I get everybody.

I'm Dan Hord and thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast.

The Starting Over Again audition as Joe Burrow returns to the practice field and the Bengals return from their bye week to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Coming up, Former UC and Carolina Panthers quarterback Tony Pike joins me to discuss the return of Joe Burrow, the incredible play of Joe Flacco, and how to fix the Bengals defense.

Speaking of defense, I'll go one on one with Miles Murphy, who is getting an ample opportunity to show what he can do.

And in this week's Know the Faux segment, we'll hear from the voice of the Steelers, Rob King.

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It's the greatest thing since The Illusionists Table.

This past weekend, I had a rare double buy in the football season, as the Bengals and Bearcats had the weekend off.

My wife and I took advantage of it.

My birthday was in early October, and as a present, my wife got us tickets to something called The Illusionists Table.

It's a show that started in New York City before going on the road.

We saw it during a one week run in Tampa.

Here's the concept.

Twenty four to twenty eight people gather around an elegant candlelit table for a gourmet meal with wine pairings and whiskey tastings, and during the feast, a magician slash mentalist named Scott Sylvan performs for the group.

Now, I don't want to spoil any of the illusions, but let's just say that my wife and I are still debating how in God's name did he do that.

If you would like a taste of the magic, not the meal, go to YouTube and type in Scott Sylvan.

That last name is spelled SI l V E N.

There are several fun clips of him doing the impossible.

When the Bengals return to practice this week, Joe Burrow did something that blew our minds.

He returned to practice on a limited basis less than two months after injuring his toe.

Here's left tackle Orlando Brown Junior on Burrow's return.

Really good to see.

You know how far he's come in his recovery and rehab.

Man.

You know, everybody knows how much of a competitor he is, how much he loves it.

But yeah, man, it's good to se him.

Mother.

It's been fifty seven days, I mean, not very long for him to be out there running around throwing the football.

I guess that speaks to his quick healing abilities.

Yeah, he's like wolverine man.

I mean, this is the guy that not only does he love football, he's gonna figure out a way to get healthy.

You know, he's been able to rehab and come back from a lot of different injuries and crazy freak stuff.

But he was made for man, and you know, it's unfortunate what happened to him earlier this year in Jacksonville, But I mean I wouldn't be surprised he come back even stronger.

Burrow says the returning from this injury wasn't as difficult as coming back from his knee and wrist injuries, and that it doesn't affect his ability to throw the ball.

I'm not too concerned about the actual mechanics of the throwing that feels good.

The toe, the specifically the front toe isn't very involved in that.

It's just the planting and I'm strong enough and we feel good about doing that.

At this point.

It's just the running, cutting, twitchy shortstops that we're gonna have to see you over these next couple of weeks.

The Bengals have three weeks to decide whether to activate Joe or shut him down for the rest of this season.

I asked Burrow if he's determined to play again this year and if the Bengals one loss record will matter, You'll.

See how these next couple of weeks ago.

You know, there's a lot that goes into it.

Like you said, there's a lot of variables that you have to consider, and we're just gonna see how these next couple of weeks ago, see what it feels.

We have twenty one days to figure that out.

Could be early, could be late in that window.

Uh, we're still we're still pretty early post surgery for this injury.

So we have a couple weeks of practice to figure that out and see where it goes.

After two weeks of practice, the Bengals next game would be on Thanksgiving night in Baltimore, and Joe grinned when he was asked if his goal is to return for that game.

That remains to be seen, but seeing him back on the practice field was a great sign that the toe injury should not post problems going forward.

For more on Burrow, Joe Flacco, and the rest of the team, I spoke to a former NFL quarterback this week, Tony Pike, the University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and the host of Since He three to sixty every weekday from noon to three on ESPN fifteen thirty in Cincinnati.

Tony, what was your reaction on Monday when Joe Burrow took the practice field fifty seven days after tearing ligaments at the base of his left toe.

Shock.

All the work it takes to get yourself back in a position not only physically but mentally able to get back out there and play is incredible.

I unfortunately had my share of injuries, and I thought the mental side was harder than the physical side to get back, because once you have one major injury, you know how much it takes to get back in it.

And when I heard that, you know, you think maybe there's a chance at the end of the year for a game or two he comes back to not only see him Okay, he's going to give it a go, but he's got the cleats on, he's throwing the ball, he's moving around to hear the reports about, you know, the personal challenge he took it as to want to to shatter what the thoughts were about how quick you can get back from an injury like that.

I have so much respect as the player that Joe Burrow is, but I have so much respect for what it takes mentally to go through this process.

You're alone for so much of it, and to battle through and to come out and just be here and want to be there for your teammates, I think is awesome.

Let me follow up on your injuries and your junior and senior years that you see, you broke bones in your left forearm.

You came back really quickly with plates and screws in your arm, but a lot was at stake.

Cincinnati was playing for the Big East championship.

In both of those seasons.

Should Joe Burrows come back be tied to Bengals wins and losses?

There's an argument to be made for it, But the competitor and the athlete says, no, you want to get back out there with your guys.

You know that that's the driving force behind of it.

Yes, you want to win a championship, you want to win a title, but you want to be there for the guys that that you've been there throughout everything with and and and that have sacrificed a lot to be in that position.

That's what I think drives Joe Burrow.

I think it's it's an understanding of where this team is at and where they want to go, but also how important it is for him to be out there with this team.

And and you know you asked the question to Joe earlier in the week, Dan of you know, the ongoing the the medal or the the procedure that it takes just to get the equipment right inside that that's it's so true, Like you're you're going back and forth, does this work?

Does this work?

How does this feel, what is this like?

Can you play with this?

It's such a process and you know to to have him back out that that was the ultimate goal for for any competitor, for me, for Joe Burrow, for anybody else.

How quick can I get back out there and be with the team.

You're not thinking about yourself, You're not thinking about your body at the time.

You're not really thinking about the win loss record.

It's I need to get back out there with my guys.

There wasn't a ton of video of him practicing on Monday, but I imagine you studied what was out there frame by frame.

Did anything stand out in terms of the throwing motion or the way he was moving around?

No, just the smoothness at which he was moving There wasn't you know you think I originally thought when we heard the news that he's gonna be out there in jim shoes going through some stuff.

He's got the cleats on, he's got the helmet, He's ready to go.

It's interesting to me because it's the left foot, and just from a quarterback mechanic point of view, the right leg and the right foot is really your driving force.

That's how you're you're generating power on all your throws.

So one, I think it's a good thing that it is the left if there was a better toe for this to happen on because he's not driving with that toe, He's just kind of planting and aiming with toe.

What I do think is interesting and we haven't got to see yet.

There's been so much made about Joe Flacco and going under center and how this offense operates.

That to me is I think the biggest challenge is getting a snap, whether it's under center, in the shotgun and now as a right handed quarterback, I'm rotating and now to get back in my drop now it's opposite, I'm pushing off with my left.

That's where I think it can be difficult.

Is that push off, whether it's away from center or whether it's getting a shotgun snap and taking a three step drop.

I don't think anything in the throw or the motion is going to be the issue.

It's just how how can he manage that in pushing away from the line of scrimmage.

We're visiting the former UC in Carolina Panthers quarterback Tony Pike.

Let's talk about Joe Flacco, what he's done in his first four games with minimal practice time.

Seems impossible to me as a former quarterback.

What's impressed you most.

The composure, the ability to pick up a new system.

You could talk all you want about Well, he's been in the league so long, he's seen it all.

That's fine, and it's true.

It's a completely different set of herbage.

It's a completely different routree.

It's different concepts.

Now.

Yes, in your mind, you hear something and you pair it with something you've done in the past, but that doesn't mean you get to call it whatever you call it in the past.

You still got to learn a whole new playbook.

I love how simple he's kept things.

You know, it's sometimes in life, sometimes in sports, we overcomplicate a lot of things.

And he's the first one to tell you, I know number one and I know number five are really good players, and I'm gonna throw it to them as much as possible.

And at times it sounds funny, but that's what he's done.

You know, he's fit into this system so well because he's played for so long.

Like I thought, one of the coolest things was after one of his first games where he's talking to the media and he's talking about conversations he's had with his family and friends, and I'm just thinking to like a dude, like a guy Joe Flacco, ordinary guy gets done playing in the NFL on Sunday and he's talking to his family like, you guys aren't gonna believe these guys that I get to throw the ball too.

Like there's a genuine excitement, and he understands the greatness that's around him on the offensive side of the ball, So him getting incorporated into that.

I think he's tried to keep it as simple as possible, and I think there's value to that in football, because the quicker you play, the more confident that you play, the.

Better chances success you have.

He's not overthinking things, he's not holding onto the ball, and then you're starting to see everything kind of mess together.

The run game now gets better, the old line gets better.

I mean, there was a point in the last game Mitchell Tinsley had a big catch.

Yoshi was huge, Noah Fan.

I mean he's now he's spreading the ball out because now he knows he's got oposing defenses kind of in the palm of his hands, because you can't guard everyone on this offense.

I think he's been fantastic.

Let me follow up on the offensive line.

Flacco has been sacked less than twice a game in his four starts.

The running game is averaging five and a half yards per carry in those four games.

Is it time to start giving some love to the often beligned offensive line.

Yes, they deserve it at this point.

I think Dylan Fairchild has been awesome as a rookie to come in and be tasked with what he's been tasked with.

A Marius Mimes.

You know everyone saw year number one.

There's a lot of times in year number two you have that sophomore slump.

I think he's getting better each in every game.

Jalen Rivers another a rookie, a draft pick for this team that's been relied on many different times.

Ted Carris is solid up the middle.

I think it's also important to recognize they have a new offensive line coach and Scott Peters.

You know that just doesn't happen overnight.

You got a rookie from a last year, Marius Mims, you got two new rookies this year.

They've done stuff their way their whole careers.

Now that's changing, and it changed for Orlando Brown junior, and it changed for Ted Carris and everybody else.

That just takes time.

When you're trying to fit new pieces together, it takes time.

I certainly think Joe Flacco has helped with the ability to go under center because it does slow down a pass rush.

When there is that fifty to fifty chance that the ball is going to be handed off or the ball is going to be thrown, I think that slows things down.

I think it puts more on a plate of a defense of what they have to be asked to do instead of just getting that free start when the quarterback is predominantly in the shotgun.

But it's easy in today's day and age, you know, if you're not winning every game you play, and to just find stuff to harp on.

On the negative side, but the offensive line over the last couple of weeks has been making very very good improvements.

Donny, let's turn to the defense.

Where does fixing the defense begin?

In terms of position group.

You know, the defensive line has to do a better job of getting home.

And that's hard because Trey Hendrickson is banged up, Shamar Stewart has been banged up.

That's hard for a rookie the linebackers.

You're asking two rookie linebackers to read at the highest level.

When you think of like Princeton, Harvard Ivy schools, I mean, that's what offense is in the end, and you're asking rookie linebackers to diagnose what they're seeing on the field without really a veteran now around them to say, hey, are you seeing this?

Like it's two it's two rookies, so they're going through growing pains as well.

I think DJ Turner has been one of the best corners in the NFL all year.

But it's just it's the tackling as a whole.

We could talk about scheme, you could talk about playmaking.

The fact that you see so many players on the list of mistackles.

Yes, you want to tackle better, but it also tells me there's a lot of players that are in position to make the tackle.

So I don't know that it's much of a scheme.

Thing is, hey, guys are in the right spot.

It's just about finishing.

And now you get a chance during the bye week to really self scout, to look at what you're doing, to look at tendencies that you've shown, or is there a way for a linebacker that you can fill in that gap a half second quicker and then make the tackle instead of being put more on an island.

I think self scout, and I think just the basics.

They're in position, bring down the ball carrier, and you got a chance to get off the field and get the ball back.

To a really good offense.

There aren't many glaring weaknesses on offense, especially if you believe in the rookie guards and the key players are under contract.

So having said that, if the Bengals devote most of their resources draft picks, free agency, etc.

Toward fixing the defense, how much better can it get in a year?

If you look at the jump from twenty twenty to twenty twenty one, it can get a lot better.

You know, this team is going to have money to spend, They're going to have resources, and you know who you are on offense, and that's the biggest thing.

It's one thing to say, well, we got to attack all these different positions and his oh line still a question.

Right now?

You feel great about the offense, you know, going back to the second half of the Green Bay game, I've felt great about the offense since then.

What they did against Pittsburgh, the game against the Jets.

The Bears offensively, they're there.

Number nine is going to be the quarterback in the future.

Number one is going to be here, is gonna be here.

And Chase Brown, who got to take in a nice UC basketball game against the Dayton Flyers.

Chase Brown's gonna be here.

And there are offensive coordinators and offenses around the NFL that would line up around the block.

They have a chance to have those playmakers as the root of their team.

As long as they're there, this team has a chance to win a Super Bowl.

The defense doesn't have to be a top ten defense.

Can you get them to the top fifteen or twenty in the NFL?

And if so, I think you're talking about a team that's right back in contention.

The Bengals beat the Steelers thirty three to thirty one a bottom month ago.

What are the biggest keys to beating Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh the second time around?

You know a Mike Tomlin coach team coming off a loss is going to come out swinging early.

It's a Steelers team that has been up and down.

They beat one of the best teams in the AFC.

The Indianapolis Colts and then just essentially no showed against the Chargers on Sunday Night football.

You're gonna get a focused team.

You're gonna a team that's understanding with what's going on in the AFC North that they have to put their best foot forward.

Aaron Rodgers was not good on Sunday Night.

I would expect him to be much better.

But that first go around with the Bengals, they re lied on those heavy sets, they were lied on the run game, they were lied on play action with the tight ends, and then they'll take their shots to DK Metcalf.

But it's not a game that I foresee Pittsburgh beating themselves.

It's a game you've got to go.

You've got to be fundamentally sound.

I would expect that first go round.

I was shocked in the second half that Pittsburgh did not play more zone defense.

I know it's their strength.

I know they want to be man to man.

I know they want to be physical.

They've moved Jalen Ramsey to safety, which I think is significant in how they want to operate on defense.

It's still a good defensive line.

Jack Sawyer is one of the best grated rookies out there.

TJ.

Watt is still a member, Cam Heyward.

You can't let those guys start to feel comfortable.

You can't let them start to feel okay, here we go.

Keep them off balance, keep pushing the ball.

I like the tempo at which the Bengals are playing with offensively and defensively.

I know it's cliche.

Tackle in space, and I think make Aaron Rodgers uncomfortable.

All right.

He's over forty years old.

He's not moving as well as he once was.

He had way too much time in the pocket that first go around to identify where he wanted to attack.

Make life a little bit harder on Aaron Rodgers.

Get some pressure up the middle, get some pressure around his feet, and I think you got a great chance to pick up what would be a huge win with the Borough News looming, to get this season right back on track for the Bengals, no.

Doubt about it.

Tony.

Keep up the great work on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Thanks so much for your time, always always, thank you, Dan.

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 elevate your 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.

It doesn't look like the Bengals will have Trey hendrickson this week due to a hip injury, and Shamar Stewart's status is up in the air as well due to a knee injury.

So it's going to be up to guys like Joseph Osai and Miles Murphy to put pressure on Aaron Rodgers.

This is Murphy's third NFL season after being the twenty eighth overall pick in the twenty twenty three draft, and the Bengals remain hopeful that he can turn his potential into production.

I spoke to Miles about that this week.

Miles, you've led the Bengals defensive linemen in snaps each of the last two games.

You were too off the lead in the game before that.

Is this the opportunity that you've been looking for?

I mean yeah, I feel like as a player you always look for any opportunity you can get, really anytime you're on the field, regardless of the snap count.

You want to take advantage of each and every snap, whether there's one or seventy, you want to take advantage of each and every one of them, and in the film to put your best feet for it.

Really, do you feel like all of these snaps are paying off?

And if so?

How?

Uh?

Yeah?

I think I think experience is the best teacher, regardless of who your coach is.

Like, if you're on the field, you're you're gonna learn something.

Coaches help, So the coaches help you progress faster, but experience, I feel is the best teacher.

Might say his dudes that are just year ten, year twelve that I've talked to, and it's just things that they've learned just by playing the game and being on the field, like just small small stuff to give you a little bit of an edge on a handful of plays.

So yeah, I think experience is the best teacher.

And I'm learning.

I'm learning a lot just being just being on the field, anticipating, anticipating runs and passes a little bit better going against elite tackles and developing my pass rush and run moves.

Whatever.

So yeah, I think I'm learning, learning and developing a lot just being on the field.

You were one of the young dis guys in your draft class.

You're still only twenty three.

Do you feel like you're still relatively early in the learning process?

Uh?

Yeah.

That was one of coach Taylor's uh main points coming off of last season.

I'm stilling my the things the infancy of my career.

So it's it's it's okay to continue to get better.

It's rome wasn't built in the day, regardless of what anyone else says.

And here I know I've gotten a lot better since my rookie year.

And the biggest thing because that is just being able to being able to anticipate, being able to anticipate plays, knowing knowing how to watch film, sitting sending the film with h JM or Jerry, just having him walk me through things to look for, how to watch film, what to what to study, how to dissect players, how to dissect backfield formations, being it, Yeah, just doing things like that and and and anticipating plays, being able to just play fast.

He's a hard knows, no nonsense coach.

I'm speaking of Jerry Montgomery.

Has that gelled well with you?

Uh yeah?

By to say any coach that believes in you.

But you got to take advantage of it.

Because I said, Jail, he's a very knowledgeable coach.

I think, what thirty years in the business.

So but see he's he knows, he knows what he's doing.

Like I said it, experience is the best teacher.

And you do something for thirty years, you're you're doing something right.

So by I said, I'm putting all my trust in him right now and really just taking the coach and taking the teaching and really just applying it to my game right now.

But also at your position, fairly or unfairly.

One stat often determines how guys are judged, and that is sacks.

What do you think you need to do to get more?

You've got one and a half so far this year.

Man emphasis, defensive emphasis.

To stop the run.

You can't you're not gonna be able to rust the pass or if you're not stopping the runs, that's the that's the first thing right there where we've just moved, just moved.

Really just move us one to get him in those second and longs and third downs.

Just get him off schedule so we can animates de passer give more opportunities to rust the passer.

That's that's the that's the main thing right there.

That's the start.

So in your in your view, obvious passing situations down in distance is the real key to being able to increase that sack total, just to.

Be able to create more opportunities for yourself.

We stopped.

You saw them on first second down, and you put them in those cing alongs, second alongs.

That's you know, that's that's what creates those opportunities or more opportunities.

That's just a.

Visiting with Biles Murphy.

You've been teammates with one of the better sack artists in the NFL now for three years and Trey Hendrickson are the things that you pick up from him?

Or is it easier said than done to just say, I play with Trey Hendrickson, therefore I'm going to be able to pick up tricks in the trade from him.

Nah, you can't just be here.

You can't just show up and say, Okay, I'm gonna evolve into trade now.

You got to really tap in, like you can ask him.

I've I've since I've gotten here, I've been asking him questions and it's not all just football stuff.

How do you throw your swipe is like what are you doing when you go home or something like that, like how do you recover so?

And like one of the things.

I'm a pretty good observer.

I've observed a lot of things and people.

He is, He and him and Sam Hubbard when he was here, we're very anal about their schedule, still are and it's like I can I can show up to the I can show up to the facility, and I can expect Trey to be in certain spots and he's always in certain spots because he is on top of his schedule.

And I've I tried to do the same thing.

I tried to create a schedule and be on it every single day, especially when it comes to recovery, because that's the that's the biggest thing.

I didn't really I kind of just did what I was recommended in college.

Now since it's so much just free time, you can do whatever you want me to go home, I had to just create a schedule, stick to it, create a diet, stick to it, and really on it on film and just use use my use my free time.

Wisely, Really, you are a smart cerebro guy.

I enjoy talking to you.

I wonder as a past rusher if that works against you, are there times where you find yourself thinking and maybe you'd be better off just going Yeah.

Early on in my career I admitted that I think my rookie year and a little bit last year where I was just thinking overthinking myself of second guests and on some rushes whether I should go inside or outside or just power us through the guy.

But I think now I've kind of develop a mindset of pick one and go commit to it.

That's that's the big thing.

That's a big thing.

Even Tray said, you got to just commit to a rush.

You can't if you go into a rush.

He says it all the time.

You go.

If you go into a rust thinking about a counter, thinking about a if this doesn't work, go to this, You're probably not gonna win.

So it just really just commit to that one rush that for all you thinking about or setting up.

So that's a big, big teaching point that I kind of took into this year.

This defense is filled with guys that had tremendous college careers, played on great college teams, and unfortunately, in recent weeks, the Bengals defense has struggled.

How hard is it when I'm sure, you feel like you've let the offense down, and to a certain extent.

It's a tough phone, a swallow for sure.

But like you said, us coming from winning programs, successful successful team, successful defenses, like we all know, we all know what it looks like, we all know what it feels like.

Although yes, sure was at the college level.

Some of the guys that were here during that Super Bowl year, BJ Trey and some of the other guys, like, they know what it looks like on this level.

So those are the leaders that are stepping up and really just us taking what we knew from college, what worked in college, bringing it here kind of just adding onto, adding on to the things that the Vets did that Super Bowl year, and just taking coaching and retaining it and continuing to step forward.

That's the main thing.

We can't can't step back, can't let the confidence kind of just wither away.

Like we know, yeah, it's a it's a little bit of a value right now, but that doesn't mean just the season's over.

So you got to just keep keep stepping forward.

Honestly, it's a.

Big game this week.

You take the Steelers.

If you can beat them, you'd be three and oh in the division, you'd be two and oh.

Against them, they would drop back to five hundred.

What did you learn in the first meeting about a month ago when you beat them by two?

Very very physical team like it.

I mean for every year we play toss a year, tho will be my sixth time playing them.

Every single time.

It's a physical game.

That's just AFC football is always physical, especially going against them.

We got to be physical on all three levels, whether it's oline d lin linebackers and running backs or DB's and receivers.

We have to be physical.

Put our hands on them, stop them early, make them go lateral'.

That's the That's the main thing that's my mindset going into this game.

Sounds good to me.

Appreciate your time.

Best of luck this week, Thanks so.

Much, appreciate it.

Miles Murphy and his defensive teammates will be looking to shut down a Pittsburgh offense that's been so so this year with forty one year old Aaron Rodgers head quarterback.

Pittsburgh is twenty ninth and yards per game and was held to ten points last week in a Sunday night loss to the Chargers.

The Steelers are still in first place, in the AFC Norths with a five and four record, one game ahead of the Ravens and two games ahead of the Bengals, but Pittsburgh has lost three out of its last four, beginning with that Thursday night loss in Cincinnati about a month ago.

The voice of the Steelers, Rob King, joined Dave Lapham and me on the Bengals Game Plan Show this week and discussed what's gone wrong after starting the season four and one.

You know, there were times in the Bengals game early on, and there were times in the Packers game the following game for the Steelers when they were up sixteen to seven at the half, when I thought that the Steelers might blow the opponent out.

There was early on in that game I thought, Man, they've got the Bengals on the ropes.

You know, a knockout blow, you know, could be delivered here.

Perhaps kind of an odd thing to say now that you know that.

They put up thirty three points in that game, But it was the same way with the Packers, and then they just really so I don't know what to make of it day and they really played a poor game in La no doubt about it.

That was the worst game they played all year without any questions.

You know, there were moments in the Bengals game or I thought they were going to win in their moments.

You know, they were leading the Packers game going into the fourth quarter, and it just disintegrated in the fourth quarter.

So they got to find a way to possess the ball for longer, and I think and give their defense a rest.

And I think that's got to be the formula they try to follow against the Bengals.

Run the ball, control the clock.

They ran the ball well against the Bengals first game, didn't control the clock and ultimately didn't control the outcome.

What about the defensive side of the football.

I can vouch for how difficult that is to play against the Pittsburgh Steelers because I did it for ten years playing with the Cincinnati Bengals.

And what about this year's edition of the Pittsburgh Steelers defense football team?

TERRYL.

Austin is a highly acclaimed defensive coordinator.

Are they playing well for him?

They have, and there's been moments where they haven't.

I mean, clearly last week against the Chargers, they didn't look great.

Fourth quarter, actually the second half against the Packers, they didn't look great.

They didn't look great against Cincinnati.

I really think, Dave, I really think more and more that the biggest issue is that the Steelers are they just have too many three and outs on defense.

It has become much much harder to be the kind of dominating defense the Steelers were in the seventies.

The NFL is constantly trying to change rules to favor the offense.

Now we're seeing more running, you know, more effective running games over the last couple of years.

Prior to that, it seemed like it had become a passing lead regardless.

You know, I think the NFL wants scoring, they want action.

They legislate for that.

Teams are built to score points.

The Bengals are built to score points.

You're not going to hold a lot of teams down if you're out there again and again and again.

And the Steelers they just, you know, they didn't.

They were zero for nine on third down until they picked up one late in the game when the game was already out of hand.

You can't have that.

You can't go oh for nine on third down.

You can't go three and out, three and out, three and out, three and out, as the Steelers did at the end of last year.

Remember they were ten and three last year.

They won that great shootout in Cincinnati, an exciting game, and then they just started going three and out, and they've been going three and out a lot lately, and it's just it's very difficult.

You're obviously giving the ball back to the other team, you're not scoring points, You're asking a lot of your defense.

I thought last week against the Chargers, the defense played pretty well for the most part.

They really did.

I mean, you look up and you see twenty five points.

I just think they began to run out of gas as the as the game progressed.

I think the Steelers, and that's why I started talking about the running game with Dan.

They need to possess the football.

They need get first downs, they need to maintain drives, and they need to have that defense out less when I think, I think when the defense is out less, the defense will be much much better as it was for the four game stretch prior to the loss in Cincinnati.

Rob King, the voice of the Steelers, is our guest.

Looking at the injury report today, Darius Slay, one of their starting corners, dealing with the concussion.

Alex high Smith has a pictorial injury.

He didn't practice today.

What are the biggest injury concerns in your mind going into the game and is there anybody that might be coming back that we're not aware of.

Well, I think the biggest one is isad Ciamalo, who didn't play last week.

And this Jids had the same starting line combination for the first eight games of the season.

They didn't have it in San Diego and Mike tom Win assessed the guys who backed up, and that's Pete Anders, Pete the veteran that left guard, and also Spencer Anderson.

But they really want he regarded them as a butt.

He called him above the line.

They're performance is what they really want to do though, is Simalo is an excellent player in his own right, made a Pro Bowl.

But last year, I believe and you know, they want to be able to use the jumbo package with Spencer Anderson, and so they brought the run that sixth offensive lineman out there along with Darnett Washington, who forget what he's listed at.

I think he's listened to sixty five.

Believe me when I tell you, when he steps on a scale, the first number that's gonna pop up is a three.

Believe he is a large, large man, so they you know, I think Samalo coming back will be the biggest thing for them.

Now again, if you're out there defending all game long.

Cole Holcomb has been a fine piece at linebacker.

If you're out there defending as they did in the first game, I think they lost the time in possession by eight and a half minutes.

If you're out there that long.

Again, Yeah, the loss of Cole Holcomb, possibly Darius Slay, those are going to hurt the team.

They did sign a Sante Samuel to the practice squad.

He was, as you know, a very well regarded free agent, but then he needed, you know, a fusion surgery on his neck.

He's been cleared to play, clear to return, so I don't know whether he'll be activated or whether he needs to get into football shape.

He's a possible guy Dan that could be coming back for him, But I think the biggest guy is Ciamalow.

But of course, any kind of you know, if you're playing thirty five minutes on defense, any any good solid players for you that either are good depth pieces or starters who aren't available, that would be a big ball.

Usually these games come down to line of scrimmage.

You know who who is who is controlling and handling the temple of the game, the flow of the game.

Who's who's capturing and controlling the line of scrimmage.

You mentioned Ciamalo already, you know, questionable as a player in this football game.

How has the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive and defensive lines played as of late.

Are they doing a pretty good job of getting after it and controlling the line of scrimmage or they have an issues?

I think in particular day, the right side of the offensive line has been singled out for praise and Seeamalo.

I think Roderick Jones was viewed as a guy that was playing pretty well but gave up a couple of sacks against San Diego and that's a good That's a very san Diego La La Chargers.

Yeah, that is a very good pass rushing charger.

They have a lot of really good edge guys.

The Steelers the first time around did an outstanding job against Trey Hendrickson.

Trey Henderson single handedly wrecked the game at at Akrasher Stadium last year.

We have three sacks in that game.

Yep, he's a dominant, dominant Fource, so the fact that they kept him off the board was a positive.

I think that we saw in the last game Keanu Benton had a sack.

He already has four and a half.

When they've got Benton out there, Hayward obviously, you guys know plenty about Cam Hayward and Derek Harmon, the rookie first rounder.

I think that defensive line has been quite good for the Steelers, and I think it's it's an arrow pointing upward kind of group.

I mean, Cam Hayward continues to defy father time.

But those two young guys, Benton now in his third year and Harmon in his first year, have solidified the defensive line that was really an issue last year.

Now having said that, they cannot allow Chase Brown to run wild, and I know that, you know the last game, Chase Brown was held in check and he wasn't the only reason that they're scoring a bunch of points with Cincinnati.

But you guys know, if the offense can dictate to you what they want to do, if you can't take something away, you know, it's hard enough to try to take Higgins or Chase away.

You got your hands full there.

But now if the Bengals are running the ball.

Two, you got big problems and we saw that on a Thursday night when the Steelers came in there.

They'd done a great job stopping to run in the previous three games prior to that.

And then Chase Brown, you know, runs for one hundred and ten yards or thereabouts against you and and you know that was a huge factor to me.

So the student, I think the lines have they've largely been solid, and I think they will need to be solid with Hendrickson and company.

And they've got to find a way to get more pressure on Joe Flacco as well.

You probably won't have to deal with Trey Hendrickson.

I think he's doubtful to play this week, So that will be a news that will be well received in the offensive line room.

Will be yes, that will be huge.

And then you know, again with you guys right, you know a SI, I've always thought he's a good player.

And then you're waiting, you know, our Miles, Murphy and Stuart ready to make a name for themselves because they'll have opportunities.

It sounds like all.

Right, thanks to Rob King, And here's a quick invitation to join Lapp and me for the Bengals pep Rally show this week will be at the on the Rhine eatery the Food Haul on the second floor above the downtown Kroger on Friday from two thirty to five thirty.

That's a half hour earlier than usual and our special guest in the final hour will be Kicker Evan McPherson.

That's going to do it for this episode of the Bengals Booth Podcast, brought to you by pay Core, 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 Kettering Health the best care for the best fans.

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