Hi, get everybody.

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

The Bufffalo Soldier addition, as the Bengals and Bills go toe to toe in one of the most entertaining games of the year before Buffalo comes out on top thirty nine thirty four.

Coming up, radio replays, locker room comments and postgame analysis from Dave Lapham.

Then, in this week's Fun Facts Conversation, I discuss winning a Super Bowl, raising five kids, and the joys of dining alone with quarterback Joe Flacco.

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It's the greatest.

Thing since football in the Snow In Buffalo, The Buffalo Bills are moving into a new two point two billion dollars stadium next year, and despite Buffalo's notoriously bad weather, it will not include a roof.

It will feature a large canopy covering about two thirds of the seats designed to protect fans from the elements, but the Bills wanted to keep the field exposed to the weather, which fits the traditional Buffalo football experience.

The field has been covered with snow the last two times the Bengals have made the trip to Western New York, and honestly, while the temperature has been cold, the atmosphere has been really cool.

Now, let's get to the radio replays from a Sunday shootout that felt like a playoff game this afternoon on a snowy and cold day in Buffalo.

It is Joe and Josh Burrow and Alan As, two of the NFL's best quarterback square off in a game with high stakes for both teams.

It's the Bengals and Bills, and it is time for the pig skin to fly here at high Mark Stadium, play.

Number fourteen coming up.

More than half of the first quarter is gone and Cincinnati has it first in goal at the Buffalo five shotgun snap, Burrow hands it off, Chase Brown looked to bounce it wide.

Goodn't do it now, just fights toward the goal lines.

He's close.

No signal yet there it is touchdown Bengals as Chase Brown went low, kept the legs churning, and took it over the goal line for an opening touchdown.

I'll tell you what, Dan, that was an unbelievable drive.

Buffalo settles for a field goal attempt.

It'll be forty one year old Matt Prater again under slippery, snowy conditions, attempting a twenty six yard kick from the right hash.

The hold is good, the right footed kick on its way.

It is good, yep, and Buffalo scores, but settles for three after driving to the five yard live Chase Brown in the backfield.

On second and two, Burrow drops straight back to throw, looking firing for the end zone.

T Higgins reaches out, craps the ball.

Touchdown.

Bengals.

Burrow to Higgins a twenty one yard touchdown, and just as they did in the playoffs in January of twenty three, the Bengals scored touchdowns on their first two possessions.

And I cannot believe that Joe Burrow through that ball to T Higgins.

I did not think that it had a chance.

Alan in the gun on fourth and four.

He catches the shotgun snap, looking moving to his right, Alan being chased by bj Hill.

He throws and it's caught in the end zone by Shit kir As.

Josh Allen buys time and.

Throws a frozen rope to Khalil Shakir for the Buffalo touchdown.

Unbelievable.

I mean, Shakier was obviously looking for the football.

The Bengals had three defenders in the area and none of them.

We're looking for the football.

You're gonna turn and find the football.

Burro winning for a shotgun snap.

He catches, He's looking left, scans the field, pump fakes, looks right, scrambles right, throws toward the pylon, coming back to the ball, sliding for the catch.

Yes, Chase Brown, and they are going to give him the catch and say he was short of the goal line.

It's gonna be spotted inside the one.

The Bengals threw the red challenge flag and after looking at the replay, it has been changed to a Cincinnati touchdown.

Joe Burrow's second touchdown pass of the game.

Kincaid motions out to the right, Alan back to throw fires A pass caught by Kincaid got inside of Dj Turner and made the catch for the Buffalo touchdown and under center.

Cook is the running back back at the nine.

They hand it off to James Cook, a knifs forward.

The ball comes out run the Bengals every cupboard in the end zone.

Oh my goodness, James Cook spin up the pig and Oran Burks comes away with a football.

Jamar Chase out to the left.

Burrow, under pressure, moves forward throws into the end zone.

Taught by Mike Kasiki.

Touchdown Bengals.

A twelve yard touch pass by Joe Burrow and the Bengals go up by two scores in the fourth quarter and.

Mike Kasicki dons the gritty honored Jamar.

Chase 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 blitz and ran right by him.

They did, they did?

I mean it's like locate the quarterback find the football, don't just run off into space.

Two tight ends in the game for Cincinnati, Burrow screens it out to the right, picked off by Buffalo running it back Christian Benford being chased by Jamar Chase.

H's 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.

And Joe Burrow can't believe it.

He's going to the sideline shaking his head like I can't believe what I just saw.

Bengals can keep their hopes alive if they can get a stop on fourth down in goal from the three.

The Bills line up in an I formation.

The full back is Gilliam, the tailback is Cooked.

Alan is under center, knocks check that it was a different tight end Haws who went in motion.

Alan pump fakes, begins scrambling, throws caught.

It is caught by Hawes.

It's a touchdown.

It's a tight end, and it's a two score lead for the Buffalo Bills.

Higgins out to the right, Chase out to the left.

Burrow throws it deep t Higgins.

In the end zone.

One hand touch with the right hand, touchdown, Bengals twenty five yards.

T Higgins with his.

Second touchdown catch of the game.

The Bengals are not dead yet.

Alan touching his rib area.

That's a signal to the receiver out to the left.

Alan back to throw pump fakes, begins scrambling middle of the field.

He is close to the first down.

He's got it.

Then Buffalo is going to win the game.

Josh Allen on third and fifteen scrambles for a seventeen yard game and the Bengals could not stop the clock.

Yeah, there's no way the Bengals can do anything about it.

Now.

The Buffalo Bills are celebrating.

They're celebrating on the sideline and they're on the field.

The final score Buffalo thirty nine, Cincinnati thirty four.

The Bengals led for most of the game and had a ten point lead with less than eight minutes to go before three plays a little more than two minutes apart, swung the game in Buffalo's favor.

First a forty yard touchdown run by quarterback Josh Allen, then a sixty three yard pick six by Christian Benford that gave the Bills their first lead of the game with five point twenty five to go, followed immediately by a tipped pass interception by aj Epanessa that put Buffalo in the driver's seat for good.

Here are Joe Burrow and Zach Taylor.

Great plays by them.

Corner blitz and you know, trying to throw a hot reaction and the guy jumps up and catches it.

Great play.

Next one tipball lands in the run that guy's hands, So yeah, good plays by that.

Forty seven just made an outstanding point.

That's a big time point in this league.

He's playing with a lot of confidence.

You don't see a lot of guys be able to make that, and he did it.

Man credit him.

Burrow threw for two hundred and eighty four yards and four touchdowns with a passer rating of one oh six point seven.

Jamar Chase went over one thousand receiving yards for the year, becoming the fifth player in history to top one thousand in each of his first five seasons, a list that also includes AJ Green.

Mike Kasiki had his best game of the season with six sketches for eighty six yards and a touchdown.

And then there's t Higgins after missing the Thanksgiving night game while he recovered from a concussion, t came back with six catches for ninety two yards and two touchdowns despite several hard landings on the snow covered turf.

Tea discussed a tough loss in front of his locker after the game.

Yeah, man, it's very frustrating.

Obviously, nobody wants to lose, especially when he was up the whole game.

Uh, those last two turnovers, you know it cost us.

Can't have those, but you gotta get a fixed can be better next week.

The way you guys started touchdown drives on your first three possessions, did it feel like that playoff game all over again?

The way that you came out and really dominated early.

Yeah, man, it felt good.

You know, we just gotta keep putting the pressure on you know.

You know obviously I got you said to him, Uh, those two turnovers at the end cost us.

Uh, we can't have those and just keep putting pressure on them and you know, try to find a win.

Wasn't that case really where those turnovers were Bengals mistakes?

I mean, Christian Benford, that was a great play, right, Uh, God.

Made a hell of a play.

You know, so you know, I get gotta get pros.

Where whereas when it's due.

Uh, he made a hell of a play and made a good ball.

They good play on the ball, so you know, and then you know the second one, you know, got tipped.

You know, tips and overthrows.

You know, it's it's tough, so it's gotta be better.

How tough as a t when you see what the offense looks like when you have everybody and you guys who out to score thirty plus points, that it might be too late in the season to get to where you wanna go.

Uh, it's tough, you know.

You know, we definitely wanted this win today.

Uh, but didn't happen.

So we we know you came back from the concussion net to missing last week.

He took some hard falls, landing on the ground awkwardly.

How difficult was it for you to make it all the way through this game?

No, I'm a I'm a soldier, know what I mean?

So soldiers take hits.

You know, it happens.

It's football.

It's the name of the game.

Uh, you gotta get up next play mentality, was there a.

Thought, you know, given the history of you saying hey, you know, maybe wanna not playing this given what happened.

I mean, how much did you think about maybe sitting out the rest of the game.

Didn't think about that at all?

Why cause I'm a I'm a I'm a team first guy, you know what I mean?

Uh, my team need to me, you know, I feel like they did.

So I went out there and played and try to dog this out with my team.

I heard Jamar say to you before the game, Hey, the weather's not bad.

What was it like out there for you guys?

Snow cold?

To me, I don't like the snow.

Which Jabari trying to convince.

Do you think that it's not so bad?

Nah?

I just think the thing he was saying that because it was a little coda in Baltimore, So that's probably Well.

What one had a touchdown catch is that just team needs to play, gotta make it.

I mean, yeah, you know we knew when when when it was caught.

I knew somebody who was gonna have to make a play.

So whether it came to me or somebody else play, what had to be made.

So what's the toughest part about.

Losing this week?

We needed to win to you know, have better chances of you know, making it.

It makes it hard, you know what I mean.

We got to come back, you know, watch the film, correct what we did wrong, and just try to be better next week.

The loss dropped Cincinnati to four and nine, and since Pittsburgh beat Baltimore, the Bengals are three behind the Steelers and two behind the Ravens.

With four games to go, their playoff hopes are dangling by a thread.

Here again are Joe Burrow and Zach Taylor.

Yeah, obviously we're not where we want to be, as you know a team or organization.

Four and nine is not not good.

But we got four games to go and show high level execution, high level play, playmaking.

I'm gonna realize the opportunity to to go out and play play with these guys and continue to try to put on a show for for everybody watching.

I hope that, uh that comes across, and I hope that, uh.

I know, I'm going to continue to work hard to put myself in a good position to make plays.

Just keep picking each other up.

It was it was a hard off our game.

We had our moments, they had a couple more.

Still believe in these guys, and and again we're gonna have to.

I know we're up against the wall here with with whatever our opportunities are, but we got a big home game this week and the divisions, We've got to be able to pick ourselves up and find a way to go respond.

That's how the cookie crumbled this year.

You know.

Obviously I would have loved to have been out there more and and be able to make an impact, but that wasn't the case.

And you know, I found my found my butt off to to get back to the spot and to be able to be out there with everybody and for our organization in the city.

So that's what we're going to continue to do.

I take it very seriously.

I love what I do and I'm going to continue.

To do it.

Sunday's loss ended a streak of eight straight wins with Burroughs starting at quarterback, and unfortunately, it was another loss where scoring thirty three or more points was not enough for the Bengals to come away with a win.

The Bengals have had seven such losses over the last two years.

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.

Now time for the radio guys recap lap.

The tough thing for me is that I think of the last two weeks we've seen with Joe Burrow at quarterback, the Bengals can compete and beat anybody, And unfortunately, because of how they did while he was out, they're probably not going to get their chance in the postseason.

You're right, Dan, they put their backs up against the wall with inconsistent play.

I guess that's the kindest way to put it.

I just didn't finish well enough without Joe Burrow at the helm.

But as we've seen since his return, he is straw that serves the drink.

There is no question about that.

He lifts the entire boat.

I mean, Offensively, they play at a very high level.

Defensively, they have more confidence that they're going to be in every football game for the entire football game.

And then special teams, you know, wants to make their contributions and take some pressure off the offense and defense as well.

So yeah, I mean, he's a phenomenal player.

He's one of the best in the National Football League and at the quarterback position.

I really do think he's the best.

The game turned on the pick six by Christian Benford in the fourth quarter.

To me, that is a tip your cap to the other team play.

Joe tried to lob it over him, Benford jumped up, made a great catch, ran it to the house.

Unfortunately, sometimes good players on other teams make good plays.

Bingo, you're right there, and that sums it up.

I mean, Paul Brown, you know, I remember when I was a rookie, Paul Brown standing up and say, hey, those other guys get paid to play too, you know, and they're gonna make plays that will win football games for their for their football team.

And that was a that was a very very he made a he made a tremendous play.

You tip your cap to the guy and say, all right, well that didn't go well, Let's see if we can turn this thing around.

And uh, and certainly don't quit.

That's the one thing I think about this football team is is, uh, these guys just don't quit.

Then they haven't never say die attitude.

They they believe in each other.

They play for each other.

You know, they're very close.

There's a tremendous bond on this football team, players, coaches, coaches and players, players and coaches.

It's a it's a fun group to cover, for sure.

Tight Ends on the other team continue to kill the Bengals.

That's been the case this year, It's really seems to have been the case for several years.

They're giving up more yards and touchdowns to tight ends by far than any other team in the NFL?

Is that largely rookie linebackers not recognizing that quickly enough?

Is it is its scheme?

Is it safeties?

I mean what stands out in that regard to you?

Yeah, I mean you've hit it all, Dan, And I think it is kind of a mix of all of it.

You know, I do think rookie linebackers are that that's a factor because a lot of these tight ends have been around for a while and they know what they're doing, and they're very very clever the way they run routes, and coaches are very clever the way they utilize them in their offensive schematics.

So it is a challenge I mean, it's a it's a challenge.

You play high school and college football.

You don't see guys like this when you when you at that at that level of football.

So there is an adjustment period.

But they're gonna have to grow up fast.

Man.

There's only four games left for them to, you know, change this, and hopefully they can change it and be part of the reason that the team goes on a four game run and finishes eight to nine and still cross his fingers and toes and hopes they make a playoff opportunity.

I mean, if nothing else, with those two rookie linebackers, you want to reach the end of this season saying Okay, we're good at that position weekend devote draft capital and free agency to other positions on defense.

I'm not sure that we're there yet.

I agree, I agree, and uh, you know, I'm sure the young linebackers don't want to hear that, but it's reality, and they better.

They better realize that.

They better, you know, I realize that there's there's miles to go before they rest.

There's a lot of work to do, and they're capable.

They're good workers, they're intelligent guys.

I don't think it's too big for them.

I think that they've shown that they belong now they just have to take it to another level.

Big thumbs up to t Higgins today coming back from the concussion, he had a lot of hard collisions to the ground and collisions with Buffalo Bill's players, went into the blue medical tent at one point, just kept coming back for more two touchdown catches.

The last one, the one handed catch that kept the Bengals alive, was absolutely spectacular.

Te Higgins is a warrior.

He's a warrior.

Dan.

I took my cap to the guy.

I mean, he went out there and he fought.

He fought tooth and nail.

Man, he battled hard every single snap and most snaps when you're dinged up, I can tell you from experience, man, it's hard to go out there and and compete and perform at the highest level.

You know, your highest level isn't what it can't it should would be if you weren't dinged up.

So but there's a lot of pride.

You know, you don't want to spit the bit.

You want to play.

You're paid to play.

You paid a lot of money to play.

T Higgins falls into that category and He's very prideful of his football game.

I think he's an unquestioned one of the leaders of this football team.

You've got fifty years of Bengals experience under your belt between playing and broadcasting.

You've been following the NFL longer than that.

How much of a unicorn is Josh Allen he is?

That's a good term for him.

He's a different cat man.

I mean, six or four plus, maybe closer to six' five turndred and thirty five hundred and forty pounds can, run you.

KNOW i just think the thing that makes him so unique though he's.

A big specimen at the quarterback pos issue is one of the bigger ones that there ever has been in The National Football.

League but, man his FOOTBALL iq is so.

HIGH i, mean He's.

Menza he sees things before they.

Happen he prepares, hard loves the game of.

Football he's a he's a football.

Warriors he's everything you.

Want and The Buffalo, BILLS i know They're they're thrilled and happy to have nessa, sure.

And his size is helpful because the guy doesn't get hurt as often as he, runs as often as he gets, hit he hasn't missed the.

START i don't think since his rookie.

YEAR i agree with.

YOU i, mean durability is a is a big factor in how you're thought of and regarded as a football, player and his durability is.

UNQUESTIONED i, mean his teammates know they can count on.

Him he knows that they they they that they can that he can count on.

Them AND i think they're they're a good football.

Team they're they're gonna make some noise as the season closes out.

Here it's been several years since The bengals were in a position where they played games late in the season with no chance of making the.

Playoffs and they're not there.

Yet they still mathematically have a, chance but they could be eliminated.

Soon you were in those situations a few times in your.

Career how hard is that when you don't even have a puncher's chance of getting.

In miserable nothing.

WORSE i, mean you, know it's like you're you're working hard all week and your you, know your goal is to win the football.

Game but even if you win the football, game isn't going to be enough because now you have to, scoreboard watch and what are other teams?

Doing and you you back yourself into that.

Corner that's a tough dyamics.

Man it's it's hard to hard to crawl crawl out of, that out of that.

Situation you don't want to put yourself in that.

Situation BUT i.

DO i do think again that these, guys they're gonna play every, Snap they're not gonna say hell with, it you, know let's just close it up for next, Year let's just close up.

SHOP i don't think there's one guy in that locker room and feels that.

Way did this feel like a playoff?

Game do?

You you?

Know it was a lot of guys said.

THAT a lot of guys said, that you know, that the the way it, unfolded the, atmosphere the, crowd the.

Weather you, know they were, like it felt like a nationally televised playoff.

Game you, know it did to me a little bit.

TOO i thought it was a well played.

GAME i thought THE nfl is going to be proud of what the performance that everybody put on out in that football.

Field SO i DO i think it had some playoff playoff field to, it for.

SURE i definitely felt that.

Way it was a, thrilling exciting game with a disappointing.

Ending see if The bengals can go home and beat The ravens for the second time in three games next.

WEEK i like the sounds of.

That it might ring, hollow but beating The Baltimore ravens two times in three weeks that dog will hunt all day every.

Day The ravens will obviously be.

Desperate they've dropped too straight to follow a game Behind pittsburgh with four to, Go baltimore opens is a two and a half point favorite Next, sunday despite losing it home by eighteen to The bengals a week and a half.

Ago that's a wrap on The buffalo.

Game now for this week's Fun facts, conversation where we get to know a forty year old quarterback who is the oldest player In bengals.

History time for some fun facts With Joe flacco From, Audubon New, jersey which is basically a suburb Of.

Philly just cross The Delaware river and you're.

There you're from a big.

Family how big and what did your folks do for a?

Living i'm the oldest of, six got four brothers and a.

Sister my mom stayed at home and, was you, know responsible for raising us and the people we are and basically running the entire.

Family and then my dad had his own mortgage business with a couple.

Guys i'm one of, five SO i can identify with what your mom did for the.

Family you're six.

Six where did you get your?

Height i'm not.

Sure we joke, around you, know old fashioned the.

Milkman you.

Know my mom's, like you, know like five, six maybe she's five.

Seven my dad's maybe five or, Eleven so not quite sure where it comes.

From did you have to work hard at being good at sports or did it pretty much come.

NATURALLY i think you always.

HAD i think when you have an interest in sports from an early, age you just naturally work hard at.

It it's just what you like to.

Do so it's tough to.

SAY i feel Like i've always been good at.

IT i feel like it came.

Naturally but at the same, Time i've always been interested in, it so it was something THAT i was always, doing always.

Developing so, yeah it's tough to probably.

Say, honestly you started your college football career At Pitt you read shirted your first, year and then you were a backup your second.

Year is that what you expected or were you disappointed that you didn't get a faster.

OPPORTUNITY i don't know exactly WHAT i.

EXPECTED i probably expected to go in and start as as quickly AS i.

Can at some, POINT i was hoping to get an.

OPPORTUNITY i THINK i was not, okay but okay with my second year of being WHERE i.

Was but by that third, YEAR i really WANTED i really wanted to be playing football and it wasn't looking like that was going to.

Happen and that's kind of what led to go to to go To.

Delaware why did you Choose?

Delaware, well, REALLY i mean there was no portal back in the, day AND i got, recruited but, LIKE i wasn't like a huge, recruit so it was tough to really find out if anybody wanted.

Me and you know, what my it wasn't LIKE i really had very many options or a decision to.

Make But delaware was a team that recruited me a little bit out of high school as a smaller school that probably understood THAT i wasn't going to go.

There But Casey keeler was known for kind of getting some, transfers and my high school coach my senior year played for.

Him played For casey At.

ROWAN i don't know if it Was rowing then Or Glassborough state In South, jersey so there was a little bit of a connection, there AND i kind of found out that they were interested in having me and ended up like late, summer you, know deciding to go there really because at that point it was the only, option you, know but they did have a rich tradition in, football and you, know the state Of delaware cares a lot about The Blue, hens so it was a cool place to.

Go you had a lot of success.

There you took the team to The National Championship game and caught the eyes obviously OF nfl.

Scouts you went to The Senior, bowl you went to the scouting.

Combine when did you realize that you were just as good as the quarterbacks from the bigger.

SCHOOLS i think there's times where your confidence can kind of, like you, know maybe you start to question things a little.

Bit BUT i THINK i had a good kind OF.

I don't.

KNOW i THINK i had a good foundation to kind of still believe in.

Myself SO i remember transferring Thinking, okay maybe you're not going to, be you, know a high draft, pick but still BELIEVING i had the ability to go to the next level and just having to get out there and prove that and see where that took.

ME i never looked at it as, like, Oh i'm as good as these, guys Or i'm.

As good as that.

GUY i just always believed in myself and BELIEVE i had the ability to do.

It and LIKE i, said WHEN i transferred down a, LEVEL i fel LIKE i felt like it'd probably be a different path than MAYBE i.

Imagined and then.

After my junior, year like the second half of my junior, YEAR i think we really started to hit a.

Stride you, know we didn't really have a great record that, year but we really did to kind of start to find an identity and figure out who we were.

As a football.

Team AND i think we kind of rode that into my senior year and had a really good year and a lot of really good players in that, team AND i was able to capitalize on.

IT i think by the end of my junior, year the fact THAT i was kind of like getting hit hit up by some agents and, STUFF i knew there'd be some.

Interest and then by the you, know by the end of my senior, YEAR i was feeling pretty GOOD i was going to be picked.

Somewhere you still don't.

KNOW i MEAN i was a small school, kid and you DON'T i didn't KNOW i was going to be picked WHERE i, was even on even the day it.

Happened BUT i do count myself fortunate just for ending ending up At delaware the TIME i ended up, there because playing quarterback is so much about the guys around, you AND i happened to BE i happened to get there when we had a really good running, back some really good wide, receivers a really good offense of, line and that really helped.

Me you wound up being the eighteenth pick in the draft By, baltimore the second quarterback selected your.

Year what was it like to get that phone call From Ozzie?

Newsom getting that call was.

SURREAL i, mean sitting there with your family and something that you've kind of envisioned since you can, remember and probably wasn't as really AS i think it.

Was but from the TIME i can, remember you, KNOW i wanted to be a professional.

Athlete you, know probably started with baseball and went to football and baseball and ended up at.

Football so to get that call is obviously very.

Special it's something you can probably take for granted at certain times just because it seemed, LIKE i don't, know it's at different times you kind of feel like it's going to happen at some.

Point but looking, back it's one of those things that it's always going to be really special because it's something that you envisioned doing from the time you were said when eight years.

Old so back, then quarterbacks drafted in the first round didn't typically start right, away but you.

Did what were the circumstances that made you a starter in week?

One, yeah you're.

Right it wasn't like as it was still a thing to kind of go in and wait a little.

Bit it was actually there was a lot of conversation about.

It what should you?

Do you, know, now it's pretty much understood that you kind of want to get the guys out there right or.

Wrong but the plan for me definitely was not to go out there right.

AWAY i, MEAN i did want to be out.

THERE i felt LIKE i had the capability of dealing with a little bit of failure, mentally AND i felt like the experience would, outweigh you, know the negatives of having to deal with some of that.

Failure but that was not necessarily the.

PLAN i was there With Kyle bowler And Troy, smith and it really ended up being a crazy training.

Camp, KYLE i, believe ended up pairing something in his labroom and his should during one of the, practices and Then Troy smith ended up getting an, illness which kind of sidelined them FOR i don't even.

KNOW i don't even remember how long it might have.

Been two, months so what like going into the third preseason, GAME i really wasn't supposed to play at.

All they were going, to like at the beginning of the, week those two were going to share that, game like probably play half and.

Half in the morning of the.

Game was kind of when we were starting to find out About troy's illness a little bit in the morning of the.

Game they told me, Like, joe you're the only guy we got, Today like you're playing the entire.

GAME i remember going back on that room and you, know your hearts pound and you're a little bit, nervous and you're, like, okay, MAN i got to make Sure I'm i'm on top of all, this and you, know the rest is kind of is what it.

IS i went out there and played that whole game Against Saint Louis rams and we came, back you, know a handful of days later In baltimore and played The Atlanta falcons in our fourth preseason.

GAME i THINK i played like three series in.

It we brought the next guy, in and you, know a week and a half LATER i was lining up In Baltimore Cincinnati.

Bengals so you joined a team with veteran superstars with big personalities Ray, Lewis, Terrell, suggs Ed.

Reid was it?

Intimidating, YEAH i think so to a certain extent for.

Sure, anytime especially when you HAVE i think anytime you have guys like that that have done what had, done what they had already, done and we're going and you knew they were going to continue to do and they were on the other side of the, BALL i think that can be.

INTIMIDATING i do think that's one of my, strengths is kind of not worrying about that and and and not, flinching even though maybe INSIDE i am a little.

BIT i think it was important when you when you when you get around personalities like, that to show that you can kind of stand tall and handle you, know the pressure of dealing with those types of, guys and when they try to put it on you in, practice you, know even though you're not necessarily gonna have success all the, time not.

Blink AND i think that, definitely you, KNOW i think that served me well and going into place like, that because those guys can be very.

Intimidating.

Obviously you, know anytime you're, around anytime you're a young kid trying trying to come in and prove yourself and you're around the best to ever do, it you, know you can get, intimidated or you can kind of just look at them and look at them as your peer and your, equal your, teammate and learn from them as much as you.

Can we're visiting With Joe.

Flacco you took The ravens to the playoffs each of your first four.

Years you want a playoff game every, year and then in year five you Led baltimore to the Super bowl.

Title there are thirty five quarterbacks who have led their team to A Super bowl.

Title WHEN i express it in those, terms what does that say to?

You you, know it's one of those times where you, don't as a, PLAYER i don't think you do sit back and reflect enough on how special it is to get to do what we.

DO i don't think you you, KNOW i don't And i'm not somebody that does it.

EITHER i don't think we sit back and look at what we just did or what we've done over the last five.

Years and the OLDER i, GET i think it's kind of important to do, that because when you don't do, that no matter what you do for a, living it turned it can turn into a job to you know at, times AND i think when you hit me with stuff like, that and when you're able to sit around some family members and friends and tell stories and kind of have those little moments where you do remind yourself of how lucky you, are it puts things back in perspective and allows you to enjoy it a lot.

MORE i think when you don't do those, things WHICH i don't naturally like think about those, things UNLESS i am telling, stories WHICH i like to, do.

It's it's pretty damn.

COOL i, mean you have to go back and put yourself in the shoes of when you were a young kid slash teenager and you were hoping to be in this position one, day and you, know when you hear things like that from other, people you do turn back into that kid and you can put it in that kind of view and that perspective and really enjoy.

It after eleven years In, baltimore you've bounced around, since with six teams over the last seven.

YEARS i, suppose on one, hand it's nice to be a guy that plays for one team his entire.

Career on the other, hand you've made so many friends and seeing how different teams do.

It has that been enjoyable in a certain, way for?

Sure, yeah it's a good way to put, it you.

KNOW i think ultimately it would have been great to play twenty years in one, spot you, know and call it a.

Day but that's not my.

Life this is my, life and you got to look at the positives in.

It AND i do think there are a lot of positives in going from team to team and meeting different coaches and seeing how different coaches do, it and meeting different, players and seeing different locker, rooms and just enjoying different, cities you, know getting to see different parts of the country and actually live there for a little bit of.

TIME i think.

BECAUSE i have played a good amount and am a little bit older, NOW i can enjoy those.

THINGS i think if you were to tell me, that if you were to tell me there was gonna be positive in.

That WHEN i was twenty, THREE i probably wouldn't have believed you and wouldn't have wanted to do.

That but there have been.

Positives, yeah, LISTEN i wish the last seven, years you, know with all those, POSITIVES i do wish the last seven years were probably a little bit different than.

That but definitely a lot of cool things about doing What i've gotten to do the last few.

Years when a team picks up a player late in the season who hasn't been with another, team the expression that broadcasters and writers uses they's picked up off the.

Couch In november of twenty, three when you joined The browns and hadn't been with another team for months leading up to, that what had you been?

Doing were you going to the local high school field and working.

Out it's funny how many people like you know that is a saying, like you, know, yeah they signed them off the.

Couch but it's funny when you go out and some people are, like what do they mean they signed you off the.

Couch i'm, like, dude it's just saying, like it's not.

LITERAL i, mean it's kind of, literal but not.

Really.

YEAH i, listen working out is a big part of just my life in general these.

Days Because i've been doing it for so, long you end up you start to enjoy.

It and coming into the, league that wasn't.

Me you, KNOW i grew up playing.

SPORTS i went from football to basketball to, baseball and then redid it all in the, summer and you, know kind of went through that.

Cycle so like being in the weight room and working, OUT i JUST i grew up working out on the, field like that was WHERE i learned how to do.

Everything so it wasn't until a few years into THE nfl WHERE i really started doing getting getting into like taking care of my body and doing that kind of.

Thing and now Because i've done it for so, long it's become such a big part of my life that that part was natural to.

Do and then in terms of throwing the, football it wasn't super concerned with like throwing the, football BUT i did want to keep my arm in.

Shape so it was usually twice a WEEK i would my dad and me and my dad and my youngest brother would go out to a you, know a local field AND i would just put them in spots and my brother would throw a little, bit and he would catch a little, bit and my dad would catch some, balls and you, know nothing, crazy but keeping the arm in shape and making sure that IF i did get a call THAT i would you, KNOW i wouldn't embarrass myself And i'd be able to go in there and pick up a football and start and start pretty you, know throwing the ball pretty.

Good so kudos to your dad and your brother for helping.

Out you've got five.

Kids they were too young or not born when you won The Super, bowl so earlier this year when you beat The steelers On thursday, night when you threw for four seventy against The.

Bears now your kids are old enough to watch it and appreciate.

It is that the best part about still playing at Forty.

It's definitely a cool part of, it it really.

Is and they just want, more you, know you do one, game they want, more they want.

More you.

Know it's VERY i think a couple of years, AGO i think in twenty three WHEN i got signed and went To, cleveland and that was like the first real time that they actually, cared you.

Know in twenty.

Nineteen, yeah like by the TIME i Left, baltimore like they had they were you, know six years.

OLD i THINK i was six or something like.

That like you'd think they'd be old enough to kind of get it a little, bit but they, don't not until they're nine to ten, eleven you.

Know and twenty three was the first time where like even THOUGH i signed, late like WHEN i signed, THERE i was the guy AND i got to go win and play some good.

Games that was the first real time that they understood what was going on and got to be a part of.

It and THAT'S i think that was the cool.

Part is you always enjoy sharing these things with and having the people that you really love and care about be a part of it with.

You and when it's your, kids that's just a whole other level of like love and care that you have for.

Somebody and it definitely did make it pretty.

SPECIAL i think it was special for, them but you, know like, whatever they're, kids they're gonna you, know it was definitely special for me BECAUSE i, think just LIKE i, said the more people that you care about that you get to bring in on this thing and enjoy it with it just makes it that much.

Sweeter if it was just me hanging out, there and, yeah it would have been fun with my teammates and all, That but then you go home to an empty house and you kind of, okay it's.

Over when you have people to enjoy it, with that mean a lot to.

You it definitely means something.

Else so that was my first taste of.

It and, yeah it was pretty.

Cool if you wild card topics to wrap this up With Joe.

Flacco you've had hundreds of teammates in THE.

Nfl who are you closest?

To Uh, So Dennis pitt is probably like the guy That i'm closest.

To just reached out To Marshall yanda and Called Marshall yanda like two weeks ago just to kind of see what he was doing back on his farm In.

Iowa But dennis is the guy THAT i you know that you, know we'll fly To california, too and he'll come out To jersey once an off season and and things like.

That you went viral several weeks ago for discussing the joys of going to a restaurant.

Alone how did your wife take?

That she, laughed just like everybody.

Else, yeah She you, know we're so past that point where it's.

Like what are you?

Doing you're doing this And i'm doing.

That you, know we've gone through those stages where you may want to feel a certain way about what the other person's.

Doing you, know we're so past, that, thankfully AND i AND i think she's at the point, too like she wants to see me have success and she's she's she's partaking in that.

SUCCESS i, mean she's a huge part of.

That so.

You, know if people are getting a good laugh out of buy interviews or anything like, THAT i think she's kind of enjoying it for the most part.

Too final fun, fact this one's kind of.

Deep if you could meet anyone in, history living or, deceased who would that person?

Be, Wow i'm never good at these.

QUESTIONS i don't know IF i have anybody.

Specific you, know we were just talking about all the unknowns that are in this, world and, man what would you like answers?

To and you, know what would it be cool if you knew the answers.

TO i, mean, Shoot i'd love to go back to when those pyramids are built and then talk to somebody from that, time you, know and see what was the deal with.

That but it's hard for me to pick out somebody.

Specific i'll cut Your, brake because you've answered every other question beautifully and it's been a real treat to see you play and to see you lead this.

Team thanks so, Much, JOE i appreciate.

It thank.

You 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 Kettering health the best care for the best.

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