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Three full hours coming your way.

Forty five fourteen the final numbers.

Yesterday Bengals defeat the Dolphins.

Next up the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Plenty of ground to cover between now and nine o'clock.

So let's get to it.

Lance McAllister, Dave Lapham and Dave.

Last week, at this time we were discussing a shutout loss that eliminated the Bengals.

We were wondering how they would respond.

This week, there were storylines around Zach and Joe, and there was going to be a big weather difference, and you add it all up and I give to you.

Probably if you looked in the dictionary under complimentary football, it would probably say see yesterday's game in Miami.

No question about at Lance.

I mean that that sums it up right there.

Your your comments are right on point.

They did.

They went down and they took care of business against the Miami Dolphins.

There's no question about that.

And you know one all three phases did their job.

As Paul Brown used to say, do your job.

You know, you don't have to do anything more.

You don't do anything less, and please don't do anything less.

Just do what you're supposed to do, how you're supposed to do it.

Be where you're supposed to be when you're supposed to be there, all those good things.

It was complimentary football at his finest, as you mentioned, and you know, really the star, the guy who basically led the troops led to pack Joe Burrow completed seventy three percent of his passes.

That's Kenny Anderson.

Like I mean, that is pinpoint accuracy, three hundred and nine yards passing, four touchdowns, no interceptions, quarterback rating a one forty six point five.

I mean, amongst the best of his career.

And then he had he utilized multiple weapons.

That was the other thing.

I mean, they attacked the Miami Dolphins every way they could be attacked and Jamar Chase at eleven targets, nine catches, hundred and nine yards.

T Higgins targeted three times fifty three yards three catches.

He averaged over seventeen yards seventeen point seven per reception.

Kasiki got in the mix.

He threw the football to one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, Ten different receivers caught a pass of his of his thirty or twenty five completions to ten different receivers.

That's that's spraying the ball around, man.

That's that's attacking every quadrant of the football field.

That's seeing the field.

An offensive line gave him time to see the field.

And when you give Joe Burrow time to survey the field, he'll pick your part.

And he picked the Dolphins apart.

And defensively to create It's one to create turnovers, but back to the complimentary point of turnovers into points.

They get a fumble, they turn into a touchdown, interception into a touchdown, they get a fourth down stop, they turn it into a touchdown, they get another interception, turn it into a touchdown.

That's all you could ask for.

I mean, that's perfection right there.

On offensive defense helping each other out.

Yeah, in the defense.

Those four turnovers you're talking about all the current the third quarter, you know, I mean, Miami runs three plays game, six yards funnels of football, Bengals score touchdown.

Miami goes three plays and they don't gain a yard, interception, score a touchdown, and then six plays twenty eight yards they gain big, big drive there.

They average over four yards of play and lose the ball on downs fourth down, stop, one play, throw an interception, game no yards.

Obviously, I mean that that defensive third quarter historic.

I'm not sure any team in the NFL has ever done that.

The opposition gets four drives, they've turned it over four times, and you score twenty four points out of that bad boy crazy.

And last week we're talking about the Bengals getting into Ravens territory not being able to score yesterday after the ninety one yeard touchdown drive.

They have TD drives of fifty six, thirty four, thirty five, fifty three, fifty two.

Talking about making it easier on your.

Offense, Absolutely, those turnovers gave the Bengals offense short fields, you know, and the Bengals offense capitalized.

I mean again, it's like one you know, one phase fit one one unit supporting the other.

The defense says, here's the takeaway.

The offense says, fine, thank you, appreciate it very much.

Touchdown.

And you know, they kept doing that, they kept supporting each other.

Early on in Bengals scored their first drive, and then Miami scores and their first their first two drives, and the Bengals score field goal on their second drive fourteen to ten.

And it's it's kind of a you know, seesaw game back and forth in the first half.

Well played game, good game.

Then in the third quarter, man all hell broke loose, positively for the Bengals, negatively for the Dolphins.

Boy, and we talked going in about their fine running back eight Chan, who makes a lot of people miss and had racked up yards, and he made a couple of Bengals miss on a run early, the forty eight yard touchdown run.

But if you take that out, yeah, if my butler math is right, if you take that one playout the rest of the defense.

He ran twenty six times and they allowed just eighty one yards when it was all said and done, minus that big run.

Yeah, I mean the Dolphins came in running the football well, I mean their running attack was the thing they were hanging their hat on.

And twenty eight carries as a football team for one hundred and twenty nine yards four point six carry.

The Bengals ground game was decent.

I'm not going to say it was stellar.

It wasn't Hall of Fame material or anything, but twenty six carries on the day one hundred and five yards average four per carry, Chase brown Man five and a half few yards per carry, and as long as Carrie was was was twelve yards.

He had sixty six yards wrestling, so he consistently hammered it in there and got yards after contact, yards after initial contact, and he held onto the football he'd had.

He's a complete back.

Talked to him in the locker room after the game and mentioned that, you know, there aren't many of those in the National Football League, and he's very prideful of the fact that he's one of them.

He runs it effectively, inefficiently, he can catch the football, and he's got really good soft hands.

He runs excellent routes and man blitz pick up.

He sticks his nose right in the chest and picks the linebacker safeties up and gives Joe Burrow time.

All right, let's get reaction after the game.

Here's Dave with the coach, Zach Taylor.

I'm proud.

I'm not surprised by a response.

I'm proud of the response because you know, to be in this situation we're in right now, come down here to vacation weather.

For everything feels good.

I've coached here.

I've seen a lot of teams fall flat coming out and for our guys respond and play complete game in all three phases, especially the way they controlled the second half.

Defense came out and got four turnovers to start the second half.

Offense scored four touchdowns to start the second half.

Special teams was unbelievable with field position, everyboney's out there playing loose, having fun making plays.

It was really really good to see.

I don't think i've ever seen a third quarter like your team put together today.

I mean, three takeaways, stop on four down, you score three touchdowns, kick a field goal.

I mean that's total dominance.

That was a butt kicking, and that's a pretty damn good football team.

The Miami Dolphins, they're pretty solid.

They are.

They've got good talent, they've got a great coaching staff.

They've had a tough season, like we have, you know, but we knew this was going to be a battle coming in.

We have a ton of.

Respect for him, and I was I was probably with the responsor guys had.

Talk about coaching staffs, let's talk about yours.

You know, you obviously called a great game.

Dan Pitcher put together a good game plan.

Al Golden put together a great game plan.

Defensively, Darren simm has been doing it for a long time.

Special teams like you mentioned, played at a real high level, dominated field position, just overall totally dominant performance, one unit complimenting the other.

They were absolutely, you know, so proud of this coaching staff for sticking in there and keep coaching these guys up and getting the most out of them.

Appreciate the players for how they've responded.

They've taken the coaching, They've given great effort.

We expect none the less form our guys.

But still you can look around in a lot of these situations and you don't get all that.

So again, just just prout of the way our guys responded and handle business today.

I think that's the thing I'm gonna remember about this football team.

The most played twelve years altogether.

I know what It's like when the worm's not going your way, the worm doesn't turn your way, and you lose close football games and you're given hillacious effort and so doing.

These guys never quit though, never even thought about quitting.

I mean, it's not even in their vocabulary.

How proud are you?

How proud are you of that?

It's just a credit to the men we have in the locker room.

They're gonna handle their business, They're gonna play for the guy next to them.

And so again, I didn't expect anything less, but it's always great to see.

Coach has always appreciated big win and two more go three and old to close the season out that dogget hunt Ster.

We'll start with the next one.

We'll focus on the next one and then go from there, one at a time.

I love it, Thanks Coach, appreciate you.

Zach summon up forty five fourteen, your final score yesterday, still ahead.

We'll hear from Chase Brown and Miles Murphy and Mike Is, Sicky T.

Higgins, Barrett Carter and Moore.

We are up and running, man, do we have a lot to get to tonight on Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLWA.

The Bengals line on this half.

Of the Bengals Radio network at seven hundred WLWE Malanger hanging out with Dave Blavel as we do each Monday night.

Joe Burrow yesterday twenty five of thirty two through the air, three hundred and nine yards passing, force touchdowns, no interceptions, quarterback rating of holy cow.

Look at those.

Numbers, one forty six point five.

Here's Joe with Dave after the game.

How do you feel like you played today?

Yeah?

I thought I played pretty well.

You know, I just took what was there, and our as are making plays down the field with the ball.

In their hands.

You know, I got greedy once or twice, But I thought, for the most part, is a pretty clean game.

Unbelievable day twenty five of thirty two.

I think that's a seventy three percent completion percentage or something thereabouts.

Three hundred and nine yards passing, four touchdowns, no interceptions.

That's a that's a hell of a hell of a stat line.

What did you see out there?

What were the Miami Dolphins trying to do?

Well?

They played a little single high early and t got him out of it.

He had two big plays early on.

That's kind of set the tone for the rest of the game.

And then we just got a lot of soft zone after that.

So then after that we just started dinking and duncan and making plays after the catch.

The third quarter, you ever been part of a third quarter like that?

I mean the defense just turned them over three times.

They had a stop on fourth down.

I mean they didn't score a point, and you guys scored I think it was twenty four three touchdowns and kicked a field goal.

I mean, you've ever been in a quarter as dominant is that one.

Defense is making plays like that.

You have a short field, you gotta convert.

You know, we were able to convert on on all four of those opportunities, So that felt great.

But it's fun watching these these young defensive players find their groove and keep getting better.

You mentioned the team played well, got them out of that cover one.

Your your running mate Jamar Chase was outstanding again, But I mean he's outstanding every week.

The guy, the guy is the best.

He's the best in the league.

Having a one to two punch like that, what does that do for your offense?

It just opens everything up.

You know, they really defenses have to build their game plan around those guys, and we know that and they know that, and so we can execute plays based on that.

And we have everything in our back.

Pocket, know what to get to when you know we face all these different kinds of coverages.

We faced basically everyone that you could see over the last four or five years.

And you know, we've done a good job building.

The packages to attack all these certain coverages that we see based on those two guys.

T Higgins big, strong, physical athletic, Ron Rouse catch the football, will block uh T Jamar Chase same thing.

You've known him since since the college days.

I mean the guys, in my opinion, the best receiver in the National Football League, yosiv Andre Yosi vash coming into his own.

He's starting to make plays for your Joe.

I mean, you're you're going to him.

You have trust and confidence in Yosi, and then Kisiki.

I mean that's four weapons right there.

And then forget I mean you can't forget about Chase Brown checking it down to him out of the backfield.

I mean Tanner Hudson.

Yeah, we have so many We have so many weapons and guys that fit into so many different roles on this team and really embrace their role and they're not going to try to be something that they aren't, and so they're going to attack that every day and work hard to try to build that role within the offense.

And you know, we have so many guys to just make plays when they have opportunities.

And finally, Joe, you mentioned your coaches put together great game plans for you guys, you know, every week in order to take advantage of all the all the talent and weapons that you've got.

Talk about your coaches a little bit.

Yeah, obviously there's a lot said about this team in this organization, and they did those coaches, but you know, nobody works harder than those guys to put us in good spots to go and execute.

I think we have some of the best coaches in the NFL.

I think the game plans that we put together put us in a great spot to succeed.

Couldn't agree with you more.

Joe as always appreciate you.

Thanks for your time.

Yeah, thanks, love Joe Burrow after the game.

And Dave, he did so many things well and such stark contrast to last week, I think was his second lowest quarterback rating game of his career.

Yesterday was his second best of his career, and just so many things that he does.

I hope people fully appreciate that.

The kind of the.

Broken play the created and find Drew Sample.

It looked like for a second he was just going to throw it away.

Nothing was there that Drew Sample's bailable.

He throws to Drew Sample.

And it's just the essence of Joe Burrow.

He's so dang good.

He is.

Man, he's good hitting.

My opinion, he's the best in the National Football League.

And like you said, when he starts extending and creating plays as many times as he did yesterday's football game, you got problems.

If you were a defensive coordinator.

It's like it doesn't matter what defense you play, because at some point in time, you know, okay with the coverage, and then if the protection is good enough, Joe's running around, extending, creating, and now you know the offense knows where what they're gonna do.

They do scramble drills, they have scrambled drills, and Joe Burrow knows exactly where his receivers are gonna go.

He's been doing it with Chase Brown since college.

I mean, these guys read each other's mind when when the play breaks down, and that's when the Bengals offense can really cook.

And they've made a lot of big plays over the years, extending and creating plays.

He played it his seventy fifth career game yesterday, and among all players in history through seventy five games, Joe Burrow ranks first in completion, third in touchdowns, and fifth in passing yards of all quarterbacks through their first seventy five games.

And I compare in contrast and think of the situation in Miami where they don't they're gonna probably move on from Tua and coming up this week, Arizona and Kyler Murray and they don't know what to do with Kyler Murray and Las Vegas and the Jets in so many different places.

And I think of here and how this franchise in this city has a quarterback.

What a luxury compared to a lot of markets that just don't know what they're doing at that position.

Absolutely, you know.

And I was listening to Sports Center a little bit this morning before we came in to do the show here, and man, I'll tell you a lot of analysts we're talking as a group there were three of the modern panel and they said, you know, when you have a head coach, you have a quarterback, you have a chance to be a dominant franchise in the National Football League.

The Bengals feel like they have their coach.

A lot of fans may disagree.

I think Zach Taylor is an extraordinary offensive mind.

Joe Burrow does.

Joe Burrow has gone to bat for Zach Taylor many times, and he really believes in Zach Taylor in his offensive structure and how he attacks defenses in the National Football League.

So, I mean, the Bengals do have pieces.

They really do.

I mean, and the two biggest pieces are head coach and quarterback.

They've got two receivers that are number ones, really one in one a with the Bengals, but number ones.

If if t Higgins were with another football team, he'd be a number one receiver by far.

Mike Kasicki and the tight end group is a good one.

They can all do different things.

Some ones that more extraordinary blocker than receiving.

The other one is a better receiver than a blocker, and sick he's kind of able to do both.

So they have all all bases covered and then we've talked about Chase Brown.

You know out of the backfield, SAMJ.

P Ryan another weapon, can run it, catch it.

They're stacked offensively, got some pieces to accumulate defensively, and watch out in twenty twenty six.

Well hear more from Chase Brown as we continue.

It's Bengals Line of the Bengals Radio Network.

It's seven hundred WLW.

Did we keep moving.

Along on this Monday night edition of Bengals Line of the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred l up dat plans with cat Lester Long is always with Dave Blapham.

Chase Brown yesterday twelve carries, sixty six yards and a touchdown, four catches forty three yards in two touchdowns.

What a season he is having.

What a game he had yesterday.

Here's Dan Horde with Chase Brown face.

Is this the all around performance this team has been looking for all year?

I think so.

I mean, the defense came out with turnovers and we were able to respond to every single one.

So that always feels good.

We'd love to.

Carry this momentum going forward and just finish off the season the best we can.

Was it a game where you were almost surprised how quickly the offense was back on the field.

They were not only getting turnovers, they were getting them quickly.

Yeah, no, it was it was I was standing there, I'm like, did you just get the ball back again?

I'm sprinting of in my helmet.

So yeah, they definitely called me by surply.

Sometimes when the last time you scored three touchdowns in one quarter, I'm sorry, it's happened.

Never maybe like little league maybe.

But that's a My last three touchdown game was Illinois against Wyoming, I think, not in one quarter, but in a cool game.

What was going through your mind when when that happens?

You have to touchdown catches, you have the touchdown run and suddenly.

I'm really like, do you hear the play?

And it's either going to you or it's not.

So it's like trying nextually, the best, the play the best I can.

No points last week, forty five points this week.

How determined were you guys during the course of this week at practice to show who you really are on offense.

We we took it personal, so we had to respond this week.

Good balance.

Joe threw four touchdown passes.

Obviously, the running game got better and better as the game went along.

Did it feel like, all right, this is what this offense can do when it's clicking.

Definitely, when everything's firing and all cylinders.

I mean, we're we're gonna score a lot of points.

So it's all good to go out and do that today.

It's just building momentum, even though you know our season is gonna end not the way that we wanted it to, but you know we can still finish off on a positive.

Nope, it's great to have Tea back.

Obviously, two big plays early in the game, it just kind of reinforced, at least in my mind, the impact that he can have when he's available.

Yeah, I mean, she's a great player.

If he's one of the best receivers, if not the best, we got both of them.

We have two of the best receivers in the NFL, right there.

That's the only way to put it.

So yeah, I mean, she's always gonna make a play.

I'm not surprised anytime I see a fifty fifty jump ball.

It's not fifty to fifty, it's like ninety ten.

So he's a great player.

Does a game like this leave you wanting more like almost wishing that you know, there were more games left, so you guys could ultimately get me where you want to be.

You're long.

Maybe if we could play, Yeah, we could play all year long without getting hurt in our bodies.

Like we're able to take it.

I mean I would.

So we're gonna miss.

Feels good and Grat's not a great game.

And Dave, you mentioned it in our earlier segment, and it's worth going back to.

Not only does he have the TV run, he has the two TD catches.

He had a really nice protection block to help Joe keep Joe for that split second more and that cannot be underrated or overlooked on what he brings to this offense.

Absolutely, I mean he does all the dirty work, you know.

And uh, a lot of guys that, you know, our premier players in the National Football League, they think that those type of things are beneath them.

That's for other people to do.

You know.

I'm I'm I'm the star.

You know, I'm gonna make score touchdowns and I'm going to make big plays.

I'm going to be on all all the NFL highlights and NFL highlight films, you know.

But but Chase Brown is a guy who just loves to play football.

Every single part of the game intrigues him and he wants to excel at it.

And you know, he's got a great mindset for the game.

He's got a tremendous football IQ.

You can do a lot of things with him.

You can line him up in the backfield, you can line him up in the slot, you can line him up as the X, you can line him up as a Z.

You know, he really is a very, very versatile guy.

He's a tremendous chess piece, you know.

And they check my defenses regularly when they involve Chase Brown the way they do.

Eight and forty six yards rushing.

To this point in the season, he has sixty two catches.

Now, he's over twelve hundred yards from scrimmage, but those sixty two catches dave now the most in a single season by Bengals running back in franchise history.

James Brooks had fifty five in a season.

Giovanni Bernard had fifty six in a season.

Joe Mixon had sixty in a season.

Chase Brown was still two games to go.

Now, it's sixty two catches out of.

The backfield, and you're talking about some of the greatest receiving running backs in franchise history.

You know, when you're talking about James Brooks and Giovanni Bernard.

Interesting Giovanni Bernard was at the football game, had his little guy with him and catching up with people, former teammates and coaches after the game.

He looked great, but he was a tremendous player.

And you know, Chase Brown does all of that.

Giovannie Bernard would block there, There's no question about it.

James Brooks would too.

I mean he was a very, very physical strong for his size pound for pound, maybe the strongest guy I've ever seen in the weight room.

I saw him wrap three hundred and fifteen pounds four times.

He weighed like, you know, buck eighty five, Buck ninety.

So there have been some great ones in franchise history, and the Bengals are blessed to have one now.

Dave, just in our first couple of segments, we've talked about so many elements of this offense, and I think of there there was I'm going to quote a song back in the eighties by The Fix.

I don't know if he remembers The Fix, but it was a song called one Thing leads to another.

And in this offense, even early that passed the t Higgins and he goes up and high points the ball over top of the little defensive back, and just so many different weapons lead to so many things opening up on this offense.

It's like a puzzle and the pieces start to fit in and new avenues and doors open to the offense.

Yeah, you're right.

I mean, I'd hate to be a defensive coordinator trying to take everything away from this Bengals offense that you need to worry about.

You say, okay, well, Jamar Chase probably one of the best, if not the best, in the National Football League in my opinion, I've stayed many times I think he is the best.

And you say, okay, well, they have to start by taking Jamaar Chase out of the mix.

Can't let Joe Borrow destroy us by targeting Jamar Chase and them producing a lot of catches and yards and touchdowns.

Well, you know you do that, and what do you have to deal with Higgins?

And he showed yesterday that he's deserving him being a number one thirty one other teams in the NFL.

Like we talked about, he is the number one.

This guy can high point a football about as well.

The timing to do that is taken for granted sometimes because these guys are so effective at it.

But t Higgins, man, I mean I've seen him hoop.

He can shoot, and which is good.

But I mean you should see him put on a dunk display.

I mean he almost he dunks and almost has his elbow into the you know, into the into the rim.

Uh.

It's it's amazing how athletic these guys are.

And uh, and then you know, you take those two away, you go to Gasiki, you take a sticky away, you know, you go to Chase Brown.

Then there's other backs to worry about, other tight ends to worry about.

Being coordinating a defensive package against this Bengals football team offensively, with Zach Taylor and Dan Pitcher being as creative as they are with game plans, is no easy task.

And final thought, just think about it.

All those off some weapons we just named, and then there's Yoshi who makes a twenty one yard third down catch, and sample made a twenty seven yard third down catch, and coordinator's.

Gotta be going going.

I don't know, there's too many guys.

I can't can't cover all these guys, we can't figure out all this stuff.

Sample when he ran a great route and caught that football, I'm like, oh, that's true.

Sample.

I thought I thought at first I thought it was Gasicki And I'm like, no, Sample, that's a bigger boy.

Look at that body, big, big strong body.

Yeah.

I mean they do they have they have weapons and guys, are you know, don't forget about me.

You know I can I'll make a play for you.

I can do it.

Still ahead, let's get to the defensive side of things.

Miles Murphy part of the conversation as we continue with Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW.

Continue on this.

Day sorting through victory yesterday for the Bengals forty five fourteen over the Dolphins.

We'll get to those Arizona Cardinals coming up in our third hour tonight.

We talked a lot about the offense.

Heck, let's get back to the defensive side of things, where Miles Murphy had another impact day, made some plays, recovered to fumble after Jordan battle and punch things out.

Here is Miles Murphy on the afternoon and the victory.

The defense came up big you guys forced a bunch of turnovers, four straight in the second half.

You guys get to win.

What's going through your mind right now?

I mean, just glad, honestly, Like this is kind of the message that us and coach all have been preaching.

I say, playoffs there out of the picture, but we have to We have three games nothing the season, and we really want to just end the season the high note.

And really I've just been telling some of the guys I've been talking to this.

How we end these three games is gonna be how we step into next season.

I want to do exact what we did today.

Set hard edges, get her on the quarterback, gets to k the ball, took the ball carrier.

Really just do anything to just get our office back to the ball.

And that's what we did today.

A few weeks ago against the Ravens, you chase down Derrick Henry and it's it's talked about today, a similar situation.

It's a pass up field and you chase it down, recover the fumble.

What's going through your mind there?

And obviously you landed on the ball and that kind of changed the game early in the third.

Uh, Well, really just hustle players, it's like running around regardless of this runner passes, getting always want to be around the ball, and that's kind of what als preaching this effort, effort, effort, an attitude.

At the point of time, the ball was kind of going crazy, hopefully hoping it was kind of just gonna die down what it did.

So wanted to return it but couldn't, so I just laid on it, got our office back to the ball, and they scored.

So I'm thinking on defense, splash plays are just so valuable.

Shacks, tackles for lost.

Fumbles, fumber reck coveries, turnovers.

It feels like every week now we're saying Miles Murphy sack, Miles Murphy, tackle for loss today, even before the Fumber reck coovery.

Seems like you're making a splash play or two at least every week.

I mean, yeah, this is a it's a It starts.

I say it all the time.

It starts on Monday.

It starts on Monday in the film room, Wednesday, Thursday practice.

And it's it's not just me.

It's a lot of guys on deep is making plays and this is because of that.

They start let's start working on Monday.

Started with the film bodywork, recovery, stuff like that, and it just shows out on Sunday.

This is the best you've ever felt NFL career wise and confidence wise.

Yeah, most confident for.

Serrea Miles Murphy after the game thanks to our guy James Rpeen of Bengals talking locked on Bengals for passing along his conversation with Miles and and Dave to me, Miles Murphy isn't there were moments where maybe he would flash.

Now it's like that light staying on and Miles Murphy's presence is being felt throughout football games.

It seems.

Yeah, I think you're right.

Flashing is a good way to describe it.

That's a good word choice there, because he is athletic as hell.

I mean every defensive edge player in the NFL would like to have the size speed ratio that Miles Murphy does.

And he's pretty stout.

I mean, he's been in the weight room and he's he's put on some good weight, very very strong individual.

You know, his chest, he's built up his chest, his arms.

Then where he really has an impact, there's in that lower body with that explosiveness and speed he has and his quads and hamstrings and Kazer are exceptionally strong.

The good thing for the Bengals defense yesterday is multiple guys had solid football games.

Battle had five tackles.

You talked about the fumble that he forced.

He had four unassisted tackles and one assist.

Murphy had five, three tackles and two assists.

Brandon Carter had five.

He had one tackle and four assists.

Bj Hill had four tackles and he defended a pass, knocked a pass down.

Three tackles and an assist to go with that, Demetrius Knight three tackles and an assist for a total of four.

Ivy two and two for a total of four, Davis two and two for a total of four, and then Slayton was the last one that had four tj Slayton had four assists.

So I mean they were getting a production out of You know, every position group is represented here.

You know, secondary defensive line linebackers.

Al Golden has to be happy that that every single position group and individuals within those position groups all showed up on the statuet.

And Dave, what I love about what feels like is happening with Miles Murphy just in watching body language on the field, he's feeling that the confidence and the energy.

He's starting to feel himself a little bit and is more demonstrative and and that to me says he feels like he belongs, he's producing, he feels good.

And that's what you were.

It may have taken a while to get to this point, but it's it's arrived and it's fun to watch it is.

And uh, you know, I confidence is a big thing, and you're right on the money there.

Uh you could almost see it.

You can almost see it as the game went on.

In the game against the Miami Dolphins, you know, hey, I got a sack.

I get rewarded, thought it made a good move and broke the guy down.

Uh, and get a sack.

And then all of a sudden, you know, you start to play the run a little bit better, and you want to put yourself in a situation where we can go rush the passer again.

So you have to stop people on first and second down and be part of that run defense package.

I really thought yesterday that the defensive line and linebackers in secondary as well, everybody played the run for al Golden as well as they have all year long.

I thought that the defensive line did a nice job at two gap and when they were told to do that, when they were told to take an edge and penetrate, they did that very well.

I thought that it was well coordinated, well thought out, and I thought that the defensive players all believed in it and trusted what Al Golden was telling them to do.

Against the Miami Dolphins, who are you know, solid offense football team even without t Tonya Varloa.

But everybody carried out their individual responsibilities and assignments to perfection.

Still ahead, we'll hear from Mike is Sicky and we'll head down the stretcher in our first hour.

Already time flies when you're talking about a victory.

He's Dave laphamim alliance.

But callister Bengals onto the Bengals Radio network in seven hundred WLW.

We were rolling right along down the stretch.

We go final segment in our first of three big hours of Bengals like and I know the Bengals Radio network had seven hundred w l W.

Mike Kasicki had three catches yesterday, thirty five yards total long of seventeen.

He had a touchdown to the mix.

Here's the Bengals tight end after the game had that had a.

Long stretch here early in my career, so it felt good to come back and as a as an offense, as a team, really you know, we responded today and felt really good to get that.

Way in the fashion that we did.

Were you plating on grittying until like the fifty yard line?

To say that I didn't think about that, I'd be lying.

But I just made sure that you know, I appreciate, you know, Zach for you know, getting that play call in and the look was exactly how we wanted it there and Joe gave a phenomenal ball, and I just had to make sure that you know, I held onto it.

Is this the offense that you were waiting for the Bengals to have?

Was this the gay?

Uh?

Yeah?

I mean listen, like we've had a lot of big games this year, obviously last week.

Is you know the.

Memory that people had coming into this game of our of our offense.

But that's not who we are, It's not who we've ever been, and you know this is this is.

Obviously who we are.

Uh, you know, getting t back.

Out there was big time Chase Brown, big big day, Jamar Chase over one hundred yards Joe throwing four touchdowns, Andre making a big catch on fourth down, the O line protecting all day, and then creating lanes in the run game.

Like the list goes on and on and on, and everybody in the locker room should be.

Proud of that.

Good does this feel?

Uh?

Yeah, felt really good.

Like I said, you know, last week obviously, uh you know, it wasn't up to our standard.

And to be able to come out here today and put up forty five points felt good.

Mike Gasicki on victory yesterday and doing the gritty as well, and just another one of those parts of the puzzle we've referenced and and Mike brings an element to this offense that just helps it go to another level.

And we've talked before they missed him in that stretch with the peck issue.

But when he is right and he can target the middle of the field and run as well as he does, what an element for this offense.

Joe Borrow loves him, He really loves Mike Kasiki.

Like you said, the middle of the football field, Mike Kasicki stands out, you know, like a lighthouse up He can a light, you know, her shifts at her lost out at sea.

I mean, Joe Burrow finds him easily and regularly, and they've they've got an unbelievable bond, a great relationship on and off the football field.

They're fast friends.

But Joe Burrow has every confidence in the world that when he releases that football and it comes off that hand so smoothly, and then Kasiki catch the ball so easily and tucks it away, Joe Burrow has every confidence in the world that Mike Casique is going to do that over and over and over again.

But final point to end the hour, and I forgot to mention him in her last second about the defense, But I want to mention Jayalen Davis, who Jaylen Davis has had a long journey of from Miami to Arizona to the Bengals.

He's got in the league in twenty eighteen.

He's had sporadic opportunities, but he's a guy whose patience has been tested and he's hung in there and been ready for an opportunity.

And now with that opportunity arriving, he delivers his first career interception yesterday.

Just a really cool day for him.

Big play teammates love him.

He's one of those guys that is so easy to like.

He's I think he's phenomenal.

I think he's a great communicator and easy to talk to.

Almost every guy in the team it seems like says, yeah, he's one of my best friends.

I mean, I love the guy.

So when you have that going for you, you have a lot.

You know everybody in the locker room is supporting you in it is behind you, and that always always pays dividends.

Still ahead, we'll turn into our second area here from t Higgins, Barrett Carter, and a whole lot more to navigate on a day we sort through victory for the Bengals forty five to fourteen against the Miami Dolphins.

This is Bengals Line.

It's on the Bengals Radio network seven hundred WLW.

Well are underweighting our second big hour tonight talking Bengals football, and I went over the Dolphin's yesterday.

It's Bengals out of the Bengals Radio network at seven hundred WLW.

We'll get into the Arizona Cardinals in our third hour tonight.

But man, of all the things we talked about in the first hour, let's circle back around to begin our number two and talk t Higgins, three targets, three catches, fifty three yards, a log of thirty five, and a touchdown.

Here's the Bengals wide receiver after the game light.

But other than that, see that is can you take atting through the art of the T Higgins contested catch because it feels like it's evolved from a few years ago to now and it seems like you're making a.

Look so routine.

Yeah, man, I just that's my job to go up there and catch the ball.

And you know, Joe Give isn't the great boss.

It's where I only I can catch it, and you know it's either me or nobody.

So is it kind of just uplifting, excited to be able to come back from what you did and happy type of game?

Yeah, I mean definitely, definitely a you know, a bonus.

Obviously I wanted to come out and try to dominate personally, but he was able to do that as a whole today, and you know the results show was.

That as fun as it looks.

Eighty degrees, forty five.

Points pre pre game, I'm like, oh, this hot came back in got IV.

But other than that, man, it was so fun out there.

You know, everybody was playing together.

It was a lot of laughs and jokes on the on the sideline.

That's all you asked for, Man, the game is fun.

Chase Brown said, you guys took the shoutout personally last week.

I mean, yeah, for sure, Man, we definitely don't want to want that to happen ever again.

You know, and speaking on Chase Man, man had a hell of a game, you know, shout out to him.

You could just see how he's getting better and better each and every single week.

There there was a lot of talk about going back to the Buffalo game that why you went back into the game, Like should the NFL have allowed you to?

I mean, I've passed the tent tests.

Yeah I felt I.

Felt great at the time, and you know, it's just so happy to be one of those times I felt the symptoms later, you know what I mean.

And that's that's how that was.

How would you like advocate?

Everybody said that you came forward with the symptoms that you felt, Like, do you think that that's important for people moving forward to if you're happy?

For sure?

If you have if you if you have any symptoms, for sure, you got you need to come forward because you know, the brain injury, there's nothing that's nothing to play with as serious and it confects you a long.

Time, you know what I mean.

So I said, I see every everything.

Everybody's saying that I should say, I see all that and trust me, but I went to see a specialist and especially say it was okay for me to, you know, go back out there and play my game.

And that's what I was.

That's what I did.

Just kind of feel like an example of your guys.

Offense at its absolute peak today.

That's kind of like everybody making the count.

For sure.

Man, we was offense at full power today.

You know, we had everybody and you see what we could do when the field we all we got everybody together.

Is that bittersweet a little bit?

This is the kind of performance you want to put up in December going into a playoff runt?

Is there?

Like for sure?

It's like yeah, for sure, man, It's bittersweet, But you know, we gotta live.

What's what's what happened?

You know what I'm saying.

All we can do is just put our best go forward these next two games.

We haven't had a chance to ask you, but we asked Jamar.

We asked Joe last game, what are you hoping changes this offseason that will get you guys over the hump to hitch you back in the playoffs.

Side of my job, you know, my job is just coming here, be a good teammate, be a leader.

And play good football.

All the other stuff leave that to them.

Does this feel like a preview of what this team can be in twenty twenty six?

Definitely?

Uh, you know, the offense especially, and you know defense played they bust off to that.

Yeah, there's definitely could be a preview.

Obviously, you know next Sea, next next next year's team will be the same as this team obviously, but you know, yeah.

Definitely team with another big day.

That's ten touchdown catches on the season.

Keep in mind that's thirteen games played, miss two.

That's ten touchdown catches in thirteen games.

Dab he has twenty touchdown catches going back to Week one of last year.

So that's twenty touchdown catches in the last twenty five games for this team.

That's getting it done.

It certainly is.

Man, that's a touchdown maker extraordinary right there.

And the big reason why is, you know a lot of those touchdowns have come not all of them.

I mean he had a thirty five yard you know play in this football game.

He but his whole A big deal with him is with the size that he has is a red zone target.

I mean he is, you know, stands out.

It's it's like, you know, you got another tight end out there from a physical stature standpoint six four plus, you know, two fifteen to two twenty ish, and you get him matched up against a much smaller defensive back like what happened on the touchdown pass and he had I mean Joe Burrow when he sees that kind of a physical mismatch like bingo, I know where I'm going with the football.

And then you know it's like, all right, what do I do?

Man?

This?

You know, there's not that much football field of defense.

So I'm not gonna play a safety deep.

I'm gonna have safeties closer to the line screen.

I'm gonna double te I'm gonna double Chase.

Well then just get sick.

He gets in the mix.

You'll see Vash gets in the mix.

Chase Brown gets in the mix.

So they have a plethora a weapons in red zone targets for Joe Burrow to take advantage of.

And I mean they are one of the best red zone offenses in the entire league.

That the thirty five year catch he made over top of the defensive back, it looked like it looked like the big kid playing against the little kid in the backyard.

And not to demean the defensive back, he's just small in stature and he just like, I'll take that.

It just like reached over to almost off his helmet.

I'll take that.

That's just that that power and strength and size is awfully tough to match up.

Again, it is remember uh, as kids, we played keep away.

Yes, yeah, get guys, I'll tamalize you a little bit.

You know you're not going to get the ball away from me.

Don't even think about trying.

And what a big week for Tea and he and he talked about how during the week he flew to Pittsburgh on uh some advice from he said that the front office, the folks, Abobby, he said, And and that certainly had to give him peace of mind because he's gone through two concussions.

He'd missed time and and I would imagine on that flight out there, who knows what's running through your head?

What what are they going to tell me, am all right, I want to be all right, I want to play, And clearly he got green light thumbs up and had to feel really good about coming back and playing.

Yeah, that's that's the thing, Lance, what you're saying, it's uh.

You know, even if you're not a football player, if you you're worried about your health, it's hard to perform any job, really hard to go in and focus on being the best accountant in the in the world.

You know, if you're if you're worried about your brain shooting properly, you know, and uh, or whatever occupation you may have.

Same with the football player, Same with T.

Higgins.

I'm sure that there were some anxious moments for him on that flight out to Pittsburgh, but jubilation and excitement about what he was going to be able to do against the Miami Dolphins on the flight home.

And you know, it's been said of Joe Burrow, Guys like Joe Burrow and T their they're football players.

They play and you you could make the case, you could make a very legitimate case when your team's eliminated and you've got a player who's had two concussions.

If T.

Higgins would have not played yesterday.

I think most people would have understood, you know what, they're out of it.

He's got he's had concussions, don't risk it.

But T got cleared, and T wanted to be with his teammates, and T wanted to play football yesterday.

I think that's a great point, Lance, I mean tremendous point.

You understand the game of football, and you've been around it a while here in the National Football League, and Zach Taylor talked about it.

Zach Taylor talked about it in as pressors.

Joe Burrow is going to play.

You know, he's been he's been nicked up, He's had a tough season with respect to injury.

They could have shut him down, but Joe's like, no, no, I'm rehabbing, I'm coming back, I'm gonna play.

There's games left.

T Higgins is the same way, and he could have easily said, you know what, I had two concussions in a very short period of time.

That's not good.

That's not healthy.

My post football life.

I want to be able to live a normal post football life and be able to do things that everybody else does.

Travel, have fun, you know, enjoy family and all that sort of thing.

So those kind of things definitely go through your mind.

But like you said, these guys love football, They love being around each other.

There are so many good friends on this football team.

The relationships and bonds that have been made are gonna last long after the game of football is over with.

These guys are going to be catching up with each other and as they have families, their families will be catching up with each other.

And that's one of the beautiful things about pro sports.

Boy, that's a great point about the relationships on the team.

And it almost it's weird to say that Jamar Chase with nine catches one hundred and nine yards, had a quiet day but he didn't get all the headlines of touchdowns yesterday, And yet it doesn't.

It never bothers him and he looks at t have a big game and jamorro will have a big game next week.

And it's the give and take of nobody needs to get their own.

They're happy when somebody else gets theirs on a day.

Yeah, exactly.

They're they're happy for each other.

You know, they know that there's a limited time that's going to be able to enjoy and play the game of professional football, and you want to be compensated properly.

And you know Jamar Chase the kind of guy okay T had his this week.

I'm getting mine next week.

Yep, There's no doubt that I'm going to get mine because I know I'm better than any defensive back one on one in the National Football League.

And if they double me, I can beat that too.

Let's talk defense when we come back.

Barrett Carter on his day and the defensive side of the ball as we rock and roll through this Monday night of Bengals Line, Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW.

Heny.

We're rolling around along roll through on Monday night talking Bengals football and Bengals on of the Bengals Ring Network.

It's seven hundred WL.

I think we've been flipping back and forth offense the defense.

Let's go back to the defensive side of things.

Barrett Carter first career NFL interception yesterday.

Here's the Bengal rookie linebacker with Dan after the game.

Barrett, three takeaways in one quarter.

Describe what it was like you had one of the interception.

Describe what that third quarter was like for everybody on defense.

Yeah, uh, just coming in at halftime, Coach Taylor just said that we needed to take the ball away and on offense, we had to keep the ball away from them.

So, no, that was that's the goal that we go into every single game with to try to be at least plus two and just for us to you know, come out third quarter swing, come out swinging and they'll get the ball back to our offense was huge and create a lot of momentum for our team.

So it's a I'm glad we were able to do that.

We just have to keep building on that.

A major challenge going into this game with stopping the running attack.

They had the one long touchdown runner leave the game.

Other than that three point yards per Carrie for the rest of the day.

How did you guys do such a good job at stopping the run.

Yeah, we always have to lock in on our keys.

We knew that stopping the run was going to be the main emphasis this week, and you know.

Miami, they do a great job every single week of creating a.

Lot of I Kenny and it makes it very challenging for a defense.

So we knew that it was gonna be a big challenge for us and know we're able to step up to that challenge.

Describe the excitement level of coming with your first IMT in the NFL.

Yeah, I'm super exciting.

No, I feel like I was it was long overdue.

I feel like I should have had that many many weeks ago.

But you know, God makes no mistakes, So I'm just glad I was able to get that for our team and you know, get the ball back to our offense.

So hopefully I can just keep building on that.

You got your first.

Jalen Davis got his first as well.

He's had a nice impact since moving up from the practice squad.

Describe what he's done for the defense.

Yeah, JD is such a so savvy.

He's been in the league for however many years has been, and you know he's been he's just been working every single day, just waiting for a shot.

And we know he stepped up.

He stepped up to the plate.

He wasn't afraid to, you know, come in and do his thing.

And you know, JD's a dog.

It's an honor to get to play alongside him, and it's a he just flies around and makes play, so it's a it's a blessing to get to play with JD.

It's just one of those games, parrit where you guys excelled in all three phases.

Offense scores forty five, defense gets multiple takeaways.

Ryan Rico had four bunchs inside the twenty.

Did you feel like this was the first time that you've experienced a total performance by the Bengals.

I feel like it.

It was in bits and pieces, so there was still a lot of a lot of players left out there that you know that we need to correct in all phases.

I know all guys can say that, but you know, we're we're taking We're definitely taking steps in the right direction, but it's nowhere near what we're what we're capable of doing as a team.

So we just have to, you know, keep keep this momentum going, keep building on this and you know, the feeling that we have right.

Now, we have to chase this feeling every.

Single week and even leading into the next because we're capable of so much more.

But now, when we played conflimentary football, we're capble of doing really great things and that's what we showed today.

But we just have to keep going on it.

So nice early Christmas present for Bengals fans.

Congratulations on a great win.

Thank you so much, appreciate that.

That's linebacker Barrett Carter.

Barrett Carter with the pick yesterday, and Dave.

One of the things that really jumped out to what they did defensively yesterday, that old saying the more you can get flying to the football, the better it is.

And and Battle punched out the ball, Murphy recovered the fumble.

Curd had the interception after Josh Newton knocked the ball in the air.

It was tandem efforts.

That's a lot of guys around the football making things happen.

Great point again, Lance, they ran to the football.

Well, they ran to the football defensively as a group, about as well as I've seen all year long.

I think Al Golden was happy about it.

On the bus ride to the airport, I did talk.

I mentioned that to him.

I said, she's coach.

Almost every play when I look down there at the end of the play, there's like three, four, maybe even five defenders you know around the ball.

He goes, Yeah, we've been harping on that big time.

You know, run to the ball, good things will happen.

You create opportunities when you run to the football, and they certainly did yesterday.

So Carter is is a force in the run.

He stops the run pretty well.

Now if he can make himself a dual threat in terms of being able to, you know, drop back into his own and play Arizona, patrol it well and make plays on the football or cover a back out of the backfield or a tight end on a cross in the middle of the football field, and be able to run with him, which he's capable of doing.

Physically, he's got He's got everything you need to be an outstanding linebacker in the National Football League.

And he's one of many young players Demetrius Knight, there's a bunch of young players that are you know, Dax Hill is not super young, but he's not anywhere near the end of his career.

I think he's one of the best cover guys, the best the Bengals have, and he's one of the best in the National Football League.

And the other thing I thought the benk did well yesterday was they tackled and part of it was so many guys around the ball, but one guy would you know, stick his head across the bow and wrap up and take them to the ground.

If he didn't quite take them on the ground two or three other guys were smacking him as he was going to the ground and maybe trying to knock the ball loose.

But if you're back to your point on Al Golden, if you're Ale, it's obviously been.

A trying year.

You've got young guys who don't always get it at the speed you need them to get it.

But flashes like yesterday, if you're Al Golden, you go home and you put your head on the pillow and you're looking up and thinking, all right, there's signs here.

I'll take the signs.

Little things to build on one week to the next, and it's got to feel.

It's got to feel good for Al to see some proof, some evidence starting to develop it.

Everybody wanted it in week one and it's taken some time and there have been a lot of mistackles along the way.

But if there's something they have found and guys have found some confidence at this point, that's big to carry into the offseason.

Yeah.

I think they're confident in their coach and their coach to start and be confident in them, and that's always extremely important both ways to have the confidence.

And I do think the graft's going up for the Cincinnati Bengals defensively, they are young, they are improving, and I think Al Golden, you know, is excited about what it's going to look like in twenty twenty six and beyond.

We mentioned the three turnovers, and I know you'll always references.

They get the fourth down stop in the in the third quarter, that's as good as a turnover because he gives you your offense the football back.

Absolutely, you know.

I mean, uh, you know, sometimes the turnovers don't occur at the spot of the football field we should pre further to occur.

You know, sometimes the offense ends up being backed up.

But you know, hey, as long as you're taking away points, you're taking away opportunities to score.

Okay, well, Varney, we're already in field goal range.

Now we're in a chip shot field goal territory.

And then you get that taken away.

That has a lingering effect.

I mean, that's not as easy to get over as people think.

Players back say, oh, man, if we had done this, if we had done that, if they didn't do this, they didn't take that away from us, would have been a different game.

Yeah, what should have could have It's not the way it is in the NFL.

Still ahead, We'll continue breaking down yesterday's game.

We'll look at head to Arizona.

We're gonna drop in something I heard Sam Hubbard say to you guys on Friday about the final play of his career and something that Zach Taylor said about Sam Hubbard the leader I thought was just fantastic and worth taking a listen to.

We'll do that as we continue as well.

It's Bengals on on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW.

Hey, welcome back on Bengals On to the Bengals Radio Network, seven hundred WLW.

Antil callister Dave Lappom.

We've worked our way through yesterday's went over the Dolphins forty five fourteen.

We've got the Miami or the Arizona Cardos to look forward to in our third hour, plus game balls.

It'll be nice to hear presentation of game balls on a after a winning game for the Bengals as well.

But while I'm thinking about it, and I love the Bengals Friday pep rally that you do with Dan Horden sometimes Wayne box Miller and you guys have had the fun of the last two weeks having Sam Hubbert, join you, and I thought Sam's reflections on Friday about his final play of his career, a touchdown catch of all things from Joe Burrow.

And then Dan had asked Zach Taylor about Sam's presence on the team and what it meant, and Sam reacted that I thought it was really good stuff.

Let's take a listen to just a portion of Friday, Dan and laugh with Sam Hubbard.

Here it is.

We're going to turn the clock back to the very last play, Oh baby, Sam Hubbard's NFL career.

Let's listen.

In Burrow fakes a handoff, throws a pass.

Sam Hubbard with the catch, sadon touchdown, Bengals out, Sam Hubbard raising the football over his head and spiking at Gronk style after the first catch.

How his NFL career.

Sam Hubbard started his career at Moler High School.

Is a tight end?

Sam Hubbard is an athlete, Sam Hubbard.

That's a great fingertip catch.

It was a great fingertip catch.

About that spike, Was that something that you had in mind or was that completely in the moment.

No, we had rehearsed that one.

Joe was making me do them.

The routes full speed and walk through pre practice, and then we had to, you know, practice a spike.

Of course, I almost messed it up, getting too excited as soon as I got up, but then held it back, gathered ted and the rest of the crew, and I actually gave it a legit spike.

So uh it worked out.

One of the one of the coolest moments ever.

I got Joe's jersey from that game, nice framed in my basement.

Uh got the ball.

I got the ball too.

Did you expect to be wide open?

I mean normally I was.

Not wide open?

Come on.

No, No, That's what I'm saying.

I'm wondering if you being a defensive lineman lining up presumably to block.

Yeah.

No, Joe told me there's going to be a guy on me, and I don't have the exact breakaway speed.

But uh, that was that, Yeah, the in traffic catch.

But it was a I think Zach was so confident in calling it because it was a third string or second string linebacker.

I didn't really know.

So huh, take advantage, no doubt, no doubt.

Take advantage of opportunities.

When an opportunity knocks, men open the door.

So Moller High School, Ohio State, Cincinnati Bengals.

You are the Cincinnati kid, the Ohio kid.

Is it something that as you reflect back on it, you even cherished the decisions you made even more to stay local.

Yeah, I think so.

I think that now.

You know, big plan since I got drafted was to to always stay local.

And you know, I'm here full time and want an opportunity to have the support system and everything that I had.

And what makes it all the sweeter is the success we were able to have here, the energy we brought to the fan base.

And you know.

If you recall that that run to the Super Bowl, what the city fell like walking around the streets for those months.

I mean, I'll hold onto that time for the rest of my life, and you know, hoping for it again here soon.

I got.

I got faith in our and our boys to uh to get back to the Promised Land.

We worked that back when he wanted back soon.

You preceded Zach Taylor.

You actually started your Bengals career when Marvin Lewis was the head coach.

We had the opportunity to do a visit with Zach earlier today and I asked him about the impact you made on his career, UH to this point as the Cincinnati Bengals head coach, here's Zach Taylor.

Always the guy I could count on, Always a guy that if I needed and the opinion of a player on schedule or vibe of the team, or I knew I could get Sam up there, He'd be transparent with me and as a leader, like it was fun for me to see when he finally decided, you know, realize these guys respect me and I can now talk more.

I don't just have to be the lead by example guy all the time.

And I think that was more year two.

So it was fun watching him become a captain and guys rally around him and we had the success we had, and he was a huge part of that.

Fought through injuries.

That's as a coach you appreciate that more than anybody, the guys that give you everything they have despite their circumstances.

And Sam was the number one example of all that.

And so that's that was always meant a lot to me to know that Sam was gonna we'll have the off season surgery, but I'm playing and doing everything I came to play.

So that was that was great, and I you know, for him to he was on me for years to catch a pass, and so first career to end on that play.

It was very fitting, you know, it really was, and it I don't obviously don't want his career to end on an injury, but I think it was.

I can say this without feeling stupid, like it was a cool way for him in his career.

You got to go in and run one route all season.

He kind of touched up past contested catch from his college roommate.

Pretty cool.

That was cool.

I think he's right.

It was cool.

Were you on him in fact for years to catch a pass?

No, that was pretty cool.

I didn't you asked him that.

I was definitely, you know, in his year, I you know, jokingly because of my great reps as a rookie fullback.

I was like, hey, you know, I'm ready, let's do it and go.

And you know, when it comes down to, hey, here's the play we're calling it, it's a whole different ballgame.

You get much more nervous.

And you're like, I don't know if I actually want this and drop it here.

But I got to give credit to Zach.

He you know, he did.

You know, he really made that happen, and it was turned the momentum in that game.

But Zach, you know, I he did so much for me in my career.

Have so much respect for him and how he's handled, you know, tough situations from you know, twenty nineteen till now.

You know, I can't say enough good things about Zach and how he goes about his business.

Also watching you know, he watched my evolution.

I watched his evolution from a first time head coach to where he is now.

I think that he's learned.

He's all you know, he journals and writes everything down and really reflects and gets better every year.

So it's cool to be around a.

Guy like that.

And yeah, that was cool.

Dave so much good stuff in that hour long conversation you guys had.

But I thought Dan's question to Zach about what Sam meant to the team, And then when Zach explained that Zach was a guy he could go to and if he needed to measure the pulse of the team, or if they should change a practice time or how they should do something in camp, Sam was the guy he turned to because he knew Sam had an understanding of that locker room and the guys in that room had an appreciation for him, and I thought that just spoke volumes about the regard that this organization holds Sam Hubbard in.

I agree.

You know, uh, the Cincinnati kid man Yep Moller High School, Ohio State up the road.

You know, Paul Brown made his mark there, so Mike Brown loves Ohio State players.

And then here with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Yeah, I do think that that that Zach Taylor and his coaching staff knows that Sam Hubbard has a finger on the pulse of the franchise in terms of the players.

Every single player in that locker room, he likes and respects and trusts Sam Hubbard.

So they'll tell him things.

They'll tell them things that are bothering them.

They'll tell him things that they like, you know, and prefer to do it this way.

Maybe we can tweak it and do it that way.

And then the coaches, you know, know that Sam will you know, not blow the whistle or tattle on anybody as such, but just hey, what do they think, give me the give me the true scoop here?

What do they think?

What's going on?

Are we doing things the right way?

How can we improve what can we do to make things better for the players.

That role is huge.

It takes a you know, a special guy to be able to handle it.

There's not any real pressure, but you want to help build as good an environment, a winning environment as you possibly can with the franchise, and anything you can do to help that move in the right direction is what you want to get done.

And I love what Zach told Dan about Sam finding his voice as his career went on with the Bengals, because as a rookie, you know the old saying rookies are to be you know, seen, not heard.

And as Sam became more comfortable, you heard Zach explain how excited he was to see Sam grow into a leader.

And that's you know, as as Zach was saying that, I thought of guys like Barrett Carter and Dimitrius Knight junior, young guys who are going who are going to be here in a perfect world, who eventually grow into a voice but absorbing information right now, and you hope they they get comfortable like Sam did to become a voice.

For this team.

Yeah, Sam by nature is pretty quiet, you know, he's not He never toots his own horn.

You know about accomplishments or things that he did, you know, on the football field.

He's a great family guy.

I mean he's going to be you know, tremendous father, husband, you know, he's going to be a great grandfather as well as father.

Time marches on.

But you know, he just has that that ability to rally people, and uh, that's a that's a unique talent.

It really is when you have it, you know you do, but you know you don't want to, like, you know, take take out a billboard and advertise it.

You know, you kind of keep it to yourself.

And yeah, someone else.

I mean, I'm sure Zach is probably trying to figure out who that guy is going to be now that Sam Hubbard has moved on.

And it's not an easy role, believe me, it really isn't.

By the way, in our next segment, we've got a little local theme going on, Sam Hubbard the local kid.

In our next segment, a little bit of what Wayne box Miller had to say with Xavier Johnson, the Ohio State and Summit Country Day product is part of the pregame yesterday.

He's a local kid who drove by the Paul Brown Stadium every day as a kid growing up and now he's on the Bengals practice squad.

You'll hear a little bit of that as we continue.

Dave Lapham, Lance McAllister Bengals on in the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW.

Team booming right.

Along in this Monday Night of the Bengals line.

Bengals Radio Network, seven hundred W l W.

Glance's time for the Kettering Health injury report and good news, I mean no major injuries to either football team in this game down there.

Remind me, I don't remember either either team having a player taken the locker room and stayed in the locker room.

Somebody might have gone in a blue tent to take a look at and take a picture of something that's was bothersome.

But when you think about it, that was a very physical football game, a lot of hitting going on and to escape with no serious injury to either football team is what it's all about.

And Kettering Health is the official healthcare provider of the Cincinnati Bengals, providing the best care one of the best fans.

We keep rolling along.

We developed a little bit of a theme here of local connection.

We heard from Sam Hubbard in the last segment as part of the Friday pep Rally Show.

Another local product on the Bengals roster, at least on the practice squad.

He was signed last week played at Ohio State.

Prior to that, he played at Summit Country Day High School.

Talked about driving past the stadium every day as a kid growing up and one day wanting to be a member of the organization.

He is now on the practice squad and Wayne box Miller is part of the pregame show.

Talk to him about realizing the dream.

Wayne box Miller with a young man I've known for a long time, know his family, Xaviers Johnson.

Welcome back to Cincinnati.

Thank you, Bustin.

It's a blessing to be back, man, a blessing to be by.

No question about it.

Let's talk about your faith because I know you your faith based family, and you have a purpose in life and you believe that this journey is part of a purpose.

And be back here in Cincinnati.

Yeah, nber Man.

When I got the call really came on the hills actually of a pretty uh spiritual weekend, if you want to say that.

You know, I had a great.

Church service and my my pastor down in Houston actually just reminded me of just the promises and how God is a promise keeper and so on the heels of that and kind of a revitalization of just I would say, my my faith, not that it was dead, but uh, you know, you get sparks times for time, and so coming on the hills of a spark, the Lord opened up this opportunity and so I definitely see this as you know, a mission field and opportunity to build rapport with men, pour into you know, men and hopefully save some men if God will so.

A lot of a lot of players here.

I talked to Trey Hendrickson or Joseph Osai or Dalton Riser, and they're all outward with their faith and and how much it helps them.

I know.

For you, it's just been a source of support for you through all the ups and downs of the NFL.

Yes throwing up and downs of my career.

Really in high school.

You know, the Lord took this uh sport, this gift that he gave me, and he molded it into exactly what he intended it for it to be to me when he gave it to me, as you know, a platform to glorify him.

An opportunity to reach other men.

Who you know, might not even know that they're struggling or not, might not even know that you know, there's.

A need for for God because.

You have so many outlets, you know, when you're a personal athlete and you're commensated so handsomely and you feel like you can, you know, uh, fulfill a lot of your knees or your once until those needs, you know, keep building up.

So just to have an opportunity to be in the locker room with these guys.

To build, like I said, build a report with.

Them and ultimately you know, maybe uh somebody who can lean on or ask questions about their faith to this means everything.

So I know you talked about driving by and all the other things.

What I want to ask us when you pulled that car in the gate this morning and how it felt.

It felt amazing, Man, it felt amazing.

And I've been in the player entered one or one or two other times for one for the local day, and there was another time where I don't remember why I pulled in the game, but none of the cars.

Were you know, were there or anything.

So to be here and be a part of this, you know, this team, this opportunity and this you know group of men is truly a blessing.

So that's all I can say.

Talk about when you reflect back to your granddad who was so proud of you, man, just knowing that you're here, how much you probably wish he was still around just to see this.

Yeah, man, it's where Cincinnati family grew up, Cincinnati through and through, you know, being I'm probably like third fourth generation now of just true to you know, cut us open where Cincinnati you know people.

So for him to be, you know, as big as a Reds fan as he is, a big as a Bengals fan as he was, and he even actually played for the Reds way way back in the day.

And so it's kind of like I said, I keep saying, it's a full circle moment.

It's a real moment.

But you know, the Lord has a funny way of navigating things and bringing things into fruition that you don't always expect, but they always make sense.

He reveals them in his time.

So Xavier Johnson, the Bengal wide receiver, local product on the practice squad, We'll take a time out and we come back.

We got to save some time for special teams.

Holy cow, they were special yesterday.

We'll talk about him as we roll on with Bengals on on the Bengals Radio Networking seven hundred WL.

Down on the stretch.

We go about to put.

Our number two in the books, two of three tonight the Bengals out of the Bengals Radio Networking.

As much time as we've spent on offense and defense, we referenced and if you used the term complimentary football and well routed performance yesterday, that includes special teams where everybody had a contribution, whether it was Evan McPherson with a lot of extra points, which is a good thing, right.

Ryan Rico punning Bulah ball, the kick returns, the punt returns, the coverage.

I don't even where to begin.

I'll start with Ryan Rico, who has booted the ball well the entire season.

He's had some issues with touchbacks, but yesterday, my goodness, he had all four of his punts inside the twenty yard line, two of those inside the ten, and he averaged fifty two yards a kick.

He was on it yesterday, he really was.

I mean four punts averaged fifty two yards a kick.

Like you said, long of fifty nine four times inside the twenty twice inside the ten.

Of those four times no touchbacks.

And the return game for the Miami Dolphins because of the excellent c Rico was non existent.

I mean two of them were down inside the ten yard line and in the red zone, and Washington never had a return.

I mean, were never able to jumpstart things to get it going.

And you talk about the rookie Williams as a kick returner for the Bengals, three returns seventy six yards, averaging over twenty five yards per along of thirty one Brooks had won for forty one yards.

So the Bengals average twenty nine point three on four kickoff returns.

They dominated field position courtesy of special teams.

Darren Simmons, I know, was pretty pleased.

He was smiling in the locker room.

Had a chance to see him as he walked by as he was getting ready to go out to the buses, and I'm like, man, Rico was unbelievable.

It can't be much better than he was today, you know.

You know Darren is he kind of like, you know, very monotone, you know, very very composed.

But yeah, and Rico, he was going crazy as his teammates were downing punts, you know, to keep that average away.

And then he had one that looked like golf hitting the green and just you know, the spin on it, just just it hit and spun back.

That one was a thing of beauty.

But yeah, special teams overall.

They put the Dolphins on long fields and they put Bengals on many short ones.

By the way, I got about a minute left in the hour.

What can you tell me about your vantage point and the size of the broadcast booth you were in yesterday.

Dave Worse, Oh my god, wasn't the yid man.

I mean, that's just horse pucky.

But you were down, you were up and in the corner, in the corner, and it was like a little pham booth basically a broadcast.

It was.

We could only fit three across.

It was.

It was I was on on one side.

Dan was in the middle, and then uh, the spot was to his left.

The statistician was behind us, next to you up a step on the on the three steps down into the booth.

I mean, it was, it was.

It was a closet, man, it was.

It was unbelievable, but it was a lot more tolerable because the way the game went.

Yes, and the weather.

About the weather, and you'll take just about any size booth.

No question.

Yeah, sunny, nice, nice little preeze.

It wasn't it was.

It was just beautiful.

Oh man.

All right, that's two in the books.

Hey, type more to get two in our three.

We're gonna hear from Zach Taylor.

Here from Joe Burrow, fantastic fun facts talk Arizona Cardinals, and here the awarding of the game balls.

Well, that's a busy third hour tonight.

Stay with US Bengals on and the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW.

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All right, welcome back in our number three.

About to unfold this three hour journey we call Bengals Line and the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW sorting through yesterday's forty five fourteen went over the Dolphins.

We've got the Arizona Cardinals in our sites.

A little bit later on in the show, We've always got our sights on one of these days.

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I just realized I'm such an idiot.

I've said forty five to fourteen like three times, and I forgot the garbage time touchdown late by the Dolphins.

So I'd like to amend all my prior statements to we get forty five to twenty one the final.

So, yes, right, it was a garbage time touchdown, but we'll count it because it's officially counted.

But the Bengals still win by twenty four Inzach Taylor talked about it after the game.

Yeah, proud, not surprised by the response our guys had.

You know, we expected to come down here and you know a lot of questions about how these guys are gonna respond.

We saw how they respond all week.

We knew how they'd respond and come down here and put together the performance they did, especially settling down a halftime and coming out and getting four straight turnovers three three turnovers at turnover on downs.

Offense responded with four straight touchdowns.

Special teams units are in a great job control in the fuel position in the entire second half.

Uh.

Just just really proud, but again not surprised by the response we had.

That that's usually how it works.

I mean, they had a tough time containing Drew today, but Drew is just mister reliable, you know, he's in there.

Protection has a great feel very similar to the Buffalo touchdown he scored a couple of years ago, same protection where he's just got this awareness where Joe needs my help right now, I'm out of the protection world, and and I got to go find a way and and he was trying to score, man.

I was trying to hope he stayed in bounce to keep the clock running.

There at the end of half, Drew was he was helping on getting in the end zone.

And so again that's a huge play right there.

Bye bye Joe, and by Drew and by the protection to give him the time to be able to extend the play like that first quarter.

They're explosive team.

Uh, They're really tough to defend, especially in the run game with the play actions off of it.

They did a nice shot in the first half finding a rhythm.

But I thought our defense really did a great job settling down and knocking those down for two or three yards and putting them in passing situations.

You know, with the rookie quarterback, we knew that was going to be challenging, and so I thought the defense had a great response.

You know, the big touchdown run, Yeah, they got us on it.

They've gotten a lot of people on that.

But I thought the response after that was really good by the d as you.

Guys started, you know, ugalizing all of your weapons.

You know, it's team here and.

Jamarro and Chase Browns and this kind of an example of how your offense can be the ways playing profession.

Yeah, you know, I feel like we've shown this a million times over the years, you know, and unfortunately this year we.

Just haven't haven't been able to do it.

But this is no surprise.

I mean I was walking off field Drew Sample and he said, this is how I'm used to these games going.

You know, when we're when we got everybody on offense ready to roll.

And so again we've got another opportunity this week against Arizona to come back home and do it in front of our fans, and I expect our guys to respond the right way.

I know, you're in the game, is it or sweet?

This is what you want it?

Yeah?

It is what it is.

You know, this is the this is the situation we're in, and this is what we can control.

And so after the season you'll have a chance to reflect back on things that we got to do differently.

But I think right now this is all we could control this week was what was our response in the building to to you know a lot of people after us right now.

And so the response was tremendous by our guys, and to put together such a complete game I thought was really impressive.

Speaking yeah, I mean it was.

I told Jamar to come punch me in the stomach.

We hadn't thrown double go by the midway point the second quarter, so we got to it a little earlier than I had initially planned.

We were backed up.

It felt like the moment to go do it, and t did what he does.

He goes up and gets it and we ran the double move there on the goal, and I thought he did a great job with his patient so Joe had time to get it up and he you know, he's got so many touchdowns in that back right corner of the end zone, getting getting his two feet in, so expected nothing less from that connection.

You know that you get when you get you guys on offense.

And he has staying healthy, clime is ready to go for the stage.

That's great.

I think Chase is a is a huge weapon for us and does a great job with his explosiveness, tremendous matchup in the past game as well that he probably doesn't get enough credit for.

He's won a lot of those choice routs underneath, and he got a CEO for a touchdown today when he was matchup on a backer, and so again he's been a great weapon for us.

I'm happy I have him.

I'm good with the direction he's had.

To go.

Yeah, yeah, I mean DJ was battling the flu, you know, so for him to even get out there and get IVS and go out there and play, it'd be hard to get through an entire game.

So UH certainly appreciate DJ doing what he did.

And fighting through it, and unfortunately we got to a point where we were able to get him out.

And you know, if anyway, and we just got the flu you get midway point in the game, it's gonna beat you up pretty good.

So again I appreci DJ doing everything he could to get to this game and get through it.

Yeah, awesome.

And I saw DJ Ivy at the end of the you know, make a good contest to play towards the end.

So I thought the response was great.

I thought JD's pick was was awesome.

All those turnovers those guys got was a lot of them were combination plays where one guy was knocking it out, one guy was tipping it, the other guy's making the play.

Uh, JD's was just one on one man coverage went up, made to play.

It was a big time what's it feeling.

On the sideline start to just snowing the turnover and get.

That.

We have to finish that.

We had exactly what I thought was, we have to finish, you know, And I've got a lot of respect for the Dolphins and the coaching staff there.

They're really good coaches, good people.

But we needed to have a killer instinct to finish that.

Game out, you know, and so we wanted to continue to be aggressive till about the midway point that fourth quarter.

But uh, for our guys, for our sake, for identity moving forward, you know, we need to have a killer instinct and keep throwing the football and keep finding ways to finish drives and not let them try to get any hope and creep back in the game.

And I thought our guys did a great job of that.

Zach Taylor on the forty five to twenty one win over the Miami Dolphins yesterday.

And I know, Dave, when once you get eliminated, there's great debate of how much it means and if you you know draft position and everything that comes with it.

All I know is this, and I know they've been eliminated.

I know it was quote just the Dolphins with the rookie quarterback, and I know there's always the concern of how it may, how it may skew any view of the team going to the offseason and changes needed.

I just know this, to quote herm Edwards, you play to win the game, Bengo, and they won the game yesterday.

And I could you could tell looking at players faces, even on the sidelines there were smiles, there was joy, there was fun to be had, and that has to mean something.

No question, no doubt about it.

Last absolutely, and you know, it's a long season, man, and the to taste the sweet nectar of victory at any point is meaningful.

And and uh, it was a long time coming.

It has been a long time coming.

But this football team believes.

They believe they're better than their record indicates.

They thought they were going to have a really good year this year going into it.

I know that for a fact, they felt like they had a lot of a lot of pieces, like we talked about earlier, a lot of a lot of pieces in place that would hold them in good stead.

They did.

You know, it just has not worked out that way.

And like you said, you know people like Poo Poo and the fact that you beat the Miami Dalson just beat them, spanked them, man, I mean it was.

It was a total butt kicking, took them to the h took them to the woodshed, and gave them a spanking.

There's no no doubt about it.

And uh, in every category that that you could win, they won, and they won decisively and handily.

So it doesn't that doesn't happen in the NFL, particularly traveling to Miami.

Uh, that's a tough trip.

You know, it's significantly long, and then playing in the heat on the road, and then you know, back home and celebrate a little bit.

They played with a lot of emotion, a lot of enthusiasm.

They were excited about it, which is good.

It's a good sign.

Zach Taylor has not lost the football team.

Zach Taylor.

The coaching staff still has, you know, the football team where they want them in terms of listening and absorbing and understanding game plans and how to go about winning football games.

By the way, a nugget to drop into in the segment the forty five points, they're most since they scored forty nine against the Jets October twenty seventh, twenty thirteen.

Wow, that was two hundred and one games ago.

That was the day that Andy threw five touchdowns, four of those two Marvin Jones.

How about that from the past.

That's a good answer to a trivia question.

There, boy, Marvin.

Had four touchdowns that day, eight catches for one twenty two.

AJ had three catches for one point fifteen, and the Bengals beat the Jets and Rex Ryan forty nine to nine that day.

Oh wow, Saxy Rex, he took a thump and yeah he did got beaten by forty.

There is your nugget of the day.

Yes, he's fun to listen to, though I do.

I do get a kick out and listening to Rex Rex always uh, you know he's got something to say, something to say, yeah, and says it in football lingo, you know he does.

And he looks at everything through a defensive perspective, which I enjoy because I look at everything through an offensive perspective initially and then think about the defense and he's the reverse.

He looks at it defensively and then thinks about it how the offense handled it.

Still ahead QB one Joe Burrow with perspective on yesterday, as we were along with Bengals on and the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW, we keep moving right along in this Let Me Night a Bengals, Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred wl W.

And Bengals fans on Fridays, make sure to listen to myself and Dan Horde from Bengals pep Rally presented by Just Bear Chicken on the air from three to six pm on ESPN fifteen thirties.

Get more from QB one Joe Burrow on a four touchdown day quarterback rating of Holy Cow one forty six point five.

Here's Joe on victory and having fun.

Was there any to.

Bouncing back from last week or just another another week?

He's executed better at the end of the day.

You know, T set it off, set the tone for the day with those two big plays early, and I kind of set the tone for number one, how the day was going and number two, how they were going to play us.

I think they had a plan and then those two plays happened and then they had to change their plan.

And that's that's a hy t is who he is and why we value him so much, and he just makes plays like that what makes.

Him so special and it's fantastic to catch situations and how it's hillball for him.

It seems like he's making all.

These Yeah, he's big, long, strong, physical, and he's grown up over the last you know, I don't first first year, he wasn't making a ton of those plays, and then we'd come back in twenty twenty one, he's maybe most of them since that's credit to how serious he takes in how much he works and likes to improve.

The first one was the goal cause it wou where.

It was the goal?

And then what was the second one?

The second one basically turned into that too, basically turning down chus.

Prass talked a lot about his development and trying to be like a receiver bad whatever you've seen, especially how since day and developing in that area.

Yeah, it really provides us a lot of versatility.

And we've been able to put two backs on the field cause we feel so good about Smaje and obviously we feel good about Chase and uh, now that provides challenges for the defense.

How are they gonna take that?

How are they gonna play that with their personnel?

What coverages are there?

Are they gonna play with that?

Cause?

Uh, if I was the defense, I wouldn't feel great about a linebacker cover and Chase in space.

He proved that on his his receiving touchdown today.

And another guy that just loves to improve.

And Chase his first year, I'm not sure he caught a ball in practice, and then he came back the next year and was catching everything and really took that to heart and has improved and it's turning in the players.

Now is what are the players who played sample?

Uh?

Played sample?

Wanted to throw it down when you falling across your body, Yeah, you're thinking maybe.

They shouldn't do this, or do you thinking?

You know?

Well, but I was really just trying to throw it away, and I knew Drew was over there somewhere, so I was just going to throw it to the ground, and then I see Drew wide opening right there, and so I just popped it over to him and then he did the rest.

Uh.

Yeah, it was a crazy one.

What was the uh?

What was it really like on the sidelines on the third quarter as defense is getting stops and you guys are felt like Thompson was running back out.

To go down and score.

But I mean that was like the epit of me.

Yeah, That's that's how it's supposed to look like.

That's what it's supposed to feel like.

So we gotta keep that feeling going these next couple of weeks and build some momentum.

You would obviously, uh win exactly as for Joe flat thought.

You would obviously don't enough to win the game at that point, But did you want to stay in No?

I was good.

I was good.

How fun is it to be out there with all the leathers they were all out there.

Yeah.

You just see how it changes how defenses playoffs and all the different things that they're worried about, and all of our different looks that we show.

And prides.

With more versatility, more things we can do, more personnel packages, it just really opens it up for cause you can.

Feel like some of the highest today and then against Buffalo were some of the pigs would last year.

You know, I feel like today and and against Buffalo were we were really consistent.

You know, how they chose to play us today, I felt like a lot a lot like twenty twenty one.

You know, we we hit our plays down the field when they came, but for the most part, we were getting it, getting out quick, getting it underneath, and our guys.

Were making plays after the catch.

That's really what's critical.

When we get the opportunities, we have to hit them to scare defenses out of playing those kinds of coverages, and then we can start to, you know, get our past game going with all the zones that we like to attack and that our coaches do such a good job of providing those concepts for us and teaching them, showing.

Us what to look at and what we how we have to play each play.

Did they get I think it puts a lot girl.

Did you did you get them out of it to stop doing it or what?

What?

How did you try to?

Yeah?

I just think I think that the Tea's two plays early on really just set the tone.

Like you said, they were pressuring a little bit early, and team makes those two plays and then they they can't pressure as much and when they do, they have to play different coverages behind it, and so that light just get them all out quickly and in the space.

And so it just started with those two from Tea.

We saw you like you.

They had to touch on your routine.

You do kind of made the pressure like that dozens of time, and more than that, throughout your rear in that moment, what you could thinking, what do you feel it?

What what's going on in your head?

Well I just started to to move a little bit, and then I was like, we're in field goal range.

I kind of gotta throw this away at this point.

So I was just trying to find a place that I could dump it and live to see another down.

And drew pops right there.

Great job by him finding the space and realizing what was happening.

You know, Trae.

Drew's improved so much at that over the course.

Of his career.

And then he had another good one on the uh He scrambled left and ended up hitting Jamar, But Drew had a great reaction on that one too.

I could have thrown it to him as well for for a touchdown, it would have been a little more difficult throw, so I chose the the other one.

But Drew's just.

Really embrace his role over the last couple of years and continue to improve and and carve out a bigger role based on how he's performed.

Zach talked about killer instinct and kind of complimentated you guys on that day.

I'm curious how more that is for you.

To stipulating how to keep that role when you have.

One of your teams and one they have.

Yeah, when when you have a chance to to put it away or go up two scores or three scores, you have to take those opportunities.

You have to.

Because teams in the NFL are too good to let him hang around, and you know, guys on the other side of the field are gonna make plays.

That's that's how this league goes, and so when you have a chance to do it, you gotta take advantage.

How much fun, Yeah it was fun.

I'm having fun playing football.

Not playing football is not fun.

And you're sitting in a locker room rehabit all day, that's that's not.

Why you do it.

This is why you do it.

Right here and come back.

This is one of you.

I think this is your second best passive league.

It's a week after he stepped up and said, hey, put this on me personally satisfying.

This is the puns back.

Yeah.

I thought I played a clean game.

I thought I protected the ball for the most part.

I got greedy with one over the middle.

But that's that's how I have to play, play within this game and then take my opportunities to try to make a play when when I can.

But I'm gonna limit limit that for the most part at this point.

But I was just happy with with how we all execute it.

To hear the fifth fastest quarterback to over twenty pass to your career and you're the third player in the first seventy five games.

So pill Rogers gave me more passive touchdowns does.

That mean anything.

I've missed.

I missed a full season of games too, so should have been more.

Joe Burrow after the game, still ahead, Fantastic fun Facts.

We've talked about the special teams.

To put more of a spotlight on the special teams.

With a guy who keeps making plays there, Joe Giles Harris.

As we continue with Bengals Line Bengals Radio Network at seven hundred WLW, he'd.

Move in right along.

On this Monday night, we are flying through our third hour.

We go sort through yesterday's win over the Dolphins, and we've got those Cardinals around the corner of our next segment.

But first, this last pay Corps is proud to be the official HR software provider of the Cincinnati Bengals.

We've talked about how the complimentary football rained yesterday for the Bengals.

They did it offensively, defensively, and with special teams.

Let's put the focus back on special teams each week.

We love Dan Horde's fantastic fun Facts where he kind of pulls back the curtain.

We learn more about the player, more about the person beyond the helmet.

Here is a conversation with the special teams.

Extraordinary Joe Giles Harris and Fantastic fun Facts.

No fantastic fun facts with Dan Ord.

Time for some fun facts with linebacker and special teams stand out Joe Giles Harris.

I know you played football in Montvale, New Jersey, which isn't too far from New York City.

Where exactly did you live growing up?

I lived in New York growing up, so it's about fifteen minute rod right outside of all right outside of New Jersey.

Do you consider yourself a New York City guy, a Jersey guy?

How would you label yourself just.

In New York and not New York City, not New Jersey guy.

I love everybody I'm from New York.

I love that about myself.

I love the energy in New York.

I love New York.

I love everything that it revids and what it's about.

So I tell everybody I'm from New York.

Joe, what sports did you play growing up?

And when did you know that football would ultimately be your path forward?

So growing up we played everything, and then when I got the high school played football, basketball, lacrosse.

But for me football was everything from an early age.

My dad coach high school football from the time I was born, so I've been on the field in pampers and as long as I can remember, and it's the only thing I ever wanted to do.

My mom jokes and will tell stories, so I told her that I wasn't going to college to stay classes.

I was going there for chalk talk and film prep and things like that.

That's what I was gonna do in college.

So being able to be here now, it's a blessing.

But I pretty much knew football was my path all.

You played college football at Duke, which means you were probably a very good student in high school.

Was that important in your family?

Absolutely.

My mom and my grandmother were both teachers, so that was pushed on us big from the early, from early on, and when it came to it, it's like, well why not, do you know, it's the best of both worlds.

I got to play very competitive, powerful football and get one of the best educations in the country, So, I mean it was a win win for me.

Coach k was the basketball coach throughout your tenure at Duke.

Did you interact?

I mean we saw him a couple of times.

I wouldn't say I knew him personally, but there was a couple times he spoke to the football program and you know, going to the game and things like that.

But it was definitely cool to see like a living legend in person, especially his last couple of years I was there, So it was pretty cool.

While you were Duke, you were the three time winner of the Vincent Ray Award, which goes to the best linebacker at Duke.

And Vinnie Ray, of course, is here in Cincinnati played for the Bengals.

He is currently the team chaplain.

Have you two hit it off now that you're here in Cincinnati.

So it's funny, you know, being at Duke for the four years, that was the name I heard every day.

I heard Vinnie Ray would do this, Vinie Ray would do that, Vini Ray wouldn't have done this, or and it was back and forth.

And I didn't actually meet Vinnie until this past year, this past spring at an event the NFL host over the summer, and I got to meet Vini for the first time.

And it was funny because I'm like, I know so much about you, but I don't know you.

And since you know, he's been nothing but a blessing to me and my family and between getting settled in since the Bible studies, meeting with him one on one.

You know, it's been really cool to you know, build that relationship.

And Vinie's a New York guy who went to Duke, and I'm a New York guy I went to Duke, so it kind of just worked out hand in hand.

We're visiting with Joe Giles Harris.

You had a great career at Duke, team MVP, two time first Team All acc or a team captain there your final year, did you expect to get drafted and was it a big disappointment when you weren't?

Oh, I think so.

I think for me, you know, that's obviously for everybody, it's the ultimate goals to get drafted, and when it didn't happen, you know, it hurt a little bit.

But I come from a competitive household and my brother plays profession lacross and things like that, so there was no sulking in the moment.

It was just all right, what are you gonna do to stay?

What are you gonna do to you know, actually make it?

Because you're not the first the first door is not open, so you got to walk to the second door.

So for me, it was disappointing, but I think it also taught me a lot of things about myself, and it taught me that if I really wanted, I had to put in that much more work to get to where I'm at.

And seven years later, I'm still here doing it.

So uh, blessed for how it's gone.

How it started was kind of roup, but you know, figured it.

Out because of the way NFL accounting works.

The roster says you have two years of NFL experience, and it's always annoying to me because the truth is, this is your seventh NFL season, including time that you've spent on practice squads.

It's a good living regardless of what your status is on the roster.

What's been the key for you to remain an NFL player for seven years?

For me, I think it's just been simple.

You know, show up to work every day and work.

There's somebody coming in and take your spot every day.

There's a hundred guys who are getting truts every day, and so what are you doing in that building to stand out on a consistent basis?

So it's you know, I've built a routine being consistent and just being vocal and being a leader.

And when you get your opportuny to make plays, make plays.

That's the league about.

The more plays you make, the longer you stay, the less players you're make, gonna have to find something else to do.

I introduced you off the top as a linebacker, and special teams stand out right now.

Pro Football Focus has you graded number eleven among all special teams players in the NFL so far this year.

You've had several tackles and kick coverage in recent weeks.

How much of special team's success is all out effort and how much is knowledge and technique?

Well, I think you know it's a combination of both.

But shout out you know coach Daron, Coach Ben, and you know the guys in the unit.

You know, I'm just the guy who's been lucky enough to have a couple of tackles these past few games.

But it comes down to film study and just working hard.

And you know, I think for a lot of guys, you know, early on you can kind of look at special teams as that I don't want to play special teams.

I want to be a defensiveuy.

I want to be offensive guy.

But it's just as important.

It's it's just as fun, and you know, guys carve out roles doing that.

So for me, like I told you, just being consistent and doing what I have to do to stay in a building and you know, getting the opportunity to play there and it's been nothing but good to me and kind of opened my eyes a little more special teams the world.

And I just thank my film studying things for being able to be in the right place the right time.

Maybe in a perfect world, you get drafted by a team, you spend a decade with that team, and that's your NFL career.

That's not been the path for you.

On the other hand, you've probably made hundreds of friends, and the different teams you've been with, you've seen how it works in different places.

Says you've lived in different cities.

Have you enjoyed that part of your career.

Absolutely, I don't think any of this for granted.

I've made nothing but great relationships, and you know, just the people I've met along the way have been amazing, and that you know, there's people you met along the way who aren't amazing, but it's just.

Part of the process.

But I'd say the overall knowledge I've gained just from the business side of it, how the NFL works.

You know what locker rooms are like and things like that.

I think it's kind of really helped me, you know, stay focused and stay grounded and things like that, and to really like it's been nothing but a blessing.

Like I've loved this process.

It's been hard.

There's been days where I'm like, this is not it, this is the worst thing in the world, but it's you know, everything's turned the corner for me, and I'm grateful for it.

I came to this lead with no kids.

I have two kids now, two beautiful kids who have now part of this process.

My wife's part of the process.

So it's been good for us.

It's given us a different perspective.

Got to live in different areas of the country, which is cool, you know, being from New York, I only wanted to live in New York.

It was good.

I was able to branch out and do things like that.

But it's been a blessing and I cherished every Every place I've been at has been good for me and my family, and I'm just forever grateful.

All Right, A few wild card topics now for Joe Giles Harris, since you mentioned having two kids, son, daughter, one of each, and what's your favorite thing about being a dad.

My son is two years old and my daughter's one year old, Blaze and Breeze, and I think my favorite part of being a dad is coming home and hearing what they had to say about their day and you know, what they did or what I did.

And my son's at the age where he understands things now and wants to play football.

So I get home and Dad, you didn't make a tackle the day, And I'm like, yeah, I know, I didn't make a tackle.

Money I'm trying, so just that part.

But it's just coming home and you know, seeing there's something more important than whatever you got going on that day.

So I love to My daughter runs to me every time I come in the house, whether it's because she was being bad that day or she just wants to see me.

It is, you know, to be determined, but just.

Seeing their face, seeing their smiles, and remember there's you know, there's people counting on me to be more than a football player, and I think that's the best part about it.

You have a hyphenated last name, Giles Harris.

Was that always the case or did you make that choice?

That's been always the case My mom and my dad neither one wanted to get up their last name, and it sounds great and it's original, and when you see it, you know who I am.

So the only people who have that last name are people blood related to me.

So I think I think it's a blessing.

It helps me stand out and it's unique.

So I appreciate you referenced your brother, JT.

Earlier, a professional lacrosse player for the Denver Outlaws.

He is a three time All Star in the Premier Lacrosse League.

Tell us a little bit about his career.

Oh, well, my brother has been, you know, the best player at lacrosse in my opinion, and I know that probably doesn't carry well because I live in the house, but he's been the best lacrosse player I've seen in a long time.

He plays defense, you know, he played defense playing growing up, playing football and things like that, so kind of translated.

But he's had, you know, a heck of probably a better career than I have had, to be honest.

He you know, was a Defensive Player of the Year in college, All American most of his time in college.

I think he won Defensive Player of the Year already in the PLL.

So he's just a study, handles his business.

He approaches every day coming some of what I do, you know, just attack the day mentality, and he's just a competitor, like there's a fire in him and it burns and he's gonna get his job none no matter what.

Out there than football, what are you good at.

Depends on yes.

I think I'm a pretty good basketball player myself.

Basketball, you know, and I like to just hang out.

I'm a big I love to watch movies and do things like that.

I love history, so I like to watch, you know, the trivia stuff and like things like that and.

Test my brain.

But those are pretty much small things.

I'm gonna all right.

Final fun fact for Joe Giles Harris.

This one's kind of deep.

If you could meet anyone in history, living or deceased, who would that person be.

I say, right now, off the top of my head, probably Barack Obama, and I would just, you know, just want to pick his brain about you know, he was the first black president of the United States, and you know the things he went through growing up and the things he went through as our president.

So just to kind of pick his brain and see where he's at, you know, because it takes a strong person to you know, lead this country, and especially when you're the first of you know, a group to do that.

So just pick his brain and you know, just get to know him.

I think that would be probably the person I want to.

Meet the most.

This has been great, appreciate your time.

Best of left the rest of the year.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

Love the Dan Horde, fun facts and and Joe Giles, Harris Davis is just one of those guys.

It seems Darren Simmons will have an eye for somebody and be able to add him to this and and and they just they become a force.

He just makes tackles on special teams.

And probably at the start of the season there were very few fans who knew of him.

But man, Darren Simmons saw something, plugged him in and he's been rewarded.

And boy, I'll tell you what nobody sees uh or evaluate talent with the eye of a guy like Darren Simmons, who has so much experience in the National Football League.

He was a punter himself.

He understands special teams, understands the importance of special teams, understands the role of a special teams player, and man, he just has a knack for unearthing these guys.

Man, I mean he just out of a group of players when he's at the combine, he finds himself.

Like you talked about Lance nuggets, potential nuggets, and then you know he'll he'll get them signed, cultivate them, you know, just almost like a jeweler turning coal into a diamond.

That's what Darren Simmons does with players, and he's done it for years.

He's he's more than proven commodity.

There's no question about that.

Darren Simmons is as good as it gets in the NFL with special teams.

We continue on with the Cardinals ahead and game balls ahead on Bengals on on the Bengals Radio Network in seven hundred WLW.

We continue on down the stretch all hour tonight of Bengals Line Bengals Radio Network, seven hundred couple ULWI lines with Catlister hanging out as always with Dave Leppham.

Right on Lance and all the fibers, the official Wi Fi and Internet provider of the Cincinnati Bengals and Greater Cincinnati's fastest Internet up to two gig symmetrical speeds a.

Couple of thoughts on those Arizona Cardinals who are three and twelve.

Kind of a mess of a season.

It started out with great hopes.

They started two and oh and they've gone one and twelve since then.

They dropped seven straight late interception yesterday sealed their fate, and three and twelve overall.

Although I would circle and I have highlighted one name tight end of all things, cover the tight end this week, because Trey McBride has one hundred and nine catches for one thousand and ninety eight yards and ten touchdowns this season.

Oh man, man, I'll tell you what.

Hat's tip of the cap.

Hats off to McBride to be the bright spot in such a horrific season for football team three and twelve, and to put up those numbers, man, because obviously he's been targeted.

It's like, this guy is killing it.

This guy's having a Pro Bowl season.

We have to eliminate him as an option as a weapon, and he continues to make plays.

So, you know, credit the Arizona Cardinals coaching staff for finding waste to keep him involved offensively, and credit him for playing at a high level and staying healthy and all those good things.

And making plays and the quarterbacks for finding them.

And but boy, that's a that's a rough season.

I experienced a four and twelve season, and I can tell you it is no fun whatsoever.

I mean, you get tired of each other.

Man, It's almost you know, it's like, when is this going to end?

When is the misery and the drudgery you're going to end?

So and Dave.

That sets it up to me perfectly.

They're traveling.

They got to come all the waycross country here.

It's not going to be cold, but it's going to be about fifty I think I saw on sun.

But this is one of those games where you you cause you want to give the Cardinals a reason to check out early score on the opening drive, get them behind the eight ball, see how interested they are in playing, because they just may want to get back on.

The play absolutely.

You know, their biggest desire may be heading back to Arizona, being with their families.

You know, I mean, start this chrismas, Yeah, why do we have to play a football game?

You know, there's no reason for it.

Plus you want to if you're the Bengals, you want to win the last three.

Yep, you want to go out on a high note.

And it's not great competition obviously Arizona and Cleveland.

But you know, you got one under your belt beating the Miami Dolphins.

Why not get two more?

And people are going to say, hey, you know, but look at the competition.

So what wins in the National Football League you don't take for granted.

They're not easy to come by.

And if you can use it as a building block to get off to a quick start in twenty twenty six, I'm all for it.

Final segment ahead, and that's saving the best for last game balls.

You hear the presentation from the locker room after the victory.

It's Bengals on on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW.

Here we go Final seven the night Plants, but count Lester Dave Lapham the Bengals line on the Bengals Radio Network.

And Bengals fans make sure to catch me and Dan Horde every Wednesday this season for Bengals Game Plan presented by Bud Light on the air from six to eight pm on ESPN fifteen thirty.

When the Bengals win, we love to hear the presentation after the game of game balls.

This is what it sounded like we faced a.

Tune versus the last two weeks, so a lot of people that doubted you.

Okay, I question how you were gonna respond, question how you've been this week.

All you did was respond exactly how our coaching staff and you guys need to respond exactly how you came out here in a vacation weather and week sixteen.

Okay, we know our playoff status, and all you did was handle business.

At halftime, we said we gotta win.

The turnobels seventeen to fourteen, no turnovers to no turnovers.

Came out.

You got four straight damn.

The offense went down, scored four straight touchdown.

The kickoff team was nails, hit them down the second half.

Okay, Ryan ricco four inside the twenty.

I saw kid returners getting loose, Williams toss Brooks, get the poet return, Keyshawn taking one twenty something yonder.

I'll tell you the cub get into more of the stats here.

Okay, everyone's getting a game ball, because for me, that ball was significant.

That game was significant.

Kay.

Every coach, every staff member, every player responded the way we had responded.

We had no other choice.

And all I got, dudes, come down here and kick them.

But I'm probably okay.

But there's some things I want to point out.

Okay.

First of all, o line batcha tails off, Okay.

For starters, Joe Burrow is twenty five to thirty two for three hundred and nine and four touchdowns.

He's the fifth fastest quarterback in the league history to hit twenty thousand yards, my fastest quarterback in the league history to throw it for one hundred and fifty touchdowns.

You know.

Jamar Chase seven games this season with omber one hundred.

That's a Bengals record.

If we went over five hundred career catches, which is the third fastest in NFL.

Hiss Brown three touchdowns today, My second player in Bengals history score three and a quarter.

Mine the second.

The state isn't the biggest.

That touchdown fell great coming back and see Higgins that went back huge, go right early when we're backed up.

Big touchdown on the defensively, Man couldn't be prouder.

Since Week twelve eleven takeaways most of the NFL.

I thought Jordan Battle knocking out Miles Murphy recovering.

The last run.

I thought Josh Duton tipped that ball up and Mark Connor pick it off.

That's all huge fourth and one hand by the entire defense.

That counts as a turnover.

Guys, you proved here we are.

That's a huge character win.

You gotta do it two more times.

Let's keep this out.

That's all.

We love the sound of Victory Bengals beating the Miami Dolphins.

Dave, Merry Christmas, Yid, Merry Christmas, listeners, Merry Christmas, and uh, I like Victory Mondays heading into Christmas.

I'll take it absolutely absolutely, and men, it's a pleasure working with you every week, no question about it.

You guys are prose pros.

And with that said, Merry Christmas to all, into all, good night, perfect.

Ending Bengals on on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW.

This was Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio Network.

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