Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - BENGALS SQUAD SHOW: FIREWORKS coming in Week 1 against Baker and Bucs? FAVORITES in the AFC NORTH?

Episode Date: May 27, 2026

There are many things to look forward to on the Bengals 2026 Schedule and the 2026 Season. One of those things is the season-opener, as Joe Burrow faces an old AFC North rival in quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.   Alex Frank and Coach Art Valero discuss the Bengals' Week 1 matchup against the Buccaneers and how fireworks could be seen from both quarterbacks. But there's more to this matchup than just the two quarterbacks, and one thing could benefit the Bengals in the early part of the season.   With the other three teams in the AFC North changing head coaches this offseason, does this mean the Bengals should be favored to win the AFC North in 2026? There can be a case made for both sides of that question.   The Bengals have a favorable schedule in 2026. But there's another element that may enable them to get back to the Playoffs in 2026. After all, the entire AFC is wide open.   Joe Burrow represents a lot of things to the Bengals and Cincinnati. But above all of those things, it may be Burrow being an ambassador to the Bengals franchise, the Queen City, and beyond.   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. There's a lot to look forward to on the Bengals schedule this season, including the very first game as Joe Burroughs a quarterback rivalry that he's very familiar with from early in his career. Got to get started strong in week one at home. And once again, we're going to be talking about a fast start for the Cincinnati Bengals. Hey, you know what? The other thing that's being mentioned is them being the leaders in the clubhouse as far as who's to take the NFC North. What's on paper? Let's put it into action. 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. It is a humid Wednesday afternoon here in the Queen City. Wednesday, May 27th, welcome to the Bengals Squad Show live on Locked Out Bengals and the lockdown podcast, the number one sports podcast, network in America and the world, your team every day with Jake Lisco and coach Art Valero. I'm Alex Frank. We've got so much to get to today. Happy you are with us.

Joe Burrow versus Baker Mayfield. They produced three bangers of games early on in their careers when they were AFC North quarterback rivals. Now Bakers with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers going into year four down there, but they are going to face off in week one. And there could be some offensive fireworks in that game. Plus, coach you teased it in the open, the Bengals' favorites in the AFC North. I'm going to rationalize with them not being favorites in the AFC North, but that doesn't mean they won't be.

Plus, a wide open AFC could be exactly what the Bengals need to take advantage of to get back to the playoffs this year. And Joe Burrow becoming an ambassador not just for the Bengals in the Queen City, but for the NFL, flag football, and just maybe becoming the face of the NFL. But we begin with the week one matchup. There's a lot to look forward to, as I mentioned, on the Bengals schedule. But you got to start by playing the team. It's on your schedule in week one. And for the Bengals, that's Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This is going to be a fun matchup.

We've seen these two quarterbacks face off three times before Joe Burrow against Baker. Mayfield, they produced three great games in the early 2020s this decade. And they may do so again in week one if both quarterbacks come out slinging it and ready to shoot off some fireworks down by the river in the Queen City. Yeah, I'm less interested. and quarterback head-to-head matchups as it were, because they don't play against each other. They're not on the field at the same time. They have produced some great matchups in the past,

no doubt about it. And when you get quarterbacks, it can put up numbers. You think about the Mahomes Borough matchups in the past or the Allen Borough matchups that you get in the AFC, and you get to some pretty exciting football games. But when you drill into it, I'm more interested in seeing the first litmus test for this remade Bengals defense.

How is Dexter Lawrence going to bear with some potentially favorable matchups on the interior of that trench battle with some young guys that aren't necessarily at the top of the league, but could be serviceable players, certainly have some developmental room to grow on the Buccaneers interior. And Baker's not some world beater at quarterback, but he has had the Bengals number throughout his career. No Mike Evans there this time, though. So how did the Bengals deal with a deep but lacking a Mike Evans wide receiver room

featuring Emeka Abuka and Chris Godwin? going to be some interesting matchups there. On the other side, when Burrow and the Bengals were on offense, can they get off to a fast start? Can Joe Burrow get out and put up numbers in week one in a way that we haven't seen Joe Burrow go out and put up numbers in week one? There, again, is some talent in the trenches for the bucks in this game. Ruben Bain, obviously, will be one of the guys that we're paying close attention to

as he was a potential Bengals draft target. Now he's playing against the Bengals in week one in Cincinnati instead. But that whole set of defensive starters on the front, Vita Vaya, Yaya Diabi, Goli, Goliathia Kansi, all players that can be disruptive. So the early test for Joe Burrow, the offensive line of the passing game to come out strong, is also going to be fascinating. Those things are what stand out to me the most about the week one matchup. You know what?

I think Jake hit it on the head. it's going to come down to, you know, hey, Baker Meffield without his go-to receiver, who is that next guy? How fast can timing and everything else go together in that first game from an offensive standpoint? If it's on, it could be a light him up on both sides of the ball. But like Jake talked about, I think the onus, the defense. defenses? Can this new created, new made Bengals defense hold both a good running team and a passing

team together and under control and vice versa? Can the O line, the Bengals O line, and runoffbacks handle all the pressure and that Todd Bowles is going to bring? I think it's going to be an interesting game. It's going to be fun to watch. No, no question. It's going to be in week one. It's a really interesting matchup because it's an interconference game, which the Bengals have not played an NFC opponent in week one since 2021, the year they went to the Super Bowl. And you look at Tampa Bay, they're coming off in eight and nine season. They lost five with their last six games. So, or I think, was it five for the last six? It was something like that. I think it might have actually been six their last seven. They were five and one. They finished eight and nine.

But I think what's interesting is I look at this game and I go, okay, if the Bengals can stop the run with Bucky Irving, who has had a really good start to his career. His season was shortened last year due to a shoulder injury. He had shoulder surgery this offseason. Todd Bulls recently said, Buckaneerside coach, Todd Bulls said that Buckeye Irving will be ready at some point in the summer or fall. Not going to participate in mini camp, may be ready towards the end of training camp. So that is that.

Tampa Bay is going to be a new look team this year. But Jake, you mentioned it. The one thing that I'm concerned about in this game is can the Bengals run the football against Tampa Bay stacked defensive line. Because that defensive line now with Rubin Bain and all the other guys that are on there, that's a big defensive line. You're going to run right into the teeth of.

We're going to really see if the Bengals offensive line that for the first time of the Joe Borough Arrow is going to return five, the same five starters from last year to this year the following season. Coach, you've watched Baker Mayfield play. He plays for your former team that you coached. What impresses you the most about his growth as a quarterback from his first five years in the league when he was with Cleveland trying to make it work.

And he bounced around the next year in 22. But now with Tampa Bay, we've seen a totally different quarterback. What impresses you the most about him and how that could impact the game in week one? I think his maturity overall. I think his maturity from when he started out in Cleveland, you know, he was out doing all kinds of commercials and doing all. If people tell you you're great enough and pat you out in the back enough, you start to believe it. instead of having to prove it every year. I think once he got released and he kind of bounced around, he went to the Rams,

he went there and he came back and he was extremely hungry to show who he was. And I think his maturity level and then finding an offense, a system that suited his style of play, really elevated him to being the kind of player he is now. Jake, I know the Bengals defense is a lot different than the last time Baker Mayfield faced the Bengals. How much do you worry, though, about Mayfield's three games against the Bengals in the Joe Barrow era that is? Even before that, he was putting up great numbers against the Bengals early on in his career. Are you still worried about him potentially lighting up a new look, Bengals defense in week one? Different system, different venue, different team, the rivalry element

isn't there. I chalked some of that up to Brown's Bengals Voodoo when the Bengals could not go to Cleveland and play a normal football game, whether it was because, I mean, and this is post-Baker at this point, but this year is the most normal road trip to Cleveland the Bengals have had that I can remember in the last five years. It's just a normal middle of the season, one o'clock, road game in Cleveland, not prime time, not Halloween, no home opener for the Cleveland Browns. None of those things that they've had in the past few years where it's been a game that Browns fans could get exceptionally hyped for. The other practical difference here is that it's a different defensive coordinator. and I'm trying to think of whether there are any players on this defense that Baker would have seen the last time these teams played.

And I don't think so. Like at least when Baker was in Cleveland, I don't think any, was Dax Hill a rookie? I don't think he would have been on the field. I don't even know if Dax was a rookie then. It's been so long at this point. I don't know if there's a single player in common from the last time Baker made

played the Bengals and the D.C. is different. So. B.J. Hill. Oh, yeah, there you go. DJ Hill for sure. Wow. That's a good call. Yeah.

So, no, I don't think about the previous matchups when I think about this one. I, again, when the Bengals are on defense, corner matchups, very interesting to me. Dexter Lawrence and the new rotation that they're going to have on the edge, Tristan worse is phenomenal playing left tackle for Tampa. And I think Taylor Godek, sorry, Luke Godecky at right tackle. pretty darn good as well at this point established but that interior remains a soft spot on paper and so dexter lawrence jonathan allen bj hill whoever's part of that interior rotation is from our stewart looks like he's still lining up on the interior in third down packages from some clips we saw

from some oTA drills this week those guys need to be able to get after it and be disruptive in there and get baker off his game and what should be a very different look for baker mayfield than he's cease to saying from the back. Coach, you look at this Buckingneers, New Look Receiving Corps. Mike Evans, obviously off to San Francisco, this offseason free agency. Right now, the Buccaneers wide receivers,

they have Chris Godwin. We all know Chris Godwin still really good. And Mecca, Buka, who had a terrific rookie season last year, and then Jalen McMillan, who has also emerged as a really good compliment to Tampa Bay's top receivers. And then you go to your second streams. You got guys like Ted Hurst, Tess Johnson,

the small speedster from Oregon, who was a rookie last year, and then Cameron Johnson. Plus you got Kate Otten at tight end. This is still a good bucket of his receiving core, and I'm particularly concerned about the Bengals linebackers, Barrett Carter and Demetrius Nek. If you got Godwin coming over the middle

or if you got a Mukha running inside slants, you got to know where those receivers are at all times. This is going to be a big test for a new look second level, or not a new look, excuse me, but a much maligned second level of the Bengals defense in their first game in year two. Well, you know what? You get your two corners back,

find out who that nickel is going to be, who that nickel corner is going to be inside. And then, you know, like Duke had talked about, the best way to help the linebackers is to get that pass rush up front. And it's going to rely on that. So we're going to see, they're going to be truly tested week one, which is going to be great. Because you're going to find out a lot of those young kids are going to have to develop into who they are. They're not going to be quite prime time ready yet, but at least they're getting some playing time. And I think that this is a game that with those two tackles that the Buccaneers have, if they can force them to be able to, Baker Mayfield, to step up in the pocket where Jonathan Allen,

who's still a very good pass rusher, and you've got Dexter Lawrence who can push the pocket, then there could be some trouble. Not those deep sacks, but those one or two yards sacks because Baker-Mayfield has to step up because of the heat that's coming off the edges. Finding ways to heat them up, finding ways to send blitzers, to confuse the protection, challenge and protection rules. I'm going to be looking at the interior all week that week for Tampa and see what kind of steps those guys can take. Because Graham Barton, who's playing center for them, tackled a center convert out of Duke, if I recall correctly. Yep. Similar path for Brian Parker potentially. Tackled to center, tackle to interior, convert, was a prospect that had a pretty high ceiling. He hasn't quite realized it yet. And that's also true for

Cody Malk, who's playing right guard, Ben Bredesen, who's playing left guard there. So those are all matchups that I'm circling and trying to exploit, at least at this point. We'll see what, you know, the preseason looks like for those guys. Maybe they take some developmental steps this year. But The strengths of the Bengals defense on the interior of the defensive line at corner should help them a little bit in this game. They're going to have to deal with Bucky Irving, of course, but that's why you go get a guy like Dexter Lawrence. On the other side, though, like, I just don't really see the Bucks having the corners to deal with the Bengals receivers at all. And unless Zaya McCollum has, you know, one of his high variants, you know, a nice game. that week, you got Antoine Winfield Jr. who's awesome. But outside of that, everything behind

Tampa's front four is suspect. And that should be more than enough for Joe Burrow and company to take care of it if they're playing at the level that we know they can play. And then you get the week one question for Joe Burrow. And that's going to be something that we're going to be talking about until we put together one of those dynamic week ones. We just continue to see Burrow for different reasons. Some very understandable, some less so, have a little bit of a slow start himself, even if the team managed to start 2 and O last year. Burrow obviously had the injury in week two and wasn't spectacular in week one

against the good Browns defense. So on paper in May, we're talking well ahead of these games at this point, right? But it looks like a game where Joe Burrow T. Higgins to Mark Chase should be able to make hay. You know what, as well, you talk about the bucks receivers. It's going to be great to see them match up against this pretty much some new pieces that the Bengals are putting forth. As far as coverage-wise, are they a zone team? Are they a man team? Exactly what are they going to do?

And probably even the best thing, biggest question from a year ago is can they tackle? Yeah, they're going to have to. tackle because the buccaneers, they have guys like Bucky Irvin and Kate Auden that are both really good after the catch. Same with Tess Johnson and Jalen McBilleyl. You don't want those guys to beat you yards after cash. That's a great point there, coach. And the other thing to, Jake, you want to talk about Baker Mayfield and putting pressure on him. Coach, you may have mentioned it. I think what's interesting is you go back and look at those three games between the Bengals and the Browns in 2020 and the one game in 2021 because Burrell didn't play in the week 18 game. They'd already clinched the AFC North of Bengals. You look at those games. The Bengals defense did not generate any pressure. on Baker Mayfield.

Nick Chubb had big days in that Thursday night game in week two, Joe Burroughs second game of his career. And then in the home game that year in week seven, this was in 2020. Baker Mayfield started that game 0 for five. You're thinking, okay, maybe the Bengals defense is going to come around a little bit. Baker Mayfield, I don't think through an incompletion in the second half of that game.

And he threw for five touchdowns overall, including the game winner. The Bengals have to generate some pressure with this new waves that they can send at you with their defensive line. That's going to determine likely the outcome of this game. offensively, the Bengals, Jake, as you mentioned, that they should be able to do some things against this Buccaneers defense. Yes, they're good up front. I understand that.

Yes, they signed Alex Anzolone this offseason. I like that signing. Josiah Trotter, they got him in the draft lineback from Missouri, big fan of him. But you look at their other players. Christian Rosenboom, eh, don't know a lot about him. Zion McAllum, eh, don't know a lot about him. Their other corners are Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish. Okay, they're going up against tomorrow, Jason T. Higgins.

Coach, this is where, you know, they used to be. be a saying when Mark Duffner, senior defensive advisor was in the building for the Bengals, they got to play us. This is a scenario where if you're the Bengals, you've got to set the tone. We're going to come right at your secondary. Stop it. And if you can, so be it. The Bengals are not so be it. If the Bucketers can stop it, you got that matchup won that may decide the game. Oh, you know, and I think that they are doing a lot of things teaching the system right now, adjusting the system for those that are new or that are, excuse me, that are veterans coming back in Al Golden's system, you know, and in the new system, you got to remember, even though Todd Bowles

is controlling the defense, basically, what you see on film is probably going to be it. But I've seen Todd Bowles be very creative in how he handles big time receivers, but it's only one, not two. Another thing about this game that I really like is I think it's going to set the Bengals up to be prepared when they face Houston and Pittsburgh the next two weeks because you're facing a stout Tampa Bay defensive line. We know Houston and Pittsburgh have those on their defensive lines. So it's almost like this is a good, I don't want to say a tune up game because Tampa Bay is still a good team. They finished just two wins better than the Bengals last year and the two teams were both similar and wins the previous two years. But still, you can use this game to figure out,

hey, this is what we do well against good defensive lines. This is what we need to get better at. And that's a huge advantage the Bengals have playing this game. It's an NFC game. It still counts, not as much in terms of tiebreakers in the AFC, but it still is a good opportunity for a tune-up game, I think, in that regard. I mean, I think it's a fairly crucial get out of the blocks fast game for the Bengals here because those next couple of weeks are challenging AFC opponents, challenging defenses.

And it doesn't get easier. I think this should be the easier defensive matchup out of these games, but at least there are a couple of players to challenge you on the edges. The Amarius Mims matchup with Ruben Bain going to be very exciting because I have such high expectations for Amarius this year in the step that I think he will take in 2026. You and James Rupin talked about him on lockdown Bengals earlier this week, Amarius Mims. Coach, I want to go to you because Jake and I were just talking about it.

playing this game against Tampa Bay with the defenses that you're facing weeks two and three, that can make you more prepared to face some really good defenses in your own conference and in your own division in weeks two and three. Oh, absolutely. You know, the one thing that is going to be a good test for that first game is that the inside three guys for the Bengals, they're going to be prepared to play the Vita Vez because they've got, basically two of them that they're going to be working against not only in OTAs minicamp but all through camp. So they're going to be used to blocking those big old bodies that have skill.

And I think that's going to be pretty good. Now, you take that and you start to multiply it throughout the season, they're going to, as they go, and as they build continuity that they already are coming into the season with, they're getting used to blocking those kinds of bodies. And whether it's technique issues or scheme issues, they're going to be able to satisfy themselves and feel pretty good about going into each of them. And each of those first three opponents bring them a different set of matchup issues

that they're going to have to adjust as they start to go. And I think that it's a great value for the offensive. line of the Bengals. It's great value. And definitely when you're in the AFC North and there are still some stout defensive lines that the Bengals will face this upcoming season. Should the Bengals be the favorites going into the 2026 season to win the AFC North? I'm going to rationalize with them not being favorites.

That doesn't mean they will be though. We will get into that conversation. I should say that doesn't mean they won't be. We'll get into that conversation next right here on the Bengals Squad show. Today's edition of the Bengals Squad show is brought to you by Rue Gett. The NHL Stanley Cup playoffs are here. Congratulations to the Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights. Head coach John Tortorella, GM Kelly McCriman, majority owner Bill Foley, minority owner,

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And then we can get your daily Bengals fixed completely ad free by joining the Everyday Air Club. Today start your seven-day free trial right now and get closer to your team without the interruptions. Click the link in the show notes. to Lockdown Bengals.com to claim your free trial with Jake Lisko, who co-host lockdown mangles with James Rapine and Coach Art Valero. I'm Alex Frank. The Bengals Squad Show is the twice a week long-form conversational supplement to the daily Lockedon Bengals podcast. So the AFC North, look, should the Bengals be the favorites considering all three other teams in the division change tag coaches? There's drama with the other three teams. Yes, Aaron Rogers is coming back.

Yes, the Ravens still have Lamar Jackson. The Browns, well, they're the Browns, and they haven't had a quarterback since the Clinton administration. I can even go back to the Reagan administration. I will say this. I will say this. There's this thing called recency bias. And given what the Ravens did in 23 and 24, and given that they were a missed kick away from winning the AFC North last year,

would it shock me if the Ravens were the favorites to win the division? No, because they have Lamar Jackson, they have Derek Henry, they have a really good roster. I would still say the best roster in the division. And I think, again, given recency bias, they made the playoffs in 23, 13 wins for number one seed. They made the playoffs 12 wins in 24 number three seed. And given the Bengals, haven't made the playoffs in three years. If the Ravens are the favorites to win the AFC North, so be it.

Should they be, though? Should the Bengals be favorites to win the North? What do you guys think? I think there's a weird thing happening with odds makers right now, where the Bengals were like the third highest odds last. time I looked to be the number one seed in the AFC. Whoa. And yet they were also like the seventh highest odds to win the AFC.

And so they're not favored. It's not a hypothetical. They're straight up not favored. Baltimore is favored in Vegas to win the division. So there's something happening there that is quite strange where there is this, this world in which Vegas sees the Bengals taking advantage of the weak schedule. and winning a lot of games and being the one seat in the AFC, but also they're a little bit skeptical of the Bengals' chance to come out of the AFC

or the Bengals' chance to even win their own division. But I assume that's just like a strength of scheduling quirk, or maybe it's just where the money's going, and it's just a weird thing that way. But when you talk about the Bengals being favorites or not, it does make sense to me because of the way that these conversations generally work, that a team with higher expectations for the last few years that has performed a little bit better. I know the Ravens weren't as good last year would be favored.

I do wonder how the continuity of coaching staff versus first year coaches plays into things here. The general public is, I think, a little bit too low on Zach Taylor. Like they see Zach Taylor as a bottom six coach in the NFL. I don't know that I would go that far. I think that's a bit extreme to the point where some of these first year head coaches are being ranked in some of these rankings ahead of Zach Taylor as a head coach when we haven't seen them head coach a football team in the NFL or in some cases in the college

ranks either yet. So sometimes that happens for sure. But when you haven't seen it, that's a bit of a bit much to me. So I wonder how that element is being weighed in the conversation where not a whole lot changing for the Bengals, right? Like a lot of talent coming on the defensive side of the ball being added to that side of the ball. But the offense is going to be intact and has continuity and has an offensive line that seems to be jelling. And so I wonder how much of an advantage that will be for the Bengals, especially when they face some of these new coaches for the first time that are

acclimatizing to AFC North football. You know what? I think that When you start to look at the division, I think just what Jake brought up about the Vegas odds about it, they're uncertain. I think that whole division is a coin flip at this particular point in time. I mean, we're still a long way away. A lot of things can happen. How fast the figurehead, the head coach, yeah, his name is on the marquee, but the players have basically with a couple of ads have stayed the same. And they know their style of defense. They know their style of offense and the weapons that they have.

And now in Pittsburgh, you got for one last run, you got the Aaron Rogers goes. So now they'll go back to the Green Bay system of doing things. And that is more familiar for him, I think it's a coin flip as you go. The one thing that all of the new defensive coordinators know is they understand what Cincinnati has in terms of their skill players on offense, and they know that they're not going to change all that much. They'll have a wrinkle, but it's not going to be a dramatic change where you're looking at the preseason games, understanding that they're not showing you much. They're just evaluating talent until that first game. So to me, them winning it, okay, it's great

to say right now. But hey, show me. And it is a show me game. And every team out there in the AFC North is in a position to go ahead and go. And oh, you misquoted yourself. Or I didn't not necessarily misquoted yourself, Alex. Sanders was a pro bowler last year. Remember that?

Yeah. Wow. That's crazy. Yeah. Oh, wait. He's an alternate, but listen, there are things in life that I don't understand. That's one of them. I also, jigg, to your point, don't understand how first year head coaches, particularly

Todd Munkin can be ranked ahead of Jesse Minter can be ranked ahead of Zach Taylor when they haven't coached a game in the NFL as a head coach. If you want to rank Mike McCarthy ahead of Zach Taylor, fine. If you want to rank John Harbaugh ahead of Zach Taylor, fine. but to rank head coaches that have never coached a single game in this league. Like you want to rank Mike Lefleur ahead of Zach Taylor? Give me a break. I totally see your point there, Jake. Well, I don't remember who the specific coaches were.

And I don't remember what the exact methodology was for this particular coach. I think it was actually a draft of head coaches that was done on a different podcast where they were drafted. Was this NFL daily with Greg Rosenthal? I feel like it was. Yeah. Okay, yeah, I saw this. Yeah, he was. there was ranked criminal.

25th or 26th. And I get it. Like there are a lot of people out there that don't think Zach Taylor is a good head coach. And there are arguments to be made. And we talked about should the Bengals move on? And then we learned about that extra year on the contract and all these things. And I'll say this too. Like my expectations are pretty high for Jesse Minter in Baltimore.

I think he's going to hit the ground running. Mike McCarthy has won everywhere he's went. And he's won quickly. everywhere he's been. And he takes a lot of heat for not necessarily getting over the hump as consistently as some think he should with playoff success, consistent success. But look at what he did when he arrived in Green Bay. Look at what he did when he arrived in Dallas.

And the guy's been able to put together winning teams. And so with the strength of that Pittsburgh defense, potentially the familiarity with Aaron Rogers, I mean, Rogers was bad last year, but if the familiarity helps, with Mike McCarthy knowing what buttons to push for Aaron Rogers to get one last squeeze out of Rogers before he sails off into the sunset, then who knows with Pittsburgh? I won't say this, though, coach. I think it's not every team in the AFC North. If the Browns come out of this division on top,

something will have gone very, very haywire for the rest of the division with their situation. The asteroid would have hit Earth if that happens. Something crazy would have happened. Guys, I got to bounce here. Enjoy the rest of the show. I'll talk to you all soon. But I just wanted to make sure I got that note out there about Cleveland. I don't see that one happening.

Nothing more would take a jab at the city up north there, Jake Lisco. I guess stranger things have happened, but that is not one that I would count on. I'll see you guys next time. Jake Liscoe, it's great to have him on the Bengals Squad show. Coach, I'm on Van Duel right now looking at odds. to win the division, okay? In the AFC North, the Ravens minus 120, the Bengals plus 185, Pittsburgh plus 600, then there's Cleveland down there somewhere, plus 1,700.

Yeah, they're not winning the division. They haven't won the division since the Reagan administration. It may have been George HW Bush, I forget. In terms of the AFC conference, the Bengals have the seventh best odds to win. They're plus 1,000. The Ravens and Bills are tied up plus 500, charges plus 750, Patriots and Chiefs, plus 800 Texans plus 950. Now that's interesting the Bengals coach.

And by the way, the Bengals are tied with the Broncos of plus 1,000. That's interesting. The Broncos won 14 games last year, coach. They played in the AFC championship. And the Texans plus 950, that's close. They won 13 games last year if you count their playoff win. And they have a otherworldly defense.

So the Bengals are right there with Houston and Denver. That gives you confidence, right? Yeah, it does. You know what? You had brought up the question via text about is the AFC kind of a loose-ended division or a conference? And I'm saying, well, shoot, what about Denver? Dynamic defense, a growing young quarterback who, you know what? They give New England every bit of it if he didn't go down.

You know, so Denver's my choice in the, in the ASC, if I was, whoa, hello, a gambler. Okay. Hey, I'm not. But I think that they've got a great coach. I think they've got a great staff. And I think that they've got the pieces in place and they just added to them. Hold that thought because we're going to get into that in segment three. That is one thing that Bengals could take advantage of this season because who do you trust in the AFC?

And if the answer is nobody, you actually are thinking along some great lines. We'll get into that conversation next on the Bengals Squad Show. Today's edition of the Bengals Squad Show is brought to you by Square, the system that helps fix one of the biggest headaches in running the business. Starting the business is exciting, but actually running it, yeah, well, that's where things can get complicated and fast. There's payments, inventory, staff, scheduling online orders. It's a lot to manage.

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What stands out to you the most? Oh, you know what? Each year, I mean, Sean was a great assistant, a great coordinator. I mean, really was cutting edge. And once he became a head coach, I think a lot of people kind of forgot that when he got to New Orleans, Lawrence was basically a dog. And they went out and they got to sell Drew Breezer then, wow, they became, even without a dominant defense, they became very, very competitive.

And then they got to the Super Bowl. And then all of a sudden, Sean's out there floating around. He got this job, which, you know, they were for dead. You know, they thought Denver was down and look how fast he turned that thing around. Great choices on bringing players in. very strategic, very calculated. Sean is, I don't know if he'll ever get to the records down the road that, you know, the Belichick's and those kinds of people got to.

But wow, he is extremely, I put him up there with Andy Reed, veteran coach, knows the game, has the pulse of the game, has not changed his coaching style. And he's very good. The point is, there aren't a lot of teams in the AFC that you can legitimately completely trust. But because Denver has Sean Payton, a Super Bowl winning head coach, and I've said Sean Payton should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day for years. I've admired what he's done in New Orleans and Denver for a long time. You mentioned Drew Brees.

I mean, thinking about Marcus Colston, Reggie Bush, Duce McAllister, Darren Sprouls, Jimmy Graham. I mean, Michael Thomas. The list goes on and on and on. And now he's developing Bo Nix into a top 12 quarterback, potentially out in Denver. They went out and got Jalen Water this offseason. So now they got him with Cortland Sutton, Evan Ingram. That's all of a sudden a very good passing attack that Denver has. New offensive coordinator, Davis Webb, it's going to be interesting to see what he does. But coach, aside from Denver, who has a potential future Hall of Famer at head coach, Kansas City has Andy Reid, who will be in the pro football hall fame one day.

But Patrick Mahomes is coming off at season inning injury. They were 6 and 11 last year. Buffalo has a new head coach in Joe Brady. Now, yes, they still have Josh Allen, who I consider the best quarterback in the NFL. New England just went to the Super Bowl last year. Their quarterback second year, Drake May, finished one vote shy of winning co-MVP. They have major questions in addition to all the drama that's happened up there this offseason. And then Baltimore's got questions with Lamar Jackson's health.

Henry's in his 11th year, as we talked about on Friday. Pittsburgh is Aaron Rogers. How much does he have left? Can it work with Mike McCarthy? I mean, what team in this conference? And yes, Houston's really good. Defensively, offensively, they have question marks. Their offensive line's not very good.

What about the Bengals? Why not the Bengals? Why not? Open AFC? I mean, last year, coach, the AFC championship was New England and Denver. New England and Denver. New England coming out before win season the year prior. Denver didn't have a starting quarterback.

And you're sitting there as a Bengals fan. That could have been us. This year, it can be us. It certainly can be. I mean, you know, you know what? The Bengals have made the right moves. I mean, for the most part, they've made the correct moves that they need to do. Stay healthy.

And this thing's going to be a shootout. You know, you mentioned all the other teams. Hey, Patrick Mahomes, it's great to see him out there during OTAs. He's there. He's in the building. I don't know how many reps he's getting. But you know what? He's a team guy and he knows what they are. He knows what the chiefs are. And I think that now, why can't the Bengals step up into that upper echelon and at least battle? At least battle and compete for that effort. The one thing that the other teams have that the Bengals currently don't have, is they understand how to win. And that's the thing that the Bengals have to understand and have to learn is how to handle prosperity and how to learn how to win each and every week and take up one game at a time like these other teams do.

I mean, you mentioned that there are teams that know how to win. Denver knows how to win. They've won double-digit games the last two years. They're going to the right direction. Houston's won double-digit games the last three years. years they've made the playoffs the last three years. They're heading the right direction. They have figured out how to win. Buffalo knows how to win consistently. You look at their win totals the last six years. Good Lord, they know how to win up there, except in the playoffs,

unfortunately, for them. The chargers have been really good over the last handful of seasons. Back-to-back years in the playoffs, they made the playoffs in 22. But then again, Justin Herbert has not proven he can win any big game of any sorts, especially in the playoffs. The Jaguars have not shown they can sustain any consistency year to year. and that's throughout their entire franchise history. Yes, they won 13 games last year. They also lost a bunch of key players this offseason. So the Bengals who have the best quarterback, wide receiver, and defensive tackle,

arguably at all three of those positions, as Joe Danabat mentioned coach earlier this month. This is, like the window is reopening. You have the opportunity sitting right in front of you. In your own division, the Ravens have a new head coach and roster questions, as I mentioned. Pittsburgh is mediocre or good at best. They're probably good for about 10 wins, nothing more. Who's to say the Bengals, because as Duke Tobin says, they've done it before. They won 10 games in 21, 12 games the year after that.

Why can't the Bengals with the, quote, unquote, easy, favorable schedule? Why can't they get back to that 12 win mark and say, you know what? We're just as good as Buffalo. We're just as good as Denver, New England, Kansas City, and Houston, all those teams. Without a doubt, I mean, they've got the right guy driving the bus and Joe Burrow. I mean, you look at all those teams. They have that the common denominator is they've got a guy pulling the trigger that is arguably with all those other guys. The only thing that Joe Burrell hasn't done that Mahomes and Allen and Rogers have done and Lamar is win consistently.

and because the other teams did not forget about one side of the ball. It helps you get the ball back and sustain those types of things. And I think that they've got the right guy driving the bus. Why not jump into it? Why not? I mean, if you wanted to say who are the top four or five teams in the AFC on paper, it's those. Why?

Because they've got a guy driving the bus that is premiered. and why they can't keep going, shoot, hey, it's a question. And here's the thing. If the Bengals don't win the AFC North, if the Ravens win it or the Steelers win it, which I think you and I can agree that we could see one of those two teams winning it if the Bengals don't. Can the Bengals be then one of the three teams of the remaining 12? Because you have four division winners, then there's 12 teams battling for three wild cards. You tell me that there's three teams better than the Bengals to make the playoffs.

in this AFC? Well, you know what? You look at it. There shouldn't be saying, okay, this could be, I mean, it's a long way away. But with the way that those teams are built in the AFC North and as competitive as it is, they're not quite to the NFC West, but they could be, you could have a lot of wins in that division. or and somebody be left out, even though they're having a great year. And I think that it's going to come down to a great competitive portion of the season

to see how their health turns out and in which direction, you know, that they end up going. And I think that that's a great thing to have. Well, the other thing, too, is you look at the balance of power in the AFC and then the NFC. In the AFC, you can go through each of the divisions. You can cross off teams that you know aren't going to be. be legitimate playoff contenders this year. Jets, Dolphins, see ya. And then you go to the AFC North, Browns, Cia, AFC South, Titans, Cults, eh. I'm not going to say Cia, but I'm also not going to say that they are playoff contenders. AFC West, Raiders, see ya. That's like almost half

the AFC I just crossed out right there. So you're, you are going to be one of those teams in an AFC that is very tap heavy competing for at the very least a wildcard spot. It different, coach, if this was the NFC. Like in the NFC, if you're not the Arizona Cardinals, you have a shot in making the playoffs. You have a shot at, you know, contending for the Super Bowl if you're, let's say,

the Rams, the Niners, the Seahawks. If you're the Eagles, the Cowboys, Giants, Commanders, maybe not so much, but the entire NFC North can make a case. And then the NFC South, I mean, Carolina won the division last year. Tampa Bay's won the division a handful of times

the last few seasons. Like, The Bengals have the advantage of playing in the weaker of the two conferences. Like, it's the opportunity for them to bounce back this year is right there. It's right there. And that's why they pushed their chips to the center of the table when they went out and traded for Dexter Lawrence. When they signed Brian Cook, when they re-signed Dalton Reisner, when they re-sign Orlando Brown Jr. When they did all these things in free agency, beefing up the defensive line, drafting Cassius Howell, drafting, I'm sorry, signing Boy Amafi.

They sense that last year was a missed opportunity. and this year the AFC is not better than it was last year. And if you're the Bengals, if you smell blood in the water and you have a quarterback like Joe Burrow, he's not going to let this opportunity go by the wayside. Oh, absolutely not. You know, and I think that they calculated where they need to be, what they need to do. And I think that they've done a great job of that. I would challenge everybody weeks 8, 9, 10 of this season.

you know you pretty much got the buy weeks done look at these standings and in the afc in those particular weeks and see how many teams are above 500 yeah and if you can see that because there's probably going to be i would say and i've done this for the last i don't know three or four years, there's probably a third of the teams are 500 or below. And there's that top echelon of guys that have risen to the top and are still competing. And for eight, I mean, they made a lot easier adding the guy. I mean, the Bengals were still in it until they kind of self-destructed there towards the end in a playoff chase.

So if they're above 500 after game eight, game nine, Game 10, hey, they've got a great chance. It's game on at that point. Yeah, it is. And that's a great point because by the end of week 10, each team in the NFL will have played nine games, which is more than half of the season. So you're going to pretty much know the positions that teams are in

and what they can and cannot do this season. And then by the time week 14 is finished when every team will have had a biweek, and you go into those final four weeks of the season, then you start to think, okay, these teams are the legitimate contend, these teams may be more pretenders. And even then, there are still surprises. Don't forget what the Bengals went to the Super Bowl. I was having this conversation with my cousin earlier this week.

The Bengals were seven and six going in a week 15. Seven and six, they were outside of the playoff picture. They ended up going to the Super Bowl. Anything can happen in a week to week league that is the NFL. And anything can happen in a league where there is so much parity. And the margin for error is razor thin coming up, something bigger perhaps than when. in the Super Bowl that Joe Burrow can accomplish this season.

There are many things that I love about Joe Burrow and coach, I'm sure you do too. But I think for me, two things, and I'll touch on this first. We'll touch on this one first. There was a column yesterday written in The Athletic by the Great Paul Dana Jr. who covers the Bengals for the athlete, does a tremendous job. It's on Joe Burrow and his desire to grow the game of flag football, grow the game of football internationally and make the Bengals this marketable franchise. And for a guy that plays quarterback, which is one of the most sought after positions,

not just in sports, but in the entire United States of America and the world, if you want to take it that far, you play quarterback at a high level that he plays it at. But to be so in tune, coach, with what's going on around him with the Bengals and helping to advance the game. And for a small market team like Cincinnati and for a team that hasn't had success a lot historically, I can't begin to tell you how valuable that is to the city and its economy and the fan base of the Bengals.

You know what? He's done a great job. And you know what really makes it? He's not advancing the national football league. They need no advancing. True. They're doing that on their own. But how he is approaching it to advance the love of the game and to spread the love of the game from Play 60 to flag football to because right now, you know what, a lot of people are looking at college football and they're doing a great job of destroying the game.

and people are still going to go watch them, and that's why they can afford all those players. But underneath that, the flight football and getting not only men involved in it, but getting women involved in it, and taking that trickle-down effect to where now, hey, a young lady, yeah, there's a place for her to play. Yeah.

For young kids, it's great to play flight football early in your career. Excuse me. To where you're not out there just getting beat up as a young kid and nothing against, you know, young coaches. But, yeah, the guy, are they being taught the game correctly? And I've run into so many kids that all of a sudden they don't like the game anymore because why they got hurt playing football, the game that they loved, I don't know. I love the game, but I don't like getting hurt. I don't like feeling this way.

So for them to have an avenue to go out and play, I think it's great. And I think for Joe Burrell step up and you'd like to see others do that and to go out there and spread the love. The game has given them so much. And for him to give it back, and Cincinnati has given him so much for him to go come back and bring it back, you know, to Cincinnati. I think it's an awesome gesture. But make sure you take care of your own business of that first. Well, yes, obviously, and Zach Taylor has been adamant about that. And I think that there's an understanding, mutual understanding between Burrow and Taylor

when it comes to what Burrow has done this offseason, playing in the Fanatics, Black Football event earlier this offseason. Joe Burrow said, this is a quote from Paul Danner Jr's column, quote, it's an exciting thing to be a part of trying to grow football, whether it's flag or tackle football. And I think one will go with the other. If one gets popular, the other one will as well. And I'm going to be a part of that, end quote.

That is really, really something to hear because as you mentioned, like, football is a violent game. It's a very violent game. It's a very physical game. Players get hurt. I mean, not just Joe Burrow. Anybody can get interested in any given play. It's a reality.

Unfortunately, it's a harsh reality of the game. But flag football, which I played flag football when I was growing up, to have that as an avenue to play this game that is watched by millions across America and the world and Joe Burrow being a part of its growth. It shows that he is, as you said, paying it forward off the field, giving back to the community, a community that he has embraced since the moment he got here. And when he did get here, he came in the middle of a global pandemic for crying out loud. and yet he is still related to so many Bengals fans,

and it doesn't matter what age coach you are as a fan. Joe Burrow is relatable. That is his most admirable quality for me. He's just your everyday guy who loves football, SpongeBob, nice clothes, fossils. He's sensitive, you know, about his well-being, you know, and I think what's around him, both in terms of people and, you know, external factors, environment, stuff like that.

He's trying to navigate life and fame while playing quarterback at a high level for an organization that he grew up rooting for. And look, let's not forget this. He's going to be 30 years old in December. He may have anxiety about turning 30. I mean, I had a mini crisis earlier this year when I said, oh, shoot, I'm less than a thousand days away from being 30 years old. So, I mean, does he worry about accomplishing everything he wants to in his career,

understanding his recent injury history, but yet at the same time, he's stepping out of his shell, and he's paying it forward. He's helping grow something really big. That speaks to the well-rounded individual that he is. And as someone who is 27 years old like myself, Joe Barrow's, 2090s, I believe just less than two years older than me, for someone like me and for Bengals fans of my generation, you can relate to that very easily. And that's bringing in a new generation of Bengals fans to a team that hopefully will be getting back to the playoffs this year. Oh, no question. And you know what?

I think the thing that is really going to help out, as the NFL tries to be global, you know, they're playing all over the world. And I think the biggest thing that's going to help in concert with that is in the Olympics, you've got flight football, and all those nations, different nations, are all going to have a team. Now, it's no different than baseball was years and years and years ago. And all of a sudden now, hey, the Japanese League is big. You know, they're playing in South America and in the Caribbean. I think those are, it's a great addition to the world falling in love with this great game.

by having games abroad in the NFL and then having the Olympics have flight football and all the flight football leagues that are popping up all over the country. I think it's awesome. You know, it's interesting when it comes to Joe Burrow, because here's a guy again who plays quarterback for the team that I root for, that you now root for hosting, co-hosting the Bengalsquashio with me, Jake and everybody else on the panel. He took the Bengals to the near precipice of winning the Super Bowl in 2021 after three decades

of futility. And we relate to him as an everyday human being. That is an incredible special connection that Bengals fans have with their superstar quarterback. And yes, it is that way everywhere. It reminds me, coach, when it comes to small market teams, look at Peyton Manning with the Indianapolis Colts. Look at Jim Kelly in Buffalo.

Marino in Miami, John Elway in Denver, Drew Breeze in New Orleans. They have that connection with their superstar quarterback because they give them hope in a league that is not necessarily dominated by big market teams. The Giants have been terrible for years. L.A. just got football back 10 years ago. Chicago has a minute of the Super Bowl in 20 years. They could go this year. It's dominated by teams like the Patriots, the Packers, the Steelers. They all playing small markets. That's what gives you hope. And Joe Borough provides that for the Bengals for flag football. And in a year where any, I'm going to say right now, anything can happen in the NFL. I mean, someone tweeted on Monday night after my New York Knicks clinched their ticket to the

NBA finals, you know, Indiana won the national championship in football. The Knicks are going to the NBA finals for the first time since 1999. The Bengals could win the Super Bowl this year. know why, coach? They have the quarterback to do it. Absolutely. You know what? I was privileged and fortunate enough to play on a team smaller market that had those guys, Derek Brooks, John Lynch, Mike Allsott, you know, those Warren Sapp, those guys were in a small market and they created it because they were visible in the, in the, in the Tampa area and all of a sudden people started getting excited about it. And I think that that was, hey, there is no better truth than that I've been involved in

than what you just said. All right. I want to finish this, and this is going to be a topic of conversation on Friday show when Joe Daneman joins us, Coach, we'll hopefully have you on for that show as well. We got a big show coming up on Friday. I am really excited. Friday show, we're going to talk about how the Bengals can start fast as a proverbial topic for years, but how they do it this year. Can the Bengals be the number one seat in the

AFC, the Ring of Honor? And then in the segment four, we're going to play the over under game. I've got eight categories over under, haven't set the number yet, but eight different categories as they relate to the Bengals. But the Bengals Ring of Honor nominees are out. We got 12 players up for induction this season. Coach, I'm going to really quick, because I want to get your insats in this case we don't have you on Friday. about every player and what you remember most about them, starting with one of the best defensive tackles in recent NFL history, Gino Atkins.

Great player. Well, you know what? In the Duke Tobin era, other than the first, I mean, he's a fourth round pick, and he's a pro bowler. You got to say he did something very, very special. And I tell you what, he was, you had to deal with him the entire football game. Very good player. Well, deserve it.

Fourth round draft pick in 2010 from Georgia, eight-time bro bowler, two-time all-pro, and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's all 2010. Going back a little bit now to the 80s, kicker Jim Breach. Do you remember anything about him, coach? I remember the name. So Jim Breach played in the NFL from 1979 through 1992, played 13 years, with the Bengals and is their all-time leading score? Maybe he gets in.

How about this name, Coach? James Brooks. Oh, excellent player. Excellent player was for the longest time during those very lean years was about all they had. And he put it on the rug and went out there and played hard every game and he was someone to deal with. Three, one thousand yard Russian seasons with the Bengals. He played eight seasons in Cincinnati, four-time pro-bowler, and a member of their 1988 Super Bowl 23 team.

Chris Collinsworth. What do you remember about him, coach? Long, tall, Florida guy. I've met Chris a couple of times. Great person. Great person. Better than average player. I think that might be by name.

you know, is why he's up there with the rest of them. Didn't set the world on fire, but was a great player for him. Three-time pro-bowler in his first three seasons and had four 1,000-yard seasons with the Bengals played on both their Super Bowl 16 and 23 teams. Carlos Dunlap, another Florida guy, coach. Oh, long, big, one of the great defensive linemen that I think the Bengals have had in recent years. Pro Bowler in 2015 and 2016, their second round. traffic out of Florida in 2010.

David Fulcher. Oh, the modern day, why you put safeties in the box, he was big, physical, could, I mean, he was the reason why, one of the reasons why, I should say, with him down in the box, it was very, very hard. You had eight-man fronts, tough, you know, he's the reason why the passing game really blew up, you know, because he didn't want him anywhere close to the line of scrimmage. Third round pick out of Arizona State in 1986, played seven seasons with the Bengals, made three Pro Bowls and was a 1989 first team all pro.

Member of the famous SWAT team secondary with Solomon Wilcox and, oh, I forget the other name. It was David Fulcher, Solomon Wilcox, and I'll think of the other one in a minute. A.J. Green. phenomenal phenomenal player um at

Julio Jones before there was Julio Jones was AJ Green great player long um you know if I had to pick two receivers I'd take AJ Green over

Chris Collinsworth because he was dynamic you know and I can vividly remember playing the Bengals and all of a sudden you had The red-headed quarterback. Andy Dalton.

Andy Dalton thrown it to him. Like he was their only real weapon. And he got him out of a lot of jams. Yeah, one of the great quarterback wide receiver combos to the 2010s. AJ Green, a seven-time pro bowler, 1,000 yards in six seasons with the Bengals, totally 9,430 and 65 touchdowns with the Bengals in his 10 seasons with the team. Leon Hall coached the Bengals first round pick in the 2007 draft, a really solid cornerback.

Very good player. Very good player. Kind of a lockdown guy made you think about going the ball somewhere else. Extremely good, talented. Leon Hall never made a Pro Bowl in his career, but he did lead the NFL with 24 passes defense in 2008 and then equaled that total in 2000. Max Montoya. Oh, part of that Mexican grew.

I love it with Anthony Munoz, big kid, UCLA, physical. Really, when Boomer had them and they were in that group, you knew Boomer was going to be protected. Member of both Super Bowl teams in 81 and 88 and a four-time pro bowler in his career. he played 11 seasons with the Bengals. Bob Trumpy. Oh, great broadcaster.

Great. You know what? Bob Trump is one of those throwbacks. He could do it all from the receiver position, whether it be tied in or wide out. He really helped the Bengals establish. Now, he had a great one throwing to him in Ken Anderson. Yep.

But very good player. Deservant. Yes. 12th round pick in the 1968 NFL draft out of Illinois. And I'm sorry, that is not right. Played for Illinois and Utah. Forget where he played second. He played at Utah second.

So he was taken out of Utah, played all 10 seasons with the Bengals and was a four-time pro bowler and a one-time first team all pro. recent name coach Andrew Whitworth. The reason why they struggled, because they let him walk. And he was a staple. I can remember Andrew coming out of college from LSU, and when they got him, it's like, whoa,

you now got your franchise left tackle. And he was there. He was, people overlooked. looking because he always, his best ability was his dependability. Yes, it was. And did a great job of that. Eight times played all 16 and started all 16 games with the Bengals, four-time pro bowler, two-time all-pro.

2021, Walter Payton, NFL man of the year and the recipient of the Allen Page Award in 2018. Last name for you, coach, Reggie Williams. Oh, man. another stout backer could run all over the place, very physical. That's quite the list they're going to have to go through. How many are they going to allow in? One? So they're going to allow two in this year.

So if you're listening to this, Bengals fans. So this year they are putting two in one new nominee to the ballot this year. and then one that's been on it for multiple years. It's going to be two this year. Next year they go down to one annually. So by the end of this year, there will be 14 players in the Ring of Honor. Then they'll go to one annually starting next year.

Joe Danneman and I will have much more on the Bengals Ring of Honor who we think could get inducted this season. I'll tell you the two that I personally would like to see. Get in, by the way, Reggie Williams. 14 seasons with the Bengals played in 206 games. started in 196, including playing on both of their Super Bowl teams in 81 and 88, and the 1986 Walter Payton Man of the Year, 1984, Alan Page Award, drafted in the third round in 1976 from Dartmouth.

Tell you just a lot about him and his smarts on the field. By the way, the other members of the SWAT team, I should have known this. Louis Phillips and Eric E.T. Thomas. How did I forget that? I do not know. but coach always great to have you on the bengal squad show coming up on friday with joe daneman fox 19 sports director talking about all things starting fast the bengals if they can be the number one seat in the a fc this year the ring of honor and the over under game as we hit the end of the month of may coach arfalero thank you as always the Orlando storm seven and two on the season big game this friday and our nation's capital against the dc defenders are you going to make a trip to arlington

national cemetery while you're there well no because we get there. Well, actually we play on Sunday. We get there Saturday afternoon. So I will take a trip to see the inside of my hotel room. Okay, there you go. Not a bad thing to do in our nation's capital. Thanks to Jake Liskow earlier on the show, as always. For more on the Everydayer Club at the Lockdown Podcast Network, don't forget to check out Lockdown Podcast.com slash Everydayer. We are the number one sports podcast network in America and the world, your team every day. And the Bengals Squash Show is the twice a week. law-in-form conversational supplement to the Lockdown Bengals podcast hosted daily by Jake Liscoe and

James Rapine. For Coach Arfallaro and for Jake Lusco earlier, I'm Alex Francafranchi. Have a great rest of your Wednesday. We'll talk to you later this week right here on the Bengals Squad show.