Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - Breaking down what matters for the Cincinnati Bengals' MNF game against the Dallas Cowboys

Episode Date: December 8, 2024

The Cincinnati Bengals must find ways to minimize the physical toll on Joe Burrow the rest of the season, and that starts on Monday night against the Dallas Cowboys. What else truly matters, what are ...we looking for? James Rapien and Jake Liscow break it down, discussing Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, the offense, a struggling defense and so much more!Join the Locked On Bengals Insider Community! https://joinsubtext.com/lockedonbengalsFind and follow Locked On Bengals on your favorite podcast platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-bengals-daily-podcast-on-the-cincinnati-bengals/id1159723162Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7AObc0lh0WmQl5fJVgtajsGoogle Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vbG9ja2Vkb25iZW5nYWxz?sa=X&ved=0CAYQrrcFahcKEwio_sXtj8nuAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAgStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-on-bengals Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Omaha SteaksFrom legendary steaks to mouthwatering desserts and more, save 50% off site-wide for a limited time at OmahaSteaks.com. Plus, our listeners get an extra $30 off with Promo Code NFL.IceShakerCreated by and used by the Gronkowski brothers, IceShakers has sold over 1 million bottles. They have changed the game with workout bottles, and this is the gift you’ve been looking for… go to IceShaker.com and use the code LOCKEDONNFL at checkout to save 25% on your order.Hillsdale CollegeAll of Hillsdale’s courses are self-paced so that you can start whenever, and tune in wherever. Plus, you can go deeper with readings, quizzes, discussions - or just enjoy the lectures. Go right now to hillsdale.edu/lockedon to enroll. There’s no cost, and it’s easy to get started.PrizePicksDownload the app and use code lockedonnfl to win $50 instantly when you play $5. You don't even need to win to receive your $50 bonus, it's guaranteed! Prizepicks. Run Your Game.Click Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNFLGametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms Apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.FanDuelYou can start the season with a big return on FanDuel. New customers can place a FIVE DOLLAR bet and you’ll get started with ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS - if you win your first FIVE DOLLAR BET ! Visit FANDUEL.COM to get started.Bilt RewardsStart earning points on rent you’re already paying by going to joinbilt.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.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Let's talk about the things that actually matter for the Cincinnati Bengals in their match upon Monday night football with the Dallas Cowboys. You are locked on Bengals, your daily Cincinnati Bengals podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. What are Bengals fans and welcome to another episode of the Locked on Bengals podcast. I'm Jake Liskgo along with James Rapine. We are the Lockdown Bengals podcast on the Lockdown podcast that we're covering your. team every day. We're on YouTube or everywhere you get your podcast, whether you're one of those out there that's an everyday or already who makes
Starting point is 00:00:42 Lockdown Bengals there first listen. Shout out to all of you, by the way. Or you're checking out your first Locked on Bengals show. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcast to stay up to date on all things, Cincinnati Bengals. And today we're going to get into the things that actually matter in this Monday night football game. And really the rest of the season, this is going to be what we're talking about and the way were thinking about things and thinking about, sure, the football games and how the team performs
Starting point is 00:01:08 and how they respond down the stretch. But we spent some time in our most recent episode talking about Joe Burroughs' motivations and what his expectations are for the rest of this Bengals team. And that kind of sets the stage for my mindset, James, at least, going out for the final five games of the season. Absolutely. He did. And I think that's, For me, with Joe Burrow playing the way he is, and he's on pace to shatter multiple records that he already set in his career, but multiple Bengals franchise records, that's why I would absolutely watch. Like the one thing that I can say is this Bengals team, because of Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase, has been entertaining. Doesn't mean it hasn't been heartbreaking and frustrating and annoying and a bunch of other adjectives that we can get into if you want, but I know we're not going to. But Joe has been awesome.
Starting point is 00:02:05 And think about it last week. So they're four and seven. Joe Burroughs under pressure. And he throws his first jump past touchdown of his life. And then on Thursday, he goes out to practice and he's literally working on them in front of us. I think stuff like that is kind of cool because he's still trying to improve and evolve. And as he does that, even if he gets 0.1% better, Jake, That matters for this franchise, obviously, moving forward.
Starting point is 00:02:36 It matters for the future, but matters for the now, for the entertainment value, for the, oh, well, can Joe get to 4,800 yards? Will he throw for 40 touchdowns? Will he have 40 plus touchdown passes in single-digit interceptions? There's just, there's so many things. And that's obviously over the final five games. But for this one, at Dallas prime time, that's a hard place to. go win in general.
Starting point is 00:03:05 And he talked about how excited he is and how much he gets up for these primetime games. I would like nothing more than to see him play at a really, really high level on Monday night because it's fun, it's entertaining. And I think people enjoy watching Joe Burrow even in a year where there hasn't been much around him outside of Jamar Chase that's been fun to watch. Yeah, and Burrow talked a lot about that, like you said. And Jay Morrison did a good job of like kind of capturing all. of the quotes from Joe Burrow that kind of frame a lot of this conversation on Bengals Talk,
Starting point is 00:03:39 on Cincinnati Bengals on SI. BanglesTalk.com where you can find all of the work that James does. I'm pretty bad at URLs too, apparently not just names, but a quote that really stood out to me from Burroughs Presser, and this is going back to last Thursday now, right? This is a while ago. But we didn't get to talk about this one in our last episode, and I told you as soon as we were done recording that episode that I wish we had gotten to this quote.
Starting point is 00:04:02 But Burrough said, I want to win, but I want to be fun to watch. I always want to be fun to watch. I want people to see my command of the offense and accuracy and playmaking ability and everything that I bring to the table. I want people to tune into the Bengals and want to watch us. And I think people do. I do take pride in the fact that we're exciting. I'm exciting to watch us something I take pride in. So before we get to the rest of the team and everything at stake for the rest of the team,
Starting point is 00:04:28 and what I think is actually the most important thing, despite what Joe Burrow has to say, and all the things that Joe Burrough said is not something that he said. This is a really interesting perspective that Burrow brings to it. And he also talked about his understanding that an appreciation for primetime games and how primetime games shape the perception of you nationally
Starting point is 00:04:48 and all these things. Perhaps a reason that he's been good in primetime games, that sharp contrast we noticed immediately when he took over for Andy Dalton, right? And the difference between the Burrough Bengals, one of the big differences between the Burrow Bengals and the Dalton Bengals is getting up for those games. Maybe not so much this year.
Starting point is 00:05:05 Nothing's really gone well this year, but you get the point. It really speaks to his mentality and that he really lives, as you pointed out, that getting better every day, taking it a day at a time, a game at a time, whatever it is, always going out there trying to get better and putting that to practice, in practice, with the jump-throat thing,
Starting point is 00:05:27 that practice that you mentioned as well. I find that all to be a fast, fascinating look at Burroughs' psyche and his perspective and also the way that he's trying to lead the team. For sure. The team should be acutely aware of what Joe is saying here. Yeah, I agree with that. And great players get up for big games, primetime games. They do that.
Starting point is 00:05:50 And he has. He's played well at prime time this year, right? The team hasn't. A big difference between Andy and Joe is Andy always had a defense for those winning teams. for sure, right? This is bad, bad defensively, which we know, and it goes without saying. And it's, to me, exactly what the mentally tough players do. And I think a lot of these guys in the locker room have done that.
Starting point is 00:06:22 I noticed last week, I say last week now, obviously we're talking about a few days ago. but the realization of four and eight talking to veterans. And it's like, all right, well, yeah, we're four and eight. We're probably not going to the playoffs. But this is why I'm going to play hard and be dialed in. And obviously some guys, it's contracts for Joe. It's not a contract, but it's everything else. For Jamar, certainly the triple crown is on his mind.
Starting point is 00:06:53 But they're also competitive as hell. I've watched Joe Burrow get really frustrated at ping pong a couple years ago. He hasn't played this year in front of us. Like, they want to win with anything. And so I do think that they're still bought in that way, even if the motivations have changed, which I'm okay with. I'm okay with the motivations changing as long as you go out there and you're trying to play at a high level. And Joe's certainly doing that. Jamar is certainly going to do that.
Starting point is 00:07:22 And the expectations are the rest of the guys do as well. Yeah, and that's going to be a big part of one of those things that matter that we're going to talk about in this game. But something that I think is probably, not probably, for me, is clearly the most important thing for the Cincinnati Bengals. The rest of the season is not something that Joe Burrow talked about. I'll open with that. Well, we'll talk about that anyway. You got me with a tease. Jake got me.
Starting point is 00:07:48 In just a minute here as we continue the conversation about what matters for the rest of the season, starting on Monday night. football for the Cincinnati Bengals. Today's show is brought to by Hillsdale College. History, economics, the great works of literature. The meaning of the U.S. Constitution, did you study these things in school? Probably not. And even if you did, it's probably time for a refresher. Time and technology have changed a lot of things, but they have not changed basic
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Starting point is 00:09:43 Use code Locked on NFL. You'll get $50 instantly when you play your first $5 lineup. That's $50 instantly when you play just $5. Prize Fix. Run your game. All right, Jake. You got me with the tease. I'm sitting on the edge of my...
Starting point is 00:09:59 Hold on, let me get... Now I'm definitely on the edge of my seat. Hit me. What is the number one thing you're looking for? I mean, this is probably pretty obvious, and you're all excited about it. I feel like I'm going to let you down now. But, like, Joe Burrow isn't talking about protecting himself.
Starting point is 00:10:16 He's not talking about staying healthy. He's not talking about past protection and reducing the number of hits that he takes or anything like that. I don't think he's thinking about that. He's thinking about going out there in playmaking. I'm thinking about the most important thing by far is Burrow finishing this season and keeping him as healthy as possible, minimizing hits as much as possible. That's what I'm thinking about, James.
Starting point is 00:10:40 Yeah. So one, it's not exciting. You're right. Also, it is absolutely the number one thing. And it's scary when you look at it and you think of Michael Parsons on Monday night. You think of the past rushers and Jeffrey Simmons. six days later. Miles Garrett after that,
Starting point is 00:10:59 a weird Broncos pass rush that that's gotten pretty darn good. And then obviously T.J. Like, think about that. That's tough. That's a tough ask. And so, yeah, Joe, can you hit the Y button to jump or the triangle button to jump
Starting point is 00:11:13 a half second earlier so you're not taking those hits? And just, he's on the ground a lot. And this is another time or another reason to put this out there. And it's really frustrating, and I've done it a lot. T.J. Watt was the latest culprit. If anyone touches Joe borderline late, can someone get mad about it? Can anyone?
Starting point is 00:11:39 Can anyone get mad? Anyone defend him? Can you stop worrying about the flag? The flag doesn't matter. You guys are done. So to go along with what you are saying, Jake, and I do think this matters when you set a tone. Like if upcoming opponent. realize that it's going to start a confrontation by pushing the envelope with Joe,
Starting point is 00:12:02 they might not be as prone to doing it. No one thinks that. Everyone thinks it's open season on Joe. And this offensive line, heck, anyone somewhat needs to make sure that that's not accepted and realize that that's not acceptable. So that's part of the challenge, right? It fits into what Joe is talking about when he's saying that he doesn't know who the cornerstone pieces are for the future for the Cincinnati Bengals and they need to find out over the next five games. Like it fits into that.
Starting point is 00:12:35 Yeah. Right. Those guys have a chance on the offensive line to show that they should be part of the future. And largely, as we discussed in our most recent episode, James, I was on Thursday, Friday, whenever you listen to it. We know who a lot of these guys are. There are a lot of veterans out there. Alex Kappa probably is what he is at this point. there's a pretty clear trajectory for him this year and late last year goes back to training camp
Starting point is 00:12:59 there's there's a pretty clear idea of what cordal voulson is at this point we probably know who cody ford is at tackle which is where he'll be back most likely against the cowboys so there's some guys that we know about but do you want to be part of this team in some capacity going for for some of these guys that might be under contract next year or fighting for a roster spot next year where we could expect to see potentially major overhaul of certain personnel groups. And this isn't just the offensive line. We talked about this largely on the defensive side of the ball, right? But on the offense, Jermaine Burton, big one.
Starting point is 00:13:36 Charlie Jones, does he get an opportunity down the stretch? Khalil Herbert, right? As he carve out more of a role to show that he should be part of this team going forward. Those guys on offense and most of the players on defense, it fits together with this idea that you're talking about, James, of can somebody stand up for Joe Burrow? It goes into that, right? Like minimizing the hits, yes, but also being a good teammate. And maybe that's the way they're trying to be a good teammate.
Starting point is 00:14:02 But I agree with you that standing up for Joe when he takes some of these hits is something that is too much of a pattern that we've seen lacking this year. Yeah, I just, that should be like football, family, you know, you say. But like if you're Zach, the reason you're still the Bengals head coach is because Joe Burrell was really, really, really, really good coming off of that ACL in 21. That's it. That's why. Everyone knows it, right? It's because, ah, well, the Bengals going to give you a second year with Joe, and it worked and it turned things around. How about you get a penalty? I don't care.
Starting point is 00:14:42 Like you at some point, and I know one lineman who will start this week, at least Jesse asked him about that. because what annoyed me was like the second play of the Steelers game, two guys bumped Joe, and they just bumped him. And it shouldn't have been a penalty, but they bumped him just to let him know, hey, I'm here. It was T.J. Watt, and I forget the other guy.
Starting point is 00:15:04 But it might have been Ben, Kano Bent, but I'd have to go look. But just like, letting him know I'm here. And no one even remotely flinched. And like, that's the guy. Like if someone wants to bump into Zach or insert whoever in the organization, anyone, the one guy that they shouldn't be allowed to just bump into for free is Joe. It shouldn't be free. It should come with an argument, come with a confrontation, come with a helmet to helmet, face mask to face mask. Hey, don't do that again or I'm putting you in the ground.
Starting point is 00:15:41 And it just doesn't. And that's weird to me because of what he means. And I know they care about him. I know they love them. I think that they want to protect him. I know they want to protect him. So I don't question any of those things. I think they're worried about getting flagged.
Starting point is 00:15:58 And if you're a starter who again told at least that, it's like, or who cares? Just protect your guy. I would take, I would go into Monday night with 45 yards and penalties. That's three penalties, right? if I knew that it would limit the number of hits, even a couple of hits on Joe Burrow. That's how valuable he is. And so I know that's not perfect in the equation here.
Starting point is 00:16:26 My point is I'm okay to deal with, especially with the way the season has gone, a play or two where it ends in a penalty if it means protecting nine just a little bit more. And sure, I agree with that. It's obviously not that simple. Maybe that works. Maybe it doesn't.
Starting point is 00:16:42 It would work if you have. had some nasty on the offensive line. Like I kind of chuckled when you say, I'm going to put you in the ground if you do that. Again, because who's doing that? Is that an empty threat? You know? I'm ready to do it.
Starting point is 00:16:54 And I'm not even, I'm not on payroll and I'm a hell of a lot smaller. But like, that's so annoying. Like, how does that not? It would infuriate me. Oh, yeah. I'm just saying, like,
Starting point is 00:17:06 is there somebody who physically can do it? You know what I mean? That's why I chuckled. And that's a little tongue-in-cheeked. I mean, these are all very large, very athletic, very strong men. But, you know, beyond that, they can do things schematically to try to protect Joe a little bit. They can play better. I mean, I don't know if they can play better, especially with Orlando Brown, you know, not likely to play, at least on Sunday.
Starting point is 00:17:35 That means Cordell Volson's back out there, guard, Cody Ford's back to left tackle. Amarius Mins is going to be tested by Michael Parsons, and he's going to be tested by T.J. lot again like you mentioned and they don't have air call and so it's going to be camp grandee and true sample is part of this tight end protection package and they're going to do different things but sample put you in the ground yeah drew's going to do it uh the laughing man come on i'm they're all just i just i just have this idea that drew sample so nice i mean he's a good he's a good blocker anyway it's just got to be the mentality and i hate it i hate that it's not because everyone else has that mentality we're going to hit burrow we're going to hit both we're
Starting point is 00:18:12 going to hit them, we're going to hit them. There should be a cost for that, even if they do get them. I hear you. Where I'm going is like schematically on the football field between the whistles, there's things they can do better too. And it's not just like play better. It's also with five games to go, do they stick with the running game a little bit more? Do they figure out how to be more effective in the play action game? Do they start screening a little bit more than being the least frequent use of screenplay team in the NFL and offense. Do they use some of these tools that exist in the offensive toolkit to slow down pass rushes?
Starting point is 00:18:53 A little bit more or a little bit more effectively. Do they marry it better with their past game with their run game so that it is more cohesive and makes defensive players actually key on play action instead of crashing on the quarterback like we've seen from this team where there's something about the way they're running this stuff where pass rushes are just starting. flying upfield against some of these concepts that are meant to slow them down. So there's stuff like that that I'm thinking about too that isn't necessarily a player specific but is more thinking about the offensive scheme.
Starting point is 00:19:22 Or do they keep doing what's work for them this year, which is Burrow, drop back passing, playing hero ball, extending plays, playmaking. There will be some of that no matter what. But I guess it's just I'm tired of some of the hits. Sure. I'm at with that. I am too. And a little bit worried about some of it.
Starting point is 00:19:41 Yeah, and that will be a theme. I know a lot of our viewers and listeners have thought about themes of the offseason. One of them will certainly be, all right, it's time to build the wall. Again. It is. And it's on that interior, which we talked about in April. We talked about it in last March. Take an interior alignment early.
Starting point is 00:20:04 And that's why they're going back to Cordell right now. And by the way, Cordell, show something. You know, it's a big, big final stretch here for him. We will continue the conversation with, I'm sure, some defensive talk. This defense, baby, we'll discuss it coming up next. Today's show is also brought to you by Fandall, Fandall, America's number one sports book. You've heard us talk about Fandul for a long time here on Lockthong Bengals. And speaking of the Bengals, they are favored on Monday night football against the Dallas Cowboys.
Starting point is 00:20:40 Do you think they're going to get it done? Do you think they're going to contain Cooper Rush? Maybe you don't. Maybe you think it's going to go the other way. And you think the Cowboys are going to throw for a bunch of yards, run for a bunch of yards, and beat the Bengals. Well, regardless, you can wager on that. You can go same game parlayes, any thing you can think of betting-wise with the NFL in one spot. From prop bets to money lines at Fandall.
Starting point is 00:21:04 All you have to do is go to fandle.com to join today. And you're going to get started with $150 in bonus bets if you win your first $5 bet. from the NBA to the NFL to all of the bowl games that are coming up in college football. Go to fandle.com and take advantage today. Again, that's fandle.com. As we transitioned to talk about this defensive side of the ball, James, you know what gets me when I have to interject and say again about the offensive line? Remember in the offseason, I said we've talked herself into this offensive line
Starting point is 00:21:35 several off seasons in a row. Sure. We did that again, and it started out okay. but uh well the Orlando injury really hurts so to the Trent Brown injury but we also talked about like back in the off season going back to March or whatever April like they're going to sign another offensive linemen and defensive linemen right like we were we were expecting that one more move on both sides of the ball that didn't happen and then we were expecting them to draft an interior offensive line and then that didn't happen anyway I don't want to go too far down that rabbit hole it's
Starting point is 00:22:06 just frustrating to be here again and next next off season when when I'm thinking of this i will remember this and be a little bit more in i'll believe it when i see it mode well i'm going to be in the one more mode basically me yeah me at happy hour i'm always one more it's all it's always time for one more jake let's i'm serious it always is if you have time you always get one more why not right you know especially if you're doing it responsibly with an uber you have jake let's go in town driving you around which uh next time you're in town guess what jake you're driving the point is kidding but the The point is, Jake isn't a big drinker, ladies and gentlemen, so it would actually work out.
Starting point is 00:22:45 The point is, though, is you can never add enough offensive line help for a team that is so reliant on their quarterback and is going to pass as much as they are. And they're going to pass a ton. Who knows? Maybe the entire scheme changes this offseason. It doesn't seem likely. Offense is performing well. I think they're going to be a pass-first offense. Guess what?
Starting point is 00:23:08 I want more. Oh, sign Trent Brown. and Omaris Mims, more. Wouldn't it be nice if Mackay Beckham was in town? Wouldn't it be nice if Dalton Reisner was in town? Wouldn't it be nice if they had gotten Colise Campbell, who's the most mentioned non-Bengal and Lockedongued Bengals history, I would say?
Starting point is 00:23:25 Or outside of Joe Tooney, probably. Joe Tunis probably number one from a few years ago. Well, then if they had Campbell on the team, then they could have used that draft pick in the third round on an interior lineman, and they would have gotten the extra player that way. It's all connected, man. It's a butterfly effect or whatever.
Starting point is 00:23:40 No doubt. No, it is. It is. I mean, you could go. There's a bunch of ways you could go back. And that's what is so frustrating. I think it's so frustrating about this defense especially is because it's like, yeah, you need playmakers. You need studs. You had them. And you've used all of these resources. It's not like they've ignored the defense. But you've used all of these resources. And we know how hard it is to find. studs. Like, just keep your studs. And in that way, you're not banking on insert player, Dax Hill, Jordan, battle, and they're kind of catching strays because I think they've been more bright spots, especially recently than some of these other guys. But you're not banking on these guys to come in and replace an all pro. Or banking on these guys to replace a guy in DJ Reader who should be a multi-time pro bowling. And in plays like that when he's on the field. So it's like, it's tough. It's tough to ask Chris Jenkins to be that.
Starting point is 00:24:41 Or McKinley Jackson. It's just unrealistic. And that's one of the things I'm looking for on Monday night. Hope is not a plan, as you say all the time, Jake. But I'm hoping to see Chris Jenkins. I'm hoping to see McKinley Jackson play at a pretty high level, take a step forward. Those guys are going to play a ton. Whether they take a step forward remains to be seen.
Starting point is 00:25:04 I mean, big question, right? especially in the case, I think, of McKinley Jackson. Like, we've seen flashes from both of these guys, but McKinley Jackson is still the player that he was when they drafted him, and we felt that he was overdrafted at the time. We felt that it was a bad nose tackle class and that he was a guy that had a nose tackle body that didn't really play like a no-sackle.
Starting point is 00:25:23 And I don't mean to tear into McKinley-Jackson here, but a lot to prove there, I think, for him. As a third-round pick, you should develop into a solid rotational piece from that spot. Right now, he's playing in a rotational role, but has so much to prove. And that's true for so many players on this defense. With Logan Wilson having shut it down, Dax Hill, DJ Turner on IR, you got Trey Hendrickson who asked out last year.
Starting point is 00:25:51 They're going to have to deal with that this offseason as the only player who's playing at a high level consistently of the remaining players on this defense. You still got Mike Hilton and B.J. Hill out there, your solid veteran pieces. But what about the rest of these guys? What's going to happen for Jermaine Pratt this offseason? They're going to rotate Moon and Zhang Mena in at linebacker at this point to find out if he can contribute in some way in your linebacker core of the future? Is Akeem Davis-Gaith are going to answer and bounce back after a rough week in his first full-time game to show that he can be to anyone in the NFL, a solid linebacker piece, even if it's not in Cincinnati. And obviously there's a ton of prove it potential or requirement or however you want to frame it on Cam Taylor Britt, on Figg Newton, on Josh Newton, the corners, the safeties. Like every level of this defense has guys that are trying to prove that they should be part of the conversation for next year's team, that they should be in that battle for rotational time or starting.
Starting point is 00:26:59 jobs next year because right now outside of like tray bj hill you know if those guys were part of the team there's a bunch of guys on this defense that should not be entrenched and Logan Wilson obviously he's hurt though so like there's a bunch of guys that are going to be playing the rest of these games on this defense that should not feel comfortable that should feel all of this incentive to find their way and that's really hard to do you don't just find how to be a good NFL player because you want to because you're incentivized to do so but it's still a big opportunity over those five games to show that they should be part of this team going forward everyone on defense is coaching for their job or playing great point too yeah obviously the coaching staff huge yeah like like both all of them
Starting point is 00:27:51 literally every single because if you're miles murphy right we talked about a manual forbes last week, right? Part of why Emmanuel Forbes is on his second team, not even two years into his NFL career, is because the regime changed. If the defense of staff changes, and you're Miles Murphy, you're Cam Taylor Britt, you're McKinley Jackson, you're Chris Jenkins, you are insert any player on defense on a rookie deal. Well, guess what? This coaching staff didn't draft. These guys didn't draft you. And so you're instantly got to show that you belong, that you're part of the future, that you
Starting point is 00:28:31 are crucial. So one, the coaches absolutely have to show something. If they don't, if it just continues to go like this, the entire defensive staff is probably gone. I would be surprised. And maybe there's a guy or two that hangs around a coach or two.
Starting point is 00:28:48 But like Lou, most of these position coaches, you can't run it back if they stink for the final. know five weeks. And so they're coaching for everything. I would be burning, and I'm sure they are, every, the midnight oil is putting it lightly. But if you're Cam Taylor Britt, the last thing you want to do is get lost in the NFL. And you know how you get lost? Put out some bad film over the next few weeks. Defense stinks. Lou gets fired and you are just out there, man. Doesn't mean you
Starting point is 00:29:18 you won't be on the roster next year, but you might be CB5. I'm not saying it's likely, but that's that's the scenario where these guys every single one of them whether you're in a contract year mike hilton b j hill uh you're a guy like trey hendricksen who's going to ask for big money this off season going to want big money this off season to anyone in between everyone has something to prove on the defensive side of the ball and really most guys in the locker room have a lot to prove and and so they should come out motivated still they really should i i just i'm thinking about it like everything they have to prove and it's getting me fired. I'm like, ah, right, let's go out there.
Starting point is 00:29:55 Let's see what. So, yeah, they better be ready. And like I said, motivation is not enough in the NFL. Well, that's why. It takes so much more than that. And this week with Cooper Russia quarterback, with Zach Martin hitting IR, with the third string left tackle likely to play for the Cowboys, this is a banged up Cowboys team that is also down and out.
Starting point is 00:30:18 They've won two weeks in a row. they've put up, they just beat Washington, 34, 26 on the road. They just put up 27 against New York Giants. So it's not like they're doing nothing. And the games before that, they scored six and ten points against Philly and Houston. But don't be that team that continues to get bullied. And with the opportunity to face some worse offenses than you've seen lately, let's start this week to show that you're an NFL defense.
Starting point is 00:30:44 So you're not something that I don't even want to watch when you're on the field, it's just embarrassing. Let's take that set this week. You know what I'm saying? Sure. I do. And I think that's where the staff has to find the right cocktail for these players. And these players have every reason to go out there and not just try, but I mean mentally
Starting point is 00:31:09 be dialed into whatever the game plan is. From Joseph O's side to Trey Hendrickson up and down the defense, everyone has something to prove. Jermaine Pratt, everybody. And so we'll see if they are not only motivated, but are dialed in and can stop an offense for the Cowboys. That is not this awesome offense. You shouldn't give up 30 on Monday night. You just shouldn't.
Starting point is 00:31:34 Is there confidence that they can do that and contain this Cowboys offense? I don't think you're confident that they could contain the Mueller High School quarterback right now, so let alone an NFL quarterback with the Cowboys. We will, of course, be back to discuss everything that happens, whether you're watching the Simpsons broadcast or the normal broadcast on Monday night football. Until then, we appreciate you listening to this episode of the Lockdown Bengals podcast, Hoodeh. And have a good one.

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