Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - Cincinnati Bengals Need to GET CREATIVE if Tee Higgins & Ja'Marr Chase Miss Week 5

Episode Date: October 6, 2026

The Cincinnati Bengals have accumulated critical wide receiver injuries, but at least Tee Higgins dodged a long-term soft tissue injury. Can Joe Burrow and the offense keep pace with Ja'Marr Chase in ...concussion protocol and up to 4 injured wide receivers in a get-right opportunity against the Miami Dolphins?Jake Liscow and Joe Goodberry break down the implications for the Bengals’ offense, debate creative solutions for their battered depth chart, and spotlight Higgins' elite start to the season. Defensive improvements, weaknesses at linebacker, and the need for an effective run game take center stage as the Bengals aim to avoid an upset against struggling Miami.Photo Credit: Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Phil Didion/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Everydayer ClubThe improved Everydayer Club brings you access to ad-free audio, the Subtext insider club where you can text Jake and Joe and get Bengals updates in your text messages, and Joe Goodberry's members-only Discord with over 1000 other Bengals fans—all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more: https://lockedonbengals.supercast.com/ Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!TempoFor a limited time, Tempo is offering my listeners SIXTY PERCENT OFF your first box! Go to http://TempoMeals.com/LOCKEDON60.  QuoTry QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months when you go to http://Quo.com/LOCKEDONNFL. OdooGreat organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon.Butcher BoxIf you're looking for an easier way to get great meals on the table, give ButcherBox a try. Go to https://ButcherBox.com/LOCKEDONNFL to get $20 off your first box, plus your choice of free ribeye, new york strip, or filet mignon in every box for a year — with free shipping always.AppleYou can earn up to 3% unlimited Daily Cash back on every purchase you make with Apple Card using Apple Pay. Apply in the Wallet app on your iPhone today. Subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank, USA. Salt Lake City Branch. Terms and more at apple-card-dot-com.https://learn.applecard.apple/unlimited-daily-cash?cid=apy-318-2000008800000-400000000000039&itscg=2030032&itsct=srvs-crd-P3004756-C3004897&mttnagencyid=c1a&mttnsiteid=133087&mttnpid=LockedOn%20%28Audio%29&mttnsubad=srvs-crd-P3004756-C3004897&mttnsubplmnt=&mttncc=USPrizePicksVisit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNFL and use code LOCKEDONNFL and get $150 if you win your first $5 lineup!KALSHIToday's episode is brought to you by Kalshi. For a limited time, Download Kalshi and use code Locked On to get $25 when you trade $25. Kalshi. Trade what’s next. GametimeToday's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.FanDuelGet three hundred fifty dollars in Bonus Bets — GUARANTEED — when you bet five dollars every day for seven days. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COMFANDUEL 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 Cincinnati Bengals are as banged up as you can be a wide receiver, but they got some long-term good news while questions remain for this week in my end. 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. Today we're talking about what's going on with T. Higgins and Jemar Chase,
Starting point is 00:00:32 the Bengals star wide receivers that were both injured in. in week for against the Jacksonville Jaguires. We're going to evaluate the defense. What we've seen from them for four weeks, what we can expect from them going forward is a schedule. We'll start to lighten up in the immediate future. In an episode brought to you by Fandall, make this your most rewarding season ever with the Fandall Rewards Club.
Starting point is 00:00:52 Every week, check the Fandall FC, what's waiting for you. He's Joe Goodberry. I'm Jake Liscoe. We're locked on Bengals. And like I said, today we're starting with some good news that the Bengals got about their wide receivers. We spent a lot of time talking about the things that have been very frustrating for the last two weeks,
Starting point is 00:01:07 and there will be some of that in this episode still. But we're starting with a positive note that is T. Higgins injury, a groin injury, an adductor injury does not appear to be a long-term issue. We'll see about his status this week. We'll see if he's able to practice at all this week. I think his status for week five is very much in doubt as Mr. Mar Chase as he works through the concussion protocol. But it doesn't seem like the news is as bad as it could have been
Starting point is 00:01:33 for these critical pieces of the Bengals offense. Yeah, and T. Higgins, first of all, this could have been, when I first saw him go down and keep grabbing at that groin area, and he kept grabbing that muscle in the inside, I'm like, ah, he's got to be feeling something. And he was a warrior to fight through and try and come in. He still ended up with another catch after that, and before he realized that I can't do it, you watch the film,
Starting point is 00:01:54 and you see him struggling to even get off the field once he realized. In my mind, after the game, I'm thinking, what is this going to be, four to six weeks on some groin, or something, and it's not that. So that's good news. Yes, he may miss this week. We'll see if he does, I would understand it because then you get the buy week. You can butt him up against that, give him two full weeks off.
Starting point is 00:02:16 On the other hand, this really stinks for a number of reasons. We'll get to the impact that it has on the offense. The receiver room is really banged up. But T himself is off to an incredible start to this year. Just for a 17-game pace, we're talking 1,700. yards on 162 targets, I think it is. Like this would be an all pro season for T. Higgins for the first month, for the first four games.
Starting point is 00:02:42 He has been that good. He's been their best receiver. And this has happened, I think, if you just individualized the games over the last two years, T has been the best receiver and more than a handful of those. And that is a credit to him. And when people said you shouldn't sign two guys, this is why you do it. Because when injuries happen, they were still really, really good on offense with T. as their number one. Yeah, and he shows you what this offense can do when it has the number one.
Starting point is 00:03:08 Joe Burrow obviously made plays without either of those guys down the stretch before the offense faltered in the red zone with some questionable officiating and questionable decisions from their own players in those spots and maybe some play calling too if you really want to nitpick everything to do with those final four plays. But the offense was still functioning when T. Higgins was out there and he was still dominating when it was only him. It's not like he's only successful because Jamar Chase is out there too. I think T showed as he has in the past when Jamar's missed a game here or there that he is as good as the number one receiver in the NFL. In fact, you mentioned Joe, the pace he's on. He's fourth in the NFL right now in receiving yards
Starting point is 00:03:45 behind only Jackson Smith and Jigba, Chris Aldave and C.D. Lamb, who just had a massive game. Ahead of Devante Adams, who's had his own share of massive games. And so he's also number one for PFF man against man coverage of all receivers averaging, averaging, 7.12 yards per route run against man coverage. You cannot cover him. Man, his route running has been great. Yeah, and he's just going to moss you at the catch point. More often than not.
Starting point is 00:04:11 He's just bigger than you. His catch radius is better than yours. His ability to be strong hands away from body. So you can't try to play through his body to disrupt the pass is better than yours most of the time too. So he's capitalizing on those opportunities, an excellent weapon against man. So hopefully T. Higgins is not missing.
Starting point is 00:04:30 any time. And if he has to miss time, hopefully it's just one week. In this sense, the early by week, which we complained about when we saw the schedule is potentially a boon for the Bengals who need to get Kyle Dugger healthy and Brian Cook healthy and Jamar Chase healthy and T. Higgins healthy and go down the list right now. They've got a couple of guys on IR that could come off at any time. Brian Parker just here Taylor and they could use just ear Taylor for slot corner depth right now. So they've got a bunch of injuries that they could use and could get healthy in the immediate future. And that is something that I think will contribute to the bounce back we expect to see
Starting point is 00:05:06 from this team as the schedule softens. We'll talk about that a little bit later in this episode. And for Jumar Chase with the concussion, we'll see. It doesn't sound like there's anything outside of the concussion. That was the impression that we had during the game. Nothing else has come along or bubbled up in reports since then. So it's the concussion protocol for Jemar Chase. This is his first recorded concussion at the collegiate.
Starting point is 00:05:29 or NFL level. I couldn't find anything about him having him having had a concussion in high school either. So on the one hand, absolutely brutal hit, the face mask left and defense list. I hate everything about this. It's the first concussion for Jamar Chase. Also hate that, opening that can of worms for Jamar after he's been concussion-free in the NFL as far as we know at this point in his career. So having him go through the protocol, we'll see how he goes with that.
Starting point is 00:05:57 Hopefully, it's not a bad. one. Hopefully it's one that since it's first, it doesn't linger. I would say there's an outside shot here on Tuesday, Joe, that either of these guys can play against Miami. And if that's the case, then you're in a bad place if you're the Bengals because then you have one receiver that was on your initial 53 man roster, still on your 53 man roster in Dante Myers. And Mitch Hensley, who we thought was going to make the 53, has returned to the 53 as a practice squad signing from the Texans. Kisham Williams is still on the Bengals practice squad. That's probably a direction they have to go. what Thomas is probably a call up as well.
Starting point is 00:06:32 And I wonder, do they have room to look externally here? This is where it could require creative solutions against Miami if they are truly down to two receivers on the 53-man roster this week. Yeah. And as you were describing the Jamar Chase, I don't remember how many big hits he's ever even taken in the NFL. He's a very slippery player, right? Very good on an elusive after it gets so strong to. It's hard to really impose your will on him. Don't see him get squared up very often.
Starting point is 00:07:00 That's why it's so brutal is because a face mask makes him defenseless. And that's what turned him right into this being a big hit. The face face mask happened, right? But that left him exposed. I was going to say the only other one, he had that clavicle, I want to say, our shoulder separation where he got kind of scooped and driven into the ground. I can't remember if that was a person. He also had the hip labor.
Starting point is 00:07:22 That wasn't a hard hit, though. I'm thinking of hard hits. And like it just doesn't happen with Jamar often. And as you're talking about receiver depth, yeah, we can't forget, Andre Yosevash is on IR, right? It's been so, it's an underrated storyline, I think, because we kind of were like, let's see these other guys play. Let's see Dante Myers and Kobe Young play. And then Kobe Young goes down first snap. And then interceptions while targeting Dante Myers and Mitch Tinsley last week, we can talk about each of those as those receivers had some fault on those plays while there are other issues and
Starting point is 00:07:57 things happening on those plays. I think Jake and I have to watching the tape and studying these routes and in comparison to those that individual play, especially the one with Dante Myers. There's a little bit left there that probably those mistakes don't happen if you've been in this offense for four years the way Andre Yosebosha has and Jamar Chas and Teagans, obviously. So there is going to be some rust. There is going to be some error. There is going to be a little bit of doubt in Joe Burroughs mind when he's throwing to these other targets. That's unavoidable. But we do have games where Burrow has missed one or two of these receivers and still went out there and performed at a very, very high level. The thing is, and maybe this is good or bad.
Starting point is 00:08:36 I was going to say we could lean on the run. The dolphins have been very good EPA-wise versus the run this year on defense, very susceptible to the past. So yet again, we're looking at a defense where it's going to maybe tough to run the ball and control the game that way. It's going to be Joe Burrow potentially. We'll update this as, you know, when we get word. and if these guys end up practicing throughout the week, but potentially throwing to a bunch of no-name guys to the outside world. Man, this is a week where I think they have to figure out the run, too. And I think that's where we go next.
Starting point is 00:09:08 I do want to circle back to the interception topic really quickly here. We've talked about the Mitch Chensley one. You probably should have kept running against man coverage there. You sit down against zone. You keep running when you're on those crossing routes, those shallow crossers against man. There is a linebacker waiting in the hole there. That's why he settles it down.
Starting point is 00:09:23 We've talked about that one. The Dante Myers intercept from where Burroughs hit as he's throwing is a play that we might break down in film detail for the everydayer club. But the short version of it is, is that there's details about NFL route running and timing that have at times looked imperfect for Dante Myers. And you would expect that. He's still learning the NFL game. He's coming from the CFL. He was late to playing high level football in general. And so for all the great stuff Dante Myers has done, he's got to work on some of these details.
Starting point is 00:09:51 And that should be expected, I think. This isn't meant to be a knock on him, but when we break down the specifics on this play, I think you'll see what we're talking about where the timing is just a little bit off. And Burrow has to hold the ball probably a hitch longer than he wants to, which lets that pressure affect him a little bit more. But let's talk about this running game, Joe, and what the Bengals can do if they're down for receivers against Miami coming up next. This episode of Lockdown Bengals is sponsored by prize picks.
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Starting point is 00:12:12 O-D-O-D-O-D-P is a one platform to manage, grow, and scale your business. Try for free today at O-D-com slash locked-on. That's O-D-O-O-O-com slash lockdown. Jake, if we want to start with finishing our thoughts on that, that route to and that interception thrown to Dante Myers, we will break that down a little bit more. I don't know if you had any other thoughts on that real quick. Otherwise, we should probably talk about the run game. And I did a film review on that and just focused on, there was just 12 plays other than
Starting point is 00:12:46 the Joe Burrow couple scrambles and the touchdown sneak, right? When I went and watched it, there was nothing good going on. I've seen a lot of discourse. And right, shocker. Spoiler, nothing good happened. But I've seen a lot of discourse of, I'm done with Chase Brown or Somagia Piron needs more carries or under center, play action, shock, and all these. Eric, all even conversations should be a bigger conversation.
Starting point is 00:13:13 All this can be a long discussion. But to summarize, they. they need to block a lot better at the point of attack and on the offensive line. And then Marius Mims, this is going to be me. This is my take. I haven't said this any worse. If Marius Mims, I want to bang the drum that he is an all pro right tackle this year. But in order for me to truly feel good about signing off on that, I'm going to need him to win these run blocks a little bit more often with less mental errors and indecision from him because it costs them a few times.
Starting point is 00:13:45 They only had 12 runs. And I think Mims had three, I would say, negative. scored blocks and that's just too big of a rate. Yeah, you need to see Amarious Mims blocking guys talking about mental mistakes. There's a blitz that comes on one play and the guy that he, I think, is supposed to pick up, ends up making a backside tackle. Not that the front side is blocked beautifully, but Amarish Swims doesn't block anyone on the play. He's confused about who he should block.
Starting point is 00:14:09 You can see the gears turning in real time and he ends up blocking no one on that one. And the other bit is just finishing. There are times where you want to see him sustain blocks a little bit longer. keep those feet moving, keep sustaining that drive, that strain to try to block that guy for an extra half second. And that could lead to a few more yards in the running game. So that that is part of the problem. I don't think that Amarius is necessarily the biggest problem in the run game.
Starting point is 00:14:36 So we shouldn't be taking that away. I just want him to be good at run blocking because he is our best offensive lineman. And that's the next step for his game. It's been behind his past blocking since he was a rookie. this has been a common talking point when we're talking about a marius man he is shut down as a pass protector right now as much as he can be in the NFL and the run game needs to come next for him but it's not just him in the run game that's not the problem like you said there's nothing really happening in the run game right now to the point where i'm wondering how jack andrews must be looking in practices that he can't get on the field on office we're putting tanner hudson on the field we're putting eric all on the field and jack and jac jenrys must just not be ready i guess in the eyes of the coaching staff because Eric all is missing, I think, some play calls at times, certainly missing blocks, and he hasn't found any way to contribute yet as a receiver. So we were really excited about the return of Eric all and the things that he could do for this
Starting point is 00:15:32 offense. And I think they're calling the offense as if Eric all can be that difference maker at times and we're not getting that kind of impact from him. There are some positive blocks for sure. It's not like it's been all bad, but we talked about this yesterday, the rate of negative plays for Eric All in the run game or Eric Al's lack of ability to produce as a receiver right now is maybe he's just still getting his legs back under him a little bit. Maybe the athleticism will look better for him the further he gets from that injury. But right now as a receiver, that doesn't really look like it's there either.
Starting point is 00:16:03 So you've got all this stuff that we've put in for Eric Al and the mentality that he brings and the approach that he brings that the coaches love. And we're not really seeing the upside there. And I wonder how much of what they've tried to do in the run game is tied. to what they thought they could help build, or Eric All could help them build around with his presence back in the offense. Especially with the injuries at receiver now, right? To tie this all together,
Starting point is 00:16:25 you should be able to lean on what we thought was a much stronger tight end room, and it may just still just be only Mike Aseki, right? And we looked at this and that said, hey, maybe Eric All can be Noah Fant at the very least as a receiver and be a nasty blocker. But as of now, we're not getting any of that, Noah Fant.
Starting point is 00:16:42 He is not. And we had terrible mistakes from Noah Fant last year that really hurt this team. No doubt. And Eric Hall has not given you the impact that Noah fan gave you. And we could use that right now. This would be the stretch of games where I would really like to have a number two tight end, truly a number one tight end, right?
Starting point is 00:16:59 That could do everything as much as Mike Keseki has played well this year. But it really looks like they're lacking in that department right now. And that coincides with the injuries that tight are at wide receiver, not a good look. And then the run game is struggling. This is probably like the worst time to have. have these injuries. And as we're sitting here recording today, people are going to ask, should they go after Odell Beckham Jr., Tyreek Hill, DeAndre Hopkins? I think teams would be making those calls. We just saw two injuries happen to the chiefs and they may be calling
Starting point is 00:17:31 up through Robs & House for Tyree Kill, maybe because they know each other. That makes sense, right? Teams tend to lean that way. But I do wonder if any of those are options. We probably should at least acknowledge that other teams may knock on those doors at least. I'll at least say this about a couple. I mean, Tyree Kilster, call, see where he's at. I'm down for that one. It'd be fine. Odo Beckham Jr. got cut for Charlie Jones.
Starting point is 00:17:54 So not sure that's a great option right now. And Hopkins is coaching Georgia Tech right now. So I don't know if either of those guys are real options. I don't know who the options are, but these veterans that had good NFL careers, Odo Beckham Jr. DeAndre Hopkins, like those might just be names at this point. It's the same when you're looking at the safety or corner or linebacker list of available
Starting point is 00:18:17 guys right now. They're typically there right now because nobody wants them because they have fallen off. Is that Bobby Akerke who is out there and available? I just mean now, right now. They're available right now. Yes, yes. But we're going into week five if you're not signed by now. Probably would have taken Bobby Akerke on this team.
Starting point is 00:18:36 Going back to this game though, Joe, like got to find creative solutions. Got to get the guys ready that you can get. get ready. I'm not sure that if you sign a guy off the street, they're going to be able to give you much in this game anyway. It's not very often that you bring Joe Flacco win on a Tuesday and he's ready to go on Thursday or whatever. It's hard to do, especially in an offense that is generally as detail oriented as this one. It's something we're going to talk about when we break down that Dante Myers play and the interception for the everydayer club. So figuring it out with your tight ends, figuring out with your running game. The running game is the point of emphasis for me this
Starting point is 00:19:09 week. I know you said Miami's a better run d than a pasty, but it's not a good football team. Bottom line, not a good football team in Miami. If the Bengals lose this week, even if they're short-handed, five alarm fire, right? Sky is falling. Miami is bad. So figure out their run game this week. Take some of this off your passing game this week. That's where I'm looking for the team. You might have to lead to do it though this week. Well, figure it out. I'm with it because you can't lose in that game. We want to talk about the defense a little bit more, Jake. Let's Let's get to that because we didn't finish it in yesterday's conversation. I think we got a lot more to talk about here.
Starting point is 00:19:44 Where are they at after four weeks after the first quarter of the season? We'll get to that and more coming up next. Support for today's episode of Lockdown Bengals comes from Quo spelled QUO, the business phone system built so you never miss a call because businesses know that every call means an opportunity and missing one can mean missing a customering. With Quo bringing calls, texts, and voicemails together in one place, so teams can see the full conversation.
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Starting point is 00:21:22 That sounds great. More rewarding than an 18-point comeback? Would love to see it. Maybe even rewarding, more rewarding than an offensive lineman catching a touchdown. Who would that be? Jacob Baers, the jumbo lineman. I think I would like to see that as well. This season, Fanduil is making that excitement go beyond what happens on the field with the all new Fandual Rewards Club.
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Starting point is 00:22:10 make this team look better. They've played some difficult opponents. The Jaguars, we've talked about how underrated they are, even though they've, what, the 15 and 2 in their last 17 games? Shout out Nate S in the comments for that stat on yesterday's episode, but the defense has shown its issues, has shown its strengths. They lead the league in pressure to sack rates. So they're converting pressures at a high rate. We've seen their investments in the defensive line payoff. We've also seen their lack of investments that linebacker at times bite them, whether it's mishackles in the first two weeks or coverage issues against tight ends in particular against the Steelers and Jaguars and their losses in the last two weeks. The corners are not getting targeted.
Starting point is 00:22:55 The safety injuries are piling up. And so it's been a mixed bag for this defense through four weeks. So one thing we can say for sure, Joe, is that they are significantly improved overall from last year. They've also been a little bit lucky on a number of plays where quarterbacks have missed explosives here or there. Penalties help them against Jacksonville, although I do think there were legitimate penalties on two explosive touchdown runs, one explosive touchdown on one regular touchdown run that were called back.
Starting point is 00:23:23 The offense has put them in bad spots a couple times. Special teams has put them in bad spots a couple times. But the defense through four weeks looks improved, obviously not. necessarily flawless. I think that any hype after that Houston game, Houston might be the worst offense in the NFL without Nico Collins is probably something that we need to temper quite a bit. But as the schedule softens and Miami is part of this and Baltimore after the buy, obviously, is the step in the other direction. Then there's some other games on the schedule where this team should look better. What are you thinking about the defense through four weeks after we touched
Starting point is 00:23:59 on it a little bit yesterday? Yeah, I'm happy with the idea. If we reset, and go back to the offseason where we're like, let's just be the 16th best defense that maybe gets more sacks, maybe it's more disruptive up front. Maybe they can be better against the run, especially in the inside they are right now. Maybe you can get a few more splash plays, interceptions, force fumbles. That would sustain this offense and get the ball back to Joe Burrow and give you chances to win games where they didn't have these chances before. And I think after four weeks, it would say, okay, mission accomplished as a, you know, a whole. But when you dig deep, you do say, okay, some of the bets they made that the linebackers would significantly improve.
Starting point is 00:24:42 I wouldn't say that has happened yet. I think they have improved. I think they do look better in some cases. I don't think they look better in the areas that are going to keep them from being the exposed weakness of this defense that other teams are game planning to attack. Right. And that makes it very hard on them for sure, because, I mean, these are NFL teams trying to game plan for you in a negative. trying to expose you, it's going to happen. And then we talked a lot about, and maybe this will still happen, maybe this is the upside.
Starting point is 00:25:11 We talked to when Kyle Dugger was signed, that was exciting. Maybe he can play some nickel, some linebacker. And I still think he could help at both of those spots. Maybe that can still happen. Maybe he can do more three safety if he's not completely down the road replacing Jordan Battle, which is something I would still like to see at this point. Maybe battle will be better in a role, maybe being fresher legs coming in and, helping be a three safety defense look because they do have issues at slot corner right now.
Starting point is 00:25:39 But I do think largely I'm happy with Cassius Howell. I think you drafted a pass rusher that can help you. In coverage, I'm happy with Dax Hill and DJ Turner right now. I don't like that El Golden is leaving it middle of the field open so much so that they don't even have to attack these guys on the boundaries. Maybe getting Dax in the slot helps that a little bit. Didn't it last week. They just avoided those guys and threw against the week.
Starting point is 00:26:04 weaknesses on defense. So that's a lot to say I'm happy. I think this is good enough to get you to the playoffs. Then I'm worried because those best teams in the playoffs feel like would exploit some of these weaknesses that still have a lot of time to prove they can get better. I don't know how many of those weaknesses can get better. Yeah, I've talked about this weak link idea in past defense where 10 guys do their job. One guy doesn't opposing teams that are good. They're going to find that one guy that doesn't and they're going to play their odds about where that guy's going to be and they're going to go after we saw joe burrow according to pf target jerry and jones against the jaguar's 20 times wow and some others have it at 17 and and i went and looked at some of joe burrow's other like
Starting point is 00:26:49 50 plus attempt games he started guys like nine eight times spread it around they went after jerry and jones 20 times in this game and that's what good quarterbacks are going to do they're going to find the matchup they like the best they're going to keep throwing at it and so where we see these linebackers, the spine of the defense continue to get picked apart. I don't know how that gets better. We'll see if they can figure something out there. That is a long-term concern.
Starting point is 00:27:14 That's a concern against good teams. But the pass rush and Dexter Lawrence specifically can get you out of some spots. We've seen Dexter Lawrence take over a game. We've seen Dexter Lawrence's on-off splits. When Dexter's on the field, this defense is at least average, if not better. When he's off the field, they're kind of a train wreck.
Starting point is 00:27:31 And so some of these big plays every game are teams that have, all right, Dexter off, here's our play sheet for when Dexter Lawrence goes off the field. And I think you've seen this last two weeks. All right, let's go hurry up. Let's keep Dexter off the field. Let's not let the Bengal sub. They're taking advantage of that. So you need to find ways to be more resilient when Dexter Lawrence is off the field.
Starting point is 00:27:49 And you need to find ways to convert when you get into these certain long situations. Tackling, obviously still an issue coverage, eyes, getting to landmarks, handoffs, communication. Like some of these things really desperately need. to be cleaned up in the back seven. But at least there's something that you can build around with this defense. And I think you'll start to see that playing up a little bit as a competition gets worse. Like if the defense has issues again, and they have in the past, Mike White, can't forget
Starting point is 00:28:19 it, right? Malik Willis this weekend in a Miami offense. And I think the most points they scored in the game is 13 points. They had like 100 passing yards last week. Miami in games this year scored 13, 13, 10, and 10 points against the Raiders, 49ers, chiefs in Vikings. So there's some over under 13 then Jake. We will have a preview episode.
Starting point is 00:28:38 Over. Over. I'm going to 15. I hope it's 13. That'll be a step in the right direction. The Bengals defense looked great against the Texans when they were without Nico Collins. And yeah, they left some plays on the field, did the Texans in that game. And yeah, they had some plays they made, but they gave up six points.
Starting point is 00:28:56 And so you need to be able to do that against bad offenses. That's the barometer for this week. This is a bad offense for Miami. And if you're short-handed on your own offense, if you're the Bengals, your defense needs to help you win the game. Your run game needs to help you win the game. That's what we're looking for this week to see like, okay, can we handle this against bad teams?
Starting point is 00:29:16 Can we avoid the Mike White game against a bad team? Because that's kind of the task for the Bengals this week. People may say that's a low bar, right? Like, of course you should handle these bad teams. But this is the schedule. This is what it looks like. It's why some of the excitement was they've got a easier schedule, easier, right? Evan, you're going to lose some games you should win.
Starting point is 00:29:37 They've already lost two games that they were favored in. I don't know why they were favored against the Jags, but they were. But handle these bad ones. Handle the Miami Dolphins of the world. Maybe the Falcons are a lot better than we expect. Well, you know, that's in the future. We'll get to that one after that Monday night game. They can run the ball, man.
Starting point is 00:29:54 That offense and defensive line are winning at the line of scrimmage. Besides the point, take care of. the dolphins who are not winning on the offensive and these mental line and scrimmage. Don't have weapons. Don't have anything at running back right now. They, in a, they're in a bad way. They're as predicted. Probably going to pick top three. Take care of that in a good way. Look good. That'd be awesome. The Titans are the same way. So you come off the buy, you get the Ravens. That'll be a tough game. Titans at home the next week, that's a team that is as predicted. They've been terrible. Falcons, we'll talk about that one in a few weeks. The last point that I wanted to make,
Starting point is 00:30:28 you talked about the Bengals being favorite against the Jaguars. The Bengals have reverse splits on net success rate in every single game this year. So they've won the two games where they had a worse success rate than their opponent. They've lost the two games where they had a better success rate than their opponent. It's just a weird quirk to the way they've gone so far this year. Typically you win when you have a better success rate than your opponent. Every week, Sam Hoppin does these graphics. They're probably a handful of teams, three, four teams that win when they get out success rated.
Starting point is 00:30:57 the Bengals have been opposite of that split in every single game this season. We're going to transition our attention to the Miami Dolphins. The crossover with Kyle Crabs from Lockdown Dolphins will be next here on Lockdown Bengals. Until then, thanks for listening to this episode, Hooh Day. And have a good.

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