Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - Cincinnati Bengals Can Start To Prove Themselves vs Cleveland Browns in Battle Of Ohio

Starting point is 00:00:01 It's time for football that counts for the Cincinnati Bengals and time for us to start getting answers to questions we've been asking all preseason. Let's get into it. You are Locked on Bengals, your daily Cincinnati Bengals podcast. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. What up, Bengals fans, and welcome to another episode of the Lockdown Bengals podcast. Part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. I'm Jake Liskow. He's James Rapine, and we're your host of the Lockdown.

Starting point is 00:00:36 Lockdown Bengals podcast covering your Cincinnati Bengals here on Lockdown Bengals since 2016. So if you're looking for that one-stop shot for all the Bengals news, analysis, game coverage, film breakdowns, anything you can imagine, you're in the right place. And we appreciate all the everydayers out there, all of you who make us your first listen. Today we dive into the matchups, a matter of the questions that we're looking to get answered. And the litmus test, the barometer reading that we will get for the Cincinnati Bengals, as they travel to face the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 action, James. And to me, there are so many fascinating aspects to this game

Starting point is 00:01:15 that largely features a strength-on-strength matchup and a weakness-on-weakness-matchup from a big pitcher perspective, from an on-paper perspective, as let's not get a twisted. The Browns are seen by most, and I think rightly so, to be one of the worst teams in the NFL, especially on the offensive side of the ball. but they're not bereft of talent on defense. So from that perspective, given what we think about where the Bengals' strengths and weaknesses are,

Starting point is 00:01:42 some very interesting matchups in this one that will start to give us an idea of who this team will be in 2025. For sure. It's a great test, really across the board, because maybe you're feeling really, really good about the Bengals' offense. Well, history tells us that they've had some ugly games against the Cleveland Browns. And yeah, they swept them last year, but it wasn't all pretty. even though the offense was the strength of the team last year and should be, in my opinion, even better, even stronger, even more multiple, harder to stop, harder to contain. And so you would think that, yeah, this offense, it's a good test to see how they will match up

Starting point is 00:02:22 against the defense that has had their number at times and certainly been a tough matchup. And that really, that's a theme across the board of this game. if this defense is really improved. And that doesn't mean that they're a top 10 unit or top 15 unit. But if they're improved, if that is actually the case, well, then Joe Flacco probably shouldn't throw it for 300 yards. This Brown's rushing attack probably shouldn't go for a buck 50. Like they shouldn't be able to control the clock by going run game,

Starting point is 00:02:53 run game, play action, first down, explosive play touch out. Like the Browns shouldn't get 20 plus points if this defense is pretty solid. And this is the type of game that at least on paper, you should be able to contain the Browns because they're going to be. And I think this is fair to say. Like one of the lower end offenses in the league, maybe not. Maybe they surprise us some, but expectations are pretty low. They're projected by many to be the worst offense in the NFL. So I think fair to say, yes.

Starting point is 00:03:26 And the reason I hesitated there a little bit is I do think Kevin Sofansky is a good offensive mind. No doubt. I do think they have some pieces. Like David Injoku is a really, really good tight end. He would start for the Bengals right now to give you an example, as good as the Bengals tight end room is. So there are guys that could cause issues. But if this defense is improved, then yeah, we should see it on Sunday.

Starting point is 00:03:53 This is the type of matchup that you want to see, especially on the road. Get your feet wet with a nice performance. We'll see if Al Golden's defense is up to it. Yeah, and we'll dive into those particular matchups, those offense defense side of the ball things a little bit more. But let's start with the offense here, because that's the engine for the Bengals, and that is the strength-on-strength matchup if there is one in this game.

Starting point is 00:04:21 I think the Browns have questions in their secondary. outside of Denzel Ward with the injury to Martin Emerson. You got Greg Newsom playing outside. You forces Cameron Mitchell into the slot. The backup for Cameron Mitchell in the slot, sounds like it's a seventh round pick. Outside of Denzel Ward, I like the Bengals matchups outside. I think that they have fine safety play in Cleveland,

Starting point is 00:04:47 Grant Delpit, Ronnie Hickman. Carson Swessinger looks like a fascinating and good. addition for them at the second level. We'll talk about the trench matchups as well, but when I look at the Burrow versus second, Burrow and receivers versus secondary matchups, it doesn't look like something where unless there's a disaster up front, the Brown should be able to hold up for the course of the game. Joe Burrow should find the matchups that are working. Zach Taylor and Joe borough should be getting into the concepts that should be working in the passing game in particular because i don't think and the browns have proven me wrong on this before but i don't

Starting point is 00:05:30 think the browns have the guys to to stay with the bengals receivers if they try to do what jim shorrs has tried to do in the past which is get pressure with four play a lot of man behind it play sticky man behind it because when that's worked for the browns in the past that's part of the reason that they've had the bengals number on offense when they've had their defense out there, Miles Garrett, obviously being a force multiplier as well, making things really difficult for Joe Burrow in the offense. And we'll see how Mason Graham and Malik Collins create havoc or don't on the inside, a couple of pass rushing guys that the Browns have added this offseason. So we'll get into the trench matchups as well. But when I look at Borough receivers

Starting point is 00:06:10 versus secondary, it's something that looks to me like the Brown shouldn't be able to hold up there over the course of four quarters. And a lot of teams should feel that way, right, when they go up against the Bengals. But in the past, the Browns have been one of those teams that can do it and can hold up. And so that's why it is the, it's a fun barometer, fun gauge, because on paper, I look at it and I say, and not just on paper throughout camp, I'm like, man, Joe just has the answers. and he's got so many options, so many things they can rely on. Like, if you tell me, for example, this is a good way to put it.

Starting point is 00:06:53 If you tell me Jamar Chase has three catches on Sunday, and I would take the over, if there's the over under courtesy of Fandle. But if you told me he has three catches on Sunday, I'm not, I still don't know the result of the game. I'm not going to say, oh, well, the Bengals lose if Jamar only has three catches. Because it could be T, or it could be the tight ends, or it could be Chase Brown. Like there's there's so many different ways it could go and they could still win and have offensive success. And I think there will be games like that this year. And those are the offenses that are really, really tough and sometimes impossible to stop.

Starting point is 00:07:26 And so we're always going to talk about protection, especially when Miles Garrett's on the other side. But Joe Burrell has multiple ways to go. And it isn't just, well, I'm going to take this one-on-one matchup. It's all, well, we can operate in the shotgun. Maybe they do get under center some. We've seen that, and that's been something that they've gotten better and better at over the past year plus. So that's what's exciting to me is you have this difficult matchup on paper, and historically it's been a difficult matchup.

Starting point is 00:07:56 The Bengals probably know what they're going to see for the most part. And so how do you combat that and make sure that you're keeping the Brown's defense on their heels, especially early on when you want to take that crowd out of the game? Yeah, and Joe Burrow giving Jim Schwartz and that defense credit for their disguise, their ability to make everything look the same specifically. Obviously, we know what they have in the trenches. Let's talk a little bit about how we expect this trench matchup to play out, where the concern is.

Starting point is 00:08:24 Obviously, there are still some questions for the Bengals on the offensive line. While I think we share cautious optimism about what we've seen from that group throughout the preseason, obviously when you face Miles Garrett and Week 1, we're going to talk about that. when you face a guy like Mason Graham in week one, I think you're going to talk about that as well. And the other aspect here that we haven't gotten to, because we're so focused on this team, and I think rightfully so on the passing game,

Starting point is 00:08:49 is how this run game is going to look to start the season, the excitement around building a running game around Chase Brown, now that they know what Chase Brown can do, Chase Brown's contributions in the passing game as well, shouldn't go undermentioned. So we'll make sure we get there on the offensive side of the ball, and, of course, get to the perceived weakness on perceived weakness matchup on the defensive side of the ball a little bit later in the show.

Starting point is 00:09:13 We'll continue on the offense here coming up next. Today's show is brought to you by prize picks. Prize picks is the daily fantasy app where making the right call can actually pay off. You and I make decisions every day. But on prize picks, being right means cashing in football's back. And prize picks is the simplest and fastest way to get in on the action. All you do is pick more or less on two to six player projection. and you can turn your takes into real prizes.

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Starting point is 00:10:45 I'm a big fan of my vehicle for some reasons that we're going to talk about here in a second. But what makes Mazda stand out is that they go beyond safety. They have a reputation for going beyond style, beyond performance. The details matter so much. And the experience you get in a Mazda is what they prioritize. They are, despite they're going beyond safety. Safety still winning the IHS Top Safety Pick Awards more than anyone else as of August of this year. And just like an athlete focuses on the details of their game, they do the same from metallic access to hand-stitched NAPO leather.

Starting point is 00:11:25 And the biggest thing for me is the feel I get when I'm driving my car, the handling that I experienced when I was test-driving cars in a Mazda versus the other alternative vehicles that I chest drove, it stands apart. And it's a small differences that make the big plays. Just like there's more to every player, there's more to a Mazda vehicle. Mazda move and be moved. All right, Jake. Let's dive into some of these specific matchups. Can we start with Joe versus Miles, Miles versus Joe? You think that that's the thing that stands out the most?

Starting point is 00:12:02 Yeah, I wanted to go to the trenches in particular, because while we have that optimism about this Bengals offensive line, when you're looking at matchups in this game, When the offense is on the field, obviously Denzel Ward with Chase is a big one. We've talked about that. And I think it's the matchups outside of Ward and Chase that decide the game and the passing game. But the matchup that can disrupt things, I think you start with Miles Garrett, right? It's Miles Garrett, Orlando Brown, whether it's Miles Garrett lining up inside and getting those matchups with Lucas Patrick or Dylan Fairchild,

Starting point is 00:12:33 whether it's Miles Garrett moving over and testing second year Amarius Mims in this one, no matter where Miles Garrett is. That is the thing that you're accounting for if you're Joe Burrow and this Bengals offense and making sure that you have the double team there that you need, wherever he goes to make sure whatever you're trying to do is going to be able to click. Yeah. And I say Joe versus Miles, but I certainly know what really it is. And it's don't let him cross over dribble and dunk on you. Don't let him do the Miles Garrett things that only he can do.

Starting point is 00:13:08 I talk to Lucas Patrick about this on Wednesday. And he was like, he's just different, moves different, plays different, size difference. He's like, he just has a little more juice than the rest of us. And it's, that's tough to deal with. It is. But it's not impossible to deal with. And it can't be. And you've known for, you've been preparing for multiple weeks now, but you've known what

Starting point is 00:13:36 it's like to go up against 95 for years and years. And you want to get off to a fast start. So be buttoned up, be ready to go and make sure that he doesn't wreck the game. That's the theme. Anytime it's Bengals versus Browns, it's all right, well, don't let Miles wreck the game. That's where it starts because he's their best player. He's one of the best players in the league. For my money, he's the best defensive linemen in the league.

Starting point is 00:14:00 And so knowing what you are on offense, knowing your offense is what's going to likely win this game. if you win it, make sure that 95 isn't the one that changes that or gets in the way. Yeah, knowing that he is that guy obviously shapes your gameplay. I was talking to Jake Burns last night, Brown's film breakdown, great Brown's film resource. But before we started recording for his show, we were discussing the game a little bit. And he's like, well, it could be pretty simple. The Bengals have three of the four best players in the game.

Starting point is 00:14:35 If Miles Garrett is up there as one of the four, then it's Joe Jamar. T. You can even throw a tray in there. You can say four out of five if you think that you want to switch to order of tray and T, whatever it is, whatever your preference is, could be that simple. But the one guy for the Browns on paper is Miles Garrett. That's the dude that you have to deal with if you're the Cincinnati Bengals. And so for Orlando Brown, who was out to a great start last year, before he had that leg injury.

Starting point is 00:15:08 Very excited to see how he comes out of the gate. Against the stiffest test he's going to face all year. It doesn't get better than Moss Garrett. There are guys that approach that level. There are guys that are similarly talented as pass rushers, but the Orlando Brown-Miles Garrett matchup will be interesting. Now, where you take it a step further is what's Mason Graham going to be out of the gate. And Malik Collins, for whatever you think of Malik Collins,

Starting point is 00:15:30 he's not a world beater by any means, but has been a consistently much better than average pass rusher. in the NFL throughout his career. And that's a new addition for the Browns as well. So between Graham and Collins on the interior, where there are still, okay, what's Dylan Pearchild going to be now against real NFL players, against real NFL starters in the game that counts? We are so pleased with this preseason.

Starting point is 00:15:51 Does that carry over into the regular season? And what do we get out of Lucas Patrick, who obviously has been dealing with injuries throughout the preseason as he's going to be starting at right guard? Those matchups need to be such that they do. don't supersede the Miles Garrett impact on the game. Because if those guys are out there being game wreckers too, well, then you start to have some real problems. If it's more than just Miles Garrett, you have to deal with.

Starting point is 00:16:18 Yep. That's the snowball effect. Like that can happen. Let's just say you contain Miles and your other guys aren't winning the one-on-ones or holding up and it goes that way. And then you're like, all right, well, what do we do? And then Miles makes the big play. And it can go either way.

Starting point is 00:16:35 Miles can create it or it can be the other way. And so, yeah, this offensive line, what I think is going to be interesting, Jake, is how Zach, Joe, Dan, pitcher, obviously, but how the game plan is, especially early, is it, all right, we're going to pick our spots here, not put Joe into these, these dropback situations where he could be dealing with, you know, a guy in his face right away. we're getting the ball out quickly, all of those things. I wonder how much of that is right away or if they adjust, depending on how the offensive line holds up or what route they go there.

Starting point is 00:17:15 Because you're going to have a game plan and then you can adjust accordingly. But maybe they are confident that this offensive line will be able to hold up enough to do some of the things that they would do in other matchups when you're not having to deal with Miles Garrett and company. Well, and that's where I wanted to finish on the offensive side of the ball is how much does a run game get going here? with the revamped, retooled run game around Chase Brown, obviously not Frank Pollack coordinating the run game anymore. So a different approach taken in that aspect of game planning and putting this offense together and obviously knowing

Starting point is 00:17:48 that Chase Brown is going to be your primary guy. How much can they run the ball this week? They can run the ball. I mean, that's a big X factor to me in this game, right? We're spending all this time talking about, protection, the passing offense, and rightly so. Like I said, that's the engine for this team. But with the step we saw from Chase Brown last year,

Starting point is 00:18:11 if they can get that run game going and take the teeth out of that pass rush just for two-tenths of a second, that can be such a difference maker for the rest of your game, the rest of the offense, if you can threaten the run realistically. And whether that's your two tight endsets, whether that's your Noah Fant Drew sample packages or whatever it is, and Noah Fant, obviously an X factor that we're going to get a big first look at here in extended time. These are things we haven't really gotten to. But those are the other pieces around this offense that could make you feel like,

Starting point is 00:18:44 oh, yeah, this is a complete team. And we could start to get some of those answers here against a team that should be a top half of the league defense in Cleveland in week one. Yep. It's a really good test to see if they can establish the ground game, if they're going to be as multiple as we expect them to be. and if they're going to be if they're going to be one of the best offenses in the league, then they should get to that 20 plus point mark

Starting point is 00:19:09 and maybe even high 20s, even though they're on the road, even though, like I think that's a reasonable expectation. So can they get there, will they get there? And how does it look if they do get there? I think all things that I'm interested to see.

Starting point is 00:19:22 But there is a defense. Yeah, the sure is. And it's a defense that a lot of people are concerned about and talking about, are they better what matchup? do we need to know about. We'll dive into those coming up next. Today's video is brought to you by DoorDash. And DoorDash, well, they deliver,

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Starting point is 00:20:27 All right, James. Let's get to this defense, which exists and does matter. He spent a whole episode on it a couple days ago. So if you're looking for more, more on the defense and you miss the episode we did with Mike Santaggedy. You can go check that one out as well. But looking at this game, I've said this a couple of times this week. If there is a game that is going to show us that this defense can be, say, the 20th best defense in the NFL. I'm not going to overreact.

Starting point is 00:20:54 And even if they pitch a shut out, well, maybe if they pitch a shut out, that'll, that'll tell us a little bit more. But it's not really the kind of test that can tell you this defense can be great because of Brown's offense. Yeah, there's Jerry Judy. Yeah, there's David and Joku. Yeah, they're probably going to run the ball with their various running backs and Joe Flacco's been around the block. This isn't an offense that's going to set the world on fire this year. But you need to see the defense show much, much more than we saw from them in the preseason, especially in the run game. We'll see what happens in the past game. Didn't really get a whole lot of seeing this first team

Starting point is 00:21:28 defense in passing situations in the preseason. But boy, you, you, you, you, you, You got to imagine the Browns are going to try to run the ball. And that is certainly an area. The Bengals have to be better. That's number one for this defense going into this game. Stop the run. Find a way to take them out of the second in shorts or second in mediums, third in shorts, and make Joe Flacco one-dimensional, make him have to drop back, make them so bad on the ground

Starting point is 00:21:59 that the play action game isn't even a real factor. If they're running for five, six yards of carry, especially early in this game, well, it's going to open things up and it's going to make life easier and it's going to put them in the down and distance that they want. So, yeah, I think it starts there and they're not going to have Quinn Sean Judkins. Everyone knows that, but still have Jerome Ford, Cincinnati Bearcat alum, former Bearcat star Jerome Ford. And then you also have a guy in Dylan Samson, who I think was an intriguing running back

Starting point is 00:22:27 prospect coming into the draft. So they're going to lean on that ground attack, I think especially early on. and given the fact that what we saw from the Bengals this preseason, there were a lot of long runs. Why wouldn't that be your game plan to see if you can break some of those long runs on this Bengals D? And how the Bengals match the Browns, who I imagine are going to want to be a largely 12 personnel team, especially with Joe Flacco,

Starting point is 00:22:51 especially with the emphasis on the running game, the addition of Harold Fanon. So the Harold Fanon, David and Joku combination, get your best receivers on the field between Tillman and Jerry Judy and try to lean on your running game, where you still have the guys that were part of your successful running games of years past in the offensive line, Joel Botonio, Wyatt Teller, Jack Conklin. But if you can do something there, and we'll see if they can.

Starting point is 00:23:13 I mean, obviously, we didn't see BJ Hill all preseason as he was trying to get into shape to play in the regular season. Al Golden's been raving about Chris Jenkins. So we'll see how those guys play in an extended real game action here. And obviously, T.J. Slayton, the nose tackle is meant to do something that they couldn't do last year when they didn't have a nose tackle. So do those things do enough to help them in the running game to get you into a situation where Trey Hendricksing can now pin his ears back against

Starting point is 00:23:42 Juan Jones playing left tackle, who has had his share of ups and downs and his two years in NFL action so far? That's a matchup you have to like if you're the Cincinnati Bengals. Even if Trey Hendrickson is only playing situationally as he obviously missed all of training camp as well. We'll see what the workload is there. Al Golden talking about really wanted to go deep in that rotation on the defensive line. Those guys up front, including the linebackers Demetrius Knight in his first regular season game

Starting point is 00:24:12 where game looked at times a little fast for him in the preseason. All of that needs to be so much better than we saw from them in the preseason. I'll even go so far as to include the safeties when they are in the run fit, being in the right place at the right time, taking the right angles, tackling going to be a topic that we're hopefully not belaboring after this game, James. So much really to me comes down to can the Bengals do enough to get the Browns in a situation where they don't feel like they can just hand the ball off on 75% of the steps. This is very much like quick game, what mistackles that Steelers match up last December at Paycor.

Starting point is 00:24:51 Where if you do the basic things and you're able to stop the run and you're able to come up and tackle and not let guys not get quick game to death because, it's unstoppable, according to Jermaine Pratt. Like, it's not to that level, but it's similar. Like, it's very similar where you just, if you are just a sound, fundamentally sound defense and you don't let them run for four, five a carry, even if you give up four yards per carry on the ground. Like, and you rise up on specific third.

Starting point is 00:25:23 Like, I think you could probably live with that. And you're going to be fine. Obviously, you want turnovers. You want to cause chaos. You want to be able to create pressure and whether it's Trey pinning his ears back. And by the way, can you imagine Trey trying to chase down Joe Flacco? I don't like Joe's chances there very much in that situation. Poor Joe Flacco specifically.

Starting point is 00:25:44 Yeah, but that's where you need to go. And so how do you get there? Because some just heard me say, oh, well, four yards of carry. And well, yeah, then that means third and two. But it depends on how they get the four yards of carry. and when they're getting that in the down and distance situations, because if you can put them in third and four or longer, they're probably throwing on most of those situations,

Starting point is 00:26:07 which gives Trey Hendrickson, Shamar Stewart, Joseph Osai, gives these guys a chance to get after Joe, who is a statue at this point of his career. Yeah, big first look, obviously coming for Shamar Stewart as well, seeing how ready he is for game action, obviously has all the tools you could ever want and has showed that. And at some point you would expect that will show up like a time or two a game,

Starting point is 00:26:31 just the athletic tools translating in some form of production, whether it's batted passes, whether it's pressures, whether it's moving a quarterback off the spot, whether it's flushing a guy into Trey Hendrickson's waiting arms on the other side. What kind of packages we see from a pass rush perspective? We're going to get a lot of answers about this defense that supposedly held back 80% or so of their playbook in the preseason. So what do the blitzes look like? How often do we continue to see the stunts that we started?

Starting point is 00:26:56 to see in the preseason. What do we see on the back half in coverage where really it was like, all right, can they fit the run? That's really what we learned about them in the preseason. They're not fitting the run very well. They're not getting off blocks very well, not well enough. So those things obviously need to be better, but starting to get some answers about the rest of this defense as well.

Starting point is 00:27:14 Seeing what happens opposite Trey Hendrickson, now that Sam Hubbard is no longer part of this team for the first time and a very long time, those are some things that we're going to start to see here in week one. And if you can get a solid effort, you can start to feel like, okay, this Bengals defense isn't going to be that bottom of the barrel team who couldn't stop, you know, a gust of wind some days. And if they're better than that, then you feel much better about this team's outlook this year. Yes. If this offense is pretty steady throughout the game and moving the ball up and down the field, even though we know it's a tough match. matchup and the defense holds the the browns just kind of in check you can still give up points you

Starting point is 00:28:01 know you give up 13 points or 17 points something in that range last year in cleveland they gave up 14 points and and it doesn't include uh you know a bailout penalty on a really long run or something like that like you're not giving up these super explosive plays i think we'd feel pretty good about it about where they're at and i think that's what they should do will they i'm not sure But they should go up there. They should win. They should score in the mid-20s, and they should hold the Browns under 20.

Starting point is 00:28:28 I think all of those things should happen. Will they happen? Who knows? We'll see on Sunday. But I think that that's where the bar, that's where the expectation should be for this Bengals team going into this matchup. Yeah, with all the emphasis on the fast starts,

Starting point is 00:28:44 with all of the snaps for the starters in the preseason, Joe Burrow getting through training camp without incident this year, this needs to be the year that they finally can put that thing to bed and figure out how to look like a competent, complete NFL football team at the beginning of the season. And obviously, you need to sustain that, but they've learned all too well in recent years what happens when you just dig yourself consistent holes in the first couple weeks of the season.

Starting point is 00:29:14 Can't do that. Can't do that again, especially with an AFC North game. Week one, weirdness, we'll see how much that meant. matters this year. I'm hoping, James, that got to the end of the show before I said it here, but I'm hoping that playing those starters in the preseason helps to mitigate that a little bit. And we see a little bit less of that, even though it is a game where we've seen the Bengals classically struggled, going to Cleveland in a game where the team and the fans are going to want to get up for the game, this being week one. It's not a Thursday night game on Halloween or whatever,

Starting point is 00:29:45 but it is a season opener in Cleveland. But 1 o'clock kick, hopefully that helps a little bit. Hopefully those guys playing in the preseason helps a little bit. Any closing thoughts here, James, before we get out of here and look forward to some real football action just days away? Can't wait. I'm excited. I'm excited to watch this team.

Starting point is 00:30:06 I think that they should go up to Cleveland and win. And whether they win, lose, draw, it doesn't matter. We're going to have you covered after the game. Yeah, we'll be back with you after the game with the takeaways. of reactions and the biggest stories that we are taking away from the Bengals week one game. Until then, thanks for listening to this episode of the Lockdown Bengals podcast. Hoodei and have a good.

Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - Cincinnati Bengals Can Start To Prove Themselves vs Cleveland Browns in Battle Of Ohio

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