going to make an appearance in the studio.

Is there anything in particular you are looking forward to you.

Are looking live.

I'm looking forward to hearing Brent say that, which, of course I grew up waiting for that to come on every single Sunday to hear Brent say that.

First off to say that Brent is He's such an icon and a hero to me.

It was such an honor to be in the studio that you know, Brent used to reside in.

And I got to sit in a chair when I first started my career, and on the back of the chair there was a piece of ta and it was written in sharpy it said Brent and my first show ever, which was forty years ago, this past Sunday.

I got to sit in his chair.

Now, that just alone was a thrill, and I look forward to the whole thing where don't be alarmed, folks that if you happen to tune in and see us and we're wearing some ties that look like they're really out of date and a few other bells and whistles, don't think we've lost our minds.

It's a company wide kind of tribute to fifty years of the NFL today, and I'm looking forward to it.

And the thing is is that you know, fifty years ago, you think about where these franchises were, how young Cincinnati was, and you know, already developing.

A great foundation with the likes of Ken Anderson.

You know, think about that Ken Riley, guys of Yesterdyear Isaac Curtis.

You think on the Minnesota side, fifty years ago, they had the Purple People leaders and they had Frank Tarkington at quarterback.

And of course we were an NFC network back in those days, so we had a study die.

By the way, I wasn't there yet, I was still ten years away, but we had a pretty steady diet of Minnesota on our broadcast.

CBS was there a lot.

And it's anyway I'm linking.

I like these retro things when people do them.

I think it's really cool.

And yeah, we're going to be there Sunday with period pieces, so to speak, and you'll you'll be able to hear the old you know, CBS anthem that we you know, we used to open up our Sundays with every every Sunday.

I can hear it in the back of my head.

I watched the TV series Stick on Apple TV.

Owen Wilson plays a washed up former pro golfer, and I was a pleasantly surprised to see you appear in a couple of episodes.

Was all of your stuff script did or did they give you some leeway to just do what you do on a Sunday calling the final round of a PGA event.

First off, it was a combination, so they give us the scenes and then you had to kind of simulate it.

You know.

We obviously we weren't there for the golf action that we were calling.

So it's the Hollywood world of make believe and it was a lot of fun and Owen Wilson was a blast to get to know.

Through this process.

The show ended up being the number one episodic streaming show I Believe of the year.

So it's been already picked up for a second season and you know, I'm looking forward.

We've already been told we're back, we got we got a recurring role.

Dan.

Final thing for you and I appreciate your time.

Owen Wilson went on Stephen Colbert's show.

Steven asked him what happens when we die and he said, I think you hear a voice and that voice sounds like jim NANTZ.

What do you think when Owen Wilson said that.

First off, I have a lot of people that got it very excited about the fact that Owen said that.

He said, Yeah, there's like a voice of God and it's almost like they welcome you in my voice, he said, and now on the first t welcome Owen Wilson.

And the place is the only he can say, and the place goes crazy.

You know, he has this ability to really express himself but never pitch his voice at a very high level.

It's kind of softly said, the place goes crazy.

I thought that was cool, honor unexpected.

Again, one of the many things that have happened in my life in forty years of living my childhood dream, right down to the very network that I work for, is exactly what I wanted to do.

And I'm grateful, grateful, grateful, and never take it for granted, never any sense of being entitled to have had this life and this opportunity.

But the things that have come with it fall well beyond just calling the games.

It's been amazing getting to know so many interesting people along the way to have done unimaginable things.

As a kid, you can play act and imagine in your head that one day maybe you're going to be sitting at a game or at the master's golf tournament.

You're going to be calling these events, and then you have when you get hired.

And I'm just a few years out of college, again, it was forty years ago.

I was thinking about it this weekend.

There's a little bit of an imposters syndrome that you go through for a few years, like, really.

What am I doing here?

Don't they know?

I'm only twenty six years old.

And I never had thought about the weight of it and the expectations and the feedback, the number of people that would see it and talk to you about It's less to be able to work with great people and then on a side to do things like with Owen Wilson, to have play golf with four US presidents, to have actually set it a table and had dinner with five US present, have had dinner with the Queen of England sitting right directly across from her at a small round table.

I mean, these are bizarre things that I'm saying.

I had a total.

Appreciation and gratitude, not name dropping, even though you could build a case for that too.

But it has been.

It has been amazing.

But at the core of it all, Dan, is the excitement for the process of putting a board.

Together, which I'm starting on right now.

For this week's game.

That was Cincinnati's offense, that is Minnesota's defense.

The process all week of reading, reading, reading, talking, talking, talking, getting prepared, and then executing the game broadcast.

It's not about being on TV.

It's not about any of that other stuff I mentioned that came with it.

About the joy of Hey, I get to be in Minneapolis this weekend and I get to see Cincinnati and Minnesota play a football game, and I get to tell the story.

So grateful heart, big time gratefulness.

I share that joy, and I'm grateful for my yearly opportunities to visit with you.

Thank you so much for your time.

Look forward to seeing in Minnesota.

Thank you.

Dan.

One last thing for the fan base.

I don't think things are going to change, but we're going to be right back with Cincinnati on week six up at Green Bay.

That'll be a national doubleheader game.

So let's get these Bengals going.

Let's get the Jake Browning three months.

He can handle these rains.

I gave you the game plan, you know, go six and six, seven and five.

We'll see where this team is and I'll be catching up with them in the postseason if that's the case.

The last two times the Bengals made it to the AFC Championship Game, Jim nance was behind the mic, and here's hoping he's doing it again.

On January twenty fifth of twenty six.

The last two times the Bengals played the Minnesota Vikings, they won both games in overtime by the same final score.

The first of those games was on Opening Day twenty twenty one.

It was Evan McPherson's NFL debut.

The Bengals field goal unit is lined up and ready to go at thirty three yard try to win the game for Evan McPherson, fifth round draft pick rookie out of Florida.

Clark Harris thirteenth year pro, will snap it back to Kevin Hubert, thirteenth year pro.

The snap, the put down, the swing of the leg, the kick on its ways good.

The Bengals win it.

On the final playoff overtime, Evan McPherson poisted it onto the shoulders of his teammates as Cincinnati pulls it out twenty seven to twenty four.

Then, two years ago, with Jake browninghad quarterback Money Mack did it again against the Vikings from twenty nine yards away.

Evan's off to a perfect start this year, but hasn't attempted any long field goals yet in a season where we've already had a sixty four yarder by the Cowboys Brandon Aubrey and a sixty yarder by Pittsburgh's Chris Boswell.

There's an explanation for that, and it has to do with the footballs.

That's one of the things I discussed with the Bengals twenty six year old.

Kicker this week.

Having the first couple of weeks of the NFL season, it's been kickers gone wild.

There have been seventeen field goals of fifty plus, ten field goals of fifty five plus.

In the kicking fraternity, what is considered a long field goal now.

I think we're getting to the point where I would consider like a fifty seven to fifty eight yard field goal probably long.

The way it's trending now, Once our team crosses the fifty, I feel like we're kind of expected to go out there and make the kick, and honestly think it's not a bad assumption.

I don't think it's a bad all.

I feel like once our team crosses fifty, I feel like, as an NFL kicker, you should have the ability to go out there and hit any kick that they throw.

You out there for and I think it's fun.

You know, I enjoy long kicks.

I haven't gotten to experience one this year.

I'm sure it's coming, but I always enjoy the longer kicks, you know.

I struggled a little bit last year, but just looking forward to getting back, you know, behind the forty yard line and just letting it eat.

The NFL record is sixty six yards by Justin Tucker.

Cam Little of Jacksonville made a seventy yard or in the preseason, but that doesn't count because it was a preseason game.

Will that regular season record fall this year.

I'd say there's a really good chance, especially with a new k ball rule.

And I'm not saying that we're doctor and the balls up to where they're just absolutely the juiciest things in the world, but I mean it does help, like practicing with your balls that you're gonna kick within the game and just make sure the leather's broken in and soft and kind of out of the quarterbacks and receivers get to practice for their football is kind of all week, and we're kind of getting do the same thing and making sure those things are prepped and ready for the game to give us the best opportunity to go out there and make every kick and you know, hit every punt ninety yards down the field.

And so I feel like it's helped a lot of teams out for sure, just getting just being able to break in the balls and practice with them and kind of make the ball softer and having them compress a little bit a little bit more.

I think you're going to see a lot more as we've already seen longer field goals.

And I think that the I think the NFL record has no chance of standing here, and if this year and the next couple of years, I think someone is definitely gonna break it pretty easily.

All right, let me follow up because I'm not sure everybody is aware of the rule change that the NFL made prior to this year.

In the past, you got the kicking ball, the k ball on game day and you had like an hour to prep it the way you wanted it, break it in, so to speak.

This year, you got sixty before training camp to prepare them to your liking and with them, do you notice a big difference.

Yeah, I definitely do.

It's impressive how much more the balls jump this year compared to the year's past.

And you know, it's really just based off use.

Obviously the years pass.

Like we like you say, we got the balls fresh out of the box.

They laid them on the table and I think the home team got the first pick at three, and then the away team got the the second three and then they had like forty five minutes to break them in and get them ready, and so it's like back, you know, last year, a couple of years ago, like the leather was just a lot firmer than it is this year.

We're you know, we're able to soften the leather, get it compressing a lot easier.

And I think that's what the NFL wants.

I think the NFL wants longer field goals made, and it's kind of like entertainment in a way, and I think people enjoy seeing that.

So I think it's a good rule change and I'm all in favor for it.

I bet you are.

We're visiting with Evan McPherson.

Do you prepare the ball yourself or do you have the equipment staff do that?

The equipment guys they do a really good job of doing it.

Obviously they've done it ever since they've been here, so they do a really good job, and then we just kind of look at them and if we think there needs to be any modifications from there.

They're good about getting it exactly the way.

We like it.

So they've done a really good job at that.

What's legal and what's illegal.

I probably need to study it a lot more on what is legal what's illegal, but I can say that we follow the rules.

I don't want to toe the line and have any Patriots football controversy.

You know, no deflate gate.

No deflate gate, So we're by the book.

But I definitely I don't know if there's like a actual like rule sheet.

All I know is the rests they like, okay, the balls before the game, so they have the ability to throw one out if they don't think it's up to standard, if they think it's been doctor a little too much.

So to my knowledge, you can do pretty much about anything you want.

Then it's just up to the rest to put in the game or not.

We're chatting with Devin McPherson.

You're off to a perfect start this year on field goals and pats both in the preseason and the regular season.

Five for five on field goals, fifteen for fifteen on pats and you've gone back to the approach you used as a rookie.

Correct, Yeah, no.

That's correct.

And I think the biggest shift I've made is mentally mentality going out there on the field and just going out there with the belief that, you know, I can do it.

And I think last year I struggled with the belief side of the kicking, in the middle side of kicking, and you know, I feel like a lot of people don't see that or understand, like the you know, NFL players, they could still get i don't know, distraught or lack of confidence kind of and like self confidence in themselves.

And I feel like that's kind of what.

I went through last year, is hoping that I was going to make the kick instead of knowing that I was going to make the kick in my head.

And so this year is my biggest change is just you know, self affirmation out there on the field at all times.

And while I'm walking out on the field, I'm focusing on my few key points and you know, I'm just telling myself, you know you got this, you know you're here for a reason.

And I have this mental vision that I kind of run through right before the kick and you know, I try to see the kick go in.

Before I've kicked in.

So that's something I've changed.

I feel like mentally is just going out through a lot more confidence this year, and.

I think it's it's worked for me so far, like.

In practicing games, and I'm just hoping to continue and hoping I don't forget about it.

Did a sports psychologist help or did you figure that on your own?

Yeah?

No, I talked to doctor Ganchert a little bit.

Obviously, he's he's here with the team, and he's definitely helped me navigate like certain thoughts that I had and turn them into the thoughts that I have now and just challenge me to turn those negative thoughts in my head to challenges and answering those challenges with like, you know, you got this, you're gonna make it, you're gonna crush it, stuff like that.

And when you have those negative thoughts, just turning them into positive reinforcement is the biggest thing.

So because those negative thoughts, they don't stay away, they always come come around whenever you don't need them.

So I've really been learning ways to just counteract them and use them to help me.

You missed the last five games last year with a groin injury.

What are you doing to prevent a reoccurrence?

Yeah, you know, I'm doing a lot more like pre impost kicking now, making sure that my body's completely warmed up ready to go, and if I do feel any tightness or anything like that, make sure I'm doing a lot extra.

But I'm trying to stay on top of it, stay ahead of it, and make sure my body feels the best.

Because when I'm realizing.

That, I'm not saying I'm old, but I'm not as young as I used to be, so it takes a little bit longer for my body to get going.

And so, like I said, pre post kicking, I got everything I do at my house before I go to bed, and just kind of all the body maintenance stuff that I wasn't doing originally.

I'm kind of adapting and adopting this year, and it's.

Been really good.

My body feels great going into week was a week three and then I guess week six with preseason and then training camp and all that.

You know, We've been kicking for a long time and my body feels really good.

So I'm just gonna keep doing it, you know, not get bored with the process because you can come in and do the same thing over and over every day.

It gets kind of boring.

So I'm just trying to make it up, make it interesting, and just have a little fun with it.

You're definitely not old.

So last week the team had the high of a thrilling victory, scoring the game winning touchdown with eighteen seconds to go, and then the crushing news later that Joe Burrow is likely to miss several months due to his toe injury.

How long does that disappointment linger?

I don't think very long.

I think as soon as Jake got in there, you know, I feel like there's a sense of, you know, we can still do this.

You know, I don't.

I think we got a really good team.

I don't think anybody should be counting us out or doubting us.

I think We've still got a lot of talent.

You know.

Jake's a really good quarterback.

He's I like say, he's really aggressive, which is good, and I really.

Enjoy watching him play.

And like twenty twenty three season was arguably I feel like my best season, and that was with Jake at the helm for the most part that year, and I feel like we finished the season strong with with Jake that season, and honestly have no doubt for the rest of season that he's.

Going to lead this team well for however long it is.

And I think all our expectations and our goals that we set at the beginning of the season, I think they're still definitely in sight.

I think this team still has a lot of confidence in each other, and we're just gonna go out there and kind of give it the best we we got and go from there.

Final thing, you face the Vikings this week.

You face them twice previously and you were the hero both times.

Overtime field goal in your NFL debut, another overtime game winning field goal in twenty twenty three with Jake Browning head quarterback.

Well that cycled through your head when you see those Vikings uniforms.

You definitely think about that.

Like every time we've played the Vikings, it's been a game winner, and I think, I mean, it could end up the same way three for three, or you know, I could see our offense kind of lighten it up and our defense is playing really well.

So you never really know, I don't know, you just kind of go out there and see.

But I do have a good track record against the Vikings, so hopefully we can keep it going.

I'll be ready to call another game winner.

Best of luck, appreciate your time.

Yeah, thank you.

In his career, Evan is twenty four for thirty five from fifty plus.

That's sixty nine percent with a career long of fifty nine yards.

The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corps, proud to be the Bengals Official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber future proof fiber Internet designed to elevator home, business and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health the best care for the best fans.

Kettering Health is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals.

Now time for this week's Know the Faux Segment.

The Minnesota Vikings went fourteen and three last year, losing twice to the Lions and once to the Rams.

They faced the Rams again in the playoffs and quarterback Sam Darnold struggled in a twenty seven to nine loss, so at the end of the year, the Vikings let Darnald walk as a free agent and handed the keys to the car to JJ McCarthy, the tenth pick in last year's draft who missed his rookie season with a knee injury.

Well, in his first two starts, McCarthy has had one great quarter where he threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, and seven lousy quarters where the Vikings as a team haven't scored a touchdown.

Now he's out with an ankle injury, and ten year VET Carson Wentz is taking over.

Wentz was not in NFL training camp this year before signing with Minnesota in late August.

Pete burs Itch is the Vikings radio analyst and discuss that and much more when he joined Dave Lapham and me on the Bengals Game Plan Show.

You look at how the Vikings offense has preceded the first two weeks of the season.

We haven't thrown the ball nearly as much as Kevin O'Connell likes to, and when we do throw it's a completely different type of Look the big question, Yeah, Carson Wentz.

Carson Wentz is going on this Sunday.

He will start for his fix different team in six seasons.

No other quarterback in the Common Era has done that.

So that's a record that he has.

So this is a shot at redemption, and you know, look you look at what Sam Darnold did a year ago.

You know, can can Carson Wentz do the same thing?

Now, Carson Wentz was with the Los Angeles Rams two seasons ago, so there's some similarity and carryover because that's where Kevin O'Connell got his you know, got his start as a coordinator and the verbiage and those things.

Hopefully there's some carry out.

He's only been here for about four weeks.

It'll be about four weeks once the game starts, but because of his strengths, which hopefully are still just the ability to read a defense very quickly, be accurate, and have the arm strength.

Now, he played one game last year against Kansas City was a week eighteen you know, doesn't matter type game where he started for the Kansas City Chiefs against the Denver Broncos.

I mean, he hasn't started consecutive games since twenty twenty two.

So you know, you can't you can't guarantee that he's going to look anything like he did a year ago or two years ago.

But if by by by by some means he does, you know, you don't you don't know.

I mean the Bengals could see a completely different offense than what they've seen the last couple of weeks.

I mean, just how long is Justin Jefferson going to be happy k catching four balls a week?

Right?

I mean, it's just this offense has changed so much to a comedy for JJ McCarthy.

And then with our offensive.

Line issues, we've given up nine sacks in two games, second most in the NFL.

I mean, there's a cavalcade of reasons as to why the Vikings are one and one right now, and Carson Wentz turned that around.

You know, we will see, but.

Who's starting to left tackle is going to be the biggest, biggest deal I think for the for the Sunday game.

Glad you brought that up, Pete.

I see that Christian Darisa was a full participant in practice today after not playing in the first two games, so it looks like he's trending in the right direction.

Unfortunately for Cincinnati, Ryan Kelly, who's from Cincinnati former Pro Bowl center, suffered at concussion.

He's had some concussions in the past, didn't practice today, So maybe that one's more of a question mark.

But tell us give us like a big picture on the offensive line.

They tried to fix the middle through free agency in the draft this year.

How do you feel about that offensive line going forward?

Yeah, I mean if we just need to keep the same five guys, yet they have consistency among the group.

Those guys, you know, you don't practice and you don't practice as much as you used to.

You definitely don't practice and pads as much.

As you used to.

So so those guys getting the field for playing together is going to take some time.

You know, Ryan Kelly, he's been a big physical part of the offense.

Michael Jergens comes in to replace him, a guy that we've had here for a couple of years.

Will Fry's doing a good job at a right guard.

Brian O'Neill a right tackle.

He's pretty stalwart, but we're looking at maybe a replacement center for this game.

Donovan Jackson, our left guard first run draft kite from Ohio State, had a really good evening against the Bears on Monday night.

I think he regressed a little bit on Sunday night against Atlanta and then left tackle.

Uh, we've been you know, darrisaw heard his their tour ligaments and his knee around weeks I think it was Week six or it was a Thursday night game Week six or seven last year, and he hasn't been back.

He's been he practicing training camp a little bit.

They just want to make sure that when he does come back, he can stay back.

And in the meantime, just In School was the guy who's been filling in for him, and then ultimately he got contested in the last game.

And then Walter Rouse.

Four year guy at Stanford went to one year at Oklahoma, ended up finishing the game.

So we were not We were on our third string left tackle by the end of the game against Atlanta.

You know, again, that group, the unique consistency they need to play together.

Hopefully will be Christian deisow back, that'll be a huge shot in the arm, but will probably be starting Michael Michael Jurgens at center.

Again, how's JJ McCarthy performed.

He does have some skill players, I mean, Justin Jefferson's as good as there is.

He does have skilled players to throw the football to.

Has he had enough time and I don't.

Obviously there have been times where he hasn't.

But overall, from a percentage standpoint, do you feel like the offensive line has done a decent job or has it been subpar.

No, I think they've done a decent job, especially in the running game.

Getting Jordan Mason in free agency.

He was just started the season last year at tailback for the San Francisco forty nine ers.

Aaron Jones has been good.

Aaron Jones right now as currently has a hamstring tweak, so you know, his status for Sunday is going to be very much up.

In the air, you know.

For JJ and for this offense, it's kind of it's kind of been like whack them all right.

Sometimes it's on JJ's JJ McCarthy's the young quarterback.

Sometimes when he gets the top of his drop, the protection's bad and he's getting hit right away.

It's it's like you can't put a finger on it.

I think that's the most frustrating part, you know, for fans in Minnesota.

Unfortunately, when things are good or when things are bad, the quarterback gets too much credit or too much blame.

But there's there's a lot of things that need to be fixed.

We haven't run more than.

I think forty six or forty seven plays.

In a game yet offensively, so we have not been able to, you know, stat good plays.

We scored twenty one points in the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears two through the year and then one with JJ McCarthy on the ground.

We haven't scored another in the other seven quarters that we've played.

We haven't scored another touchdown, only only four field goals.

So the consistency, the moving the chains, the stacking of good plays, ending drives of touchdowns, things that are kind of hallmarks for Kevin O'Connell offense, just we just haven't seen it yet.

And you know, to say one guy or one thing is the problem is probably a little premature.

It's like, you know, we've talked about the offensive.

Line, you know, young quarterback now we have a new call he's a veteran, but we have you know, a new one at Carson Wentz coming in this week.

So yeah, it's, uh, we don't we We've been going into we've gone two weeks now going into games and having no idea what we're going to get or what we're going to do.

This is going to be week number three of the same thing.

I mean, it's it's just we just don't know what this offense is going to look like because it's going to have to change due to injury, and you know, brand new quarterback with a different skill set, different set of experience, and different offensive line again and then you know, uh, maybe just one running back going into it.

So you know, every we both have our have our our beers to cry into.

Right, both teams.

Accurate, Both both teams are facing a lot of adversity, no question, but there's still gonna be a game Sunday.

You still got to find a way to win.

You know.

For some reason, we just are struggling with stopping the run a lot that has to do with being on the field and I average like another like twelve more minutes than the offense the last couple of games.

That wears down a defense.

Uh, so you know, we we have we have things to fix now.

You guys like to, you know, throw the football a lot, and we haven't faced a ton of of passing the last couple of weeks.

So Bira Murphy and Isaiah Rodgers holding up against your group.

I mean, you know, Jamar Chase T.

Higgins.

We might get Harrison Smith back.

That could be a shot arm for what we need in the back end of this defense.

But we're gonna be without play Cashman, and we really.

Need Andrew vandinkel back because he's he's definitely fits the system.

He was out last week with a concussion, so I think we were down five total starters going into the game last week, and hopefully we'll get a few of those guys back.

I think my last question has to do with defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

I believe he had the highest blitz percentage of any DC in the NFL last season.

Facing Jake Browning this week, what would you expect.

Flores has had the highest blitz percentage I think over the last three seasons.

And for Flores, it's it's about getting pressure on the quarterback and he'll blitz.

He'll blitz enough to get a certain level.

He wants a certain level and if you can't get it just playing base defense, then he's going to have to blitz.

Now.

The crazy thing with Jake Browning is you look at his game against Jacksonville.

I mean, he did better.

He's more explosive against the blitz than he was against the four man rush.

However, if you.

You know and and I just released a YouTube video on this.

However, if if you get pressure on him, that's when he makes his mistakes normally when he when he's rolling on and so however, whatever it is you have to do, and however it is, you have to get to him.

You got to make him feel the pressure.

If you blitz and and don't and and somehow don't get there, well you know, he can throw a fade on the outside and and you know, turn it into a forty seven yard t Higgins touchdown like you saw last week.

So you you have to be pretty prudent, I think with with him and say, yeah, well we're gonna we want to get pressure on him.

However, you can't just you know, pin your years back and give away or play the hand, or let him know before snaff what exactly he's gonna get, because you know, he knows, he knows what he's doing with the football, and he's got a great receiving corps.

So no matter what, you're just one pass, one explosive play away from putting up a touchdown.

So I think he'll be a little my overall, I think he'll be a little more prudent and maybe a little bit less aggressive against Jake Browning this week.

All right, thanks to Pete Bursi chand here's a quick invitation to join us for the Bengals pep Rally show this week.

We'll be at the on the Rhine Eatery on the second floor above the downtown Kroger on Friday from three to six and our special guest in the final hour of the show will be defensive lineman bj Hill.

If you can't make it, you can listen on ESPN fifteen thirty or by searching for ESPN fifteen thirty on the iHeartMedia app.

That's going to do it for this episode of the Bengals Booth Podcast, brought to you by pay Corps, proud to be the Bengals Official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber, future proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business and community to a new level, and by ken Tering Health the best care for the best Fans.

Cattering Health is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals.

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I'm Dan Horden.

Thanks for listening to The Bengals Booth Podcast.