Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - Cincinnati Bengals MELT DOWN, Lose Heartbreaker to Buffalo Bills

Episode Date: December 7, 2025

The Cincinnati Bengals built several two-score leads, but two fourth quarter interceptions from Joe Burrow were the most notable self-inflicted mistakes in their 39-34 meltdown loss against the Buffal...o Bills. From Burrow's interceptions, to missed opportunities on defense, Jake Liscow and James Rapien react to Cincinnati's loss in Buffalo. They discuss Burrow's play, a crucial pick-six in the fourth quarter, why this defense had a chance to salvage the day, but failed and what this loss says about the 2025 Bengals.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-bengalsSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Aura FramesFor a limited time, save on the perfect gift by visiting https://AuraFrames.com to get $35 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames - named #1 by Wirecutter - by using promo code LOCKEDON at checkout.FanDuelIf you want to be right in the middle of the action this season, visit FanDuel.com and place your NFL livebets all season long. PrizePicksDownload 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/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.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 We've seen a lot of stupid stuff happen for the Cincinnati Bengals in the last two years. I don't know if I've seen anything as dumb as this game. Bengals lose to Buffalo in an unreal meltdown. 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, the number one sports podcast network in the land.
Starting point is 00:00:37 He's James Rapine. I'm Jake Lisko. We've been locked on Bengals here since 2016. That's a long time watching the Cincinnati Bengals football team, James Rapine. That's a long time watching some pretty bad Bengals football teams as well. And I don't know if I've seen anything that feels quite like today felt to me. And maybe that's recently biased talking a little bit. We'll see how that feels in a couple days. Today's episode brought to you by Fandul if you want to get right into the action this season.
Starting point is 00:01:04 and visit fandul.com and place for NFL live bets all season long. Welcome back to all the everydayers out there. Welcome back to those of you who make Lockdown Bengals your first. Listen, brutal loss, a game that the Bengals had control of for a vast majority of the game, they're driving to take a two-score lead in the fourth quarter, and Joe Burrow makes one of the worst plays of his career, I think. It's a 60% win-probability swing, according to next-gen stats, James Rapine. And it only got worse from there.
Starting point is 00:01:34 well yeah you have two plays back to back that zach taylor's going to talk about a ton by the way also not the reason they lost there's like a thousand reasons and the main reason is is they can't afford mistakes like this from their best player right you can't have two fourth quarter turnovers because the bills well they're good enough to overcome one of those fourth quarter turnovers you can't give it right back and uh yeah even after that happened i thought they had a chance but when that happened, it was like, oh no, oh no, like this, this was the last thing that you expected. You expect the defense to look like the defense did against Josh Allen. You expect them to not be able to guard tight ends. You expect a lot of things to not necessarily go the Bengals way, but when you have a chance
Starting point is 00:02:22 and you're at the Bills 33 yard line to go up two scores and you're moving the ball with ease and you scored touchdowns on four of six possessions. And really the two that you didn't score on were self-inflicted, you're thinking the self-inflicted stuff might be an incompletion, not a crazy pick six where he's trying to throw it over Christian Benford. It doesn't work. And instead of Jamar catching his fifth pass in the fourth quarter, that's what it would have been.
Starting point is 00:02:52 Christian Benford's trotting in for an easy pick six. I mean, we got self-inflicted stuff throughout this game. It's all self-inflicted. Almost all their problems are self-inflicted. Joe Burrow can't handle the ball on a first-down pass to T. Higgins comes out a little bit slow. Higgins can't corral it on the other side. On the third down play, that drive, he throws a good ball to Higgins on the scramble drill. Higgins can't bring it in.
Starting point is 00:03:14 I mean, T had a wild roller coaster of a game, hit his head numerous times in this game, something that we're going to have to monitor, I think, going forward here, but also had a couple of touchdowns, a crazy one. one-handed catch that should have been called DPI, but you have you have some of that stuff. You have Joe Burroughs first interception with the self, which is self-inflicted. It comes on a call of run play. That's the worst part about it to me, James. That's the salt and the wound to me is they're driving.
Starting point is 00:03:38 They just got a first and 10. They're other Buffalo 33. They're trying to bleed clock. They're trying to add some points to make it a two-score game, right? And say, okay, Buffalo, we're going to make it a two-score game here, and we're going to take another three minutes off the clock. And you're not going to have enough time. and instead you get Joe making a decision that based on the look, based on, oh, I'm going to get a corner blitz here.
Starting point is 00:04:00 It's not even a terrible decision. It's just Benford makes a play to get in the passing lane. Joe doesn't get the laces and can't get it high enough to get it over Benford and doesn't have time to pump it and pull it down because the offensive line's already downfield. Very next play, you get a fluky tip pass interception. And after that, they still have a chance. That's a crazy thing. They still have a chance.
Starting point is 00:04:21 They get a third and 15, man. They get a third and 15 after a sack to get off the field. They get the ball back if they get that stop with about a minute left. Yeah. Yeah. And what are you get? You get outgoing and calling, man. What do we doing?
Starting point is 00:04:36 We've seen Josh Allen beat you when you've done this in a clutch moment already. And you do it again. You call man after Alan ripped off a 40-yard touchdown run on you. And you call man with the game on the line on 30-15. What is in your brain, man? I don't understand it. That's why the self-imbring. conflicted stuff. That's why I call it stupid. This is a number of mistakes that could have been avoided.
Starting point is 00:04:57 Sure. Yeah. First one, Jamar might score. All right. Like he had a ton of space on the interception. And so it's just a bad ball. I like the decision. I instead of what Chase Brown was in the backfield, I believe. I'm looking at it now. Yeah. Instead of running it with Chase Brown for two yards, I like it. Just execute it. Right. And they didn't. And because Jamar, he had space. Put it that way. And you never know if he's going to break a tackle or two. So got to got to get got to get it out and throw it correctly. He didn't. But to your point, after all of this, after back-to-back interceptions,
Starting point is 00:05:32 after 21 points and like just over four minutes given up to the bills, and it's 39, 28, Joe Burrough says, okay, and they score fast. And T. Higgins makes an outstanding one-handed catch and kind of redeems himself after a couple of drops that we'll get to. And really, it was a weird end of the half for T. and then the beginning of the second half weird, where it kind of derails two drives where they could have gotten points.
Starting point is 00:05:57 Regardless, makes an outstanding play, keeps them in it, they don't get the two-point conversion, which was a weird scenario anyway. So 39, 34, 3rd and 15, after, and here's the other one, Jake. It's fourth and goal from the three. And like, if you stop them there,
Starting point is 00:06:18 it's 32, 28, and Joe's getting the ball back with the chance to go take the lead anyway. And you stop them completely. And so you give up that one, and that one's a bit more forgivable. It's fourth and goal. It's from the three-yard line.
Starting point is 00:06:30 Fine. But then on third and 15, in a scenario where the bill certainly, I would say probably punted unless you get like 13 yards or 12 yards. But if you give up like six yards, the bills are probably punting on that play, or on fourth down,
Starting point is 00:06:46 seven yards. And that's the result. Josh Allen, Just wide open, no one on him, no one close, no one spying clearly. And it already had a 40-yard touchdown run, to your point. Like, he had the longest run today before that. And so on 3rd and 15, he's not going to throw it away. A sack for the bills is better than throwing it away.
Starting point is 00:07:11 So, yeah, you need to be good in coverage. And I thought they were pretty good in coverage outside of the tight-end position. But the corners were good in coverage. They're good in coverage. guess what you need to do? You need to have someone on Josh Allen that can slow him down so more hats can get to him and either get him out of bounds
Starting point is 00:07:28 or get him on the ground. And they didn't. There was no one there. Like, no one, no one even close to him. And when you do that with probably at this point the best running quarterback in the NFL, I think that's probably the case. It's certainly the scariest,
Starting point is 00:07:43 given their rushing attack right now. I think, I just, I think that, that's that's the play that irks me the most because you could have after everything had a shot and if Joe gets the ballback did you have any doubts that this Bengals offense would have had a shot I didn't I didn't have a doubt that they'd have a shot because they've been playing well all game outside of a couple of plays four or five plays where they were catastrophic plays but there was a few plays and so that's that's painful is for for it to
Starting point is 00:08:14 come down to that and it wasn't third and four third and 15 And to give up a 17-yard run is unacceptable. So many moments in this game where the Bengals were unable to capitalize. And moments that the Bills fell on their face too, literally at one point, saving a touchdown. Ty Johnson falls on his face. James Cook fumbles it probably into the end zone twice
Starting point is 00:08:39 in a three-place span to give the Bengals life there. So it's like the Bills played mistake-free football either. It's not like the Bills played a clean game or anything like that. But man, the stuff that the Bengals did to shoot themselves in the foot in this one, it's really going to stay with me because, and maybe we go here next, James. Like the defense, honestly, for a lot of this game, exceeded my expectations. And it wasn't good.
Starting point is 00:09:05 Don't get me wrong. But in many ways, exceeded my expectations for a lot of this game. They got two stops all game. That is more than I thought they would get. I'll explain this a little bit. more here in just a minute because they did a couple things for to get the Bengals into the half with a chance to go at 2811. Some of that is the defense doing some things that I've wanted to see the defense do in this game. Obviously didn't finish the game. They gave up three or four
Starting point is 00:09:34 on fourth downs in this game. The bill's very effective on fourth down in this game. Obviously got the key plays when they needed them. The defense didn't make enough plays. But I'll defend this a little bit more here coming up next. Today's show is brought to you by Aura Frames. Look, the holidays are officially here. You need to find that perfect gift. And gift hunting season can be tough, but it's not going to be because if you're looking for that meaningful, personal and guaranteed to get a reaction gift,
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Starting point is 00:11:19 Let me just explain it real quick, James, what I'm thinking here, because you didn't like that thought. Here's what I'm thinking. No. Is the bills on their first drive, yeah, Ty Johnson, Ty Johnson, right? Falls and they don't score a touchdown as a result. But the Bengals get the red zone stop. They force a field goal.
Starting point is 00:11:36 Then they give up a touchdown, but then they get a turnover on downs. And then in the third quarter, up 2118, they force a fumble. At this point, the Bengals defense has done more than I thought they. they would do in this game. Did I think they were good overall? No. But they got two takeaways, if you count the turnover on downs, which I do. The Bengals' offense couldn't capitalize on that. They should have been able to capitalize on that. It should have been at least 24 to 11 going into the half. Could have very well been 28 to 11 going into the half. And getting one red zone stop, getting a couple of takeaways, that's more than I would have expected from this Bengals defense in this
Starting point is 00:12:15 game. Did the Bengals need more? Yes, absolutely. But my expectations for this defense were not very high. And what did I talk about going into the game? I talked about Ben, don't break, have a couple moments where you force a field goal or get some takeaways. And they did that a couple of times, which is all I thought they needed to do for the Bengals to win this game. And I think is enough for the Bengals to win this game, but the offense had their own mistakes. Sure.
Starting point is 00:12:36 Well, yeah, the offense wasn't perfect. And I get that. And that's why there's enough blame to go around. The defense did enough. Like, if you get perfect offense, the defense did enough. but they still gave up 32 points. They gave up three out of four touchdowns in the second. The game was really like flipped on its head.
Starting point is 00:12:55 The Bengals weren't in control in the third quarter. It felt like they were on their heels their entire third quarter. And they get a break because James Cook, I don't know what the hell he's doing, but stop fumbling the football. We talked about that going into the game too. He puts the ball on the ground and he did again. He did.
Starting point is 00:13:10 And he gave them a chance. But like I already had it written. like if the bills had let's say they scored on the final play that fumble doesn't happen and they score on the final play of the third quarter the bengals had it for 1 11 of the third quarter because of the fumble it ended up being like 146 time of possession but the bills just completely put joe bro on the sideline move the ball up and down the field it was 21 to 18 when the fumble happened and then this should have been it this should have been the turning point and there were so many times you're right there were so many times where i thought
Starting point is 00:13:44 okay, this can be it. The first one being the fourth quarter or the fourth downstop by the defense. So they deserve credit there because the Bengals were up 10 and they had a chance to go up by more and they should have. I think if Joe, to me, I thought T. Higgins reacted poorly to the Joe Burrow deep ball there on what was it, third and 19. And Joe gets sacked in their seven for seven on third down. And T was just like you said, it's a roller coaster game.
Starting point is 00:14:14 Others will say Joe overthrew him. I'm not sure. I think T normally makes that catch and just kind of reacted to it or didn't judge it the way he should have. Kind of slipped to, by the way, in the snow. So that was the first opportunity to really take control and dominate the game. The second one was when they go up 10, 2818, you had just forced to fumble. Joe Burrough says, that's great. Let's go down and score a touchdown.
Starting point is 00:14:41 Five plays or 12 plays, 75 yards. boom and and took seven minutes off the clock in doing so shortening the game get a 10 point lead seven minutes at the fourth quarter like yeah great spot to be 844 left right and what what happens well Josh Allen and the bills go right down and score right away four plays 68 yards three first downs the last line of scrimmage was a 40 yard line because Josh island sprints in for the touchdown and I'm like oh my goodness buckle up like this when that happened, I was like, this is, this is going to be wild. It's going to be wild.
Starting point is 00:15:18 Again, like, this is where you need to learn that lesson the first time. Second and 10, you call man, you have nobody to help. Josh Allen takes off on you. You have no shot. I wonder what, like, what's the logic of running, playing man on third and 15? But after that, like, what's the logic behind it? Because it's third and 15. Like, I can't actually wrap my head around it.
Starting point is 00:15:42 And I'm trying. I'm trying to, people that listen to this podcast all the time know, like I'm trying to see it from the coach's perspective sometimes. Like I understand why Joe Burrow threw that interception, for example. I understand why that's the decision. We talked about that earlier. You talked about it too.
Starting point is 00:15:57 I can't figure out how third and 15 man makes sense to you with Josh Allen at quarterback. Just can't figure it out. You're only rushing four. It's not like you're like sending a blitz or something, trying to get him to throw the ball quick or whatever. It's just, man, it's just cover one. It's straight up cover. No, can't get it.
Starting point is 00:16:13 Yeah. Because if it were me, obviously you want to get pressure. But I would want as many guys around to help gang tackle as I can. And you suck at tackling. So that alone, like, name one Bengals defender that you like one-on-one with Josh Allen. Because that's what made. There isn't one. Sorry, there isn't one.
Starting point is 00:16:35 And that wouldn't matter if Trey Hendrickson is on the field or not. I wouldn't want anyone guarding Josh Allen one-on-one and that kind of situation where he's obviously potentially scrambling. And that's what's tough is if you get that, I would have taken that all day. And I think the Bengals would have too. And they would have been like, let's roll. Like we have a shot here. We're going to shock everyone.
Starting point is 00:16:56 And that's what's tough. Like a few weeks ago, I forget what game, but we were like, yeah, they're just bad. And it was one of the Joe Flacco games. And Joe Burrow can overcome a lot. But he's not going to be perfect. He's not going to be perfect. And the Bengals just aren't good enough as a team to overcome a wacky sequence. Like the Bills did, and part of it is because the Bengals had their own wacky sequence,
Starting point is 00:17:26 but the bills overcame it. And they were still in position. They kept the pressure on the Bengals after their fumble on the goal line. They answered. And so when the Bengals were in the midst of answering, they needed to. And it just didn't happen. and that's usually what happens with teams that are just, they don't have it because there's going to be people that say,
Starting point is 00:17:47 oh, well, they're still not eliminated and all of those things. And that's fine. But man, did this feel like a game they should have won? And at halftime, I think Jay, yeah, Jay Morrison had the stats like Zach Taylor, with the double-digit lead. And I don't have it in front of me. Do you have it? I can find it.
Starting point is 00:18:04 Yeah, find it as I'm talking. It's both Zach with a double-digit halftime lead and also. So the bills when trailing, I'll go find it. Yeah. So it's both. And I read that. And I was like, all right, well, pressure's on here. Like the pressure's on you.
Starting point is 00:18:23 You've played so well. You've put yourself in this position. Like the pressure's on you now to deliver and to go finish it. And that's how I felt going into the third quarter. And it felt like they were going to hang on. Like I hated the third quarter. I thought it was super painful. You don't get any stops.
Starting point is 00:18:38 You don't show really any. any chance there and you you go three and out on offense when you shouldn't have t higgins has the drop on second down joe bro misses jemar chase on the third down like that should have been another conversion and it doesn't happen and it just felt like it was not getting away from them but they left the door open and they didn't need to and another couple of haymakers there maybe it just feels different in the fourth quarter and it didn't and anyway you have the stat yeah jay morrison had these the bills were one in 28 in their last 29 games when they trailed by at least 10 at halftime.
Starting point is 00:19:11 Their only win in their last 29 games, when trailing by at least 10 at halftime, was in week four in 2022 of Baltimore. The Bengals on the other side are 16 and 1 with the 10 point lead in the Zach Taylor era, and 19 and 1 in their last 20 overall. But we can just focus on the Zach Taylor era. Their lone loss was in week eight this year against the Jets.
Starting point is 00:19:32 The lone Zach Taylor loss when he had a 10 point or greater halftime lead. and there's another trend that, unfortunately, appears to be stronger than these in-game trends for the Bengals right now. And we'll talk about that particular idiosyncratic stat and trend here. Coming up next as we wrap up a heartbreaking, brutal, self-inflicted, devastating loss for the Cincinnati Bengals in Buffalo. Today's show is brought to you by GameTime.
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Starting point is 00:22:01 fandle.com, where they've got live spreads and money lines that adjust instantly and place for NFL live bets all season long. Fandul, the game moves fast. So can you. Self-inflicted, painful. I think, Jake, this was the type of game had they found a way to pull it out. Flaws and all, let's say they get the stop on third and 15. Let's say one of the interceptions doesn't happen in the second one. Let's just say the second one doesn't happen.
Starting point is 00:22:30 They find a way to score on that possession. Josh Allen actually goes and scores and then Burroughs scores the game winner. We would have, I would have allowed myself to be like, all right, like, flaws in all, they have a real shot here. But when you keep losing these one possession game, like how many times now? I mean, it feels like it's at least three times this year, less than three minutes left.
Starting point is 00:22:50 We're seeing the Bengals go for two because they're down by two scores. They score a touchdown to get it to one possession. They're going for two. Like, you never want to be in that situation. And it feels like more so than ever this season. Maybe that was the case last year, and I'm just forgetting.
Starting point is 00:23:05 But it's just they found themselves in these situations. time and time and time again for a bunch of reasons. And it's, uh, it's unfortunate because I think it's the sign that, that you are what your record says you are. And I, Burrow has made them better. There's no doubt. They controlled a lot of this game because of how Joe Burrow was playing. I mean, he started 12 of 15. They were seven of seven on third down. He threw a frozen rope to chase Brown, the T. Higgins touchdown. Like, it felt like they were going to win the game. I've got to be honestly, I really thought they were going to win this game. But in the second half, they just, they let the bills hang around and then some of those
Starting point is 00:23:44 mistakes that they made cost them. Yeah, the one minute and 11 second touchdown drive that you talked about earlier when the Bengals were up 2818, like that's probably not a good moment. But the Bengals, to their credit on offense, had an answer and they were 34 yards down the field on four plays. They had taken two minutes off the clock. They're in a called run play, like I said. So say it does go two yards to Chase Brown on that play, like you talked about.
Starting point is 00:24:07 then you're up to 250, three minutes, five plays 36 yards. Even if you don't move the ball again after that. You're under five minutes. You're under five minutes. Yeah, you're under five minutes at that point. And you have a shot at a long field goal?
Starting point is 00:24:21 I mean, that's, I mean, not a great place to be. You're only up six, but you have a shot at a field goal at least. And that's assuming you gain no yards after that, which I don't think is a case. The Bengals are figuring some things out again at that point. and you credit Joe Burrow for keeping the minute down the stretch here.
Starting point is 00:24:39 But the trend that I mentioned before the break there, James, was that Zach Taylor just can't win after Thursday night. And for all these things we've talked about, Zach Taylor still has never won a game in the week following Thursday night football. He has one tie back in 2020 or 2021 or whatever it was. They tied the Eagles, I think. That's it. He cannot win the games following Thursday night football.
Starting point is 00:25:03 I forgot to mention that leading into this game. And it feels a lot to me, like the last time the Bengals were coming off Thursday night football in a game they lost, where they had a two-digit, half-time lead against the Jets. It had a chance to do more. And they find a way to choke it away in the fourth quarter. Something about coming off Thursday night, man, that is bad voodoo, bad juju, whatever it is for these Cincinnati Bengals. Voodoo, juju, poo, pooh, you know? I mean, that's what it is. That's how they play after Thursday night, I guess.
Starting point is 00:25:29 That's a good point. It's weird. It felt like a really long break, like super long. I got to be honest. Like it, I think for us and for fan, like people were ready to talk about, so they are ready to get the game going. And because it had just been a lot of the same coming off the holiday and all of those things. But yeah, that's an interesting one.
Starting point is 00:25:54 And for them to basically, I mean, these are two games more so the Jets game than this game, like choke away. But I still think they should have won this game. I'm comfortable saying that. in that they blew it for a bunch of reasons. They blew that Jets game. And so for them to do that, one at home, one on the road, one with Joe Burrow and it got to have it type game.
Starting point is 00:26:16 And that's how it felt. Like, let's be honest. No one's like, oh, yeah, let's make the playoffs at eight and nine and feel like if they had beat the bills today, that's a legitimate playoff team that we know is not only fighting for the playoffs, fighting for their division with the Patriots. They have a huge showdown next week with New England. And I think New England is a little overrated right now, even though they're the one seat entering this week.
Starting point is 00:26:39 And so it's like the bills are playing for a lot. And so if you went to Buffalo and won, I would be like, man, that's a really quality win after winning on Thanksgiving in Baltimore. Like it's a real easy way to buy into maybe this can work. Maybe everything we've seen, they are figuring it out on defense. And on offense, getting Joe back just changes it. And some of that is true.
Starting point is 00:27:04 I don't think there's another quarterback, probably not many quarterbacks that go there and go 12 of 15 and three, three straight touchdowns and seven for seven on third down with our average goal. It's a go for that first down. The average distance was like seven yards on each third down. Like, that's crazy. It wasn't like it was a bunch of third and ones. And so, man, it sucks because it felt like this could have been one of those convincing wins. Yep. And instead, it's like same old crap where this play, that play, this turnover.
Starting point is 00:27:34 that decision by Al Golden. Like it's a lot of the same themes now that we've discussed. And it's not just defense. It's not just turnovers. It's everything. It's a whole team. It's incredibly frustrating. It's why like I don't know if I've been this frustrated after loss in quite a while.
Starting point is 00:27:54 Because it felt like Burrow was playing great. Bad interception, obviously. Unlucky interception. He was playing a good football game, man. Mike is sick. best game he's had all year that's going to be a footnote. Like you said, weird game for T. Higgins.
Starting point is 00:28:10 Weird game for Chase Brown. He had a great touchdown catch. He dropped another one that could have been a touchdown. Ran the ball really poorly. Didn't look like he knew how to play in the snow, which is weird. Like he played at Illinois. It's not like he's never seen snow before in his life.
Starting point is 00:28:25 He's from Canada. I mean, like, you're right. He couldn't move in the snow. So Machia Pira was so much more effective as a runner. Chase Brown, maybe he had the wrong cleats on or something, but it looked like he was trying to cut
Starting point is 00:28:37 and just did not have confidence in his footing. Nothing. And no one else really had that. Like you had Ty Johnson tripping, like slipping and falling. But like James Cook looked. The defensive ends did a couple times, like BJ Hill on the Josh Allen touchdown to Khalil Shakir,
Starting point is 00:28:52 like didn't look like he could stick his foot in the ground and redirect. The ends a couple times didn't look like they could redirect. But yeah, Chase Brown, very noticeable. Yeah. It's, man, I'm just, looking at some of these stats, you would have taken 4.4 yards on average for James Cook. The problem is, is Ty Johnson had that explosive 23-yard run, and then you have Josh Allen averaging nearly nine yards of carry.
Starting point is 00:29:16 Yeah, I mean, the problem is a too big Josh Allen plays, the 40-yard touchdown in the 15, 20-yard or whatever it was to tight ends. The tight ends. Oh, my God, tight ends. I mean, 11 catches for 137 and two touchdowns between the three-times. We were screaming this all week, man. how many times did I say overroutes to these tight ends play action to these tight ends how many times did I say it this week
Starting point is 00:29:38 how many catches do you think wide receivers had for the Bengals or for the bills catches don't look I was looking at Voscar I averted my eyes as he started asking the question I would guess like let's see Shakir have one and Gabe Davis have I would guess like four yeah it's it's seven but it's like Shavers had the one catch for 16 yards Shakir had two catches for I forgot about two for 16 Gay Davis two for 21
Starting point is 00:30:06 like James Cook had more two tight ends had more like it's just it's why like Ty Johnson had as many receptions as any of their receivers you know and then Jackson Halls obviously had the game winner
Starting point is 00:30:18 it's um the tight ends thing is just so weird like figure it out a little and they tried like DJ Turner like they tried to go that that route some it's just that's tough that's a tough matchup if you're going to put DJ Turner on don't Kincaid for example. And honestly, it was good coverage from DJ Turner. That's a ball that I think like, I don't know, like 20, 20 quarterbacks in the NFL try to throw that past DJ Turner gets his hand on it. But Josh Allen throws with enough velocity that DJ Turner. I think he does get his hand on it actually, but can't deflect it enough. I'm pretty sure he got his hand on it. It looks like it to me. It looks like there was an adjustment from Kincaid a slight deflection. But I think a lot of other quarterbacks don't get that much zip on it. And DJ Turner knocks it away. You credit Josh Allen in this game to some degree as well. The bills did make plays. Josh Allen was awesome.
Starting point is 00:31:03 Awesome against pressure. Awesome when they had to have it. It's awesome. The Bengals let down by multiple players in this game between drops and play calls and Joe Burrow, honestly, unfortunately. And like you said, yeah, there's a lot on his play. He has to play perfect. But we've seen him play a lot better than this in terms of mistake-free football.
Starting point is 00:31:27 He's played in ways that don't lead to that. that mistake and unfortunately for all the good things that i have to say about joe's game and he was great that one play 60% win probability swing in one play because the bengles are driving and his first down yeah sure it's tough one should have been a big play missed him you know it's it's just a sucks i guess it really does benford too well no doubt it's a heck of a play like that's a really hard play to make no doubt yeah don't give him the opportunity to make it yeah and uh But like think about did Josh Allen give the Bengals an opportunity to make it not not not a play like that they had a couple almost interception plays DJ Turner or Jordan battle Turner Turner probably sort of had the one battle would have been a great play yeah but I'm just and by the way those are the two guys in on the fumble so there there are some things I just linebackers man let's be honest here linebackers yeah it's rough every angles down to a 3% chance to make the playoffs according to the athletics playoff simulator in case anyone was wondering.
Starting point is 00:32:34 The Steelers winning today. I mean, not good. And the devastating loss for many reasons. The Ravens will get the Steelers back. I'm not as worried about that as my, the loss. Yeah, they had to win.
Starting point is 00:32:47 Got to win. Got to win games, Jake. Shocker. Yeah. First game, the Bengals of loss with T. Higgins, Jamar Chase, and Joe Burrow is coin flip captains as well, I believe. The Thursday night, Magic,
Starting point is 00:33:00 coming off at Thursday night, Really, really bad for the Bengals. That trend overcomes all the other trends that we've talked about today. Yeah. Let's wrap up there. We'll be back this week. We've got film to talk about. Got to take a look at the rest of the season now here.
Starting point is 00:33:18 That's going to do it for this episode of the Lockdown Bengals podcast. Until next time, Hootay. Have a good one. You said Hootay. Wow. Yeah.

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