Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - BENGALS SQUAD SHOW: Joe Burrow WILL PLAY in Preseason Opener; WR3 Battle; Rookie Stock Report

Episode Date: August 10, 2026

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said this past week that the starters will play "a little bit" in the Preseason opener Thursday night against the Detroit Lions. That means, we will see Joe Burrow and the Bengals' potentially explosive offense on the field for the first time since the 2025 season ended.   Alex Frank, Coach Art Valero, and FOX19 Sports Director Joe Danneman discuss what we can expect from the Bengals' starters and the rest of the team when they take the game field for the first time, in any capacity, in the 2026 season.   Fourth-round draft pick Colbie Young has been turning heads in Training Camp, perhaps igniting a battle between him and Andrei Iosivas for the WR3 spot. How close is this potential battle?   Speaking of the Bengals' draft this past April, let's take some stock into all of them and how they are performing in Training Camp. Just how big could Cashius Howell's role be this season?   Finally, Alex, Coach, and Joe play a game of Fact or Fiction on five premises on the Bengals going into the 2026 Season.   Photo Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images   Join the Locked On Bengals Insider Community! Where you'll get updates directly to your phone and be able to text the hosts, check it out at: 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!   FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COM to play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season.   KALSHI For a limited time,Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get $10 when you trade $10.   Square Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at https://square.com/go/lockedonnfl! #squarepod   Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.   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.       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.

Zach Taylor says the starters are going to play in Thursday's preseason opener, just how much will we see them? And what will it tell us about the wide receiver three battle that has unfolded in training camp? I tell you what, hey, the other one, the big battle is those rookies. You're about ready. If you make the team, you're about ready to have that NFL moment. Get ready. And are two big-name Bengals about to set team records in 2006? We play factor fiction on this episode of the Bengals Squad Show.

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 Lockdown Podcast Network can. From the jungle to the playoffs, the Bengals Squad Show starts now. It is Sunday, August 9th, 2026. Welcome to the Bengals Squad Show right here on Lockdown Bengals and the Lockdown Podcasts. I'm Alex Frank, joined today by Coach Arfellow and Fox 19 sports director Joe Daneman. We are presented today by a Fandul right now.

Join all the action of Fanduil.com to play daily dingers and make your free pick on who's hitting the homer this MLB season. Coming up on the show today, Zach Taylor says the Bengals are going to play their starters in the preseason opener on Thursday against Detroit. How much will we see them? What will it mean for the wide receiver three battle that's unfolding between Andreosiozibos and Colby Young plus rookie stock report, which rookies are shining, rather, in training camp. And then, of course, the great fact or fiction game. Joe, I turn to you first. Zach Taylor did say we're going to see the starters on Thursday. How much do you think we will see of them? So I haven't had a chance to go back and look at the previous couple years and see what the formula, Zach Taylor and this coaching staff have used

in previous years. I think it'll line up with something like that. I think you'll probably get two series. If it goes well for Joe Burrow and the offense, if it's not going well, he might test a third series and see what it looks like. But I do think it's important for them to play. And this has always been a thing with Joe Burrow and his time here in Cincinnati. And I think it came to a head when Joe threw the four picks, five turnovers in the week one lost to Pittsburgh a few years ago. That's when it changed that Joe Burrow and this offense needed some more time in the preseason games to make sure they play better in September. And that's been a bugaboo a little bit for this offense,

even when they have played in the preseason, is playing more crisp football in September in the first month of the season. Now, I'm sure we'll talk about in this episode, what everybody's been talking about. And that's an offense that hasn't looked like itself throughout training camp because of so much work they're doing to try to diversify their playbook, go under center more often. So there's a lot to work on for this offense in the preseason games.

I think you want to see a pretty decent runway for this first team offense to go out there and show whatever they need to show in these first couple of preseason games. So my guess would be maybe even more than people might imagine from the starters in the first game, two good series, maybe a third if it's not going well. Coach, take me into the mindset of a team going into a preseason game. Is it different than the regular season game or is it the same? Oh, much different. The real season, that's when, first of all, during the regular season,

when that foot hits that ball, you are now accrued a season of retirement. So that's big, okay, for the veterans. The second thing is, hey, this preseason games are really, they're glorified scrimmages that are under control, and people get to come. It's much like the one that they had on Friday. But now you get to tackle. So you really, you treat them a little bit different. You're out to get work.

You want to go work against somebody else because, you know what, since OTAs, you've been working against the same bodies. And now it's great that you have a chance to go hit. an opponent who is actually trying to do the same thing. So now you get the chance to see not practice football, but you see as close to real game football as you can get. And you know what? I agree.

You know, I'd say whether they go by quarters, whether they go by series, or whether they go by plays, you got to remember, there's only about 60, 65 plays a game. So, you know what, I consider, you know, hey, I'd say the old line, they have to be, you know, have great continuity,

they may play the first half. And the big three, they may play two series. Because they're not necessarily concerned about it. They just want to see fast reactions by an opponent other than the way that their defense plays a certain coverage. And but you need to see that. The big game, it used to be when you had four, which was great, because you, you, you, had a chance to build into that, but it was always game three where the starters got a majority of the reps, at least, you know, three quarters of it. Now it's game two. So you don't have that

much opportunity to evaluate those young kids, those rookies, those free agents, those guys early. Yeah. Because you have to get in sync. And offensive football, it's precision. It's timing. And so you can't treat it like practice because practices, you know, although you play fast, there's no contact, there's no misreach, there's no, there's a lot of things that's controlled. And so I'm excited for this one. And I do think it's important, too, guys, to remember the Bengals also have joint practices with the Chicago Bears next week before the three-season game with the Bears.

So there's even more opportunity for both the offense or the defense to try to go on the field, see what works, see what's not working, what they have to work on and sharpen before the September 13th opener. I just do hope at some point this week before they kick off against the Lions, a coach brings Joe Burrow into a room and says, Joe, let's go back and look at you scrambling and running for your life last year and preseason. And let's not do that again this year. Because every single Bengals fan was yelling at the screen, just throw it away, Joe. And last year, I get it. He's a football player.

At some point, that just kicks in and you play football and you try to make plays. But I don't think Bengals fans would be upset that if Joe Burrow was under stress like he was last year, just run the ball out of the back of the end zone and take a safety if you have to. You have to protect the merchandise. That is Joe Burrow. Yeah, I don't need to see that again. I mean, Lucas Patrick literally had his hands up like Joe, just throw it away or take a sack. Even he didn't do.

Now, Joe Burrow, that's just not his mindset, but you're right, Joe. A coach needs to pull him in and say, just make it to the next game, please. I mean, we don't need that scare again, especially with what happened three weeks later with Joe Burrow last year. Look, Joe, you brought it up earlier with the fact that Joe Burrow threw four picks and had those five turnovers against the Pittsburgh Steelers in week one in 22. He didn't play in the preseason. Now, again, he also had the appendectomy. But it does raise the question. It does raise the idea that you don't want your quarterback to be rusty in week one.

Because, Coach, you know this. You only get 17 regular season games. They all count the same. And they all have such high significance. Even with the 17th game, and even if it's against the NFC opponent with the Bengals to be playing in week one this year against Tampa Bay, they still count the same. You're trying to win every single game. So you want to make sure that what you need to iron out,

and there are some things, as we've alluded to on this podcast today and other shows that have not gone well in training camp that they can iron out in the preseason, going under center against the team that's not themselves coach. So I think that there is benefit to the starters playing in the preseason. I feel like when Sean McVeigh, who took over the NFL, because he was like this flashy new school coach wasn't playing starters in the preseason. Every team is like, okay, we should do it this way. Well, it doesn't necessarily work. It may work for them, but if it doesn't work for you, you got to do what works for you. Well, you know what it makes it tough, and you know what, and you look at it, and I look at it from the lens of a lot of these new head coaches and a lot of head coaches were skilled, skilled players, whether it be in college or whether they coached a skill position. those big guys need work.

They need to physically work, and you have to bend or lean towards their development. I mean, it's like, and Joe brought it up earlier, I wish, I mean, I guarantee you, they wish they didn't give them to give up the last couple of minicamp days. You know, what, to be a good guy? No, practice, practice. Practice those under center reps might not even showed up. You never know. So if you're trying to work on something, there's nothing better than putting them through that rather than being a nice guy. I think it's important too because Joe Burrow wants to play. Joe Burrow wants preseason work. He has said that many times before that he needs to step in and be hit to be ready for week one in September. And whatever it takes for you to get ready, that's what Joe Burrow has said. said many times leading up to these preseason games before that he wants the work. He wants

to be hit to be ready for week one. And I think you made a smart point, Alex, about the idea of every game mattering. And I don't think we can emphasize that enough that when you lay out the AFC, and we've done this multiple times on this show, that we all believe there are nine legitimate playoff contenders. And that's not accounting for what might be a surprise team or two who might jump up and be a surprise contender this year. And when you get to December and January, I can guarantee you all of these teams might be jockeying for whatever seed they're going to be going for or a division championship. And it's all going to be separated by one game or two games. And these games in September matters so much for what the Bengals hoped to do in January. And that's

host home games. So it is imperative for this team to find a fast offensive start. There was so much talk last year about a fast start for the team. And the Bengals did that. They won the first two games, but it was short-circuited by Joe Burroughs injury, and then Jake Browning not be able to play or what he did in previous years filling in for Joe Burrow. But I think there has to be an emphasis on this offense being sharp in September. And that's why it's been so curious to see them continually stubbornly go under center and try to figure this out. I don't think it's the wrong by Zach Taylor and Dan Pitcher. I think you do have to diversify yourself.

You do have to adapt. You do have to have this in your game. But they also have to be sharp in September because they play four teams that before the season even starts, we all believe the first four weeks, those teams think they should be playoff teams in 2006. So it's been fascinating to watch the Bengals and how they've approached offensively training camp going against a better defense. And maybe that's helpful, right? The fact that we can joke about it, but the Bengals weren't facing a very good defense in training camp the last couple of years. Now they are facing one. And maybe that does help them adapt to the speed, see this kind of level defensively up front and

in the secondary with a new safety. Maybe this helps them when they get to the opener in September. You know, that's the one thing that I've noticed. The very few reps that I have. scene of practices, the defense is setting the tempo, not necessarily in terms of the hitting, but in terms of the finish, the running, the competition. And believe me, I came from a background where all of a sudden, if you didn't show up that day of practice, you were going to get embarrassed. And we did many a time until the offensive line and the whiteouts and everybody else decided to say, you know what, we got to. to go. And we now have to meet intensity with intensity at practice and finishing the play

in order to, and it took us a while. But we finally got there and we ended up winning a championship. How about that? Yeah, you won a championship with the coaching staff and included you, Mike Toblin, John Gruden, Brian Marinelli. I mean, you had a thing I'm wanting to know, Monty Kiffin. Thank you. I mean, we had some great ones. Yeah, not some. mentioned your team was pretty good, what, four Hall of Famers on that defense that you guys had? Like I'm saying, that they created us offensively. Yeah. And they were the ones and their tempo and how they finished every play.

We had to rise to the practice occasion. And once we got to that point, it was like, who, she's, the games are pretty easy compared to these cats. Wow. Yeah, if practice is hard, you can go. out then you can execute against the defense that maybe isn't as good as what the Bengals defense has been in training camp. That's the ultimate goal. But I think it goes back to the AFC, Joe, that you were talking about, how tight it is going to be. So Joe Burrow, I vividly remember this. He was talking to Prime Videos broadcasting crew in the third preseason game of 2024. And he said that he wishes he had played in that free season. Well, you look at what happened in week one that year against New England, where he was not very good in that game.

look at what happened a week two against the Chiefs. And he was better in that game, but he still wasn't terrific. And the Bengals dug themselves an 0 and three hole and missed the playoffs by one game. The Bengals, as they've learned, they can't rely on just getting to November or December and then running the table from there. You got to win games in September and October to set yourselves up to have a great November and then a December to remember. So I think this is another feather in the cap that the Bengals have displayed.

And Joe, you've been a training camp almost every day. that the Bengals have a sense of urgency to them. They have not had in several years because they know how important it is in this pivotal year of an organization to get off to that fast start. It doesn't matter who you're playing. Coach and I talked about this on Friday, the games that will define the season. I said week two at Houston's going to be one of those games because we know Houston is like an AFC North team and the fact they have a ferocious defensive front.

Pittsburgh at week three, division game after Houston. Oh, by the way, Jacksonville's got a good edge rusher named Josh Hines Allen. who's pretty good. You're going to face him in week four. Joe, at training camp today, fengals went heavy 11 on 11s. There were some good moments, borrowed it to Andreosibosh, Perr to Tiggins, Tanner Hudson, with a great catch and double coverage from a pass from Joe Flacko, reminiscent of the touchdown he had in Green Bay in week six last year. What was your takeaway from training camp today?

What have you seen from the under center reps that they've had that have been highly documented throughout training camp so far? Well, I want to go back first to what you said about Zach Taylor and setting a tone. And I think Zach Taylor did that on day one. There has been so much, for lack of a better term, smoke blown at the Bengals for what they've done this offseason. And good on the Bengals. They went out. They drafted who they drafted.

But what they got in the trade for Dexter Lawrence and what they got in free agency have raised expectations to the point that we're all talking about not only winning playoff games, but perhaps competing for a championship here in Cincinnati. And all these guys have heard for several months just how good this roster is. And Joe Burroughs talking about it's LSU in 2019, that kind of vibe. Zach Taylor brought the whole team in, day one, a training camp, wrote on the board six and 11. Yeah. As a reminder to what they were last year that, okay, it's great. We got all this new talent, all these new players. You guys still have something to prove.

The coaching staff still has something to prove. After not making the playoffs three straight years and being six and 11 last year. So I thought that was a good tone setter from Zach Taylor. It's been so interesting, the under center stuff. And I touched on it briefly earlier, this idea are the Bengals being too stubborn with this and not sharpening what they're good at, because you always talk to, and I, you know, I have young kids at home and they play high school sports. And I tell them all the time, don't just always work on what you're good at. You have to work on what you're not good at. And that's what the Bengals are doing. But you wonder, as you get further on,

further into camp and it's not clicking and you're getting closer to week one at what point do you abandon it and I thought what Dan pitcher said to Paul Dainer Jr. from the athletic was a great quote that we're not here to win a training camp trophy. It's okay if we take our lumps and go out there and see what we have to get better at. And Scott Peters, the Bengals's offensive line coach talked about the idea that they're doing so much more in the run game in 11 on 11 under center and how much of a difference maker that can be and how different it is for this offensive line because of the continuity that was here last year and they did so much out of the gun these guys are having to learn and what he kept saying coach you know more about this than I do was the

idea that how much faster things happen when you're under center in the run game how much quicker blockers have to find their assignments and look for whatever it is key they have to look for under center. And so it's been something they've had to adjust to. And you wonder how much of it is just the Bengals being clunky offensively and just the defense just being that good, that that much better this year. So it's it's something to me that's been fascinating to watch. And that's why I'm so intrigued by what it looks like once they get to preseason games or even next week when they have joint practices with the Bears is the under center clunky stuff. And it has looked good at moments, but also has looked really clunky at times.

Will it look better when it's not going against the Bengals defense that has Dexter Lawrence? And when he's up there creating chaos, it can make anything look bad at this point. So it's been a huge talking point, but I think it's right by the Bengals that the coaching staff has always said, you can't just settle for what you're good at. You have to continually adapt, diversify, and they need this. in their game just to be able to win games in multiple ways. I go back to the Super Bowl here, and the game they won against the Raiders, when Earl wasn't playing well and they just handed the ball off over and over again to Joe

Mixon, and they grind it out a win. For this team needs that, right? You got to be able to win with the big three, but you also have to win with defense and special teams and also a grinded out offense. So if the idea of this is to give this team more ways to win, I think that makes it a smart move by the Bengals coaching staff. To be stubborn with it, that's okay. Be stubborn with it at training camp because it might pay off come regular season.

Joe Burrow in 2021, you mentioned that Raiders game, Joe, and I remember that vividly because those two weeks out of the by week, they played the Raiders and they played the Steelers. Joe Mixing that back-to-back 100-yard rushing games. Joe Burrow had less than 100 yards passing in those two games. Joe Burrow in 2021 was 4 and 0. The Bengals were 4 and 0 when Joe Burrow had fewer than 200 yards passing, which spoke to the fact that the Bengals could win, believe it or not,

games that weren't necessarily 34, 31. They could win games 15 to 10 like they did in Denver, which saved their season. And I think it's interesting when you talk about, Joe, the fact that, you know, are they going to abandon the undercenter stuff if they can't figure it out? if they get laid into training camp or the preseason leading up to the start of the regular season. Go back four years ago when the Bengals were two and three, they had just lost a ball tomorrow on Sunday night football. They went to New Orleans and they went so shotgun heavy in that game and from that point forward because they knew that's what worked for them. And given they only lost one more game in the regular season and then before the playoffs against Kansas City.

But now, because teams have so much intel on what they want to do offensively, they may bring a stubborn element, coach too, under center. And that's where you can gather intel. I'm not sure what the Lions are going to do on Thursday, play their starters or not, but you're going to go up against the Bears starters in that joint practice. The Bears defense isn't great, but it's certainly an NFL caliber defense. You're going to be able to get a lot of intel coach these next two weeks on that under center stuff. And that's going to tell us a lot about where this offense could be headed in terms of being more multidimensional and versatile this upcoming season. Well, you know what, and I think the under center stuff, I mean, the game doesn't change, right?

The game does not change because you go under center. The things that limits you to, unlike the gun, you got to remember, if you're in the gun, you've got a handful of runs. You got inside zone. You got outside zone. You got counter. You got, I mean, basically that's it. And you got a shovel, right?

Once you go in the dot, once you get under center, and you are now in that alignment, defense plays you different. they're playing this odd front. And I say that only because basically you got five defensive linemen on the field. So it's like running the ball versus bear and the techniques differ. And you're not used to that. Usually you're in a week to prepare for that. Now it's happening every day.

That slows your technique part of training camp down. So you haven't gotten to that point. Well, then all of a sudden, now you're. you're going to play the Bears next week or excuse me. Yeah, next or should this, excuse me, the line of this week, they're even front like they're used to. So you'll see it a little bit different. So the big thing that the offense has to put on themselves is,

are we able to throw the ball vertically down the field without the use of just three step drops because they're basically dead these days? and without play action. You know, can you throw a five-step, drop one hit, falls out? The timing should stay the same unless the quarterback can't get to his normal depth. Why? Because he hasn't had to do it in a long time. He hasn't had to do it since college.

So now you're trying to teach him that. So the timing of it has to come and you can't let it go. you have to stay with it. And I would, shit, I'd love to see them against the lions go every snap under. Yeah. Let's see what we got, boys. Let's get it on top. I know this, that I have gone in preseason games where all of a sudden, the defense,

one game will play all middle field close, whether it's man-free or three. Then the next game, you'll watch them on film, and they'll play all middle of field open. They'll either play cover two or quarters. Why? Because they're working on those aspects of the game. And then, all of a sudden, that third game, Katie Bar the Doers. You got it all. You got zero pressure. You got everything. Because they use this as great practice opportunities against live humans and not against each other. Passion speech there. I love it.

Can't wait to begin to our next conversation about the wide receiver three battle between And Andre Yosevash and Colby Young, that conversation and how close the battle really is coming up next on the Bengals Squad Show. Baseball fans, if you think you know who's hitting the homer today, fan duel is giving you a free chance to call your shot with Daily Dingers. It's easy to play. Just make your free pick for who you think will hit a home run in their game. If you're right, you'll receive a profit boost to use on your next bed for a chance at extra winnings. Best of all, you can make a free pick every day throughout the Major League Baseball season. Daily Dingers is another fun way to stay engaged with every day. games, whether you're following your favorite team or keeping an eye on matchups across the league.

Every game has someone capable of going deep. Now you get the chance to make your prediction before first pitch. Tonight, the Astros and the Padres on NBC. I'm going to take Fernando Tatis Jr. plus 350 to Homer tonight. Right now, it's basically one of my favorite parts about baseball is that every day brings fresh matchups and new storylines. Daily Dingers gives you another reason to pay attention before that first pitch. So are you ready to play your game? today. Join all the action at fanduil.com. That's fanduil.com to play daily dingers and make your free pick on who's hitting the homer, play ball and swing for the fences on Fandul, an official partner of Major League Baseball. Andreosioz has had a good training camp. Once again, he's had a

good training camp each the last three years. And we keep hearing how he could be that breakout player. Hopefully he is this year. But there's another wide receiver who's been turning heads. And Joe, you've had a run for a recal receipt for it. Colby Young, the Bengals fourth round pick out of Georgia. So I'm going to ask you, Joe, how close is this wide receiver three battle? Is it something that we could be watching for extensively on Thursday night and throughout the rest of August? Is Andre Yoshivas having a good camp? I think he is. I think he's having an up and down camp. I think he's having some really good moments and then some moments that I wonder if, and this is me trying to psychoanalyze in an NFL wide receiver.

of a guy that's wondering what his future is in Cincinnati. And maybe that's not necessarily this year, as maybe it's after this year. But I do wonder about Andre Yoshubas and his camp so far. He's had some great moments and some moments he'd like to forget as well. Now, the question you asked about wide receiver three, okay? Kobe Young, and this was very predictable, that Colby Young with his size, athleticism,

his general athletic makeup that when they got to training camp, he was going to make plays and he was going to be one of the talkers because, oh, look, the shiny new toy in Cincinnati at wide receiver is always going to get noticed. Good on Colby Young. It feels like every other day, he's making a catch down the field, high pointing of football, and making the kind of play that everybody in the crowd goes, ooh. The wide receiver three positions. in Cincinnati is different. It's not just making catches and making plays. It is a guy that has to compliment Jamar Chase, T. Higgins, and play a very specific role in Cincinnati. And that's the most important part of this. It is a role player in Cincinnati. And Andre Yoshivas has

adapted to that role. It is a very grimy position in Cincinnati. Cincinnati. I remember talking Andre Yoshibos about this last year, about the idea of what he has to do on any given play to play that role. And he called it and coach you'll like this. He said, it feels like most of my routes are just love of the game wells. And you just go out there and you're not going to get to football, but you've got to get some attention. You've got to take a defender somewhere and you've got to open things up for your teammates to go out there and shine. And then you have to block. And that's a big part of why. receiver three in Cincinnati is, are you willing and are you able to make downfield blocks to add some explosion to this run game? Because you hear Joe Burrow talk about it all the time. You hear the Bengals coaching staff talk about it all the time. What do the Bengals have to be better at in 2006? More explosive plays. That's not just throwing the ball 70 yards to T. Higgins and Jamar Chase. That's 35-yard runs in the run game. That's 27-yard runs in the run game. And that happens when a guy like Andre Yoshibos makes a big play on a block down the field.

Now, the other thing I'll give you, and I think you're starting to notice the theme here, that I don't think it's a real close race right now at wide receiver three for Colby Young as we stand now. Okay? I'll finish my thought on that in a bit. The other thing Andre Yoshibaz has, he has excellent off-script chemistry with Joe Burrow. We've seen that play out many times. I think of the Kansas City game. I think of the game against New York when Joe had his long.

50-yard touchdown run. He had a play in that game where he and Joe can get on the same page when the play is off script. And that takes time in the NFL. Coach talked about timing. That kind of stuff is chemistry that's built up over multiple years of guys playing together. Now, is Colby Young a better natural athlete, a guy that can go make plays down the field that you can throw a slot fade to and he can go get that ball better than Andre? Perhaps. And that's why I'm going to leave the door open for Colby Young as the season continues to maybe get more of those opportunities as the season goes. But when you start talking about this team lining up week one against Tampa Bay and looking for that first fast start offensively that we've seen in a while here, I don't think you're going to see a role change of wide receiver number three unless something drastic happens in the next month. It's too important of a role for this offense. And it takes some of the who's willing to play that role. I'm not saying Colby isn't that guy. He's not willing to do it, but Andre has done it, and I think he's going to hold on to it for now. It's his job to lose.

Okay? Let's put it down. It's his job to lose. Colby can still get it at some point, but as of now, I don't think it's as tight of a race for meaningful snaps as people might think. It might be because of what Colby Young has done so far in training camp. That's not necessarily the role that they want. It's a guy just going down and making place. That's great. They'll take it from Andre Yoshibati if you can get it. But also at the same time, you have to do a lot more than just that to play that role consistently in Cincinnati. Off chemistry plays.

I think about that play against the Giants Joe that you referenced. There was a third and 12 on the plus side of the two-minute morning. Bangles up just 10 to 7. Burrow rolls out to his left, hits Yosey Bosch. He's coming towards the near sideline. And then I go back to his rookie season. Last play of the first quarter at San Francisco. So Borough rolls out of the pocket to the right hits Yose Vosha on that front corner pylon of the end zone.

It was his second career touchdown. His first career touchdown may also have been off script. I don't remember the exact. I know the touchdown. I just don't remember if Burrow rolled out to his left or not. But you're absolutely right. That's a great point that you bring up there. Coach, what are you seeing right now with this wide receiver three potential battle?

Well said by my good friend, Joe. I mean, that in this offense, I mean, they've got the big three. they are the big three for a reason those inside receivers whether they be the slot or the tight end are complementary route runners with the can occasional nobody's covering him so we'll throw it to they are clear the deep middle out they are clear it out so the underneath cover so those big two outside can get the football. They are not primary in this offense. Hence the reason why a year ago,

the runnerback had more receptions than both of those guys. You know, they are clearing route guys only. So, you know what, the guy that fits, and I think that right now, that Yoshibati's best ability is in Joe's mind, his dependability. He knows he's going to be where he's supposed to be when he's supposed to be there. And then if there's an extended play, he knows Joe Burrow enough that whether, where's the

defender playing? Is he going to the right? Should I play up or should I take one deep? He understands that. So I think he fits that role much, much better at this point. Because I do believe that Kobe Young. you know, he's eventually going to be T. Higgins' replacement making those kind of plays, because that's what an ex does. And I think that he can do those things. So I think that all those

plays that you see him playing, that he's making huge plays vertically down the field, he's probably playing outside, that inside. Yeah. Now, is your role, Alex, I'm thinking back to, remember the catch that Jermaine Burton made the big play against Kansas City? Oh, absolutely. I do. I think there's going to be opportunities like that for Colby Young, that, If they like a certain matchup, he might be a weekly matchup dependent kind of player, where they think they can take advantage of a corner and a matchup in a specific play that I think you're going to exceed. I think that's going to be his role early in his career here in Cincinnati,

until he builds up, like coach says, that trust of dependability to be in the right spot at the right time to be a complimentary football player. And that's okay. if that's his role right now, that he gets a few snaps a game and gets a look or two in a matchup they like in a specific week, that's a great thing. And then he can continue to build into that. I think so many times people make the mistake that a team is a finished product week one and that they aren't practicing throughout the year and they aren't getting better. And individuals aren't becoming more dependable and earning trust and that kind of practice can really develop guys throughout a year. I think it's important to know that, yeah, what he is week one might not be what he is in week 11 or week 12.

His role might grow if he gets those opportunities and takes advantage up. But I think right now you're going to see his role be a little bit like that Jermaine Burton play against Kansas City where they found a match up. They liked a match up. They took a shot and he made a play. And I think Kobe Young can be that guy even early in his career here in Cincinnati. And there's nothing wrong with that. The other thing, too, is you've got to remember that in the quarterback's mind, he's earning trust right now with his whiteouts. He is earning trust.

If they disappoint him and they're not, they cannot be in his mind now, I'm not saying anything else, but in his mind, but in his mind, they are not trustworthy. He will look the other way. Yeah. And he'll go in that quarterback meeting room and says, okay, who's this for? Oh, you know what? I'd rather have this guy do this route than this guy. And then that's when they start playing chess. Well, yeah, I mean, look, a chess match, if you're winning it, it's a great thing to happen.

Joe, you bring up a great point when you talk about that Jermaine Burton catch. And by the way, I didn't expect Jermaine Burton to get brought up on the show today. But I feel like from what I've been hearing and from what I've been seeing, Colby Young is anything but that, is anything but Jermaine Burton. This is not Jermaine 2.0. I also think, Coach, to your point about dependability. And yet, Yosey Vash had his drops last year. He had his unfortunate moments, that one against the Jets, the one that really stands out to me.

But he also had his moments last year. The touchdown on Thanksgiving in 2024, he was Joe Burroughs, one of his favorite red zone targets. Joe, another catch that comes to my mind and to coach's point about dependability. The Sunday night game in L.A. two years ago, when the Bengals had 17 seconds or whatever to do something, Joe Burroughs stepped up in the pocket and found Yosevosh over the middle just to get them a chance to throw a Hail Mary. That's the dependability factor that coach is talking about here. So I think what you have here, and from what I'm gathering from Yose Vash and Colby Young, what we've been seeing is, Yoshi still has that wide receiver three role, but Colby Young can be like that X factor,

assuming he makes a 53-man roster, and I believe he will, based on what we've been seeing. If you have that match of contention with him, that's just going to make this wide receiver room that much deeper. Speaking to Colby Young, how about the other rookies? We'll do our first rookie stock report of the season coming up next on the Bengal Squad Show. Today's edition of the Bengal Squad Show is brought to you by Odu. Running a business shouldn't feel like you're trying to connect a bunch of systems that were never designed to work together. One app for accounting, another for inventory, another for sales, and somehow none of them talk to each other. That's where Odu comes in and all in one business management software that brings every part of your business together in one powerful platform.

from sales and accounting to inventory and marketing. Everything works in one place, hoping your team, move faster, stay organized and focused on growing the business instead of managing software. The best organizations know the success isn't just about talent. It's about having everyone working towards the same goal. And that's true in sports, just like it is in business. Look, I think back to game four in the NBA finals, having Jose Alperano and Jalen Brunson on the court together,

or having Mitchell Robinson on the floor to close out game five to get those not one, but two offensive rebounds, Nixon five. as my friend Joe Denhamet likes to say. The adjustment itself was important, but what really impressed me was how smoothly it was implemented. Everyone knew their role. Everyone was on the same page, and that's usually what separates good organizations from great ones.

Great organizations win because operations matter, and that's why you should get O-D. try for free today at O-D-O-D-com slash locked on. That's O-D-O-O-O-O-com slash locked on. Joe, you knew I was going to mention something about the New York next there. Should Jose Alvarado have been in that game? Yes. You should have been ejected?

No. Okay. Webby should have been ejected, if anything, came whatever was. Game three, four, all the games were run together for me. Anyway, Nixon 5, MBS schedule should be coming out this week. So hopefully the Knicks will get another shot at Tyrese Allberton and the Pacers, maybe on Christmas in the garden. Back to the topic in hand, the rookie stock report for the Bengals. We talked about Colby Young in segment two and the fact that he's been flashing with those incredible catches of training camp.

By the way, it's interesting. Here's this myth that teams are a finished product by week one. They don't practice the rest of the regular season on getting better. Well, not every team's the 07 Patriots. I mean, if you remember what they look like in week one of that season. So anyway, let's go to the rookies here. Cassius Howell, Bangle's second round pick, first pick that they made in this year's draft. Joe, what are you seeing from him in addition to him putting Orlando Brown Jr. on his back?

And that live rapper, Pillar this week. Yeah, Cassius Howe had a viral moment at Bengals training camp, putting Orlando Brown on his back, although I think Orlando Brown might have had his feet clipped out by some IJ P. Ryan on that. But the move itself was jaw dropping. It was kind of like Euro step and then boom, right into his chest and took back Orlando Brown. My favorite thing to do, and this is going to sound really nerdy, my favorite thing to do before every rep of training camp that Cassius Howell was on the field is to see where he's deployed.

And I think that's fascinating because it's this, you know, this changing hybrid position. Is he defensive end, edge, outside linebacker? What is he? I think the answer is yes, all of the above. And I think that's a lot of fun for this team because they don't have a guy like him anywhere else on the roster. They kind of broke the mold of what they typically draft on the edge when they draft the cash is how he's lighter than their usual edge profile.

and he's playing like it because they're moving him around. He's sometimes standing up. He sometimes got his hand on the ground. He's sometimes dropping back into coverage. But it's his ability to bend on the edge in that speed. That's really to me the reason why before training camp started, if I were going to power rank to Bangla's edges, I had him already higher than Shemar Stewart.

That's even before Shemar Stewart's injury. I really like everything Cassius Howe was about. I like the way they're deploying him. And I think it's been interesting because we talked about Zach Taylor and Dan Pitcher and the idea of the under center stuff and diversifying their offense a little bit. There was a charge from Zach Taylor to Al Golden to try guys at different positions and see what they're best at. Everybody always comes in with the tagging that he's a versatile guy. Like you get picked in the NFL draft. typically you're a pretty versatile football player to be able to have that kind of success.

So let's see what that versatility looks like on a field and let's see what they're best at. And then let's deploy them that way. And that's what they're doing right now with Cassius Howe. And I think it's really exciting for him individually as a player and his development here in Cincinnati that they're giving him this opportunity to go out and try different things, to drop, to rush, to stand up, to put his hand to the ground. It's really exciting what they're doing with Cassius How. And I think he has a real shot, especially in the preseason to pop. I think it's a chance for people to notice him starting on Thursday night against the Lions. And then in the second game against the Bears and even in the practices against the Bears.

I'm really excited. I think he's one of the guys that everybody should be circling here on Thursday night. I know everybody wants to see Joe Jamar and T. And is Dexter Lawrence going to play in this game? And if he does, is he wrecking the game that kind of thing? I'm excited to see Cassius how and the way he's used and if he can make plays. You know who reminds me of a little bit, just a little bit in the body type and his explosion is Carl Lawson. The Bengals haven't had a Carl Lawson kind of player since Carl Lawson.

So will that pop up in the preseason, even the regular season? I'm excited to find out because I really like what he's looked like and the way he's carried himself so far at training camp. Coach, we talked about it a lot, the last two shows prior to today with Shamar Stewart being out. This was an opportunity for Cassius Howe to step up. And when you look at the edge rushers, Boy, Moffey, Miles Murphy, Shamar Stewart, Cassius Howe kind of overlooked this offseason. Not doing that now. Well, you know what I tell you what? He is, from what I have witnessed him do, not only rushing the pastor, but he's very fluid in coverage.

he can just do so many different things. And he is an explosive young man. I mean, whether he's breaking and driving on a pass or whether he's rushing the pass or whether, you know, wherever your footwork is going, by the tackle, he left his chest open. And so he ran through him. That's embarrassing if you're the tackle. Now, he reminds me body type, not at a, as a player, but body tape where you can move him around is what Dan Quinn has did in Dallas

with Michael Persons. You move him in the middle, you move him on the edge. He's dropping one time. He's all over. You can't account for a guy like that. But you need to if he goes here. And now that's an old line room thing to, okay, do we treat him like a bit? Do we treat him like a little?

What do we treat him like? And I think that he has got a skill set that is only going to. improve. And I saw a number of times where he is getting, you know, he's getting in a boy Maffa's ear and asking him about a long arm and asking him about, you know, and he's talking to that, you know, trying to get coached up because the kid wants to be really good. And I tell you what, that's a great point to be in. I buy stock. Oh, I'm definitely buying stock because I love what I'm seeing. The guy that's just going out there playing fearlessly, SEC defensive player the year last year. You know, I think back to when the Bengals drafted him that night.

It was the Friday night of the draft and everybody was still on the euphoria of the Bengals just traded for Dexter Lawrence. And it kind of made me overshadowed the player they actually picked. And you could have said, okay, well, another edge rush from A&M is their first pick in the draft. All right, wash, rinse repeat. Not with this guy. This guy comes in with experience. This guy comes in with agility. He comes in with a chip on his shoulder. It comes in with a mindset of that he's willing to be coach. As you just said, coach, that's really good to have. Let's go to the Bengals next pick. in the draft. We'll spend a few minutes on him. Third round pick out of Washington,

Takario Davis. Joe, you've been at training camp. What are you seeing from him at corner? Is he holding his own against Jamar and team and going up against him? Where does he stand in the Bengals cornerback room? I think you notice him. And I think that's important. When you see him on the field, you notice the size right away and his ability to make plays down the field. And yeah, I think that's the work. The couple of times that I've zeroed in on him when he's facing the high profile wide receivers. He held his own. His role is different than Cache's Howl, where I think there's an expectation for Cache's Howell this year, perhaps to be third in edge snaps behind Boy A. Maffa and Miles Murphy, depending on Chimar Stewart and his development comes through this year. I don't know what

Takario Davis's role is going to be just yet. And I think that's one of the more fascinating position groups to watch. Not necessarily a battle in quotations, but what do those snaps look like behind the top two? And who's the who's in line if one of the top two goes down? The couple of times I've watched, DeCario down the field, the size matters. It plays really well on the football field. And I think what you said there is the correct phrasing, held his own in moments against Jamar Chase. And I think that's a win for a rookie. 64-194-194.

This is a different corner that Bengals have had. But as Joe said, you've been noticing him. And if you notice a corner, it may not necessarily be a good thing. In this case, though, it is. Yeah, it is. I tell you what. And you know where I've really kind of noticed him on a lot of special teams reels.

Here's a guy that wasn't asked to be a lot of special teams at the University Washington. but yet here's a long lanky you know for lack of a better word guy that is doing the things that they want him to do on special teams and i think as long as he treats it the same hey you're going to need you're going to want him on the field in different situations you know they i think they can play i think he's going to be a very very valuable player all right let's go to the later round picks We've hit on Colby Young. Let's go to their picks in rounds. Actually, real quick, Conor Lou. Bengals took him in the fourth round before Colby Young. Joe, what has he been throughout training camp?

Because he has been clear. What have you seen from him? I think it's important that he looks like himself. And that's what the coaches wanted to see in a quick turnaround from an ACL injury. And Connor Lou has looked like himself so far. I have a quote from Scott Peters who told us about Connor Lou. And he said, listen, playing center in this offense for a rookie is probably the hardest job a rookie can have outside of bringing in a rookie quarterback because of how complex it is, that they have to block, they have to communicate at that position. And here's the quote from Scott Peters on Conor Lou, and I think fans will like this. He said, what's impressive is his mental capacity, his leadership ability, he really sees it. He's a true pro for a young guy.

So that's what you want, right? You want a guy that sees it at that position as a center. And Ted Karras is 33 years old and Connor Liu is brought in here for a reason. And I think the early returns are not necessarily what he's doing physically. They do like the fact that he looks like himself, even coming off the knee injury. But I think they really like the idea that what he's doing, retaining and his mental capacity to, understand this offense at a young age, I think excites the coaching staff. Considering the Connoon, who also doesn't turn 21 until the end of this month, that is definitely

a really, really good thing to hear. Brian Parker the second, Jack injuries and Landon Robinson picked him to sixth and seventh rounds. Can any of those guys, do any of those guys have a legitimate shot and making the 53-man roster in your eyes? I think Brian Parker is going to make the 53-man roster. I think he's been the best offensive lineman in their second group. So far. How about that? Not staying a ton, right? But I think the early return on Brian Parker has been very good.

Jack Andrews has an uphill climb because that tight end room is deep with four different types of Liz. Eric All has been one of the stories of camp. Mike Isickie is Mike Asicki. They love Drew Sample. They should for what he brings this team and what they asked. And then Tanner Hudson has proven to be a guy that Joe Burrow coach trusts is dependable. And so for Jack entries, he's going to have to make some plays in the preseason.

He knows that. He really looks different than what he looked like in the pre-draft process. He's balked up. He looks better. He looks different. He's not getting a lot of opportunities at training camp. He understands that when the lights go on in the preseason game, he's going to have to make some plays and turn some heads and try to somehow make this team. It's going to be difficult with the four tight ends in front of them.

Landon Robinson again, I think Landon Robinson, the biggest hurdle for him right now, was the way T.J. Slayton has played. I think there was an idea before training camp started that T.J. Slayton might be a contract cut, that he wasn't what they expected last year. But then he shows up in great shape, and he's been a difference maker so far in training camp. I think it might come down to Landon Robinson against Chris Jenkins for that final defense. Who do they like more? Who do they like the upside of more? Would it be Chris Jenkins, a guy that they spent a premium pick on, or it would be Landon Robinson, a guy that they really like the profile of the person and the player and want to have in that room? And all these guys might have a shot to come back on a practice squad and still might have a future in Cincinnati.

But it certainly feels like injuries in Landon Robinson are going to be bubble guys here the final month before cuts. And coach, that goes to one of the great things about training camp is you can think you know something going in. but because of how the great this game is and how much it gives players opportunities, you never know. And that's why you better bring it every single practice and every single rep. Absolutely. Hey, we talked about it the other day. Not only is iron sharpening iron offense versus defense, iron sharpening iron,

has put TJ in a position to elevate his game. Yep. Because he can count. And when all of a sudden you bring a Jonathan Allen in, you bring a, you know, you bring those kind of guys in the game, you bring a Dexter Lawrence and he's going, okay, wait a minute, how many, how many are we going to keep? Oh, and you drafted the guy? Wait a minute. I better go. It's go time.

If I want this livelihood and my career to sustain, what I've done in the past is not good enough. and for him to be able to step up and start making plays, hey, that's iron sharpening iron, man. That is there nothing worse to get somebody's attention than that bench over on the sidelines. Yeah, no question about it. That gets somebody's attention or be working at BP next week. Well, it's that, listen, it's that and it's that Boston song, those lyrics.

Keep on living in competition. All I want is to have my peace of mind. Joe, real quick, we've got to get to this legendary factor fiction debut. The one wild car would be B.J. Hill. What's his status? Because if B.J. Hill is not ready, they do expect him to be ready. But if he's not ready, that then changes the calculus of that defensive line room. It might open a door for multiple players that are on the bubble to make the team. There are some battles in training camp, and there's going to be some decisions that have to be made. And that's the great thing about this team is that there is a lot of players and a lot of positions.

It's going to be interesting to see who's kept, who's on the practice squad and who's cut come the end of this BJ Hilda was in pads today on the rehab field with Nick Cosgrace and Moore Stewart, graduated from a brace to a sleeve. So you love seeing that. Hopefully that continues to get better for him. Up next. Hey, well, you know what I'm going to think, Alex, before you, we move on. The great thing, too, is you also have to remember they're so deep.

Even with the guys that aren't back yet, who's to say they can't trade one of those good players, all right and get somebody else in they can fit the system right away. I'm sorry, did you say the word trade coach? Oh, I tell you what, you are auditioning in the preseason, not only for your team but other teams if you're a backup. That's what you're doing. Speaking to BJ Hill, trade in 2021. Look how that turned out.

A mixed fact or fiction. All right, here we go. Five prompts. Joe and coach are going to give their opinions. I'll give mine as well. Fact or fiction ahead of the 2026 Bengals season. Fact or fiction, the Bengals will be a top two seed in the playoffs this season. Wait a minute.

You want me to go on a Bengals podcast and say that's fiction? You can if you want. It's a hard thing to predict, okay? I think there are things I'm. comfortable predicting. I'm comfortable predicting. I believe the Bengals will be in the playoffs. I know going out on the line there. I think I'm comfortable in predicting. I think the Bengals will win playoff games. So a top two seed, it's not just trying to predict the Bengals, it's trying to predict all those other teams that are in the AFCs. So it's a hard thing to predict. But I think if

you're asking me to put my $20 down on, will the Bengals be a top two seed? Yeah, I'll put my $20 down Fact, yes, Bengals will be a top two seed because of the way Dexter Lawrence has fit in Cincinnati, not just as a player, but his personality. I think he's raised the game of the entire room, and I think that's going to pay off big time for the Bengals. Division champs top two seed. I love hearing that. Along with that, Brian Cook has been outstanding this training camp, another free agent signing acquisition in this offseason. Coach, where are you on this? Hey, I don't live in Cincinnati like you guys, so I can go out there and say, that's fiction. Show me.

Show me. Okay. That's a long season. January is a long way away. It's still summer and nice outside, and it's thunderstorms and hot, and you name it here in the state of Ohio. But you have to show me that you have earned the right to be a top two seed. and the season hadn't even started yet. So I would say fiction, and you know what, I will gladly pay Joe his 20 bucks.

Yes. If they are one of the top two seats. As long as I don't have to pay you if they aren't. It's only fair. I'm going to go fact on this because Joe brought this up, the AFC for me. There's so much uncertainty. New England has a much tougher schedule this year. Are they improved up front on their offensive long?

line. Are the Chiefs going to be good? Can the Jaguar sustain success? Is C.J. Straub going to be able to recapture his rookie season form with the Texans this year because he hasn't the last two years? And then you can go to the AFC North. The Ravens are in transition. The Steelers is kind of in transition, although Aaron Rodgers is back in. They have Mike McCarthy's their head coach who's won a Super Bowl against the Steelers at that. But I think the only two teams that I am along with the Bengals, because the Bengals returned a lot of their roster from last year except on defense. And they remade it. and it's much better, and they have their coaching staff.

I look at Buffalo and I look at Denver. Those two teams for me are probably the two teams that I'm most confident in the AFC. Denver has a very good roster. Buffalo has Josh Allen. But for the Bengals, where there's so much uncertainty in the AFC, again, it's that why not us mantra. So I'm going to go fact that Bengals will be a top two seat in the AFC.

Prom number two. Fact or fiction, Joe Burrow will throw forward. at least 48 touchdowns this year. So that would break the record then of most touchdown passes in Bengals history. And I'm going to say fact for this reason. I think Joe wants to do that this year. I think Joe wants to win the MVP this year. And that's a stupid thing.

Of course, every player wants to win the MVP. But I think Joe's gunning for it this year. I really think he understands, and I've said this a lot about Joe Burrow. over the years. I think Joe Burrow understands the boxes he has to check on a career resume for him to be what he wants to be. And that's considered one of the best of all time. I love those boxes. Some of those boxes are MVP, Super Bowls. I think Joe Burrow wants to win an MVP. I think there are guys who legitimately say, I don't care about those awards. I just want to win Super Bowls. I'm not saying this is a selfish thing for Joe. I think Joe understands that

him winning the MVP sets the Bengals up to be one of, if not the best team in the AFC and maybe the NFL. So I think Joe wants that. I think he wants that number. I think he wants to go out and break that record. And so I'm going to go fact, Joe Burrow, 48 touchdowns and becomes Cincinnati's all-time leader in passing touchdowns this season in 2006. Coach. Hey, I'm fact. I think this young man is driven. He is time. He is time. of being the best or the best or the best of the worst. And he wants to be the best of the best. And I think that he is driven.

He is, I mean, he is playing that way now. He's practicing. There's no frustration out of him. I think that he sees the light is on. Finally, it's not flickering. They have changed the bulbs in the building. and they are bright and he's going to take advantage of it. I absolutely agree with both of you.

I'm going fact on this. I think Joe Burrow is so driven right now. And yeah, he can come out and say he doesn't care about winning MVP. Joe Burrow wouldn't say that. Joe, you've said it before. Joe Burrow, everything he says is calculated. If he wants something, he is going to go get it. He has that extra chip, I think, this year, that urgency.

I'll even offer this full prediction. And coach knows where I'm going with this. I think Joe Burrow. And I say this is the very first Bengals game. I ever remember. November 28th, 2004. Bengals 58, Browns 40. Joe D, do you remember who had the pick six to seal that game? I'm going to say Tori James. You're close. It was actually Delta O'Neill. Delta O'Neill. That was 2004. When the Bengals host of Saints this year on November 29, I believe Joe Burrow will throw for seven touchdowns in that game, and the Bengals will beat the Saints 52 to

49. Coach, you can apologize to your son in advance for me if you don't mind. All right. Let's go to factor fiction prompt number three, the Bengals defense will finish top 15 in scoring and yards allowed per game. I don't want to go just blindly fact on all of these things, but this one feels like a bar that isn't too high for the defense. And I think we have to understand where they're coming from and where the expectation is for them to go this year. They were statistically the second worst defense in the NFL last year. So to jump all the way to the top 15 feels like a massive jump, but I think it's a realistic one. It's not asking this team to be top five, top seven defensive when it comes to the numbers. And I think sometimes the overuse statement in

Cincinnati is, oh, if the defense can just be league average, the Bengals will be fine, fine to go to the playoffs. But if you want to win playoff games and win Super Bowls, you can't be just fine on DPS. You have to be good, if not great. And that's the question to me is, can the Bengals go from whatever the metric is, from what they were last year to a great defense? I don't know if that's going to happen. Like coach said, I want them to prove it before I believe it. But can they be top 15? Absolutely. I think all the difference makers they brought in all over the roster defensively can help this team get there. To me, it's been fun to watch the linebackers. and the way they're flying around a little bit

feels like they're more instinctual this year and unable to play freer and faster. Will that translate? That to me is going to be fascinating to watch. But to go from one of the worst to middle of the pack, can this team do that with Dexter Lawrence and Brian Cook and Boy A Mafay? Yeah, absolutely.

I'm going fact. How about that? Coach? Hey, I'm fact. All right? I'm sold on what they are, who they are now. and who they've got, who they brought in, still got question marks, you know, about the linebacker play. It's great to see that they're flying around. They're protected a little bit more. But I tell you what, we talked about it throughout the season. If this defense could be

that proverbial thing that Joe just mentioned, if they could be middle of the pack, we got a great chance. Now, I think that if they can be middle of the pack and know with the guys that they brought in, the winning lineage that they have with them in history, if they can learn and learn early how to finish games, then no doubt they're top 15. I'm going to go fact on top 15 in scoring. I think they have enough playmakers to limit opponents and how much how many points they put on the board. I'm going to go. fiction on yards a lot per game. I think they still give up some yards in some games against some teams that's going to like skew that average. But yeah, I'll go fact that they can finish

top 15 and scoring. And to me, that's what matters the most because coach sometimes you can give up a lot of yards. But if you prevent points, if you make turnovers in the red zone, hey, that's called bend, but don't break. And that can win in this league. Absolutely. Hey, remember your question a couple weeks ago, Alex. I said that the defense is going to score six pick sixes or scoop and score six times. So that's going to get them to where they need to be. Absolutely. Absolutely.

Factor fiction Chase Brown, this is problem number four, will have at least 1,200 yards rushing and 750 receiving yards. Oh, wow. Fiction. That would be nearly 2,000 total yards. That would be a team record for a single season. I love Chase Brown. If people are watching this and are fantasy football players,

I would think about Chase Brown in the top 15 picks, early second round. You could even twist my arm for him to be the last pick of the first round, the top 12 kind of play. I think he's going to have a monster year. I think you're talking about a guy with a ceiling of 1,500 total yards and 14 or 15 touchdowns. But there's just too many malice defeat with Teague and T. Higgins and Jamar Chase and the tight ends and pick your run.

wide receiver three and insomaget. P Ryan gets some snaps. For him to go out and have nearly 2,000 total yards to me feels like fiction, just too big of a season. I think you're looking at a season that would cap off right around 1700, 1750 for Chase Brown if he has a big year. Still pretty good, coach.

I'd say fiction. Reason is, is you gotta remember who, I mean, there's only one ball. And you have so many, so many guys that want that ball that there's not enough balls to go around. So I think he's going to have once they, and it won't be, I think, like any team, it doesn't really happen until about game for game four is what is your identity. You've got to look at Philadelphia a couple of years ago. their identity is they were going to throw the ball all over the place. All of a sudden a guy goes down.

What happens? They give it to the stud that they got in the backfield next A.R. They win a Super Bowl as a running team with Sequin Barkley. Same thing. You are as needed and you fit. So I think that I'm like Joe, you, the overall number is got to be down. If he can be about 1,500 yards, total yards, shoot, I'm all for it. He gets 800 and 700, great, because we know his value coming out of the backfield.

We know his value as a running team, but they didn't become a running team until Joe Flackle came in. So all of a sudden they were forced to be a running team. What do you want to be? You still got Joe Flackle, you still got the big three. I think they're a throwing team who wants to run. but not a running team who would like to throw. I'm going to go fact on 1,200 yards rushing because if Chase Brown had gotten going at the start of the season last year, as opposed to the second half of week six on, he would have had that many yards rushing last year.

But 750 receiving your answer, right, Joe, that feels a little too much for me. Because if that's happening, then Jamar and T. I can hear Tim Begis telling me that right now on my head. So I'm going to go, fact on 1,200 yards rushing fiction on 750 yards receiving. Fact or Fiction, problem number five, Zach Taylor, will be a frontrunner for coach of the year. I'm going to go fiction just because I don't think he'll get the credit when you have star power the Bengals do. When they have four alphas like they do, and I'm lumping in now Dexter Lawrence, the big three is now four in Cincinnati. There's no doubt about it in my mind that when you have this kind of talent that the Bengals do make any kind of run,

I don't think he's going to get the national credit for, even if he deserves it. And I think a lot of people watching this have different opinions on Zach Taylor. I fully understand that. I think we're all smart enough to understand that there's a lot of pressure on Zach Taylor this year. And, you know, if the team does have a big year, he should get those kinds of award recognition. But I think when you have Borough Chase Higgins-Lorence, people are going to say, well, yeah, anybody could have coach them to whatever record it is unfairly, too much. And so, no, I don't think Zach Taylor will get national recognition unless, right, unless the Bengals win the AFC go to the Super Bowl. And then I think

it's undeniable considering they hadn't made the playoffs in three years. But I think the fact that they have so much top-tier talent, it hurts his ability to win awards like that. They typically go to someone that people don't expect to have a great year. And they have a a great year. I think a lot of people are expecting the Bengals to have a very good season, considering the talent they have and the schedule they play. Coach? I'm fission because of the fact that there are so many, there are 31 other coaches out there who will deal with adversity, just like Zach will. They will deal with roster moves just like Zach will. They will, they don't have a super-success.

star as a quarterback or a dominant defense and he kind of maneuvers his way to winning it and getting into the playoffs. That's my only reason to say that. I don't think he gets he right now, if you're on the tip of the tongue, he's not one of the guys that the procrastinators would say, yeah, look for him to be the MVP or, the most valuable coach of a team. So I would say that that's the fact. I'm going to go fact because I do think the Bengals will win 13 games. I think he will get some recognition for that and what's a pivotal year for him.

Do I think he's going to win coach the year? No. I'll tell you right now who I think is going to win coach the year, Kellyn Moore down in New Orleans with the Saints. That's my pick for coach of the year. But factor fiction, Zach Taylor being a frontrunner, I can see it because I do think that he understands the pressure that's on him, and so too does the national media. That's going to wrap it up for us here on the Bengals Squad Show on this Sunday, August 9th,

2026, four days away from preseason game number one for the Bengals against the Detroit Lions. Joe Damon, what does the flagship have tonight on Cincinnati Sports Show? Yeah, I'm going to have a feature story on what I think is the best story at Bengals training camp. Dante Meyer is a guy that literally paid his own. way to try out for the Canadian Football League. Got his opportunity and now here he is in Cincinnati and has a realistic chance that Bengals keep six wide receivers of taking that number six spot. The top five are locked in.

We all know the top five here in Cincinnati. Dante Myers, not just a good story, but also a good football player. We'll have that featured tonight. Catch that tonight, 11.30 p.m. Eastern on Fox 19. If you're in the Cincinnati area, the Bengals and the Lions Thursday night, 7 o'clock from Pay Cor Stadium in Cincinnati. The flagship will have the game broadcasted on their air catch. Joe, Jeremy Rout, Gabby Sorrentino, and Cole McIntyre before, during and after the game. And once you guys wrap up coverage Thursday night on the 11 o'clock news, Joe, you can tune in to listen to yours truly.

Coach Arr Fulero and Mike Santagana here on the Bengals Squad Show post game edition as we break down the Bengals and the Lions. Joe, you'll be back next Sunday where we are going to do our stock report for the second year players, which includes. Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. Joe Daniman, thanks as always. Coach Art Polaro, thanks as always. I'm Alex Franke, Frankie, underscore Natty Bengals Squad Show, part of the Lockdown Bengals podcast,

hosted by Jake Liscoe and Joe Goodberry. Catch them all week leading up to Bengals and Lions, then catch them in addition to the Bengals Squad show. After the game, Thursday night coach and I, along with Mike Santagina, are live at 11.30 p.m. Eastern into 12.30 a.m. Eastern on Friday morning. early Friday morning. Bangles Squad Show, part of lockdown, Bengals and the lockdown podcast network celebrating 10 years of being your team every day, and we are the number one sports

podcast network in America and the world. Have a great rest of your weekend. Have a great week. We'll talk to you again Thursday night, late Thursday night, following Bengals and Lions on the Bengals Squad Show.