Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - DISASTER: Cincinnati Bengals Special Teams COLLAPSE And Joe Burrow Fumble Result in Heartbreaking Loss

Starting point is 00:00:00 These are the kinds of games that really upset you when you're watching Bengals football. Mistakes on special teams, crucial penalties on offense. The defense can't tackle Darnell Washington. The Bengals drop to two and one. 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? Welcome to another episode of a locked on Bengals podcast.

Starting point is 00:00:33 He's Joe Goodberry. I'm Jake Liscoe. set here as we're covering the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals lose 30 to 27 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a game where they could not get out of their own way for one. The Steelers made way too many plays, which means the Bengals did not make those plays. And it's a combination of the Steelers coming prepared, having a good game plan, executing on that game plan. The Bengals making numerous mistakes in all three phases and crucially some awful, awful special teams plays and penalties that give the Steelers 10 points nearly directly.

Starting point is 00:01:08 The game that the Bengals lose by three points, but it's not just special teams. We're going to talk about all three phases here because they lost in all three phases. They had an opportunity to go win this game in the fourth quarter. And unfortunately, once again, we have Joe Burrow turning the ball over instead of helping the Bengals win a game in the fourth quarter. We'll get there eventually. But to me, Joe, this starts with the biggest mistakes, which come down to special teams. False starts are a close second, something that the Bengals,

Starting point is 00:01:35 well need to clean up. They get a home game before they're back on the road for a couple more games here, Joe. But those fall starts also brutal, but you get a roughing the punter and you get a muffed punt. You force two punts in this game and they're both positive plays for the Steelers. That led to 10 points. Without those two plays, the Bengals win this game easily. The offense was good enough at that point to win this game. The defense found ways to at least Ben, but don't break in the second half to keep it to a manageable game. The special teams killed them. And I can't get, I can't get with the idea that because Dante Myers is now solely wide receiver three, as Andrea Obabash goes on IR yesterday, and then Colby Young gets her on what

Starting point is 00:02:19 looked like a hip drop tackle on the very first play, that because Dante Myers is now wide receiver three, he can't go back and catch punts. He, they just can't do it anymore because it's too valuable. Yeah, it's real valuable. The guy fumble the ball, Kishon Williams, who you kept on this roster and let Charlie Jones go. And we said, okay, fine. That's how you guys want to handle it. You know, one of these guys better be really good at catching punts because Charlie never had a muff punt in his entire time here.

Starting point is 00:02:44 And immediately it bites you. That's crazy to me. That stinks. And then to say, oh, let's go block this punt. You're up right now. All you need to do is catch this punt thrive. Your offense has been fine. It's putting up points pretty much every single time.

Starting point is 00:02:59 I have some nitpicks with ending up in field. whole range rather than continuing drives to end up for touchdowns. But at that point of sending the pump block, there's no, it's unnecessary. There's no reason to do that. You have won. You have gotten your stop on defense. Get the ball back. Give it to Burrow.

Starting point is 00:03:16 Let the offense roll. And they failed to do it. This game is a gut punch, Jake. It is Lucy holding the football right when you believe this team is good and this defense is good because we're going to talk a lot about a lot about the defense. They were poor for most of the game. So don't let me, you know, if I said they were, they could have. been good enough in the second half overall they sucked she pulled that ball out from us and here we

Starting point is 00:03:37 are like man two and one does not feel good at all a lot of things feel bad about this game it's a divisional loss you go to pittsburgh you lose aaron rogers turns back the clock and this is kind of what i think some people were afraid of there were many bengals fans i think that saw this as a potential trap game that saw this as a potential oh weird things happen with the bengals go play the stealers and weird things happened indeed this is like week one weirdness but it happens in week three where you have Sondrick Johnson badly running into the plant leg of a punter and it's not just on

Starting point is 00:04:06 Cedric Johnson either. Like, why are we dialing up a pump block here? This is as you alluded to, Joe, a very questionable decision. Just live to let your offense get the ball. You've been moving the ball the entire game. Did the Bengals have a three and out in this one? If they did it was in the second half,

Starting point is 00:04:21 they did in the second half after the Steelers kicked a field goal to tie it. And Kisham Williams had actually redeemed himself at that point. He had a nice little kick return to get the Bengals started at the 41-yard line between the 40s. And Jamar Chase can't come down with the contested catch that Peyton Wilson barely gets his fingers to. That actually could have been a touchdown, I think. I don't blame Jamar on that one.

Starting point is 00:04:43 Like I think if you tip it that late, it's tough. Yeah, no, I'm not blaming Jamar. I thought this was a different play when I started that sentence. This is a play that could have been a touchdown if Peyton Wilson doesn't make an incredible play to get his finger on the football, that there's nobody else really behind Jamar. If he's able to turn up field, he might run. a long time.

Starting point is 00:05:00 But then you settle for a third and two after Joe Burrow does a good job to find T. Higgins for eight yards on that second down. And then on third and two, we get pressure. Joe's unable to get a completed pass. The pressure is too quick in this critical spot in the game. And on fourth down, you're punting from your 49-yard line. And it's fourth and two.

Starting point is 00:05:22 The Bengals were living in third and twos in this game. Some of these decisions also, I think, come back to bite. So you have the ruffing. call that comes from a decision and execution, right? It's both. You have a punter who just, a punt returner who just can't catch the ball in Kisham Williams in his first action this year. I'm sure he's beating himself up. PJ Jules needs to fall on that ball. Oh, I called him DJ Ivy earlier. I am so sorry, it was PJ Jules. You're right. I said Ivy when I originally tweeted it out. And he has a chance to fall on the ball. And he tries to scoop it. There's no part of your brain

Starting point is 00:05:56 that should be telling you to try to scoop a muffed punt. Unless you, you're in literally 30 yards of space somehow. Not your job as somebody who's blocking to try to scoop that ball. Fall on the ball. Try to save your punt return team. And then you have these punt decisions for the Bengals in this game. And what was it? Like the very next play, the Bengals get bailed out of an 87-yard run on a questionable

Starting point is 00:06:23 holding call, let's say. And then it doesn't matter because just a couple of plays later, the Steelers, are in the red zone anyway. So like your defense hasn't been good in this game. You have the ball at midfield. You have a chance. You've been great in these clutch moments. Joe Burrow clutch in this game.

Starting point is 00:06:43 Fourth down throws from Joe Burrow in this game, the back shoulder to Jamar, the patience to wait for Gaseki to be in a blown covered situation to find him for that touchdown. Joe Burrow has been nails on fourth down in this game. To that point. To that point. Right, because obviously we get to the final play.

Starting point is 00:07:01 But yes, to that point, I had issues with both puns. The final play is a first and 10 play. No, I'm talking about Burrow fumbling. Yeah, it's a first and 10 play. Oh, I'm just saying he wasn't clutch if you include the final play. I'm talking about fourth down plays. Yes. He was great on fourth down in this game.

Starting point is 00:07:17 Fair. I'm just thinking to that point, there's no reason to punt. To that point, the offense has moved the ball. You should feel very confident in this offense. They were protecting Burrow very well, very well up into that point. honestly it didn't even notice Orlando Brown other than that they were giving him ideal help on that side. Mims was shutting down his side. I felt good about the offense. It could move the ball if it had to. And yet they lived in third and three, third and two, far too often, just accepting

Starting point is 00:07:46 third and three. You don't accept third and three unless you're going for it on fourth down and have that in mind. I was tired of them throwing short of the sticks and every second down and just saying, we'll take third and three. No, third downs are a coin flip for the best offenses in the league. And luckily, you've got a couple fourth down conversions, like to your point, that throw to Jamar down the sideline, the touchdown to Gaseki. Without those, you're not close in this game either. So you're taking too many unnecessary risks, I think, on second down, which are leading to poor decisions on third and fourth down. And it left your offense needing three points or a touchdown at the end of the game. it's not just on the offense. I want to spend time talking about that final drive, what it means, what it signifies, why we need to hit these eventually. But I do want to say that the special teams

Starting point is 00:08:39 put you in this hole, number one, the decisions at times, the penalties that were weird at times, and then, of course, we're going to spend probably the next segment, Jake, talking about how bad, for the first time this year, because I think it signifies this entire season of our hopes and maybe the defense is a top 10 unit. Not after today, they're not. Not a top 10 unit. This is reminiscent of the Mike White game in a lot of ways. Aaron Rogers for a lot of this game is able to just take the quick, easy one second drop back, hit your back foot, throw it to the free access, tight end, six yards down the field, make the linebackers tackle, the linebackers don't tackle, boom, you got 12 yards. The screen game was really effective for Pittsburgh. The play action game was

Starting point is 00:09:20 really effective for Pittsburgh. All these things that try to take advantage of over pursuit and aggression and tendencies worked for Pittsburgh. We will talk about. about this defense. We will get to the offense. Had to start with like a big picture, right? A discussion about the special teams issues because ultimately that's my biggest issue with this game. We're with the special teams problems.

Starting point is 00:09:40 That is what cost you the most. But that doesn't mean the other three units didn't have issues and there were significant issues for this defense that we'll discuss next. This episode is brought to you by Game Day men's health that knows a quiz on your phone and a box at your door is not a clinic. When it comes to men's health, things like energy, sleep, drive, and how you feel day-to-day deserve more than just a questionnaire. Game Day, Men's Health is a real in-person men's health clinic with more than 430 locations across the U.S. and Canada, where men can meet face-to-face with a licensed clinician, get labs drawn in the office, and receive initial results in as little as 15 minutes. Game Day looks at the full picture of your symptoms, your lab results, before developing a customized treatment plan for you.

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Starting point is 00:11:48 One more time, gusto.com slash lockdown NFL. Well, I'm so upset and disappointed with the special teams because those things shouldn't happen almost ever. Like that's enough special teams mistakes for an entire season and they happened altogether. The defense to me is the heartbreaker because this looked like last year's defense and previous year's defense versus the Steelers. From a we're not really showing anything, we're not really sending anything, we're not getting enough pressure. Oh, we don't want to tackle down Washington. Oh, we don't want to take on these lead blocks. Oh, there's a, just a dump off pass to a tight end and we're missing tackles.

Starting point is 00:12:27 We're just giving too much green space between everyone and allowing Rogers to get the ball out super quick and dig and dunk down the field. Oh, and then the safety bites on a play fake and we get hit for a touchdown. So like everything, like you can't have a good offense with all of those things hitting the jackpot today. And they all did for the for the defense. And it's, it's heartbreaking to see that in this game where it felt like this Steelers offense. was in a bad way, right, coming into this one. And they got torched. It was one of the worst offensive performances

Starting point is 00:12:58 through two games in the last five years. And in this one, it was incredible for the Steelers on screens and quasi screens in this game. Because I think the first play of the game for the Steelers is designed as like a downfield screen, but you're not releasing your linemen to go block. You get your tight ends out in front of Jaylon Warren to block. That goes for an explosive play on passes.

Starting point is 00:13:17 Behind the line of scrimmage for Aaron Rogers in this game, only two, by the way. They go for 19 yards, 9 and a half yards per attempt on passes in the short part of the field. He has 15 attempts for 10.7 yards per attempt, 161 yards. It's crazy. The intermediate part of the field, it's a little bit better for the Bengals, just 7.3 yards per attempt. And Aaron Rogers, for the first time, the season completes two passes, aimed 20 plus yards downfield in this game.

Starting point is 00:13:43 Look, Rogers did play well in this game. There were a couple of moments when he was under significant arrest, found a way to buy time, found a way to look like vintage Aaron Rogers, found a way to get enough on a ball over the middle that DJ Turner has a chance to intercept when Jonathan Allen is tackling both the left guard and Aaron Rogers at the same time. That's a heck of a play from Aaron Rogers.

Starting point is 00:14:02 You got to tip your cap on that one. But DJ Turner has a chance to make a play there. Rogers was a little bit better in those moments. But it wasn't just Rogers making excellent plays. There was a dropped interception for Bobo Davis that eventually does not come back to bite the Bengals because that leads to eventually the Jordan Battle interception. But letting Rogers do this after what he's looked like coming into this game,

Starting point is 00:14:26 letting him find all these short completions, checking it down after, you know, early in the game, this time to throw was like one and a half seconds at one point. And these plays are averaging chunk plays. Yeah. You can't let these dink and dunk plays turn into 10 yards for attempt. And that's what the Bengals did in this game.

Starting point is 00:14:43 Tackling once again an issue, especially when it comes to the tight ends. Contain was a major issue for the Bengals. in defending the run as the Steelers made an accentuated effort to get away from Dexter Lawrence in the run game in this one and had several runs targeted to the outside that went for big, big yards, including one that we mentioned earlier that was called back on a very questionable holding call for D.K. Metcalfe. So hard to point to positives for this Bengals defense today, Joe. I thought there were a couple of times that there were some nice pressures dialed up that did disrupt

Starting point is 00:15:12 Aaron Rogers a little bit. But even when the Bengals got pressure home, Rogers was able to extend plays to a pretty significant degree that Aaron Rogers at age 45 should not be able to do. So even when they got a few pressures home, Rogers still performed well because he had room to navigate. Yeah, and I thought that you could potentially, coming into this game, the Steelers are making adjustments on the offensive line, right? We're thinking they're down and out. You and I both have said it multiple times, whether it was in the subtext for the everyday air club or when we were watching film of this line should be better for the Steelers.

Starting point is 00:15:46 like individually, these are good players, but they were performing at a low level coming into this game. And the Bengals' defensive line was performing at a high level. And then, of course, the NFL has a way to balance things out again, don't they? And this offensive line, I thought, won the day for the Steelers in this matchup. We'll have to see on film. Maybe there's more pressures there than I didn't see. Maybe there was more wins on the D line than I didn't see. But it didn't matter because they ran the ball well. They were explosive on the ground. They were explosive through the air. And because Rogers is getting the ball out so, quick. They didn't have too many times to actually rush and do what they wanted to do. There was one really nice flitz call where Dugger got in and hit Rogers. I think Lawrence is going to get credit for that sack. At least that's the way the box score looks right now. Lawrence also had another sack. Both of these lead to field goals. So they did have the bend, but don't break at the end of the game. I thought they were much better in the second half at this. I also thought Rogers was a little bit worse than the second half with some of his throws,

Starting point is 00:16:41 missing guys that were open. There was a drive. It felt like he had three misses in a row. and they had to punt. And of course, that's the one where Kishon Williams of muffs the punt and gives it right back to him in field goal range, if not scoring range. So there were moments for the defense. But overall, the big bug for me is how you mentioned the outside contain, right? A lot of edges were struggling with this. I thought lineback. And corner to. Yeah, well, that's where I was going to lead to. You know, there was Miles Murphy. There was one of my Cassius Howl. St. Frederick Johnson had won. And then you get outside and Daxil dives inside. Or it's Carrio Davis. doesn't know how to stay contained and keep his leverage on the outside. Or DJ Turner is uninterested in getting physical and taken on that block. And that's inexcusable, especially for two of those guys that are gunning for contract extension, one, be paid very well. And then Bobo Davis, who's making his first real appearance.

Starting point is 00:17:34 He's had snaps. He's had moments. But Jalen Davis went down. They put Dax in the slot and they said, okay, Ticario, you're going to play. And you're going to play on the outside. And there were times where he was uninterested. It did make nice one tackle on a play where you didn't have to take on a blocker. But I thought on tape, that's not going to be a good sign for other offenses that are like,

Starting point is 00:17:52 we want to avoid Dexter Lawrence on the inside and this defensive tackle room on the inside. They're coming for you for now on. The corners need to get ready to tackle. The offense is around the league. The rest of the league now see you as a target and they're coming for you. Yeah, I think that generally speaking, there's perhaps a schematic that's been shown here. and I don't think it's made any better by Houston's offense really struggling again. Houston's offense without Nico Collins might just be awful.

Starting point is 00:18:21 Like they were non-functional again today against the Colts hand of scoring 17 points. So we'll see how the defense performs next week. You got a real test in Jacksonville. This is a good offense. And you're back at home. So maybe that helps a little bit. Two straight weeks on the road here for the Bengals defense. But this should have been a game that looked better for the Bengals defense than it did.

Starting point is 00:18:40 And it's going to be mistackles. is going to be guys losing one-on-one opportunities is going to come back to Al Golden a little bit and his plan to take away some of the short stuff that was so effective for the Steelers at many points in this game. And some of it is crediting the Steelers here. I don't want to just say this is a Bengals beating themselves.

Starting point is 00:18:58 I do believe that the Bengals did do a lot to beat themselves in this game. The Steelers did generally outplay them when they had those opportunities. That being said, you have the special teams unit giving up 10 points. So if you look at it that way, You got 10 extra points here on the defense, giving up 30 on the day, which includes holding the Steelers to a field goal on a drive that started in their red zones. So the defense did make a couple of plays in this game. They had the interception.

Starting point is 00:19:26 They did get off the field ostensibly twice. One of those was even a good play for them to get off the field and not just an overthrown ball. That should have been another explosive for the Pittsburgh Steelers. But that being said, they just didn't make enough plays. And it comes down to the offense, too, right? in a few moments where brutal false start penalties both called on a Marius Mims. One could have been called on either tackle, I thought. So for Mims who had another great day and pass protection, these false start penalties for the Bengals in this game were also quite devastating.

Starting point is 00:19:56 The offense is not blame free in this game that they scored 27 points and against the defense that had been really good this year. So let's talk about the offenses. The third phase of let the Bengals down today coming up next. David Harrison here at the Locked on Commanders podcast. talk about butcher box. I'm someone who's always trying to make sure I'm getting enough protein. For me, that gets a whole lot easier when I've got a freezer full of the good stuff, and I'm not stuck trying to figure out what to do for dinner.

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Starting point is 00:21:08 Make sure you use our link so they know we sent you. I thought Joe Burrow played a pretty good game today, Joe. And that was true until the final play of the game, tries to do a little bit too much. Dalton Riser gets beat clean on a first and 10 play right after the Bengals have picked up a first down. The two minute drill in general for the Bengals, a lot of time going off the clock. They can't get a substitution in on the first play of the drive on time. And the play clock's running and Burroughs yelling at the ref or yelling at the sideline about getting the subs in on time. They have to take a time out.

Starting point is 00:21:39 So the two minute drill was not good. The false starts were brutal. The false starts directly lead to field goals twice, two really bad false starts for the Bengals in this game. And there's a lot of good when you turn on the tape. There's going to be a lot of good for this offense. They protected really well in this game. Joe Burrow got the ball out on time,

Starting point is 00:21:58 kept the offense on schedule for the most part, even if they were facing a few too many third downs. They generally, I think, picked up a lot of first downs in this game, converted half of their third downs, were two for two on fourth down, 19 first downs overall in the game, 6.3 yards per play. A defensive really was trying not to get beat over the top, right?

Starting point is 00:22:18 But then in crunch time, didn't go so well. The Bengals had an opportunity to win this game with their offensive walkoff in Pittsburgh. And instead, it's another Joe Burrow turnover to end it in the fourth quarter. And had they been able to do this, we would have talked about this offensive day

Starting point is 00:22:34 as a highly efficient. There was some good run success. for a lot of the day, even though they didn't really lean on too much. They had to figure something out because it looked like every time they got under center early, the Steelers were kind of selling out like, okay, you're running it. So the Bengals said, well, we'll run out of shotgun mostly then. And we'll play action from under center. And they started to get a couple plays from that, which seems like a great counterpunch.

Starting point is 00:22:55 And they found their offense through the third quarter. And you felt really good about it at that time. Yes, Burrow completed, what, 76% of his passes on the day? Chase and Higgins both have touchdowns, both have over 90 yards. Mike Keseki has a touchdown on a fourth down, beautiful play. I love that they're going for it. You catch the Steelers getting too aggressive on Jamar and almost forgetting about Kaseki.

Starting point is 00:23:17 Like this is, we should have talked about an amazing offensive day where they were just precision for most of it. And instead, this goes another game in the bucket of when this offense needs to do something at the end of the game, they are failing to do it. And they've had moments. They've had games. There has been some. they get the Broncos game at the end of like 2024, right?

Starting point is 00:23:41 But I think there's more in the bucket of them failing now at this point. And largely all of these, whether it's Super Bowl, like AFC championship, other games, where the offense has a pressure, Burrow can't escape it. And in this instance, he should have just taken the sack and lived for another play. He tried to make something happen. I didn't like the play call. All we got was the really tight end zone angle where you can see Eric all's out on the field, too. like he's running a long post.

Starting point is 00:24:08 Was Burrow going to make a miss and try and throw a post? I doubt it. It's probably the longest route Eric all was going to throw. I didn't know there was anyone else even over there. So why is he trying to pick it up to throw it? Again, I'm left with this play going, what? Why? And that was on offense.

Starting point is 00:24:23 That was on defense. That was on special teams for the day. That really, I honestly do have, feel like I got punched in the stomach. Like, it's like this was the chance to put the Steelers down to one and two. Have your office. close a game out in great fashion. We can't even talk about T. against touchdown.

Starting point is 00:24:42 It was nice. It was cool. He said, I want a piece of that action. Everyone else is making nice catches. Tomorrow's getting all the highlights. Let me do something. He's getting dragged to the ground. I was in a defensive pass interference.

Starting point is 00:24:52 Catches it into the stomach as he flips over and keeps it. Beautiful. We can't even talk about it. That's all we're going to talk about it. I mean, the Bengals in the first half, they scored 17 points against the Steelers. Defense has been good this year. Touchdown field goal. They get a punt.

Starting point is 00:25:06 and a touchdown. And that punt comes, is that after a penalty? No, it's after they get to another third and three. And that's the first decision. A pressure there. And yeah, they punt and fourth and three from the 49. Leads directly to the interception and the Bengals end up with the touchdown. So that one doesn't come back to bite them.

Starting point is 00:25:26 But then you get to the second half, they go field goal on the first drive. And that is a field goal brought to you by a false start. They're on third and four. They're in position to keep that drive going. They're on the Pittsburgh 15. you're going to fall start. Now you're in a third and nine. You have an incomplete pass to T. Higgins, Jamel Dean. Very physical, by the way, Joe Burrow yelling for pass interference call on this play that

Starting point is 00:25:47 could have called it, didn't call it. Can't rely on the officials. Then after Pittsburgh scores a touchdown to answer the Bengals to their credit in the fourth quarter, a drive that starts in the third quarter, but ends in the fourth quarter to do answer with the touchdown. But then on their final two possessions of the game, there's a three and out that we've talked about. You get into a third and two.

Starting point is 00:26:05 you have an incomplete pass due to a pressure from Cam Hayward who beat Dylan Fairchild on the play. And you have Alex Highsmith, I think it was, beating Orlando Brown, forcing Burrow to step up. And then if your left guard wins, Burrow has time. And then you can find somewhere to go with that football help you convert there. But because both guys lose on the left side, it ends up with a barely not sack as Joe Burrow pushes the ball and gets it to Samajai P. Ryan's feet. And then you punt on fourth and two from the 49. And then on the final drive of the game, we've already talked about it. You get into the third and eight.

Starting point is 00:26:38 You convert it. And then it's just a guard losing a one-on-one, Joe Burrow trying to do too much. Ball comes out. Ball goes on the ground. Bengals lose just like that. And another opportunity, by the way, for the Bengals to fall in their fumble. They lost both of their fumbles in this game after a high degree of fumble luck against the Buccaneers in week one. Fumble luck going against them here.

Starting point is 00:26:57 But fall starts leading to field goals in this game. To be clear, the first one was a fall start. it was just that Mims was lined up too far back, right? Oh, yeah, procedural penalties. Yeah, procedure. Yeah, good correction. And that was a questionable call. For sure.

Starting point is 00:27:11 His leg is back, but his head is actually where it's supposed to be. And you're counting in the helmet. You're supposed to be looking at the helmet, not the back foot. Yeah, that felt like, yeah, because they converted, right? Yeah, that play erased a conversion. There's a throw to T. That was a first down. And there had been at like the 12-yard line going in.

Starting point is 00:27:27 Disappointing. Disappointing. That's all we can really say about this game. Well, right? I thought for the most part, and maybe it's the scheme. I really, I thought they were doing a lot to help these guys. And there was a lot of play action. So the Steelers were reading run.

Starting point is 00:27:41 I thought once the offense got going, they were really playing against them and counterpunching them really, really well. But so I want to see on tape if that's the case, because sometimes we go back and watch them. Actually, Burroughs getting out pretty quickly and cleanly. But it did feel like the offensive line won their matchup there. Both offensive lines did. either side and it just ends up being again, circling full all the way around. How can you not

Starting point is 00:28:08 blame the special teams? How can Darren Simmons not look at this and be absolutely disgusted? First of all, the penalties and weird moments, Zach Taylor's team is rarely penalized. We've talked about that. So, and so far this year, they're being penalized. That's not good. And then Darren Simmons, normally a top five special teams unit. And they've gone through some weird moments, but largely he's been there forever is a very good, if not the best, one of the best special teams coaches in the league. And you have these guys that you're saying like Cedric Johnson. You know what? We forgot to even talk about. Was that kick return? Kishon Williams isn't even out there on the next one, I think. We're the 15-yard kick return where he's running sideways. Oh, and you run sideways.

Starting point is 00:28:51 Yes. I think that's got to be cut to board too. I can't remember. Like you're probably making a call to Charlie Jones on the Giants practice squad this week, right? I thought about Mitch Tensley, too, if Colby Young's out for four to six weeks. Don't get both of your guys back. Yeah. That's the last point that maybe on the offense is a position they saw as a strength. And at one point we're looking at this in preseason. We're like, oh, man, the receiver room looks really, they're going to have to cut some good players.

Starting point is 00:29:14 Maybe they can trade them. Really strength. Dante Myers has had a couple of bad moments since the first week. And then now Colby Young gets hurt and Andreosovash gets hurt. And then Keishon Williams, I, the stink is on them. Like I wouldn't be shocked if you wanted to move on. I would, if they cut them tomorrow, I'd say, yeah, guys get cut for games like this. When you had guys who were more stable on your roster just four weeks ago.

Starting point is 00:29:41 So, yeah, the receiver room is going to need some help right now because you could be down Yoshi and Kobe. Yeah, pretty depleted at this point is what you would have to say. And their guys are out there on the practice squad. If those bridges aren't burnt, I think you got to make some calls this week and see if you can improve in these. spots, then it's just such a disappointing game. There's so many opportunities for the Bengals in this game, so many times that they beat themselves in this game. Again, you credit the Steelers for the plays they made. They capitalized on their opportunities. And they made a bunch of plays. Don't get me wrong. They made a bunch of plays and the Bengals didn't. But the self-inflicted stuff

Starting point is 00:30:18 is the difference to me in this game from the procedural penalties to the special teams issues for the Bengals in this game. If you just execute a normal play, not a negative play, You get it out to the 25 instead of the 15. You catch the punt. You don't rough the punter. The Bengals probably win this game. That would be something that will be very disappointing, I think, to look back on. And we'll see if the defense can bounce back because that's going to be the other thing.

Starting point is 00:30:43 We got to watch on tape and see if this is going to be something long term. Brian Cook had an injury in this game. I thought Kyle Duggers stepped in and played reasonably well. It's nice, safety depth, but like there's still a drop off there, I think, in the overall defense with him going out, Jalen Davis going out after he got torched earlier in the game. anyways. So there's going to be some ugly stuff on tape this week, and we'll break it down for you.

Starting point is 00:31:04 We might have a live stream for you later today. Stay tuned to Joe and my social media for that. Coming up next on this channel will be the Bengals Squad Show, and that's going to do it for this episode of the Lockdown Bengals podcast. Until next time, thanks for listening, Ho-Day, and have a good one.

Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - DISASTER: Cincinnati Bengals Special Teams COLLAPSE And Joe Burrow Fumble Result in Heartbreaking Loss

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