Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - BENGALS SQUAD SHOW: FAST START is PARAMOUNT this season; NO. 1 SEED, RING OF HONOR, Over/Under Game

Episode Date: May 29, 2026

It's been a proverbial conversation for years surrounding Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals, and it will be that way once again going into the 2026 season. Can the Bengals get off to a fast start? If they can this season, the No. 1 seed may very well be in play.   Alex Frank, Coach Art Valero, and FOX19 Sports Director Joe Danneman discuss how this year's Bengals can get off to that fast start and if the No. 1 seed is a realistic goal this season. It could be with the AFC as wide open as it has ever been.   The Bengals have 12 players on the ballot for induction into their  Ring of Honor this season. Two will get in. Which two should get in? Alex explains who he and his family are voting for and why they deserve to be inducted.   This time of the year is for predictions and projections. In the final segment today, Alex, Coach, and Joe play the over/under game with eight different categories.   Join the Locked On Bengals Insider Community! https://joinsubtext.com/lockedonbengals   Everydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everyday...   Find and follow Locked On Bengals on your favorite podcast platforms:   Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7AObc0l...   Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0...   Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-...   Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!   Square If you’re starting a business, or running one that deserves better tools, Square helps you sell, manage, and grow without slowing down. Right now, you can get up to $200 off Square hardware at https://square.com/go/LockedOnNFL.   FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now new customers can bet just five dollars and get one-hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets if your first bet wins. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started — Play Your Game.   Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast.   Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.   Rugiet Get 15% off your treatment → https://rugiet.com/lockedonnhl Rugiet. Performance medicine for men.   FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I'm Alex Frank. It's proverbial conversation every year, and it's that way again this season. How do the Bengals get off to a fast start? And forget just the AFC North. Can the Bengals finish with the best record in the entire AFC and get the one seed in the playoffs? Today, it's the Bengals squad. Everything Cincinnati Bengals every week. Breaking down all the big hits and game changing plays from the Queen City. the way only the locked on podcast network can. From the jungle to the playoffs, the Bengals squad show starts now. Welcome to the Bengals squad show. It is Friday, May 29th.

I'm Alex Frank alongside. Fox 19 sports director Joe Danaman and coach Art Valer. We are so happy that you have made us part of your day today. It is Friday. The weather is beautiful. We got so much to get to. The Bengals and starting fast. How many times have we talked about this since 2020?

It seems like it's been longer than that. But we're going to have that conversation again. So much so because the AFC may be as wide open as it has ever been in terms of the Bengals being able to be the number one seed in the AFC. That is a possibility this year. Plus, you may have seen the Ring of Honor nominees have been unveiled this week. We'll get into a conversation on that. Had a very good conversation with my family about that at Montgomery Inn last night.

And then we're going to play everybody's favorite game over under. We've got eight categories about the Bengals. for the upcoming 2026 season. Joe D, the last time we had you on was on Friday, May 8th. That was before the NFL schedule was released, and you found out that I do mock schedules, and you were quite fascinated by that. But your general thoughts on the Bengals 2020-6 schedule,

and I hear you may be going overseas this year. Okay, before I jump into that, let me ask you a question. How would you grade your mock schedule? F-minus, minus. It's an impossible task. That's why I don't know why people do mock schedules. The mock draft at least has a little bit of educated guests to it. Mock schedule is just straight guessing, my man.

So maybe next year you can save the time and go to a journey concert instead of doing a mock schedule. I already did that this year, too. Yes, we'll be going to Madrid. We'll be spending six days in Madrid as a famous flagship TV station. So look forward to that. as we get further into the season. My biggest takeaway is I can't wait for game two already. I think the game at Houston is going to be a preview of two of the best teams in the

AFC and something we might see again in January when you talk about the Bengals and the high powered offense and yes, the revamped defense. But on the other side of the ball is what might be the best defense in the entire AFC and right up there arguably the best defense in the NFL and the Houston, Texas. and the way they aggressively attack offenses. That's the one I can't wait to watch. If you asked me to power rank the biggest games of the season, I thought all year long going into it would be Kansas City.

We're always curious when, where, and what it's going to look like when the Bengals played the Chiefs. Of course, the Ravens games, of course the Steelers games. But to me, it's the Houston Texans game in week two. And what a test it'll be for the chemistry of this new Bengals roster. to see what they have going on the road after what is a tough opener with Tampa coming here to Cincinnati in week one. But to go on the road at Houston, a team that feels prime to be ready right there with the Bengals in the mix for one of the best teams in the ASC. I can't wait to see that week too.

I'm so glad you brought that up, Coach. You know what? I think that the way they go about their business and how they solidify themselves, I mean, they already have an offense and an identity. on offense. When you have all the weapons that they have on offense, you already know what they're going to do. So that matchup that Joe was talking about is really good. You're going to find out how good that O-line is, how good the running game is, because you already know the skill players are already really good. Defensively, they're going to find out. Now, what is their identity going to be going into the season to start? They don't know how Al Golden responds, reacts, and they're

don't know how that coaching staff reacts under pressure and in crucial games. So there's going to be a little feeling out in those first couple of games. But you know what? Good players should play good good all the time. Well, there can be a little feeling out in some of those games. But at the same time, when you look at the AFC North and the three teams other than the Bengals this offseason, all the changes that they have over with them, the Ravens changed their coaches, the Steelers changed their coaches, The Browns, well, they're the Browns, and they haven't had a quarterback since Ronald Reagan was in office. So you look at that and you think about the Bengals history in the early part of the season, particularly with Zach Taylor, particularly with Joe Burrow. It has not been great.

We all know that. But this year, they have to get off to a fast start, plain and simple because of that advantage. And it's going to be, but it is, Joe, as you said, and coach you just touched on it, going to be tough with that tough schedule. I mean, Joe, you mentioned Tampa Bay. It's not just their defensive line that we know is really good. Courtesy of Ruben Bain and the other studs they have. Baker Mayfield has torched the Bengals in years past. And we had that conversation on Wednesday show here on the Bengals squad show.

Baker Mayfield, for whatever reason, when he plays the Bengals, lights it up. And you better be ready for him if you're the new look Bengals defense. So Tampa Bay, Houston, Pittsburgh on the road, Jacksonville at home. We saw the Bengals barely beat Jacksonville last year. Now they did it with the back to quarterback, which might make it even that much. more impressive that they did, but they got to find a way to, at the very least, be two and two, right? So this is, to me, a sprint to the buy week.

It's a five-week sprint to the buy-week because for Cincinnati is week six. So what constitutes a fast start? So I think it's easy this year for us to say, okay, let's break out this part of the schedule as a five-week chunk before the by-week as trying to decipher what a fast start is for the Bengals. Let's not forget last year they started 2-0, but that comes with the giant asterisk of the Bengals losing Joe Burrow midway through game two. So it's hard to really see how much that 2-0 start would have been a springboard for this team and their success last year that didn't happen because they lost Joe Burrow during that game against Jacksonville

last year. I'm with you. I think September is really difficult for the Bengals. Obviously, Miami's in a transition. Miami is a team that the Bengals. should take advantage of. I think if you get out of the first five weeks at four and one, you start wondering about seating, right, for this team. It's not just winning the AFC North. It's not just making the playoffs. Now you're talking about a team that can really start to think about getting home playoff games or one of the top two seeds in the AFC. Three and two, I think you'd take it today already. It being May and looking at the schedule, you'd take three and two. Anything short of that, you have to wonder about,

about some of the pressure on the coaching staff because you think back to what Joe Burrough said at his press conference, his first press conference since January, when he talked earlier this month, when he said, we have everything we need. It's the best roster that I've had since I've been in Cincinnati.

Well, that puts all the pressure now on Zach Taylor in this coaching staff. And we understand the way it works. That unless Zach Taylor is holding up the Lombardi trophy, people are going to question him. He's not going to get the credit. He's going to get to blame. That's the way it's going to work with Joe Burrow playing quarterback and Zach Taylor as the head coach here in Cincinnati. But for me, there's a lot of

pressure on the coaching staff at the start of this season in September, these first five weeks, that five week sprint to the by week to say, okay, we gave you the materials, the front office, you've got everything you need inside that locker room. Now deploy it and win games with it. And I think there's a lot of pressure on this coaching staff to get to the by week with a winning record. Otherwise, people are going to start asking questions. Look, no one's going to bail on this season if the Bengals are two and three. But there's going to be a lot of pressure on this team if they don't have a winning record at the buy. Four and one, buy week, take it.

Five and oh, of course, take it. Three and two, I think you're okay. Anything other than that, the fast start, all that stuff's out the window. And now there's a lot of pressure on this football team. Absolutely. I tell you what, Joe just hit it on the head. That is what their fast start has to be by the buy week. And they have to go into it. Because traditionally, hopefully, anyway, I know last year they started out, even though they won a couple of games, they really did not look totally insane. And hey, you'll take the wins. You'll take the wins. But hopefully I think that Zach Taylor is a seasoned enough. head coach to say, okay, however we prepared down the stretch of camp and that first week that we've done before, we need to tweak, whether it be saving legs in camp, whether it be whatever, to make sure that we give ourselves the best chance to get out there and have a winning record

as we end up in a bi-week. I think, if I can jump in there, I think one of the first chance, I think one of the big reasons the Bengals are set up this year to have a faster start offensively because that was the problem last year, week one. The offense just was a mess after the opening drive. And I think a lot of that goes back to the offensive line. You had a rookie starting his first game in the NFL. And then you had basically just a, I don't want to call him a plug-in, but it kind of felt like he was just almost a replacement for what the bang was finally found in Dalton Reisner, Lucas Patrick playing that position. So you had two guards that one was a rookie, the other one was a guy that was just kind of plugged in there as almost

a stopgap, a space filler, until they found Dalton Reisner. And then the offense really took off. This team has the chemistry of their five offensive linemen from last year that Joe Burrow has said, that Zach Taylor has said, has been the best they've had during their tenure here in Cincinnati. Now they have a lot of games under their belt. Now they have a lot of chemistry. Now they'll have another training camp coming up this summer together. So they are set up offensively to be better, to get off to a faster start than they did last year. Joe Burrow notoriously does get off to slower starts. I think that's because of the Bengals offensive line. And there is nothing worse than having an offensive line that doesn't have chemistry and doesn't

have experience at one position of having to go to Cleveland and have that offensive line tested by that defensive line. So that's why it looked clunky last year in week one. The Bengals are much better set up this year to get off to a fast start offensively. And if the fast start offensively is here, then you would hope that the defense is going to be at a level where this team can get off to a fast start playing complimentary football. You know, the funny thing about it is that Joe Burroughs been great at challenging positionally and coaching staff

by just his comments. You know, okay, the best line that we've had since I've been here. That if you're one of those five, one of those seven that are going to travel, you're thinking, okay, we're better than what we were, but we're not where we need to be. And same thing with the coaching staff.

Hey, we've got everything we need. Okay, now it's on you. So they're not doing that to the whiteouts. They're not doing that to anybody else. So I think those little darts are speaking volumes in that locker room. Yeah. These defensive lines that the Bengals are going to face in their first three weeks, you want to have an offensive line that's returning all five starters from last year.

So you can go out there and establish your identity. If you want to run the football more, you can do that. Now, then again, we know the identity of this offense is Joe Burrow, Jamar, Chasing T. Higgins. At the same time, going back to the slow start conversation of where the Bengals need to be at the by week, if they start 0 and 2 or 0 and 3, 1 in 3, or gosh forbid, they're 1 and 4. First off, it be an absolute morale killer of what's been a really good offseason. Second, Zach Taylor's seat becomes scorching going into the biweek. when he's already on the hot seat this offseason,

at least that's in the eyes of some of the fans. And then you start wondering what's going to happen with Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase after the conference. They were exuding this off season and have been exuding this off season. But again, Joe Burrow has said that it's on him and Zach Taylor to unite this locker room and go out on the field and execute. They know what they need to do. So the question is, how do they do it?

And how do they combat their history of slow starts with a faster start? So we're talking to the five week. Hey, you never know. This team not only could win the division. We're talking about a two seed, three seed at least. Heck, maybe the one seed. Yeah, the funny thing about the one seed, and let me start here, I'm not sure who the odds makers are, but putting the Bengals as seventh in the AFC,

the seventh best odds finishing with the best record in the AFC is far too low. It's far too low. And I could name the teams off. You know who the teams are. It's Baltimore. or it's Kansas City, it's Buffalo, let's go down the line. The Bengals should not have odds that low. But if you're a Bengals fan and you like to, you know,

sprinkle a little bit on Sundays or a full season, quite those are good odds to take. Because right now the Bengals are plus 1,100 to be the one seed in the AFC. Not a betting show, not gambling advice. But for the Bengals to be that low is interesting to me, especially considering those same odds makers, have the Bengals favored in 15 of their 17 games before the season even starts. So what's the disconnect there?

It's probably that they're wondering if Joe Broe can stay healthy and play 17 games. I get that. Now, how do the Bengals get off to a fast start? It's so fascinating because this is something that, as you've mentioned, and we've talked about, is it's been talked about so much that it has seeped into the every day of what the Bengals coaching staff is about. Think back to last year. Zach Taylor changed up the schedule of training camp, moved it to mornings, doing everything he can to really jolt this team,

to have the understanding that fast starts have to happen. We've got to try something different. And again, they did get off to a two and no start last year. And it's unfair to say, it's almost incomplete to say, that the changes that the Bengals had last year didn't work because they were working. The Bengals were winning games. And then the whole thing was derailed by Joe Burroughs toe. So to me, it's the idea not necessarily of changing everything.

The Bengals big change they had to made they've already made. It was personnel. It was roster. It was restockpiling this defense to have guys that can make plays in the fourth quarter. They needed closers. Trey Hendrickson is gone. It feels like the Bengals have closers now. Who are they?

Well, we think it's Dexter Lawrence. It could be Brian Cook making the play. Could it be one of the new guys coming off the edge? Could it be Boy A Mafé? It could have been Cash's Hell. They have options now that they didn't have last year of guys who can close games in fourth quarters. That's where the NFL is won. You could pull up the stats and you're going to see the majority of NFL games are one score games in the fourth quarter.

And it's what team can close defensively and then what team can execute four-minute offense. We know the Bengals have the offense to do it. The question is, do they now have multiple options to find closers in the fourth quarter? I think they do, but those guys still have to emerge under this coaching staff. So I don't think that Bengals have to make big changes philosophically to how they're preparing for the season. I think they've already made the changes they had to make to get off to a fast start by getting better players on defense. And they've got that. Now they just have to go do it.

Exactly. You know, I think that's great. The funny thing about it is what they've done in the past, they had to make some, wholesale changes. I mean, you can't, with the way that the defense finished out, you would think that those coaches in that front office would have realized what they had going into the season. And they didn't make any particular star moves on defense.

So could you imagine if they continue to go without getting flacko in a trade when they needed to. Well, the whole ship might have sunk earlier. Yeah, it would have. I mean, I was having a conversation with our good friend Mike Petralia of CLNS Media after the Monday night game in Denver last year. Bengals were two and two still kind of in it. It didn't really feel like they were because Joe Burrell was out. And I asked him what the locker room is like, and he goes, resigned to the fact that this is who they are. And at that time, you're like, well, this front office is going to make an in-season trade. They're probably going to start Rip Ian or Sean.

Clifford if Jake Browning has another clunk or a game, which he did. No, but that's when you saw them go out and get Joe Flacko. So you're seeing that there has been, even going back to last year, even though it may not have been as large of a degree, there is a sense of urgency, I believe, within this entire organization. And Joe Barron, Zach Taylor, know that. Joe, D, am I accurate on that, that there is a sense of urgency in this locker room for this team to finally get back to the kind of football that they know they're capable of playing? The comments I continue to hear from the players inside the locker room. Mike Isicki said this.

Orlando Brown said this. Joe Burrough said this at its press conference. The front office has given us everything we need to go out and win this division and be a Super Bowl contender. Now it's on us to go do it. The urgency is there. How could there not be urgency on the coaching staff when the seat is very warm for the entire coaching staff? And they get that. I think any coach in the NFL with a franchise quarterback with an all pro wide receiver with a pro bowl receiver opposite him would say, okay, if we go three years without making the playoffs, typically we're looking for a new house in a new city.

That's just the way it works in the NFL. So to get now another year with this revamped roster, with that core still intact, the pressure is on the coaching staff and they know that. Okay, that's just the nature of their, of their business that they've chosen. They get that. But for the way the locker room is talking about this roster, this team, Joe Burroughs saying it's the best roster he's had here in Cincinnati. He knows what a Super Bowl roster looks like. He was part of that in 2021. He was one or two plays away from that in 2022.

So he understands what the roster has to look like for this team to have the kind of aspirations that we're talking about on podcasts like this. all over Cincinnati and within the fan base is that this should be a Super Bowl contending team. So they get it. The front office has given them what they need. They've made the improvements where they had to make the improvements. Now, the entire roster isn't perfect. Every team's going to have weaknesses. This team does have weaknesses.

But it feels like to me, the strengths of this team can make up for those weaknesses. That when you're so strong in the passing game in 2006, you won't. walk on to every field having a shot to beat anybody, no matter what you have. Now the Bengals have won a little bit in the margins to make their margin of error a little bit bigger to have multiple ways of winning. And isn't that so important, coach, about a roster and a team having multiple ways of winning because it felt like for a couple of these last three seasons, the only way the Bengals were going to win is if Joe Burrow went out and threw for 400 yards and four touchdowns. And Jemar Chase played like an all-pro player. Now they have.

have multiple ways they can beat you. At least we think they do on paper. We have to see what it's deployed like with this coaching staff. But when you go into a season and you can say, okay, we can win with Burrow or we can win with a revamped defensive line, which is a great way to win in the NFL. And Joe Burrow has talked about that a lot here since the Bengals have made these moves about the idea of defensive line and depth and having that rotation. But it feels like to me, guys, the Bengals now have multiple ways of winning, and that is a powerful thing for a football team when looking at a season. No question. That's true.

That is. You know what? They do have weapons, and they have them all over the place. How fast can you catch them up to speed? I think at this point, as it's starting the OTAs, many camps and into training camp when they come back in July, Okay, tell me about the progression that the linebackers are making. And if, in my opinion, they got those are holes that they still have, how well can we just hide those holes to make them where they're not,

they don't indict themselves? Because someone, that's the one job of a offensive coach is to find their weaknesses and exploit them. And if you can do that, then you're in great. shape. It's felt like in the last few seasons, maybe not last year because Joe Burrow got hurt in week two, but in 22 and 23 and 24, felt like they just really didn't know what they were doing out there. It's like they were playing around and not just staying true to who they were as a team. You look at 2021, you saw very early on the connection between Burrow and Chase was established.

T. Higgins also had his moments in those first four games. If you can get back to that this season, You can have success even against the defenses you are playing. And more importantly, you get off to a fast start. You are going to be in that driver's seat come your week six by to win the AFC North. That's one of the easiest ways to get to the Super Bowl. Another easy way, be the number one seed. How realistic is that for the Bengals this season? That conversation next coming up on the Bengals Squad Show.

Today's edition of the Bengals Squad Show is brought to you by game time. You know, we can stream anything, order food and minutes, do everything from our phones. I do everything on my laptop, though, and somehow buying tickets to live events still feels way harder than it should be. Isn't that the truth? Long lines, confusing checkout prices jumping at the last second. It shouldn't be that complicated. Well, that's where game time comes into play because it gives fans the advantage and makes getting tickets fast and simple. So I was just looking at tickets for the upcoming journey concert here in Cincinnati and in addition to all the sporting events I go to. And it took me minutes to find great options. Full price up front.

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Take the guesswork out of buying tickets. Every type of event with GameTime. You can download the GameTime app, create an account, and use code locked on for $20 off your first purchase term supply. Again, create an account and redeem code L-O-C-E-D-O-N for $20 off. Download the GameTime app today. Here's something really interesting when it comes to the number one seed in the AFC. Fifteen of the last 25 AFC championships in the AFC have been won by the Patriots or the Chiefs,

which is just mind-boggling. And yet, it feels as if the AFC is as wide open as it's ever been. And I say that because you look at the last five number one seeds in the AFC. Tennessee in 2021. Bengals knocked them out in the divisional round of the playoffs that year. Kansas City in 22. And we don't like how that season ended. The Ravens in 23, lost in the AFC title game to Kansas City.

The Chiefs in 24 somehow got to the Super Bowl. The Broncos last year, who I'm convinced that they had Bill Nicks would have won the AFC championship. So Kansas City, yeah, twice. Tennessee, Baltimore, Denver. That's four different teams that have been the number one seed. the last five years. My point is, I'm coaching Joe in the AFC that is wide open. If the Bengals get off to that fast start, who's to say they can't be the number one seed in

the AFC? Who's to say knowing what we know about Joe Burrow and knowing what we know he can do in December and January and November for that matter? The Bengals could be sitting atop the conference and if teams have to come to Cincinnati in the playoffs, good luck. Let me say this about the Bengals and the one scene. I understand we're on a Bengals podcast, so I'm not going to say they don't have a shot at it. The Bengals absolutely have a shot at getting the one seat. The schedule makers and the people that crunched the numbers say the Bengals have

one of the easier schedules in the NFL. I would argue once the schedule was laid out and saw it, this was a little bit tougher than I thought it was going to be. Would I pick the field over the Bengals? Yes, I would pick the field over the Bengals. But that's not me saying the Bengals don't have a chance here. when odds makers again say that you should be favored to win 15 of your 17 games, you should have a great chance of finishing with the best record.

My biggest holdup on the Bengals getting the one seed is their division, is that their division is too hard, is that their division has one of the other favorites to win the AFC in Baltimore, that Pittsburgh is always around 500, if not better. And, you know, people keep saying this about the AFC North. And I think it's interesting. And I think you hinted at it earlier on in the podcast was the idea that the turnover of coaches versus the continuity of the Bengals. Everybody thinks that's a blanket advantage for the Bengals, that Baltimore has a new head coach, and Pittsburgh has a new head coach, and Cleveland has a new head coach.

Maybe things were getting stale in Pittsburgh with Mike Tomlin, in Baltimore with John Harbaugh. That these teams hadn't been getting to where they wanted to go and they needed somebody to come in. and re-evigorate energy and have some new ideas. And maybe it takes half a season for them to feel comfortable and establish an identity. I just push back a little bit on the idea that it's a blanket advantage for the bench. Coach, go ahead. Oh, I think that Joe was on to something very, very, very important for people to remember that as you start to go during this saying, hey, the Bengals got a shot.

They've got a 16 other teams have got the same shot, or excuse me, 15. Everybody's got a chart when you start out this season. If they can truly get off to a very, very, didn't have to be an extremely fast start, but just a quick start, have some in the bank. Now they know that they're progressing as they start to go, because you've got to remember, even though to get the one seed, you're in a race to get the, you're in a race to get the, you know, to the five week, but then you've got a 12-week run that's coming up back to back to back, plus a trip to Europe and you're coming back. There's a whole lot of things, and it's how they

manage themselves, and some of those young draftable players step up to the plate. The great thing about what they have done is they've, and for the coaching staff, is they've made some quality free agent signings. So they knew they were in the bag. And they were theirs. The draft choices, at times when you're sitting on the warm seat, you're thinking, are we dropped in these three, four, five, six, seven round draft choice for somebody else? Or do we actually get to work with them and have them contribute, not only on special teams, but on offense and defense, to help us out?

And so they have the free agents in the building. they have their veterans coming back, and now they'd have to gel those guys, and they'd slowly be able to bring on those rookies and three agents, undraftable free agents that just signed. Joe, you bring up a great point about how things may have been getting stale in Baltimore and Pittsburgh, and I agree with you, because it definitely felt that way with John Harbaugh and the Ravens. In fact, Steve Bichotty, I think, yeah, it was Steve Bishotty, who said after, the week 18 game. If the Ravens had won that game of Tyler Loop had made that field goal,

yeah, the Ravens would have won the AFC North. But he said, well, John Harbaugh would have been here for only one more week. And that means because that would have been up to the Ravens wildcard playoff game, or would have been. Pittsburgh, yes, I mean, Steelers fans tell me all the time how we're telling me the last three years, how sick and tired that we're at Mike Tomlin. My counter is this. Okay. Mike McCarthy has won a Super Bowl. And he was a much better head coached than he's ever been giving credit for. I firmly believe that. But that was 16 years ago

that he and Aaron Rogers won the Super Bowl. I'm not saying they're not going to be good this year, but if they think Mike McCarthy is going to do that much better than Mike Tomlin, that's where I kind of push back a little bit. Now, the other side to this is with the schedule that you brought up here, it is a tough schedule. I mean, those first five weeks aren't easy.

Even Miami you can't overlook. And then you talk about not getting to buy after the Madrid game. You have back-to-back road games around the holidays. You play Baltimore and Cleveland to close out the regular season. Plus, you have a game in Cleveland before you play Kansas City. Joe, how surprised were you that Bengals did not get a buy after going to Madrid? Sure, I'm surprised. And I think that's not great for the Bengals.

Obviously, they would want that kind of buy coming back from that. But they will be, here's the thing. The Bengals will be getting back from Madrid Sunday night. You know, they'll get on the plane right after the game. They'll get back and they'll have their full week. It might feel like some jet lag. It might be a little bit tired at the start of the week, but they are going to get back at a reasonable time to get their week going.

But let me finish my point here on the Bengals Division and why I think the Bengals Division is the biggest hindrance to this team getting the one seed. There are no gimmies in the AFC North. No. There are gimmies in the AFC East. There are gimmies in the AFC South. The AFC West, I would still consider until I see Fernando Mendoza, rookie quarterback perform at a level where we think he can be dangerous. It still feels like

the Raiders are still a bit of a gimmick. There is no such thing in the AFC North. It is six hard football games against Baltimore, against Pittsburgh. And as much as we know it here in Cincinnati, Cleveland, yes, does give the Cincinnati Bengals problems. So the other contenders for the one seed have an easier path, maybe outside of Baltimore, who's also in the AFC North. Buffalo and New England, two teams that we would think would be contenders. They've got the Jets and the dolphins, the Houston Texans, they've got the Tennessee Titans to beat up. And then the two teams, maybe the three teams out west. The Chiefs, the Chargers, and the Broncos, teams that we all think could be playoff teams should be playoff teams, maybe in competition to be the one seed.

Those are teams that might beat up on each other, but they do have the Raiders to beat up on. So my biggest pushback to the Bengals having the best record in the AFC and getting the one, seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs and the by week, all the great things that come with a fantastic regular season is the Bengals don't have a gimmie game in division. They have six hard games that we see every year are difficult to beat these teams no matter who's coaching, no matter what the rosters look like. They are hard games. The Bengals don't have a gimmie like other teams and other divisions. That's why to me, if I were betting and you said, okay, bangles against the field for the AMC one seat, that would say,

say, I'm taking the field. That's the smart bet. Can the bangles get the one seat? Absolutely. They got the roster. They got the quarterback. They got the continuity to do that. Yes, they can do it. But to me, the biggest hindrance is the fact that their division is just built different than the other three because there's not a gimmy in the AMC North. That's a great point. I was thinking about this last night. 10 or 11 wins may win the AFC North. It might. Because there's a possibility that once again, every team could beat each other up. The Bengals have not had a winning record in the division since 2021. They've been three and three and three of the last four years.

And the one year they weren't, they were one in five. So you're absolutely right when you talk about that there are just simply no gimmies, no days off, games off, whatever, coach, in the AFC North. You know, and that's the great thing about their division is that they're going to have to be up for every game. And if you looked at just a division, You know what? They're going to have to sweep two teams in order to be on top where they want to be. And it's not an easy task to do.

You know, even the guys up the street. You know what? How many times have they split with them? You know, way too many. And you got to win those. You got to win the games you're supposed to wins and then pull one out and then at least split with somebody else. and in order to get it. And they can't be looking at this,

either that you're frightening, and scratching a clon for a wildcard bit, you know? So if they win 11 games, you know what? I would say, hey, they won their division and they should be in. Yeah, I mean, that's the thing.

Because if you win your division, you get at least one home playoff game. And if you have to go on the road, Joe Burroughs won three playoff games on the road. So do the Bengals need the number one seed to go to the Super Bowl? Not necessarily. It would be nice for them to have. But given how tough the AFC North is, and then you talk about, Joe, as you were mentioning, other teams in the AFC, Houston's defense is unbelievably good.

They won 12 games last year. They upgraded on offense this off season, trading for Cincinnati native, David Montgomery. You look at the AFC East. Yes, the bills have a new head coach. Last time I checked, they still have Josh Allen, a quarterback. He's pretty good. New England won 14 games last year and won the Super Bowl. Now, I think they're going to take a step back this year because their schedule is brutal.

But you look at the AFC West, Denver won 14 games last year. They have a very good quarterback. I'll be coming back from injury, but they have a very good defense. Kansas City still Kansas City. It remains to be seeing how Patrick Mahomes does this year coming off of injury. The Chargers, they're the offseason champions every year, but they are good enough for 10 or 11 wins. So that's a lot of competition out there where if you don't win your division,

then it's like, okay, are you one of the three best teams of the remaining 12? So shifting the conversation a little bit from that number one seat, if the Bengals are fighting for a wild card, and they're going to be one of those three teams to get it. That's an interesting question. That is. I mean, you look at it too. I mean, with the, take the ASC West,

a wildc, not only is the division champ, a wildcard spot is going to come out of there. You know, so that eliminates it. Maybe two. You've got, whoever wins it, Buffalo or New England. The other one's got a chance. to get in it. You know what I mean? So now you're kind of playing with fire. Best thing to do is, hey, prepare yourself for each game. Go out there and win them all.

You know? We could just list the teams right now. And, you know, teams that were in the playoffs last year, people are projecting to make the playoffs. And let's just go across them. It's Buffalo, it's New England, it's Cincinnati, it's Baltimore, it's Jacksonville, it's Houston. And then three teams out west, Kansas City, Denver, and the Chargers. Some of those teams aren't going to make the playoffs. That's how deep the AMC is. And Alex, you mentioned 10 or 11 wins might get to the one scene. Somebody's going to win 12 or 13 games. Somebody's going to get breaks. Someone's going to be hot. They're going to have a great season. They're going to get to that number. It just always works out that way based on the way a schedule kind of works. And the bangles have had some years you go

back and look at. And they had stretches of facing backup quarterbacks like six out of eight weeks. And they get breaks and things go your way. And you have a big year. And so somebody's going to get that. But when you lay it out and you talk about the eight, nine, ten teams in the AFC that are going to be in competition for those playoff spots, good football teams are not going to make the playoffs this year in the AFC. It is, it is really difficult, A, to win enough games to make the playoffs. It's even more difficult to win your division. And it's extremely difficult to be the one seed. That's why it's hard to sit on a podcast, even though it's a bank podcast in May and say, yeah, the Bengals should be the one seat. I'm not going to go that far and say

the Bengals should be the one seat. They're one of the five, six, seven teams who are going to be in that conversation. This roster has earned that. They deserve that. But for this team, given the schedule they've got and given the division they play on, play in, it still feels like an outside chance of getting the one seed as opposed to being looked at as one of the favorites to get the seat. It's going to be a tough AFC. It's going to be a tough AFC north. Shifting the conversation from tough to honoring Bengals grades, the Bengals Ring of Honor nominees were unveiled earlier this week. Who should get in and the one player who may actually be a very easy vote to induct that conversation next on the Bengal Squad Show. I'll start by saying this when it comes to the Bengals

ring of honor. I take who we vote for in my family who's as season tickets since 1968 very seriously because our votes count the maximum of the of streak members who get to vote for the ring of honor. So we were talking about this last night at the boathouse here in Cincinnati, my cousins, my uncle and I of who we were going to vote for. We've come to who we are going to vote for. And that is Chris Collinsworth and Bob Trumpy. Now, that doesn't mean they'll get in. It doesn't mean that they should get in and maybe some of you think listening to the show that they shouldn't get in or one of them shouldn't. So let me ask you, Miss Judy, who should, in your opinion, get into Bengals Ring of Honor to the show?

Because after this year, it goes down to one player annually. I hope it's two of the original nominees list, two of the OGs, because the shame of it is, is that Bob Trump, he's not around to see when he eventually gets into the Hall of Fame. And look, AJ Green, Gino Atkins, Andrew Whitworth, these guys are going to get a Hall of Fame votes, right? They're going to be in the Bengals Ring of Honor. They're young guys. They've got a lot of time.

they're going to get there. I would like to see, and this is a PSA to Bengals fans and season ticket holders who do have votes in this process. Let's get the old guys in, old der guys in first. I'm a little bit different than you. I think James Brooks should be in the ring of honor already. I think James Brooks is one of the best players in franchise history. James Brooks was Marshall Falk before Marshall Falk. I mean, the guy had in eight seasons in Cincinnati, 10,000 scrimmage yards, more than 60 touchdowns in eight seasons,

went to a Super Bowl, won the AFC championship. James Brooks would be one of my guys. I think the other guy would be Bob Trumpy. I think there's a good groundswell for a beloved Cincinnati figure because not just a great football player. And we saw this with Dave Lapham and the fan base wanting lap to go in.

It's not just the football player. It's the person. It's the impact in Cincinnati. What Bob Trumpy had on the field, plus what he did as a personality and a name and a figure in Cincinnati needs to be celebrated. So my two would be James Brooks and Bob Trumpy. And again, my biggest hope is that Bengals fans rally around the OGs, so to speak. And we get two of those guys in because Gino Atkins, A.J. Green and Andrew Whitman. are going to have their day. There's no doubt about it. They're three of the best players to

ever wear Bengals colors. They're going to have their day. Let's get some of the older guys in because once it goes down to one person per year, it's going to be really hard for this fan base to pass on clicking that box for AJ Green and Andrew Whitworth because of how good they were, how popular they were. And Gino Atkins as well, who's one of the best graded players in franchise history. So I hope it's two of the older guys. I would go, James Brooks and Bob Trumpy. Coach, I know you haven't been on the Bengals beat as long as Joe D and I have. But from what you know about them, from the great players that they've had, the players that are

on the ballot this year for the Ring of Honor, what Joe D is saying, James Brooks, by the way, Joe, you and I think clearly on similar wavelengths, as I said last night at dinner, James Brooks was Marshall Falk before Marshall Falk came around. Coach, how would you feel if James Brooks and Bob Trumpy were inducted in the Ring of Honor this year? You know what I think it would be outstanding, although I, I will say this, that I think Bob Trumpy needs to go in. What he has brought over the years to the Bengal fan base is outstanding.

Yeah. I'm leaning, even though James Brooks was the quality of person and player that he was, I'm kind of leading on the defensive side of the ball because I understand how difficult, you know, Bengals have always had pretty good offense. defensively has always been overshadowed. So the Reggie Williams or Dev Fulter, those are the guys that I would like to see in there because of what they have done for this franchise defensively.

How about that? I like that direction or going there, Coach, because I think in that same breath, you could talk about a guy like Gino Ackins and what he did and being one of the best, if not the best defensive tackle in the NFL at his position. for a decade playing his whole career with the Bengals. I mean, that matters.

And I think about him. I mean, even a guy like Carlos Dunlap, yeah, he left on bad terms, but he was a great player when he was here. He may have his day eventually. Reggie Williams is interesting. Kind of gets overshadowed a little bit because he played with Ken Riley, and he played with a bunch of really good players on offense. Ken Anderson, Chris Collinsworth, and other guys, Anthony Munoz, especially.

But I just think, again, Bob Trump, he may be an easy, vote. I don't think you can go wrong with whatever two players get in. Is that accurate? No, you're right. And I think, no matter what I say or what anybody on a podcast says, I think when we get to the game in the weekend, it's going to most likely be Bob Trumpy and A.J. Green. I don't see how, yeah, I think Bengals fans, and think about season ticket holders, you know, guys like me in their 40s, guys in their 50s. I mean, AJ Green was the face of the Bengals for five, six years. And he plays a glamour position that when it's put in front of them, right? And that box is sitting there.

How do you not punch AJ Green? And AJ Green was an absolute treat to watch, to cover, to be around. He was a first class football player and a first class person in this city. I think people are going to have a hard time not punching the box of AJ Green when it's put in front of their face when they start voting here in a couple of days. But again, I hope I hope Bengals fans understand the assignment and get some of the older guys in first. But I really think people are going to have a hard time considering how beloved AJ was, how good he was, how much he carried this team to playoff appearances year after year after year with Andy Dalton as his quarterback. It's going to be hard for people not to push his name. Not to mention, too, with AJ Green.

He was the Bengals' first round traffic in 2011. That was at a time, a very low point for the franchise. They were being viewed nationally as a tremendous and heavy punching bag. He and Andy Dalton brought them back, stabilized the franchise. Five straight playoff appearances, as you mentioned, Joe. That stuff matters to a lot of Bengals fans of multiple generations, including me. I think that's a great point about AJ Green. Now, speaking of wide receiver, if Chris Collins,

Worth does get inducted this year. How would you feel about that? Be great. Be awesome. Just like Trumpy, you know, I'm not just a great player, but a great ambassador for the organization and what he's gone on to become.

Not only would it be an awesome weekend here in Cincinnati. If Chris Collinsworth name is attached to a ring of honor, it's going to get national coverage. And a lot of people are going to be talking about and focusing on the Bengals because he's a national celebrity now. And so I think that would be. great. It would be awesome. It will be deserved. The thing is, all seven guys that are still left from the original nominees list, if we said, we're going to throw all seven in this year and be done with it,

honor them, and then we can move on and just do the one a year from that on. It would be awesome. Because all seven guys deserve to be in the ring of honor. There's not one guy fans could vote from the list of original nominees that I would say, oh, the fans got it wrong. And the Bengals wouldn't put them on the nominees list unless they thought they were worthy. of going in the ring of honor in the first place. So there's not one person you could give me from the original seven that are still left, that I would say, ah, they got it wrong. In fact, I think all seven should go in.

Let's just do that this year. All seven of the original nominees is in, and everybody's happy. I'm okay with it. That's a great call because they're all deserving. They're all great football players and, you know, what they've done for the city. hey every every generation has embraced each of them and I think that's that's the great thing and it's about time they all get in yeah yeah I mean that's why the Bengals is started the ring of honor in 2021 when you know Ken Riley passed away in the summer of 2020 and you know it was a very

emotional time for his family he obviously sadly wasn't here to enjoy it and the same thing unfortunately is going to happen to when Bob Trumpy gets in but I think it also shows that like the OGs they should be in like James Brooks should be in eventually Chris Collinsworth should be in Max Montoya should be in. If there's any other player I'm forgetting that should be in like yes Joe you mentioned it. AJ Green Andrew Wilburne-Regino Atkins they're all going to be in. I mean there are players that play for the Bengals right now who will be in. Joe Burroughs should be in the day after he retires whenever that comes.

Same with Jamarge. Same with T. Higgins. I'd even put Marvin Lewis in the Bengals bringing on our. Now we're going to another conversation that we've got to. frankly, don't have the time for on this show. But always a fun conversation, always a fun time as a season ticket holder to vote for two players who should be inducted. Coming up, we're going to play our favorite game here on the Mangal Squad Show over, under, and just wait to you hear the categories for that.

All right, so we got eight categories here that we are going to give a number for over under said number. And you can go either way. So these are eight categories looking at. at the Bengals for the upcoming in 2026 season. We will start with Joe Burrow touchdown passes over under 35. I'll go first.

Over. And what was the final comment that Joe Burrow made at the end of his press conference? He was asked, what's one individual number or milestone you're looking forward to? And he said, yeah,

all-time touchdown passes in franchise history. and he asked what that number was, and he was told 47. He said, that's doable. Yeah. Here's the thing about Joe Burrow. It is three seasons where he's completed a full season, 2021, 22, and 24. In 21 and 22, 16 games each season, he had 34 and 35 touchdowns respectively. In 2024, 17 games, 43 touchdowns.

Now, the one thing. and I'll talk about this as we talk about all these over unders is the defense is should be better this year will be better you have to wonder how much Joe Burrough is going to be playing catch up and throwing passes in the fourth quarter as opposed to four minute offense and running out clocks but if the number is 35 I'm going up because when Joe Burrow plays a full season and I think for this exercise we have to assume hell yes I'm going up up. These numbers are based on 17 game averages, by the way. Coach. At 35, he's going to, he'll get more than that. I love the matter of, I'm saying he gets

the over. I love the matter of fact nature of this. Well, you know what? To a game, for a guy of his quality, you're not necessarily playing from behind. You're now actually staying aggressive. I'm thinking he's, he's more incapable of getting in the 40s. But I'm thinking if It's just an average go. 35, that's nothing to him. I'm going over. Plain and simple. He's got all the weapons to do it.

If he stays healthy, there's no reason to suggest why he wouldn't throw for more than 35 touchdowns. Jamar Chase over under 1,490 receiving yards. I'm going under on that one. Yeah, I think that might be an upset for Bengals fans because it feels like Jamar Chase now is in the middle of his prime prime and should be primed to have a monster year. He will. That's Jamar Chase. He's the best of what he does in the world right now, if you ask me, the problem is, and I'd mention this in my Joe Burrow comment, I think the better Bengals defense will hurt Jamar Chase's numbers more than anyone on this team. And by hurting Jamar Chase's numbers, he's still going to catch 115 balls for 1,400 yards and score 13

touchdowns or so. He's still going to have an all pro level year. He's still going to be worthy of a first round draft pick in your fantasy draft. But if you're asking me to make a bet on over under, I think it's more likely under. Only two guys last year in the NFL went over that number of 1,500 yards. It was J.S.N. and Puka. Now, Jamar's on that level. He can do that. But the thing about JSN and Puka is it feels like sometimes a quarterback spams them the football, a little bit more than Joe Burrow does to Jammar Chase. Now, his target numbers, interestingly, I looked this up today. His target numbers have gone up every single year in the NFL.

They can't go over 185 targets. He got 185 targets last year. And a lot of those were from Joe Flacco, who was throwing to him more than 20 times a game, multiple times last year. Joe Burrow spreads the ball around a little bit more than Joe Flacco does. The defense is going to be better. The Bengals are going to be a more. four-minute offense as we think this year. I say slightly under 1490 for Jamar Chase.

Fair enough. A very good explanation, too. Coach. I've got to agree with under. But not by much because I tell you what, that's a monster season to have. And Joe Earl has too many weapons. You know, you look at the other whiteouts that were at that level last year. they were the go-to. They didn't have a Higgins on the other side. They did not have a tight-in that created things that could happen or a back necessarily that came out of the backfield and caught 65 balls. So I think that he's slightly under that, but just slightly.

I'm going over and I'm going to tell you why I am. I understand the Bengals have a lot of mouths to feed on offense. I understand that the Bengals may not have to play as much catch up, so you may see a more prevalence in the running game. But looking at Jamar Chase's numbers, and I'm on Pro Football Reference.com. Jamar Chase last year had 1412 receiving yards. Well, he missed one game, and I have a hard time believing he wouldn't have gotten 79 years to get over that 1490 mark. 2003, he, I think, was going to hit that mark if Joe Borough hadn't gotten hurt. 2022, he missed five games.

One of those games was canceled, so it really doesn't even count he missed it. If he hadn't been hurt, I believe he would have had well over 1,490 yards. And in his rookie season, for what it's worth, he was taken out of the game, the final game of the regular season against Cleveland. They let him play to break the single season, Bengals single season record for receiving yards, which he did. If he had played that whole game, he probably would have broken that record. So I'm going to go off of what I think he would have done previously,

in addition to what he has done, and say that Jamar Chase will go over 1,490 receiving yards. over under T. Higgins nine touchdowns. This is an easy over for me. When T. Higgins plays a certain number of games, he hits that number. Last two seasons, he's been over that number. In 2024, he played in 12 games and caught 10 touchdown passes. Last year played in 15 games and caught 11 touchdown passes. So if we're going into this again for the exercise, assuming he plays the number of games he would need to get that number,

I say easy over T Higgins of nine plus touchdowns. I agree, coach. I agree as well. I mean, he is a big target in the red zone. Very sure-handed. I think he gets that. All right, this one's a good one here. Over under Chase Brown,

1187 rushing and receiving yards combined. This is a smash, yes, over. Smash. This is liquidate my bank. account and put all of it on James Brown to go over this. 1,500 total yards last year and the Bengals' offensive line was a mess

for six weeks and he was one of the worst running backs when it came to rushing yards per carry the first six weeks until they figured it out. This is an absolute smashover contract year entering the prime of his prime, the peak of his career.

When you add all this together, continuity on offensive line, his role in the Bengals offense, the ball, catching the ball, and the defense now that's better, that should give the ball to the offense more and have him. And I, yeah, I would admit that four-minute offense is probably maybe a little bit more Somaget P ride to Chase Brown. But when teams are tired in a fourth quarter and you're down by a touchdown, Chase Brown's going to pop a long one or two and that's going to chew up yardage in this season. I am a smash over for Chase Brown. I think he's a second round fantasy pitch.

I would be okay, him being your number one running back if you went wide receiver in the first round, all of it. I have all the stock on Chase Brown in 2006 to have a monster year. I think this will be his biggest year in the NFL when it comes statistically. No further explanation, indeed, your honor from me, coach. I'm buying Chase Brown stock right now. And it's not because of his ability to run the football. But you get 65 balls coming out of the backfield with clear space to be able to run. And just a thousand-yard rusher these days is what, like 57 yards a game?

It's an easy money. It's a slam dunk. Yeah. All right. Let's go to the defensive side. Over under 37 sacks on defense. I want to take some unders here. But I'm going to go over again on this one.

What? 37 sacks. 37. I did take one under with Jamar Chase. 37 sacks is league average. We would all agree on this podcast now just by looking at the roster. This defensive line is not league average. It should be above league average. Yes, there are question marks. Will Miles Murphy keep taking the steps he took last year? Will Cassius Howe or Shamar Stewart pop? Will Dexter Lawrence find his, find the quarterback, get off those double teams and make plays? Can Boy A. Maffe be the guy that can step in and be to kind of closure they have with Trey Hendrickson.

But you know what I'm doing? I'm naming names. I'm naming options. The Bengals, if you want to hit home runs, okay? You've got to send home run hitters up to the batters box. And one of these guys is going to run into it, right? If you have eight or nine different guys that can hit the ball out of the ballpark, one of these guys is going to do that during a game.

And the Bengals have six, seven different guys that we all think could have multiple sacks this year. Go up and down the line. They didn't say Jonathan Allen, B.J. Hill. There's another guy. You can probably kick in for another four or five sacks between those two. Yes, I'm going over 37. That's league average.

Bengals will be above league average in sacks this year. Okay. I'm going to take the under here. Just because, again, I'm not really sure how well this defense is going. How much improved this defense is going to be? They will be improved. And they have a lot of waves that can come at you. I'm just not sure if it's going to be 37 sacks.

Coach, what's at you? You know what? I'm going to take the over. And the reason why is because of their schedule and the potential quarterback starters, which of those quarterbacks are hanging on to the ball a little bit longer than Patrick Behance. Patrick Behhombs can get the ball out. No sacks versus Kansas City. But I guess some of the other people that they're getting ready to play, those guys will hang on to the ball a little bit longer. And now if they want to step up in the pocket, those two defensive tackles will rally around it. And I think that they have a great chance to end with the weapons that they have outside. They have a chance to be an over team. All right.

So you two are over. I'm under. That's okay. Over under 31 defensive takeaways. Under for me on this way. Same here. Yeah. I think it's just too high of a number.

And they should be better this year. Look, if you affect the quarterback and we all think they should affect the quarterback, better in 2026. Then you're getting strip sacks. You're getting tip passes. You're getting the ball out quicker than maybe the quarterback wanted to and maybe he makes mistakes. So it should lend itself to more takeaways. But it feels like too big of a jump from what they were last year, which was a total of 20 takeaways, a minus four differential last year. It's a big thing the Bengals have to fix this year to be a playoff team and a playoff contender. But to go from 20 to 31, coaches and coach you might be able to speak to this. And football players will often say that a lot of

times turnovers are hard to predict. They're hard to create, but you've got to give yourself chances to do that. And I think the Bengals are better equipped to do that this year with what they bring up front. But I'm going to go under, I think 31 is too many for a team that only had 20 last year. You know what? They do have new safety. Who's going to be very, very interesting to see how he's able to put himself in position, but that is an awful big number to be able to make that jump and to get. If they can get that, I'll tell you what, you don't have to do a lot. They're going to create a lot of short fields for the offense. And hey, you know what, talking about that number one seed deal, you got a chance now. It'll be like how it was the last

time the Bengals played Tampa Bay when they forced four consecutive turnovers and has short fields pretty much the entire second half in that game. I was at that game. Let's go to Evan McPherson. Over under 83.2 field goal percentage and 95.3 extra point percentage. I'm going over on this one. I think quietly Evan McPherson was one of the real success stories last year. Yes.

And what was a down year? A great bounce back year for him. He was 20 for 20 on field goals under 50 yards. He was five for eight on field goals over 50 yards, made a 63-yarder. Would have hit an absolute bomb at Lambo if the play wasn't stopped. If I recall, right, it was an unbelievable kick. Yep, okay.

I'm going to go over. He typically hovers around 83 to 85 percent outside of the outlier of 2024 when he was injured and trying to kick through it. And he was a mess. And the number suffered because of it. I'm going to go over momentum from last year, confidence back, confidence back from the coaching staff to put him out there to, attempt some. And maybe that might ding his numbers a little bit because they might have more

confidence in this team to go for it over 50 yards. But Zach Taylor has always shown the propensity that he would rather go forward on fourth and medium or short than try a 55 plus yarder, depending on the situation. He likes to put the ball in Joe Burroughs hands. I'm going over. Evan McPherson bounced back last year. That's who he is. He stays there this year. No question. He bounced back. Career high in field goal percentage at 89.3. I'm over on both field goals and extra point percentage coach. Hey, I'm an over as well. I think he was one of the bright spots in the organization last year. You knew that even though they had their struggles on both sides of the ball, that's one thing that they did play very, very well at, and that was

special teams, and he was a major part of that. And as we all know, special teams, very important in the game of football. Final category, this is an overall team category. Over under nine wins this year. I'm over on that one. I think this is it. I think this is an 11 win roster that might win 10 games, that might win 12 games, that might win 13 games. But I feel like looking at the roster, the way it's constructed, feels like an 11 win team. The schedule spooked me more than I thought it would. And I mentioned that earlier in the show that when I saw it laid out, look, we knew the teams, we knew that where they would be playing. But when we saw lined up. There are some spots. September looks tough. December is a closing difficult stretch

for this team. The bounce back from Madrid to a primetime game against the heated rival is difficult for this team. So while it might look like they could win 12 or 13 games and compete for that one seat, I think it's likely an 11-ish win roster. That's why I go easy over nine wins for this team. I'm on over. I'm an over because I think they're right now, if we started this Sunday, I said they have the potential with the schedule where the buy is, starting out with the new additions. I say they're in a good position to win 10.

I'm going to say right now, try to talk me off of 12 wins. It's going to be tough to do that. I'm at 12 wins right now with this team. What that means for their seating in the plus? playoffs, what that means for how far they go into playoffs or baines to be seen. Fun game over under. I want to end with this, as I'm sure you guys have seen or heard over the last 24 plus hours-ish. There is going to be a major change starting next Monday with the Daily Lockdown Bengals

podcast, James Rapine, who is, and I firmly believe this, one of the most passionate and hardworking men you will ever meet, not just in Cincinnati, but anywhere in the United States of America who works in sports media. He is off to a fantastic new adventure going to host First Read with James Rapine, or excuse me, first word, I believe, excuse me, sorry, first word with James Rapine on the Cincy Crown Network, which is going to be launched Monday on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, anywhere. You listen to that. This is a big adventure for him.

He's going to be co-hosting First Word with Marissa Kantepelli. Joe, you know her well, and Jacob Tasat, who previously worked with Chatterbox Sports. Now, I say this because James is locked on Bengals. He is one of, if not the faces of Lockdown Bengals. He is why the podcast is where it is. And he's been instrumental for me in my first starting out here on the Bengals Squad show, coach in your short time, I'm sure you've come to realize just how great he is. What I ask of you listening to this show right now of the Bengals Squad show and of Lockdown Bengals is that you support James and you are thankful for all that he gave you on this show and Lockdown Bengals.

And that you still support Jake Liscoe because he is also the reason where Lockdown Bengals is where it is. He is incredibly talented at what he does. And whoever the new co-host is going to be, I'm not sure who that's going to be. I'm not sure if it's going to be me. I don't think it is, but I ask you that whoever that new co-host is, you support him or her and that they have some large shoes to fill,

but they are going to do it, and they are going to bring you the best daily Bengals coverage they can't. This is a big moment for lockdown Bengals, for the Bengals Squad Show for James Rapine, and I could not be happier for him. I could not be happier for everybody over at the Sincy Crown and first word. Jack Kremley's got the working lunch business show, which is going to be phenomenal.

Shout out my former boss, Jack Kremley. This is a momentous weekend for a lot of people in this city and a lot of people who have worked very, very hard to bring you great Cincinnati sports coverage. Joe, you've known James for a while. It's just I want to get your quick thoughts on what this means for him and for the city of Cincinnati when it comes to sports talk because it just got exponentially better. Well, you talked about his passion for this. I would also use a word very savvy for him to find this space on YouTube and understand that there's a huge audience of Bengals fans who look for content there. And then also in podcast form, savvy innovator, brought new things to Cincinnati. I'm excited for a show.

I've been to the studio. It's right over by TQL Stadium or FC Cincinnati plays. It's PFS old studio. It is gorgeous. It is first class. and the people who are involved, not just James and Marissa and Jacob, but the people behind the scenes who are supporting this, who are everybody involved in the technical side of it.

I mean, this is, it's a first-class organization. It's a who's who of important media people in Cincinnati. It's going to be a success. I'm excited because I made one appearance on the show already. I'm scheduled to make another appearance next week. So I'm trying to be a part of it, the best way I can. because I know it's going to be a success.

And it also, his show falls under the umbrella of Fox 19. And what we do here, it's on 19.3, which is the Rock Sports Network. It's our cable station. Watch it every morning, 7 to 11, the first word with Jacob, with James and Marissa. So not only is it important for me to see a friend succeed. And there's a lot of friends I have who are part of this venture, but it's also important to me professionally because it's part of the. Fox 19 umbrella and I wanted to succeed for that.

Absolutely. Coach, I know in your short time, you've come to listen to James, watch James. You can't help but acknowledge passion, savviness, hard work, and just willing to see an opportunity, he's going after it. You got to give him just ample credit. Oh, you know what? Good work. Everything you do, the passion with it.

you'd like to see people succeed, get their own program, be at the helm of what they're doing, get a larger audience of everybody. My hat's to her. Absolutely. There is no question about that. And we will miss James here on lockdown Bengals. He will probably be a guest at some point. But Monday, when there is a new co-host Sunday at 8 live on YouTube, they will announce who that new co-host is for lockdown Bengals. And again, And the support you give them matters a great deal. And we thank James so much and wish him all the very best in this incredible new adventure. I say this between his new show on Monday, weekday 7 to 11, Tony Pike and Austin Elmore on 1530 since he's 3, 360 noon to 3.

And then Mo Eager from 3 to 6 on ESPN 1530. Cincinnati has a case at having the best trio with sports talk shows anywhere in a. America, and it's right here in the Queen City. You got to love it. Big weekend coming up, Joe, you got Cincinnati Sports Show on Sunday. Reds taking on the Braves. This weekend, I've seen plenty of Braves fans outside the ballpark. What do we got on Cincinnati Sports Show Sunday night, Jody? Well, the second I leave here, I'm going to the ballpark for the big weekend series against the Atlanta Braves. Yeah, we'll be talking about this kind of stuff on Sunday night. The cool thing about coming on this show, Alex, is I get really good ideas for Cincinnati Sports show. So I might have to steal

some of these topics and have Gabby, and we get Jeremy back not Sunday, but midweek. So we'll have the full crew. And then we also have a new member of our sports department who will be joining us in 16 days. So big things happening at the Bengals flagship station. Well, considering that you already, without my permission, go into my show notes, because every time you say something, I swear you're looking at my show notes, which by the way, I can send you copies of those before every show if you so desire. They are very well organized. They're typed on my computer in very well-written ink. So I appreciate that you take topics from this show onto your sports show.

That shows that I actually know what I'm talking about. So I appreciate that. Joe, we'll look forward to having you on twice in June. Big bun for Fox 19. World Cup starts in two weeks. USA versus Australia. Friday, June 12th, looking forward to that. Coach, you got a big game this weekend.

Orlando Storm, D.C. defenders in our nation's capital. I'm going to two of the Reds games this weekend. I got plenty to get to, got shows to plan for coach, Joe, Jake, whoever our new co-host is, we're looking forward to having you. Don't forget, you want to be a member of the Everyday

Club is at Lockdown Podcast.com slash Everydayer for ad-free episodes among many other things. For Joe Danneman, a Fox 19 sports director, Art Valero, Coach Arifelaro of the Orlando Storm. I'm Alex Franke, Frankie, underscore Natty. Have a great rest of your Friday. Have a great weekend.

We'll talk to you next week. right here on the bangal squash of the twice a week long form conversational supplement to lockdown bangles part of the lockdown podcast network the number one sports podcast network in america and the world your team every day