Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - BENGALS SQUAD SHOW: Safety is FIRST PRIORITY to REBUILD DEFENSE, TEEEE and FLACOO ARE PRO BOWLERS

Episode Date: January 30, 2026

The Bengals' defense needs rebuilding across the board. There are starters needed on all three levels, including some levels with multiple starters needed. Alex Frank, Mike Santagana, and Coach Art Valero get into why the safety position should be priority No. 1 on the Bengals' offseason check list to rebuild their defense. Great, game-changing safeties are made by having a dominant defensive front. But what's more important for the Bengals in 2026: a great pass rush or a great run-stopping defense? Todd Monken being hired by the Cleveland Browns means all three AFC North teams that had head coach openings have been filled. Alex explains why it's not Zac Taylor being retained that's the pressure cooker of decisions. It's Taylor not making any changes to his coaching staff that is the pressure cooker of decisions that he and the Bengals need to be right on. Tee Higgins and Joe Flacco have each been named to their first Pro Bowls. The guys explain how it justifies two decisions the Bengals got right in 2025. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! TurboTax For a limited time, you can have your taxes done by a local TurboTax expert for just $150 — all in, if a TurboTax expert didn’t file for you last year. Just file by February 28. Visit http://TurboTax.com/local to book your appointment today.Rocket Money Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join at http://RocketMoney.com/LOCKEDON FanDuel If you’re a new customer, bet just $5 and get $200 in Bonus Bets if you win. Make it count — because after the Super Bowl, the season is over. Last call for football on FanDuel, an Official Sportsbook Partner of Super Bowl Sixty. PrizePicks Download the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONNFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. Click Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LO... Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. Robinhood Trade Every Play with Robinhood. Now available across the U.S. Download the Robinhood app now to begin. Futures and cleared swaps trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Event contracts are offered by Robinhood Derivatives, LLC., a registered futures commission merchant and swap firm 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/lockedonnfl. 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.

It's a lesson that we're taught when we're kids. Safety first. And my first job as a radio producer, I was told that I was the last line of defense when it came to protecting the FCC license. So how does this relate to the Bengals? Well, the safety position is the last line of defense from preventing the top of the defense from being taken off. And Mike's antagon, after the last three seasons, it's clear that Bengals are in dire need of a game changing safety. Yeah, it seems like they've been in need of a, uh, game changing safety since they let their game changing safety walk out the door. Jesse Bates.

And coach, one thing that can help make a game changing safety, stopping the run and rushing the passer. Both are important. Oh, complex decisions got to be made. But those two positions in particular make it so much easier, so much easier on the secondary. All that and much more coming up today on the Bengal Squad Show. 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. Happy Friday. Thanks so much for joining us. This is the Bengals Squad Show. We are the twice a week long-in-form conversational supplement to the daily lockdown Bengals podcast. I'm Alex Frank. He's Mike Santagana. You hear him. and see him on locked out Bengals and his work on banglesstock.com.

He's longtime Super Bowl winning NFL coach, Art Valero, Today Show, is brought to you by Fandul. Right now, it is the last call with Super Bowl 60, just nine days away. It's the last call for football on Van Duel. If you're a new customer, bet just $5, and you'll get $200 in bonus bets if you win. Gentlemen, we are nine days away, Joe Burrell days away from Super Bowl 60, but we got a lot to discuss on today's show. And we talked about it in that open. And I want to reference this.

Four years ago today, the Bengals beat the Chiefs in the AFC Championship, 2724. And everybody remembers all the plays Joe Burrough made. Everybody remembers Evan McPherson's game winning field goal. But I remember the play that set up the Bengals game winning drive in overtime. It was an interception by Von Bell off of a deflection by Jesse Ben, And Mike, as you said in the open, they've been needing a safety ever since. They led Jesse Bates walk in 23 and they've let Fond Bell walk in 2023.

So the last three years have shown clearly how invaluable that safety position is. Absolutely. And I think something that I feel like, I don't know, analytics, fans, whatever, don't get, is that I feel like your safety kind of has a cascading effect on the rest of the defense. He's one of the few guys that can kind of do multiple guys' jobs. When I think of Jesse Bates, when he was in the post as a single high safety, he could do one and a half guys' jobs. That's how much ground he could cover because he could cover all the way from sideline to

side line. Now, maybe if you gave the quarterback a ton of time and his shoulders turned to the left for a full three seconds and then goes all the way back to his right, you can't get there. So that's the difference between two safeties and one back there. But if he's reading it out and he did a great job of reading things out, breaking on the ball is really it's like he was one and a half guys back there. So that's something I think that, you know, you don't get when you look at just interceptions, past deflections, et cetera, those type of stats.

What a really good safety does for me is that it feels like there is a net over the top of the defense. And that's what it felt like Jesse Bates provided. And I feel like that's what they thought a few guys would be able to provide them. They thought Dax Hill would be able to do that, but Daxil never actually played traditional post safety deep safety very often at Michigan. So it was a learning experience. Then he moved to corner.

He's actually been better there anyway. And then they got Gino Stone to try to do that same thing. But that hadn't worked out either. So yes, I think 100%, like when we look at the safety, it is a huge priority in part because one, it's very important. I think it's more important than some people make it out to be. But two, I think it's very important because they got one guy that they feel like they can trust right now in Jordan Battle.

and they don't have anybody else on the roster. I'm like, you look at linebacker for similarities, they probably have some trust in those young guys, whether or not you and I do, at least some trust. They might be looking to upgrade or provide competition, but for safety, they've shown they don't really trust the other guys

in their, Jules, Anderson, whoever, that are under contract because they haven't played them. You saw how Gino Stone played throughout the season, and they were never called up to take his, spot or at least give him a drive off and let's see what the young guys got that just feels like the team just never really had that level of faith in that but yes i agree safety for me it's the number one priority yeah absolutely and coach i'm a turn to you because when i think of a safety i think of a guy like john lynch i think of a guy who was like a tarryl dactyl i think of a guy

that has so much range and most importantly he can strike fear into both the quarterback and the running back if he's going to come screaming on a blitz. Am I accurate with that? Oh, absolutely. You know what? I tell you what, the other one that I was around was Earl Thomas. Earl Thomas, yeah. Earl was that guy in the secondary who could cover not only the deep middle and a third,

just like Mike was talking about, but he could also come up and fit the run where Cam Chancellor couldn't. where in John Lynch's case, he was a very, very intelligent, got everybody lined up, made sure, made up for the lack of somebody else's mistakes, perhaps, in the run game. And he was all over. You know what? When you get that, that kind of player, and I think you've got to get him and you've got to get him early. because it's hard to get a good safety out of free agency. Why?

Because they're very rare. And people know whether they have a good one. I think right now in the Bengals case, they've got some guys that they have drafted that are very good and special teams, but they're not ready for prime time yet. See, just look at the Seattle Seahawks and look at what they've done at the safety position ever since they moved from the AFC to the NFC. It goes back to the early 2000s when I don't remember if they were safeties or corners,

but I'll use defensive backs as an example, when they had guys like Jordan Babina or Michael Bullware, and then you go into the 2010 coaches you mentioned with Earl Thomas, and then Cam Chancelor, and then now it's guys like Nick Eam-Mannwari at the position they're just wreaking havoc on not just opposing skill groups in wide receiver and tight end, but they're being able to come up and stop the run, being able to, you know, blitz.

That's a guy that I want in a safety position. I want someone that just looks incredibly jacked, that is physical. I want someone that can come in hot on a blitz. I want someone that can come in and make a game saving tackle on a fourth and one or a fourth and two. Let's say if the opposing team decides to go for when they could kick a field goal. That's what I want in a safety to come into Cincinnati and really for once, like Jesse Bates did, come in, set the tone safe, this is how it's going to going to be on defense. This is how it's going to be in practice, in meetings, and during games.

Impose that level of physicality that we have seen Troy Palomalu and Ed Reed and any other safety that has come through the AFC North in the last 24 years. The Bengals need someone like that at the safety position because what you do is I want someone that takes away a huge chunk of the field. I want someone that has to then, that someone makes the opposing quarterback, whether it be Lamar Jackson, whether it be whoever's in Pittsburgh, if it's Shador Sanders in Cleveland or somebody else, I want them to have to throw against DJ Turner and Dax Hill. Go ahead and test them, see what happens, because you can't throw to the middle of the field. That's the guy that I've won at the safety position. Do you guys agree with that?

I'm not going to lie. I'm going to settle for a guy that can correctly midpoint two verticals and cover two. Oh, that helps. Because the Steelers game, Regito Stone, like multiple plays that he's just giving up touchdowns because he thinks he can make the play and then he takes a bad angle and misses it. I'm settling for somebody that could make that pass. Which Steelers game are you referring to, Mike? All, both. I mean, the first one, the Unc Bowl is the one where I think it happened to most. Oh, the Unk Bowl.

Oh, yeah, when he missed played up one, but two touchdowns. Yep, it was the same coverage, too. Coach, what did you look for? What did Ryan Marinelli and Monty Kiffin and all those guys? What did they look in a safe? What did Mike Tomlin look for in a safety position in Tampa? Well, one is his eyes. You know, where are his, is he easily looked off?

Is he easily pumped off? Does he have the reaction speed to even if he is pauses a second? He's still doing his job. number two would be can he communicate with the other ones back there? And I think number three would be, can he come up? Is he a willing participant in not only covering, but coming up and being physical enough in the run game because like you let off with,

he is the last line of defense. And if you, I think that they're looking for guys like that, Hey, it could be a Dexter Jackson, who you guys took after we had him. And I don't know how he fit in here. I didn't follow Dexter's career after he left us. But, you know what? For the most part, you know, John was still there. And they go through a lot.

And I tell you what, I think guys, range, closing speed. And can he come up and make a play and tackle somebody? Yeah. You know, don't try to go for the kill shot like Jordan Battle did against Colston Loveland in week nine. Mike, you want to talk about just you'll settle for a solid safety that can wrap up on a guy going vertical. Just give us that. That's all we need. Like at least make it harder for an offense to move the bowl down the field.

Don't be able to take so easy shots down the middle of the field. Throw to the perimeter where there's tight one-on-one coverage or bump and run coverage. Just give me a safety that can force an opposing offense and opposing quarterback to do that. Now, where is this safety come from that we're talking about this? He come from free agency. Is it somebody who's proven? Is it somebody who's emerging that may not necessarily get a second contract with another team?

That's the kind of guy that I wanted safety. It's kind of like what Von Bell was when he came here in 2020 in 2020. He was a four-year starter with the Saints. He was either a three or four-year start. I don't remember the top of my head. But he comes to Cincinnati. He plays really well. He sets a tone or get a guy like Mike Hilton's slack corner.

And he's not a safety, of course, but you get my point here. I need someone who is proven because this defensive coaching staff has not yet proven they can develop young talent. Get a veteran in the room. Mike, would you settle for somebody like that? Get a veteran in here who's emerging. Help set the tone for how this is going to be much different than what you guys have had the last few years. You have to, in my opinion, because in the NFL, the free agency happens before the draft. So you can't go,

nah, like these safeties are expensive. Let's just take a guy in the draft. What if you get to the draft, Caleb Downs has gone round one, then you get to round two. You've got a couple of guys you like, they go right before you. Now you're looking in round three.

And now you're like, I don't know if this guy's going to start. Who is still left out there in free agency? You can pigeonhole yourself. You never want to be in that situation. You won't be a situation where you got a guy. And then if Downs or whoever you love falls in the draft and you take him, now you got two guys you really like.

And now you have to worry about, well, where does Jordan Battle fit in or whatever? Competition. It's competition should breed success. And third, second of that, there's a lot of three safety sets in the NFL. It's just the Bengals haven't really used them. But you're talking about a guy that has shown starting level experience. My guy in this free agency cycle, I think is Cam Curl because he's done it in two places for high quality defenses, just did it with the Rams, did it for the commanders before that.

And he's still 26 years old going for his. third contract. So that to me is my guy. I know he's translatable that he can learn two different systems, went from Washington to L.A., no problem, provided high level starter play. That's a guy I think you should be able to bring him over. He's done it all, and he's only 26. So that to me is my guy. There's other good safeties out there. You obviously also can't pigeon your whole yourself in on free agency. That'll be my first call. I'm calling him up and just seeing, hey, what's the, what are we looking for here? I don't know. I'm not through the front office, but I'm sending him a pretty good deal.

Yeah. I mean, I think it goes to this point, too. Don't just get a guy that looks good because he had seven interceptions the prior season. Gino Stone, when they signed him in 2024, had seven interceptions the year prior. And we all know how that turned out. Unfortunately, Coach, I'm going to go back to something you said earlier. A safety has to be able to communicate. So I need someone when you're covering a whole wide chunk of

the field, I need someone that could communicate. How important is it for a safety to be able to do that, especially when you're facing some really, really good skill groups, which the Bengals will face next season? Well, put it this way. He's, the safeties are usually a green dot player, right? They are usually the guy that gets the call from the sideline, along with the one of the backers inside, who's got great leadership skills and great communicative. skills because he can get everybody else. I think if you look at it, just look at the defensive huddle. The corners very seldom come into the huddle.

And because they're relying on that secondary green dot to get them lined up, to tell them what it is and what's going to happen because why they're both, they're all four of them or five, are crucial to whatever that coverage call and front call to base themselves on run fits. So they need to know. And you know what? Say you go out and you find somebody like Mike was talking about. Young, very knowledgeable, football player, not flashy, but just a good, solid player.

What that does is if you're, if you. open up your checkbook and you say, you know what, that's a guy that we really, it's a need, and that allows you in the draft to take what you want, allows you to take that rush in, allows you to take that big, blow your doors off defensive tackle. You know, I think that's key. Either that, if you don't sign anybody in free agent, hopefully your first two picks, maybe three, might be going to defense. Yeah, it just all goes back to what you're doing free agency,

has to set you up to be able to go best player available in the NFL draft. And this isn't the only time, for those of you listening, this isn't the only time we're going to be talking about safety on this show this offseason. But you know what? Two things. Number one, the best thing about having a game changing safety is, I guarantee you it's going to make Jamar chasing T. Higgins better. You talk about it, guys, competition, breed, success, iron sharpens iron.

There you go. But you know what else helps safeties allow them. to be game changers, a great defensive front. But I'm going to ask the question before we go to a quick time out here. What's more important? Pass rush or run stoppers? We'll analyze that question next right here on the Bengal Squad Show. Today's edition of the Bengal Squad Show is brought to you by TurboTax.

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I'm Alex Frank. He's Mike Santagana. He is coach Art Valero. So let's talk about stopping the run because this Bengals defense has to get better at that. Like safety is priority number one for me. Mike, you've said it yourself. It is for you. Coach, it sounds like you're very high on that when it comes to your priorities for this offseason.

But for me, number two is this defense has to stop the run. Point blank. Because if you stop the run, that's going to open up. so many other things. Coach, with Monty Kiffin talk about that, stopping the run, you can do so many things you want with your defense. I have not heard a defensive coach, regardless of the level, their number one priority is always stop the run. Don't allow them to get a foot in the door and stop it. And however they have to commit to it, it starts with your defensive line guys up front, staining their gap, being strong, and then allows the linebackers to go make plays.

Now, unfortunately, for the Bengals, they had a bunch of young linebackers who you didn't hear much from the defensive linemen in terms of the run game, but the linebackers should have been able to make those plays because those are really sacrificial lambs up front to free those people up. And I think, I mean, everybody talks about it. Very few people put it into play. Starts up front. And plain and simple, Mike, I think to the Jets and Bears games, the Jets running game could do whatever they want. The Bears running game with a seventh round draftic, I believe, in Kyle Munang guy, he could do whatever he want that day. He wanted that day because the Bengals defense could not stop the run. And that opened up so many other things for Ben Johnson's

offense for any other great offensive coordinator and offensive team, the Bengals faced last year, the Bills, for example. You can even go to the Broncos in week four could do whatever they won offensively because the Bengals defense could not set the tone and be disruptive up front. Yeah. And like coach is saying, the sacrificial lambs, if everybody just does their job, I feel like the linebacker should have a tackle on, I don't know, 90. percent of plays, 90 percent of run plays.

Yeah. It's when the defensive linemen are making those tackles when I feel like they're doing more than their job. And like in a good way, they're able to not only play their gap, but then also maybe shed to a secondary gap and make a tackle, make a run stop, not just slow the guy down, not just play your gap, but also make the stop. So it's, it's tough because the defensive line, if they're good run defenders, they should let those linebackers play free, play better.

And I didn't, I didn't really think that Bengals' defense's line. was that bad in the run game? I did just think that the linebackers had some bad fits at times. Not the defensive line was great either. I mean, they were solid to me. They weren't outstanding. They weren't going above their job, but a lot of times they did their job.

They weren't really getting blown off the ball. It just felt like linebackers mistackles, safety's mistackles. And also a lot of perimeter runs. And I got so sick of seeing the second level to go underneath of a block and then take themselves out of the play and think they can go catch the running bat.

That might work in college, man. but these guys all run 4344. So you're going under that block to go make that play rather than fighting through and over that block. Most of the time you don't make that play. Most of the time you're just taking yourself out. I know when offensive linemen, if you go underneath the block,

I feel great. Like you just took yourself out. I didn't have to do anything. Awesome. So I would like to see the linebackers try to fight through and over that block. But you mentioned pass rush or run defense. And really, aren't you looking for,

both. You are. I feel like that's really what I want. I want a guy that can kick butt on the first two downs up front and that he can pin his earbacks and he earned his ability to go run, rush the passer on third and long. Get an edge rusher that can also not just rush the passer. Get an edge rusher that can be on the field every down because he can stop the run. Trey Hendickson was not great against the run. That was his downfall ultimately here in Cincinnati in addition to off the field contract stuff. But for me, I think, Mike, you hit on a great point. Get a guy that is versatile. Get a guy that you can have on the field.

If he's good enough to be on the field on money downs, why not have him on the field on all downs, like on first down or second down? Because those downs are where you do the work to make your money on third down, so to speak, to kind of use like a metaphor there. But I just want an opposing offense to have to work to move the ball against the Bengals defense. Even in 21 and 22, when the Bengals defense was good, wasn't dominant by any means. Like, I want this defense to make it hard for an opposing offense to gain positive yardage. Coach, you were around Monty Kiffin every day.

That Tampa Bay defense, and even the defense in Seattle, you saw it come together at the start. It wasn't just the Legion of Boom. It was guys up front like Mabane, Cliff Avril. If I'm missing anybody, please insert them for me. Even a guy like Bruce Irvin. for as good as he was. The Seattle Seahawks defense could set the tone up front.

I need the Bengals defense to do that because as safety, as we talked about earlier, he should not have 100 tackles. If he has 50 of them, that lets me know, okay, the Bengals' defensive line is getting penetration. They're getting a push. They're creating havoc up front. I want my opponent. I want my game changing safety to you don't know when he's coming because he doesn't have to come in

and help out the defensive line. That's what I want in a defensive line. Do your job so your game changers can be in their roles and not have to do your roles too. Absolutely. You know what? I tell you what, the one thing that if you're a defensive lineman, ends are different than tackles. But if you're an interior defensive lineman, if you have two tackles a game, you've done your job. as long as you don't jump out of position and do all those things.

Your linebackers are the ones that should lead the team in tackles. And with a good defensive line, your linebackers are just that. Your secondary shouldn't be your leading tacklers coming out of a game because that means that the front seven was there as bodies and not, you know, contributors. Because you have to remember up front in, in football, those defensive tackles are getting double teamed, whether it's on the play side or the backside, dug on every play.

There's not singles. They don't have singles or they will, one will and the other one won't. So the schemes are constantly changing. And you know what? I put a lot of it on the youth of the linebackers. Were they ready? Yeah, physically probably, but mentally, were they ready? And were they prepared to do that?

And you always need a guy. You need somebody that can be as a linebacker and fly around and light their hair and fire and cause a wreck. Look, when it comes to figuring out a pass rush or run stopping is more important. For me, I'm going to go with a run stopping because I have seen, like many of us, over the last two seasons, the running back position, see an uptick in production. When you look at the number of running backs that are in this league that can rush for 1,000 yards, Chase Brown included, when you look at the number of running backs getting 1,500 yards, 1,600 yards.

I'm primarily talking about last year, but even this year with guys like Derek Henry and James Cook and Jemir Gibbs in Detroit. So you have all of these running backs that can get to 1,000 yards. You have to be able to stop the run because what, teams are doing is they're running the football to set themselves up in the passing game. Look at what Philadelphia does with Sequin Barclay, or at least when they're at their peak, they do it with Sequin Barclay. And that opens up Jalen Hertz to being able to throw to A.J. Brown and Devante Smith on the

perimeter. So you have to stop the run to make it hard for opposing defenses to move the football. And then when you do that, for me personally, I feel like that really sets up your pass rush. Mike, am I accurate on that? I think you're accurate. I think also being able to defend the run, there's only really, to me, a handful of quarterbacks that operate well without a run game, that can operate in, like, third and long as their main down that they get to throw, that they get to throw on second and ten and third and eight.

To me, there's only a handful of guys. I think the Bengals have one in Joe Burrow. They look at like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, like the elite guys, I think can do that. When you take away a lot of guys run games and make them try to play in standard drop back pass in these third and long situations, they can't hack it. And it's hard to get them into that position. But you will have a better defense if you can force, I mean, it's kind of, I guess, obvious. But you will have a better time on defense if you could force teams into these third longs. If you could force a team, just getting them behind the sticks.

If you get them to where they're one dimensional, they can't run on second and 10 down 14 points in the fourth quarter. They've got to throw the ball. And if they know that, you know that. So then you can really get after the passer. And that also lets your defensive coordinator become a little bit, have a little bit more fun on his side too, where he can start calling the exotic blitzes and the different fronts and the stuff that he's put in there that only work on pass rush only downs. I think of what Lou Anirombo used to do where he would love. line like Sam Hubbard up at the Mike and he walked behind the nose tackle and they're going

to do a twist one way or the other. You're not doing that on first and 10. I mean, Sam Hubbard doesn't know his run fits from the Mike linebacker position, but you can do that on third long. You can get these funky fronts and these twists, these games, these blitzes. So getting into those positions is how you win as a defense to me. That's where you can get more creative. You can have, you can unleash all this stuff that you've been installing because on base downs, if you're forced to be playing in second and two, you have to be very sound in the run game, too. You can't call something that's not sound in the run game and think, like, if they do run here, we'll get them after eight yards and they'll have to punt. First and second downs, like, I've won opposing offensive

coordinators next year. There are going to be 18 new offensive coordinators in the NFL next year, 18 teams with new offensive coordinators, which is absurd. I want those who are facing the Bengals and off the top of a head I can think of Tampa Bay, Atlanta, they have new offensive coordinators. I want them to have to be looking down very deep into their play sheet on second and 10 or second and nine. If they're not, that's obviously this Bengals defense isn't improved, but I think they can be. And coach, I want to ask you, because you've watched these last two years, the running backs have an increase in production. And so now opposing offenses, yes, they have really dynamic quarterbacks that can throw for 400 yards a game,

but they're also emphasizing the run. And that's where for me, getting a dominant run stopper will help opposing offenses become one-dimensional. And that also means you're not getting to the second level as easier. And that allows for more game-changing plays from your safety. So does the uptick in running back production make you sway towards run-stopping being more important? I think it does. You know what? But you know, you have to look at it too.

Thousand-yard rusher nowadays, that's like 56 yards of game. you know, which, you know, at 17 games, that makes you a thousand yard rusher. They should move that up to 1,700 yards, 1,600 yards, because it was that way when I was coaching the run of that. But you know what? I think that in actuality, it allows you to put, and from an offensive standpoint, your goal is to stay in manageable third downs. because just like Mike was talking about, you've got the exotics.

You turn a guy loose like a Miles Garrett. You're running all kinds of peck line stunts that are going on, which are forcing the offense to have to adjust on the move and have to be sound in their protection game in order for that quarterback to have the great throws down the field. And if you're able to stop the run on first down, make it second and 10, force them, then now you're to start throwing the ball.

It takes away one third of the offense's production, which is play actions. And that's usually where the big plays happen. Because now you've got a safety that's coming down, and he's trying to bite the run, and next thing you know, you're over the top. You don't have to worry about the linebackers. You have those crossing routes that we talked about a lot

during the season where the linebackers are nowhere involved and the safeties are nowhere involved. And those tight ends are hitting, you know, 18 to 22 yard cross, deep crossing routes that automatically puts them in a first down situation, keeps the drive moving. And you know what? They probably did it on second down. So, yeah, you want to force them to be in long yardage situations. So that means just like once upon a time, they had the same issue in. Pittsburgh and they said how are we going to be effective with who we have to stop the run. So what Dick LeBoe come up with?

Zone pressures. Right? It started in the run game and then they said, hey, you know what? We've got an idea here. We're dropping a guy and he's going to read out of it and he's still going to be there to play the run. We're going to bring a linebacker to fit a gap in a hurry and we're still going to play, end up playing like cover two behind it.

you know, or 3-deep and dropping a guy, but now we don't have to do that anymore. So, you know, somebody, it's imagination, it's creativity. It's also the ability of what your people can do and what they can handle. Well, executing the fundamentals and doing your job, and particularly when we say it starts up front, that's going to allow you to unleash that creativity, that exotic part of your defense that this team has not been able to do over the last three seasons. And I totally agree with what you guys are saying because for me, last year,

watching the Bengals linebackers, they weren't ready. They were not ready. They got a little better as the season went on. But imagine how easier their jobs could be if the defensive front was doing their jobs. Like if you don't, like an opposing offense, if you don't want to be in a position where you don't know what the safety is going to do, going back to our topic in segment one, be able to run the football. If you're an opposing defense, you want the. offense to not know what a safety is going to do. Look at how the Chiefs won the

AFC championship last year. They sent two defensive backs on an all-out blitz on fourth and five. Josh Allen had no idea. Steve Spagnola was going to do it. He saved it until the very last play, and it worked. That's what I want the Bengals defense. I'm not saying Al Golden has to be Steve Spagnolo. I'm saying they just have to be better than they were last year and at least be unpredictable and make it harder for opposing offenses to move the football. Up next, Todd Munkin, he's staying in the AFC North. He's now coaching a quarterback who his previous employer wanted to draft. We'll talk about what this means for the Bengals and how it puts more pressure on Zach Taylor.

We'll do that next right here on the Bengals Squad Show. Today's edition of the Bengals Squad Show is brought to you by Indeed. If you've ever hired someone who, well, look good on paper, but wasn't the right fit, you know how important that is. When you want candidates who truly match what you're looking for, trust indeed sponsored jobs. If you're hiring, Indeed, is all you need. Stop struggling to get your job posts seen on other sites. Indeed, sponsored jobs puts your post at the top of the page and helps you reach the right candidates faster.

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network, your team every day. Bangal Squad show the twice a week long-form conversational supplement to the daily locked up Bengals podcast. It is our final January show. It is our eighth off-season show, meaning we have a whole new month. The show is coming up twice a week in February starting next Tuesday, February 3rd. All right. So Todd Munkin, he's staying in the AFC North. He is going to be the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns. And, well, it looks like Shador Sanders is excited about that. should say with an asterisk pro bowl quarterback Shador Sanders. And that's still, that's still rubbing me the wrong way.

Anyway, my first thoughts on this gentleman are this. This could work for the Cleveland Browns. This could. Because if Munkin can get a lot out of Shador Sanders, the same way he did with Lamar Jackson, the Browns might have something. They might. But it's also one of those where,

because we heard the news this week at how unhappy Jim Schwartz, was their former, well, I guess soon to be former defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, that he didn't get the head coach and job. And now he's basically on his way out. And Brown's defensive players sound like they're not happy about that. So, yeah, there's still potentially a little bit of division there in that locker room. But for this sake, as it relates to the Bengals, how do you guys view this hire? I'm okay.

Maybe. I don't think it was a terrible hire. I don't, it feels like a fine hire. I don't know. It could go well for them. I mean, you mentioned the Lamar Jackson stuff, to be honest, though. I mean, Lamar was kind of that guy already. It's not like he needed to develop too much. And the other thing with Lamar versus Chador to me, whenever Lamar stepped onto the field, it steps onto the field, I mean, to me, he is maybe the best athlete on the entire field. And that's not true for most quarterbacks. And it's not true for Chador. So it is a different style of quarterback. You're not designing up quarterback run game for him. He's not going to bail you out as much if stuff that you call is covered down the field by running around. Teams aren't going to be afraid to play man coverage against him like they are, Lamar, where they don't want to turn their backs to a quarterback like Lamar. So I think there's a little bit difference there. But I do think to me, I thought he was a good play caller.

And he kind of did take the Ravens offense to a higher level than it felt like Greg Roman was doing for them. I thought Greg Roman was really important for Lamar early in his career to design an offense that really fit his skill set that felt like they kind of reached the peak of what they could be. And then they brought in Monk and Monk was able to take them just a little bit further. Neither one took them to the Super Bowl. But, you know, I thought the offense got better with him, didn't have the same flaws. So I like the hire for them. I don't particularly think it's a slam dunk, though. I'm not sure how many slam dunks there were in this cycle, to be honest, though.

So that's the other issue here. Other part of this is is Jim Schwartz back because he kind of threw a fit about not being chosen. And look, this is great for the Bengals of Jim Schwartz isn't back because they have struggled against that defense. That defense is designed both personnel-wise, but also schematically to kind of throw a wrench in what the Bengals like to do. So if Jim Schwartz isn't back, this is great news for the Bengals for me. When it comes to Todd Monkin, Coach, I just think about and you talk. talked about this a lot on this show, is the organization that he's going to, into Cleveland Brown is going to allow him to use what he utilized in Baltimore.

And to Mike's point, Tom Munkin came into Baltimore. He made Lamar Jackson a better passer over the last three seasons. There's no question about that. But is he going to be able to do what he does best in Cleveland? That's my concern for that. You know what? I agree with both of what you're saying. with both yourself and Mike.

You know, the one thing that, and the question's out. Without Jim Schwartz, now you're learning a whole new defense. So that defense isn't your safety net to keep things close. They're learning a new system, whomever that person is that comes in, when you had stability and you just really shook it up by hiring Todd. I don't know Todd, but I do know Jim. And yeah, I would be upset as well. You know, you got drugged through this whole hiring process.

And if they didn't make the decision early, the less of your chances. Now, when Todd Munkin came into, he made Lamar a better passer, right? He still had that ability to run. But he became a better passer. Are we talking apples and oranges here with having a the guy, you still don't have a settled quarterback. No. So that's difficult in itself.

You don't have those bona fide great whiteouts that can help him. So I think it bodes really well for the Bengals that this whole thing transpired in Cleveland. Go ahead, Mike. I just wish they both could have hired Mike McCarthy. man yeah Mike you have been on with us since the Steelers hired Mike McCarthy what'd you make of it to me I made a joke there Mike McCarthy is solid I just feel like his best days is an offense he does have a ring and it's it's it's 50 like mine it's a law it's really old yeah I think I think he did his best work back when the game was more static and he could kind of install a lot of

West Coast stuff that he liked to run. When I think of Mike McCarthy's Dallas offense, it's fine. I don't think he's the offensive mind he once was because the game has evolved, and I'm not sure he's evolved as much with it. But I do think he's fine. Like, he's not a guy that's going to be a complete disaster. So that there's a ceiling to it for me. Like, I don't think he's going to be, like, do what my main question here is you have fired,

or I guess Tomlin stepped down. He might want to retire everything. But you're not moving on to an upgrade to me. Like Mike McCarthy is not an upgrade from Mike Tomlin to me. And who's your quarterback? Who's your quarterback? I think they might be hoping it's Rogers. Like these are Xs that will sell like it along now because they did not split amicably.

But every time I see Schefters say like this gives them a better shot at bringing Rogers back. And I just think, what are you doing to the Steelers? You just spin in your wheels to lose in round one in the playoffs again. Exactly. And not only lose, but lose convincingly. I think it's the thing that stands out. So it's like McCarthy is not a disaster, as you say, Mike, he's going to Pittsburgh, which, I mean, that organization's stable and all. We all know that.

Monkens going to Cleveland. At least you know who your quarterback's going to be, as coach, you say, regardless of how settled the Browns are, Pro Bowl be darned. But for me, as it relates to the Bengals, I do think the Bengals are still in a very good position. I would say that the Ravens probably right now and the Bengals are in the two best positions in the AFC North. The Ravens, I mean, they went for, they went defensive minded, which can work. And I think Jesse Minter is going to do well in Baltimore. I think he's going to, I think he's going to hire a solid offensive coordinator that's going to, you know, have complete control of the offense with Lamar Jackson, all the weapons they have.

But for me, as it relates to the Bengals, Zach Taylor better be right by retaining his entire coaching staff because you have an event. here with continuity. You're ahead at the game. There are coaches you say when you hire a new head coach, new coordinator, new this, the whole language changes. I mean, if you were speaking Spanish one day, you may be speaking, I don't know, Polish. And I say Polish because I had Polish sausage for lunch yesterday. So I mean, that's what it is. Seriously, and Polish sausage is pretty good, by the way, just going to throw that out there. So, but for Zach Taylor, you better be right because Mike, you remember this in 2021.

there were some changes on the coaching staff. Frank Pollack, offensive line, Marion Hobby, on the defensive line. I'm trying to remember if there were any other major coaching changes. I feel like there were on the staff. I'd have to go back and look. But for me, it's like you didn't change out any parts of your coaching staff. It sounds like Dan pitcher is staying, barring something unforeseen.

Maybe something happens by Tuesday, our next show, 2.30 Eastern right here on lockdown Bengals. but by not changing out your coaching staff, he's acting supremely confident that the progress they made last year in the second half is going to translate to next year. Okay, maybe he's right. And maybe he is right.

That's the great thing. He might be right. I mean, the Bengals have gone from not good to Super Bowl birth in one year, but he better be right. That's where I'm at. Do you guys agree? Yeah, yeah.

I think you've got an advantage to start the season and they're typically a team that starts slow. So this is where your advantage. If you start slow again, you've lost the advantage that you had because the other teams that are changing their languages or whatever else, which I think Minter might use the same language as McDonald and or and whatever. But either way, you've ruined your advantage. If you start slow, you go one and three or something to start the season

and do some winnable games. It's what they keep doing. So I'm going to bring it up. I guess I went two and two this year. But you lose those games and now you've lost your advantage. Everybody's on an even playing field. You have the advantage. If you could start this season three and one,

and the other teams are, it's going to be tougher for them, in my opinion. I don't know who they're facing yet. Nobody does. Schedules aren't released. But without considering the competition, it's just harder to take an entirely new staff. These are two of them are first time head coaches.

And then you have Mike McCarthy who maybe he can get his team rolling because he's so used to switching. and, you know, he did in Green Bay for so long, did it in Dallas for a long time. But the other two, new head coaches, can they get this team up and rolling for week one? I think that's going to be a tough thing. Coach could probably speak more to this than me, but it just seems like something that's like you're doing your first ever job as a head coach having install the off season and trying to get your team firing on all cylinders by week one.

I'm not sure that's an easy ask for somebody like Jesse Mentor or somebody like Todd Monkin who are doing this for. for their first ever coaching position, first ever head coaching position. Okay, true. Very true. You know what? I mean, when you come in brand new,

you're spending, whether it be in the off season, phase one, teaching the offense and teaching the defense. Okay, then you go to phase two, and now it's, you know, another, you're lifting, you're running, you're doing all that, and you're trying to set the foundation for what the offense is gonna be. By the time you get to mini camps,

You know, now you can evaluate. You can actually evaluate can those people do those things. At least now, the Bengals can focus in on what they have to do and get ready for minicamp and to utilize Joe Burrell and those two great whiteouts and allow them to continue to grow and try new systems and new schemes and have experimental stuff that allows them. And on defense, let's see if those defenders and the new ones that they get are in a position to now, do they have guys that show up to the football? And so, yeah, you know, I mean, I can remember back when when Kellyn Moore left Dallas. And Mike McCarthy said, and people don't bring this up very often, but he said, you know what, Kellan's idea is he wants to throw the ball.

He didn't want to run the ball. Well, the next year when Mike had it, they didn't do either. They had to throw the ball more because, eventually, they struggled. And meanwhile, Kellen went to Philly, and what they do, their identity was running the football. And so people can change. So don't buy yourself a hole before you actually see what's out in front of you about what you like to eat and what you don't like to eat. And then what you like to eat, let them actually go through the shopping for you so you can enjoy it. Yeah, you're ahead of the game.

If you're the Cincinnati Bengals, you're ahead of the game. And coach, I don't mean the knock on the NFCs now because I know you coached in it. It was a great division when you were there. You guys won three division titles. But the Bengals are facing the NFC South and the AFC South next year. Those should be six to eight wins right there. And in an AFC North that has three new head coaches, you should, as you've done the last two years, go three and three.

That right there gets you to where you need to be, so then you can steal some other games and not only win your division where you have an advantage in, but get a good seed in the playoffs. Because I'm telling you right now, if this team is 0 and 2 or God forbid, as you said, Mike, 1 and 3 or 1 and 4, oh boy, it's going to be,

this show is going to have some very interesting comments in the comment section here, but hopefully we don't have to get there. They may be looking forward to the by week, if that's the case. Yeah, I think we all will be. They'll be looking forward to Cancun season as it's preferred to in NFL fan circles. Up next, we'll finish on a positive note.

Pro Bowl honors for two well-deserving Bengals. And you know what? Let's give the front office some credit. We'll do that next right here on the Bengals Squad show. Today's show is brought to you by FanDuel. It is the last call for Fan Duel on football. One last kickoff, Super Bowl 60 in Santa Clara between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots, the final chance to get in on the action before the NFL season officially comes to a

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And there may be a lot of us on your screens, computers, wherever you may be listening to us or watching us. So stay tuned for that. We are still multiple months away from the NFL draft. But I've already got, I'm already studying Daniel Jeremiah's top 50 prospects. So I vowed to myself when I was chosen to host this show, very thankful that I was going to become more of a draft. guy this year. James Rapine, shout out to you if you're listening to this. So that is going to be a lot of fun. But you know what else is a lot of fun? Give me the Bengals front office credits. We don't normally do it. We're going to do it here. T. Higgins and Joe Flacco have been named to the Pro Bowl this week.

Guys, your initial reactions to that. I mean, I'm very happy for T because, one, he had to be a Pro Bowl level season. He was, what, second in the league, tied for second in touchdowns. Had to do it where he had quite a few games with like Jake Browning, missed a little bit of time as usual. Not a ton, but, you know, I was very happy for him because he hasn't made a Pro Bowl yet. And I feel like he has a Pro Bowl level receiver. For Joe Flacco, it's his first ever Pro Bowl. I mostly kind of think it's funny that the Bengals get that distinction, Bengals Flacco instead of Ravens. And Ravens Flacco did miss a Pro Bowl, I believe, so that he could go to the birth of one of his children.

So it's not as if he never had the chance. over there. He was never this level of flair. But to me also, Joe Flacco was pretty good, but it was six weeks. And when I look at the quarterbacks for the AFC so far, I mean, Shadur and Joe Flacco, it does not feel like they are, no offense to either one. It also doesn't feel like we're getting Manning Brady in this pro bowl for the AFC. But the other side, for the wide receivers, these are still really good players to me. These are still guys that had Pro Bowl level seasons. I'm happy that Flacco made it, though, because it'll be fun to see. I'm sure whatever the flag football game or whatever, they're going to design some plays. They're going to have

Joe Flacco, T. Higgins, and Jamar Chase all on the field on the same time. At least I'd hope they'd do that because they've all got the chemistry. They might be able to go out there and maybe throw a couple of touchdowns as flag football game. I got to get used to the flag football because we got to get ready for the Olympics. So I might watch it this year and just see what is What is the difference? Yeah. Need for the U.S. and the Olympics. Yeah, we do.

Winter Olympics are next week, so that's going to be fun to watch. Here's what I'll say when it comes to giving the front office credit. You know, I think after the 2022 season, if you asked Bengals fans how they felt about giving T. Higgins a contract extension, they all would have said, well, absolutely, he deserves it. Then 23, he's heard for, you know, small chunk of the season. 24, he's also injured. So you didn't really know what the Bengals were going to do. And then obviously Joe Burrow vouched for him and they got it done.

Now, it should have been done long before. But they still got it done. They gave Jason Higgins both extensions on the same day. That's great. And the front office does deserve credit for it. When you look at the season Chase ad and Dee Higgins, who led the AFC with 11 touchdowns, 11 receiving touchdowns, that's with missing some games. That's with the season Jamar Chase has.

That's with three different starting quarterbacks, might I add. So you have all that for T. Higgins. Joe Flack goes where the front office really deserves credit because they have not normally done this. Making in-season trade, particularly at the quarterback position. I mean, coach, you talk about new language from a new coach and staff. Talk about a new quarterback when he comes in the middle of the season. What is that like? Very difficult.

And my hat's off to Joe for, you know, coming in with four days, you know, two days of practice, basically, and coming in there and leaving them to a win, it's huge. You know, I think it's great fine, although you should have been as soon as as Joe went down, you need to make sure that you're all, your irons are in the fire and you're looking for that next guy. where is he? You don't have him on your roster. You tried it and you don't have him on your roster. So that's what I had to keep the other guy anyway. You know, so I, to me, the Pro Bowl is now unbelievably tainted. But I'm glad that T. Higgins got in. And I still want to know, you know, where, where's Trevor Lawrence? I mean, to me, that is a guy. How about C.J. Stroud? How about, do they just not want to go?

Yeah, I'm going to guess they didn't want to go. I don't think they got to Joe Flacco before those guys. Yeah. Maybe. You know, how does Shador? You know, I'm still saying, it's tainted. Have in mind. And if you're going to play flag football where he doesn't get touched,

you can really do it with one. You know, give it to nobody else. You know, the Pro Bowl, yes, is definitely not what it once was. and I mean, Shador Sanders getting chosen when he throws more picks than touchdowns. We talked about it on Tuesday, I think would tell you that first and foremost. But for me, with Joe Flacco, he did everything and then some for this team. I mean, my personal expectations were he was going to come in. He was going to do enough for the Bengals to at least be functional offensively.

He scored 30 straight points in three straight games. I mean, he had 219 and two touchdowns against Green Bay. the week after week he got there. And then the next week, on a short week, no less, 342 and three touchdowns, no picks. Next week, 223, two touchdowns, no picks. Next week, 470, four touchdowns. Yay, he threw two interceptions.

One of them was tipped. One of them was on a Hail Mary with a bum right shoulder, I should say. So Joe Flacco did everything you wanted him to do and then some. And he did it with the utmost professionalist and with the Uthos humility, with incredible dignity for what he was going through, he instantly became a fan favorite. He instantly became a fan favorite. And that is what I left most about him.

T. Higgins, I'll say this, he's the Lou Gehrig of the Cincinnati Bengals. You hide in the shadows of Babe Ruth, who's Jamar Chase, and he's like the Reggie Wayne of the Bengals. You know how Reggie Wayne was in Marvin Harrison's shadow. People say Reggie Wayne should be a Hall of Famer, myself included. T. Higgins might be in the same position. All T. Higgins has done since Jemar Chase has gotten here in 21 and taken over the receiving accolades, he's just put his head down. He's gone to work every time you need him to make a play. He does.

Incredibly well deserving for both players. And coach, I can't believe you teased it. The next show we're doing on Tuesday when you talk about, do you have the court? Do you have the next man up? Do you have the quarterback in the room if Joe Burrow goes down? That's going to be the topic of conversation leading off Tuesday show. why the Bengals need to bring Joe Flacco back. That's Tuesday. Next Friday, we'll talk about a player who hasn't really been mentioned a lot, but his position is very important for the upcoming 2026 season. Gentlemen, final thoughts before we close,

what has been a very good week. This Sunday is the first Sunday without football since I don't know when, so adjust accordingly, I should say. I'm going through withdrawals. Withdrawals. Yeah. Now I'm just watching a bunch of college players. Mike, how big of a draft guy, are you?

I usually try to watch quite a bit of, quite a bit of these guys. So I've become one ever since I started doing this. I wasn't before that. But now I watch them. I try to have my own opinions. Last year, the Bengals went against most of my opinions. So, but, yeah. This is why we need you in the front of all.

office. Well, we need you in the... Hey, Mike, that's why they need in, uh, indeed. Because that higher hasn't panned out. So now they're looking again. Wow. Wow. Wow.

Wow. Wow. I tell you what. Oh, man. And here's what cures all this joking we're making, or at least you two, not me. Winning cures all. And here's the thing. It starts this week at the senior bowl down in Mobile, Alabama.

And then the NFL draft. in Pittsburgh, January, or excuse me, April 23rd through the 25th. That is going to do it for us here today on the Bengals Squad show. We're back on Tuesday at 2.30 with Jake Liscoe and Coach Ard-Fallero on why the Bengals need to bring Joe Flacco back. Bengals Squad is the twice a week long-form conversational supplement to the daily lockdown Bengals podcast hosted by James Rapine and Jake Liscoe. You hear Mike Santagina on that show throughout the year.

You also see his work on Bengals Talk.com. On Bengals and Bengals Squad are part of the lockdown podcast network, your team every day. The number one sports podcast, number in America and the world. For more on how to become a member of the Everydayer Club, visit lockdownpodcast.com slash every day or where you can get, among many things, access to the members-only Discord. I'm Alex Frank at Frankie underscore Natty. He's Mike Santagana at Bengals underscore Sands. He's coach Arifilero, 45-year coaching veteran and Super Bowl 37 champion with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

This has been Bangal Squad on Lockdown Mangles and the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day.