Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - The worst loss in Bengals history? UGLY, UGLY, UGLY!

Episode Date: September 21, 2025

The Bengals got flat out embarrassed as they turned it over 5 times without Joe Burrow and the game was effectively over at halftime. Jake Liscow and James Rapien reflect on the ugly outing for the Bengals, including the worrisome showing from the offensive line, and dreadful ball security - both of which will need to be much better to keep the season afloat.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!5-Hour ENERGYTee up that trip! Enter for a chance to win a dream golf trip for two to any golf tournament* in the USA. Visit https://5HEWIN.com for full rules and entry. No purchase necessary. Excludes the Master’s tournament. Ends October 31, 2025.DoorDashWith DoorDash Streaks, you save every Saturday you order — stack it up all season and you could save up to $250. Order this Saturday. Keep the streak alive. Fuel your gameday — only with DoorDash. Terms apply. Promo period through 11/18.Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNFL at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnfl for 50% off your first year.UpsideDon’t let this offer drive on by, download the free Upside app now using my limited time promo code TOUCHDOWN for a limited time 25 cent per gallon bonus! Offers vary by user and location, Go to upside.com for terms and conditions.Click Here to download the app: https://getupside.onelink.me/zlLr?af_xp=custom&pid=barrington&c=barrington_lockedon25&deep_link_value=promo&deep_link_sub1=lockedon25&af_dp=upsideapp%3A%2F%2FYahoo FantasyPresented by YahooFantasy #YahooPartner. Draft now at https://yahoofantasy.com/lockedonnfl.PrizePicksDownload the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONNFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup.GametimeDownload 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.FanDuelRight now, new customers can bet just FIVE dollars and if your bet wins—you’ll get THREE HUNDRED dollars in bonus bets to use across the app.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.

The Bengals just had their worst performance of the Zach Taylor era. It was over at halftime. Let's break it down. You are Locked on Bengals, your daily Cincinnati Bengals podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. What up Bengals fans and welcome to another episode of the Lockdown Bengals podcast. Part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. I'm Jake Liskgo.

He's James Rapine and we've had you covered here on Lockdown Bengals through the thick and thin since 2016, and it was an ugly one for the Cincinnati Bengals in a week three in Minnesota, where they fall to 0.7, I believe, all time. They've never won in Minnesota, and they never really had a chance in this one, outside of a small moment during which the game actually turned against them. We'll break all of that down, the concerns about the offensive line, and certainly some talk about this organization, philosophy, Zach Taylor, a lot to get to in this episode and throughout this week. James, this episode brought to the people by Mazda. Mazda sweats every detail. The Bengals could have stood to sweat more details in this one. And if you're looking to move the game forward in a way, the Bengals could not. Well, Mazda's a better bet. Mazda move and be moved.

And James, I mean, can you think of a worst game in recent history for these Cincinnati Bengals? Five fumbles, two interceptions, two defensive touchdowns, just totally out of the game by halftime. not much good to say about this one. No, not much good to say about it. And I think this was very similar to the Chargers game last year, that first half, if the first half would have became two halves.

And there were more turnovers. And it was even uglier. And they were even, you know, like even like the bad moments that you can think of, this was to that not just next degree, but like five levels past it and beyond. And it's the worst loss in team history. they've never lost by 38 points. And so that, that, like, when you say that, it's like, well, a team with Jamar and T and all these guys. And Jake Browning is a competent backup quarterback.

And so if you need them to start, he should hold it down. And they just, it's such a fundamental. You sweat the details with Mazda. They sweat the details. You shouldn't need to sweat and be worried about them holding on to the football. And yet, you're right. I mean, this game, as ugly as it was after the pick six in 17-0, they still had a chance.

And they had the ball and they were driving to get the ball back. And it's under two minutes to go. And they're driving there in Minnesota territory. And Jake Browning has already thrown his pick six and he's gotten that out of the way. And then it's literally the worst. It has to be like talk about history, the worst stretch of Bengals football. Because in four snaps, they had three, that they lost and a nine-yard pass in there and the Vikings had scored 17 points like that

that's it's crazy it went 17 3 to 34 3 boom like that I have never seen a stretch like that and I don't think we'll ever see one to get like that is insane three three turnovers turnovers and four plays where the opponent score 17 points that's insane so did I think they were going to win the game before that. No, not really, but I think they were hanging around. But yeah, you're right. This was about as ugly with a bunch of views and a bunch of lies as ugly could get. 34 to 3 at halftime. With just about two minutes left, like you said, it was 17 to 3. The Bengals had a chance to make it 17 to 10. They're on the Vikings 30-something yard line, 34 yard line, was it? 38 yard line. 36-yard line.

And Jake Browning completes a little checkdown to Noah Fant. Noah Fant gets to the 32 before Isaiah Rogers had the best game I've ever seen from a defensive player, perhaps, punches a ball out, scoops it up himself, takes it back for six. And in that moment, you go from, I was literally in the middle of writing a tweet, James. The Bengals can finish just drive with a touchdown. Get it to 10 to 17. get the ball back out of halftime. Looks like they're starting to find some answers.

They figured out that the run game still isn't working. They're finding other things to get to in the quick game and then screen game that are working okay for them. They're figuring out that like, okay, maybe we can take some shots here a little bit with our receivers on the outside when we get the one-on-ones instead of trying to keep everything short when the Vikings are sending pressure. And before I can even hit send on the street,

that's like, yeah, they have a chance to make this a game, even though it started terribly. And they wasted four drives, essentially. And the defense started out poorly, this third straight game this year. They've allowed to touchdown on the opening drive. And that needs to get fixed. Don't get me wrong.

But like it looks like they had adjusted on defense. Defense was playing reasonably well. Offense was starting to find some answers. They had a 48-yard field goal drive, got a first down in Viking territory, and then the game just ends. Like effectively the game just ends on the spot when instead of 10 to 17 is 24 to 3 like that. Like you said, in one play.

And then it got worse. And then it got worse. I'm fathom it got worse. So it's crazy because you mentioned like tweeting. And so I guess we could do this. Why not? I tweeted because Chase Brown fumbled before Jake Browning's pick six. Right.

And he recovered it. And I was like, who? They got a bullet. A tricky recovery too. Like he manages to scoop it up off one bounce, lucky stuff. Yeah. And then Jake Browning goes and stares at Chase Brown for 12 seconds while he's going off script. And shocker, if you're staring at your target, guys are going to react.

And like that's literally what that was. Like it was like literally over a second of him staring at Chase Brown running toward Chase and then throwing it there. Like that's dangerous. Like it's probably not probably not the best decision. And so there's that. Then I tweeted, I mean, if the defense gets a stop here and they do, Miles Murphy makes a nice play in space on Carson Wentz and get the ball back.

And then that happens. And so, yeah, you're right. The game was over that play. The moment that happens and Rogers crosses the goal line, it is over because you've just gifted them 14 points. It's 24 to 3. This crowd here was crazy. By the way, I love U.S. Bank Stadium. Side note.

Really cool plays. But it is those are the, like the margin of error with Jake Browning versus Joe Burrow is so different. And so when you do that, there's no recovering. And then obviously it got worse and they give up 10 more points after that. And it's 34 to 3 at halftime, which is, again, it's just insane to think about that it snowballed that fast. But even at 24 to 3, it was OVER. It was over. And you could just feel it like that was the last gap.

But getting to that next possession, so after Fant Fumbles, Roger scores the touchdown, I tweet, man, T and Jemar, they really need to get involved. And then Jake throws it to Jemar and Jammar fumbles. And not only did he throw it to Jammar, but it's after they have an illegal motion and he's like three yards past the line of scrimmage like Trevor Lawrence was last week. And not only that, but then Jumar tries to make a play because you don't know what the penalties are. you have to keep playing. The plays not going to count. Yeah. He should just go down instead.

Instead he fumbles and who is it? Rogers pokes it out and it's just unbelievable defensive player of the year. You just didn't know it yet. And then they go down and score another touchdown. I mean, it's just it's unbelievable. And then Samad J.P. Ryan, who you think, oh, well, he's sure handed. He stabilized the backfield a little bit.

He's had a couple of nice runs, including on third and 12. getting a first down. And then he puts it on the carpet. It's, I've, I've literally, I've never seen anything like it. And like,

you can almost, you can't help but almost kind of laugh that it was that bad for that stretch, because it's so painful for everybody. Like that just, how does that happen? I don't know how it happens, but it can't happen again. And that has to be history.

Three fumbles, four plays, 17 points in under two minutes. Absolutely crazy. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like that. We've seen them turn the ball over a bunch in games. I think back to that Dallas game where they had all the fumbles a couple years ago, maybe a few years ago now, I don't remember exactly when it was. But Samadjei Piron, also to add injury to insult, hurts his thumb on the play he fumbles,

maybe contributes to the fumble. And so then you have an injury for Piron. You get a Dalton Reisner, calf injury. He, I think, was in and out of the game after that. and now you have two right guards for the Bengals with calf issues and that just adds to the what word do you want to use to describe the offensive line in this one? There isn't perhaps a word strong enough

for how much of a disaster it was for the offensive line in this game. And that's one of the most worrying things to me to come out of it. James, offensive line here. There are a lot of people talking about Zach Taylor and this coaching staff as well. So I think we have to get to that as well because how they answer is going to be big. But we'll stay on this game here, the offensive line that really dug them a hole to start this game coming up next. Today's show is brought to by prize picks. Prize picks is daily fantasy the way it should be. It's the daily fantasy app. We're making the right call can actually pay off.

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And you just go two to six and get real prizes. Download the prize picks app and use code locked on NFL. to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. That's called Locked on NFL for $50 in lineups after your first $5 play. Prize fix. It's good to be right. Tough one for the offensive line, James. The Bengals come out under center.

Bengals fans all week. Get under center. Get under center. Jake Browning offense. Run the ball. And we talked about this on the film review this week. I think you and I talked about it as well. This offensive line, not made to run block.

And it was as bad as I think I've seen it in the running game for this offensive line this week, especially as they kept running into a brick wall over and over on first counts. Yeah, it was, it was awful. Chase Brown, I can't believe these numbers, but 10 carries three yards. He has as many rushing yards as Jake Brown. Average 0.3 rushing yards per attempt. Point three. What? Like, how is that possible? And yet it is possible because it happened. Samadji Piran with four carries led the way with 21 yards, but 12 of them came on that one run where everyone was, everyone in the building was like, oh, they're running it here to get some yardage. And he was able to muscle his way for a first down, but it's not like it was the Vikings trying to stop the run on that play.

So, man, it's tough. And it's something that has to change. They need to be able to be able to. to run the ball better. I also don't want to hear like, oh, well, the Browning offense or this or that. Like people were really going through it the past few days, like when it came to like Burrow versus Browning. Like that's not a thing. I know you know that, but like just to be clear, it's not a thing. There's no scenario.

It doesn't matter if Jake Browning throws 50 touchdowns in the next 10 weeks. He's still not going to replace Joe Burrow when Joe Burrow is healthy. There's no scenario. All right. And today's a big reason why. because you have to play a certain way. And that's why, like, T and Jemar, they didn't get a ton of targets early.

I think they came into this thinking they're going to try to keep the scoring low. They wanted it to be kind of a nasty, ugly game. And sometimes the Bengals go into games thinking that's how it needs to be for them to win. I just, and this is kind of getting into Zach a little bit. I don't know if I love that in general because you say, oh, Jake, we don't want to turn the ball over. It can kill us. and obviously it killed them today.

But if you're going to turn the ball over regardless, which he did, I'd much rather go down with your big guns. But regardless, they got to get the run game going. I talked to someone last week, a veteran, I said this on the pod. He's like, yeah, he's one of our best players. We've got to get Chase Brown going. 0.3 yards per carry, Jake, that should be impossible. That should be as impossible as three turnovers on four snaps.

And yet here we are. And the sad thing is that it wasn't even like there was an aspect that was better. We've talked about how this offensive line is kind of built around the passing game. You build it around Joe. You build it around Jamar Chase T. Higgins, the weapons, the passing offense. But they also didn't pass protection in this game. Like Orlando Brown had one of his worst games. Probably his worst game is a healthy bengal and pass protection.

And that was weird because I thought he was actually good last week. They've had issues along the interior. Dylan Fairchild gets called for a holding penalty on one of the only positive plays for the Bengals on offense in the first half and gets them into a behind the sixth situation again in a moment where maybe they were going to get something going. But instead, no, called back. Ted Karras talked about the growing concerns that I have with Ted Karras

in the lead up to this game this week, had another rough game in both phases. Dalton riser got hurt, like I mentioned. I think he was actually okay in pass protection. And Marius Vins is okay in past production too. And we'll see what the film says, of course, on these guys. These are live reactions. But the run game is so disjointed and so ineffective that every time they try to run the

ball in early down, they're getting themselves into a second and long. And as soon as they're in a second and long, Brian Flores is doing crazy Brian Flores, things with that defense. And Jake Browning in this offensive line sorting it out wasn't, happening. Their early down rushing success rate in this game, they ran the ball on early downs 19 times in this play was 26%. In the first half, I believe that was lower. I looked at some point in the second quarter. They actually had an even split of early down run and pass plays. That's first and second down. At the time, they were running a ton on first down. Their early

down past success rate was 14% because they were getting themselves in those second and long situations because of how ineffective the run game was on first down. And, you know, Jake Browning's first pick, you're right, he was staring down, Chase Brown there in the scramble drill, but still a good play from Harrison Smith to stay home, tip the ball, it's a tip drill interception. Ted Harris gives up the pressure there, forces Browning off his spot. I think that when we go back and look at it, it's probably going to be really frustrating that they kept running into these brickball.

So, yeah, I mean, if you want to talk about the coaching staff in this game, I've heard a lot of people say, I'm prepared. And, you know, more of the same from Zach Taylor. Zach carried by Joe Burrow, this is really exposing him, all these things. And I think we'll talk about that, you know, throughout this week. But I saw a team that really didn't execute. They came out here and they had a plan to run the ball to get under center and to lean on that a little bit.

And they just could not do it. They don't have the guys to do it. And that goes back to the overall organizational philosophy, the way they've built this team, the way they've tried to strike. structure this thing. But when you hear people say stuff like, oh, they have all this talent. You shouldn't be out there scoring three points and a half with Chimar Chase and T. Higgins, blah, blah, blah, blah. If you can't block, this goes back to the Sewell Chase argument all

those years ago. You can't block it doesn't matter. And they really, really couldn't block today. That defecon level, like I said, for this offensive line, for me, really spiking after this performance. That's fair. Also, they got it right with Jamar. Let's relax a little. I don't mean to, like, bring that up as like saying they did it wrong. I'm just saying it goes back to that conversation sure no doubt it does and it but it goes back to last year when in the middle of the draft we're talking about how they need to address the interior of their offensive line and they draft mckinley jackson who's up where was he today oh he inactive the other third round pick for last year germain burton also inactive we literally hammered there are so many

times we were talking about a guard and how that would be the sweet spot to find like a center guard combo player there in that round threeish range last year. And those guys go a long way. You could use a road grader or two and a nasty run blocker or two. And well, you're right. I mean, that's what doesn't really make sense to me is like you can be good at run blocking and pass blocking.

Like I know you're prioritizing past protection, but like it is capable. Like there are players that are capable and offensive lines that are capable of doing both, especially when we're not talking about, like, being the best run game in the NFL. I don't think anyone needs them to do that, even with Jake Browning. You should be able to average four yards of carry against the team. Like, three yards of carry? Well, today's game should have been four yards of carry. The Minnesota Vikings stuck coming in against the run.

And you have tea and you have Jamar. And that's where it's tough is. Like, I don't know if, and by the way, maybe they feel they need to do this with Jake. And if they do feel they need to do this with Jake, then maybe he isn't as good as, at least they don't think he's as good as some people think he is. Because if you need training wheels all the time when you have Jamar and T, well, then that really hurts you. You know? And I don't mean that is come in and throw 50 times. But if the run game isn't working on first down, like when the game is still in the balance, well, then how do you get Jamar involved?

and I get it, the fumble, and I get it, but I mean before that, when things were really looking bleak before everything went weird at the end of the second quarter. I think that that's a big element of it. Like I don't think you're going to be able to be like, all right, well, we're going to go into Denver and we're going to kick six field goals and run the ball and do all these things. Like, that's not the Bengals. That's not who they are.

And that's not how they can be at their best. Can't be behind the sticks as much as they're behind the sticks. and a big part of that is finding a way to be able to run the ball, especially against these light boxes. Because like you said, they still have Jamar, they still have tea, and they're just getting manhandled in the trenches in the run game. Like plays where you're supposed to be displacing guys that way, and you're getting driven back this way.

It's can't have it. Need to perform better in that phase. And some of this does go to the coaching staff, James. Let's finish up with some early conversations here, week three conversations about this coaching staff, because they are under the microscope, let's say, from this fan base right now. At least that's what I'm feeling. We'll go there, talk more about this game coming up next.

This episode is brought to you by Mazda's moving the game forward. For those who believe it's not just about playing the game, it's about redefining it, moments that do more than put points on the board that move crowds, move culture, and keep moving the game forward. And boy, could the Bengals have used one of those early in this game. Instead, we've got to acknowledge Isaiah Rogers. not enough to talk about from the Bengals side of things this week. You want to talk about moving the game forward.

Isaiah Rogers played the most impactful game you could imagine for the Vikings and really threw things for a loop for the Bengals. The wheels came off for the Bengals on both sides of the ball in this game, and that's in no small part because Isaiah Rogers is out there creating turnovers and scoring touchdowns on defense and just ending the game early. The Bengals need to do so much better in those categories. to be where they need to be. So when you follow what moves you,

the unexpected is only the beginning and the Bengals need this to be the beginning of an unexpected bounceback. And just like there's more to every highlight, there's more to a Mazda vehicle. Mazda move. Today's show is also brought to you by Fandle, America's number one sportsbook.

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and adds a little more energy to game day. So check them out today by downloading the Fandall app now by visiting fandle.com. Again, that's fandle.com to place your first $5 bet. Obviously, you credit Brian Flores in this Minnesota defense for really derailing the Bengals game plan with Jake Browning, really derailing everything Zach Taylor and this team came into this game wanting to do. But you really felt Joe Burrough's absence in this game. We've seen Joe Burrow deal with similar situations before much better than this offense was able to do so today. And so this leads people to saying things like, ah, well, this is another piece of evidence that Zach Taylor doesn't know what he's doing. He's out of his death.

and Joe Burrow carries him. I saw that comment numerous times on social media today. And you know what, James, if you wanted to make an argument to me that the Bengals should replace Zach Taylor after this season, fine. I think that I have a hard time connecting that to this game individually when they have five fumbles and play as badly as they did in the trenches. And again, some of that obviously falls at Zach Taylor's feet. But what are your, I mean, we're, we're. in the moment after the game, right? What are your thoughts here as the discourse turns to Zach Taylor?

At least as I've seen it, I've observed it here in the fan base. Well, it should. And it should for a few reasons, because this is a big time for, and we didn't really have time to talk about it last week, but this stretch here without Joe is a big time for Zach Taylor to prove himself. Like Jake Browning's viewing it that way. It's a time for him to prove himself to the entire league. Well, same thing goes for Zach Taylor.

This is the same coach. that said, how we need to be better on the ground. We need better offensive line play. Let's go get Scott Peters. Right? This is the same guy that is like what we know what we are, who we are, but we need to address this area. And so they go get Scott Peters.

That's a huge part of, I think what they were trying to do, which is get on the same page from a running standpoint. So everything tied together. so they could be more successful on the ground. And so, yeah, I think blame there. The turnovers, I don't think that's because the Bengals weren't prepared. I don't know why they were so damn loose with the football today. I don't necessarily put that on Zach.

Now, if it happens again and again and again, then sure. But this felt like an outlier, unprecedented. So I get that. But yeah, there are things now that I am concerned about because they did make changes, even if they weren't the changes that we necessarily were exactly pushing for or at the time we were pushing for them. They did make changes. And they made changes because they knew they needed to run the ball more effectively, more efficiently.

And they knew that they needed to protect Joe. Well, Joe's hurt. And they can't run the ball. And so those are two huge things. And that's where I'm at. We'll see. But they have, like, he should be able to figure out the run game. They should be a solid run team.

solid, not great, but solid. And part of it is because the horses they have on the outside and everyone else on the planet is going to make sure those horses don't, or are going to want to at least try to make sure those horses don't beat you, which means light boxes like you're talking about. How is this offensive genius not able to find a way to run the ball? And I'm not trying to be mean there, but like if that's the standard, you should be able to run the ball effectively. And so, yeah, that would be my criticism is, and I don't know. I don't know how much Frank Pollack is to blame, but a lot of people here blamed him. And so you bring in Scott Peters, you plan on being better on in general running the ball.

And neither one has really come to fruition, at least at this point. And at some point that is just Zach Taylor, right? And the way that they've gone about building the team, the way that they emphasize the passing game, and they don't longly do so when you have Joe Burge marching. see Higgins, you keep those guys. But the way the NFL is going just continues to make that harder. And we've seen that trend. And we've seen that that way of playing Andrew Whitworth this week called it the hardest job in the NFL

pass blocking for the Bengals offensive line. And I think that's part of it. But I also think that like they just, they've never gotten the right guys that they've consistently had guys that are like, you know, okay or good, but not necessarily good enough and they've gone after a number of guys that haven't been good enough at key spots and so they've got these personnel issues and then the stylistic issue of like we've had a good run game once in the Zach Taylor era there's one year that we can point to and say yeah they figured it out that year they got it to a place where it was efficient right what 21 yeah in the last

few years it's it's such an afterthought it's so segregated from the rest of the offense as opposed to integrated and something that they can kind of sequence and build around right and when they need it it looks miserable and that's last week and this week and week one like it's all year this year and so at some point it's like yeah we're never going to figure out the run game and sure could use that right and you see how it affects them in protection you see how it affects the way teams defend them and none of this even gets to the defensive side of the ball where again like i credit the defense for the way they played after giving up that first touchdown for a little bit there and then the game was over and then the wheels came off on that side of the ball too but again if you wanted to make an argument to me that that based on the last couple of years and the way they started this year you're ready to move on from zach taylor i think the way they play in the next few weeks and how they answer is kind of your

final argument that you need to make, right? Like last year, a couple weeks after this time last year, we were talking about the dead cat bounce and talking about got to make sure you're not deceived by the dead cat bounce late in the year. And then they keep Taylor and they get rid of Lou Aniruma, they replace some coaches,

and now here we are again, after skating by to 2 and O, barely, and losing Joe Burrow, with one of the uglier games you've ever seen happen in Bengals history, and we're talking about the coach again. Yeah. And that will continue unless they win.

I mean, and that's, by the way, like, he knows, like, he's not going to be shocked if he hears some of the negativity toward him this week. Why would he be? And I think that's it is he still has the opportunity if he can lead this team to wherever they need to be, but obviously playoffs. At some point, if they are good enough, I believe. believe Joe Burrow will come back. I do. And I know there's differences and when and all that stuff. But if they make the playoffs, I think we see Joe again. But I mean, it's easy to look now and be like,

man, Joe's going to have plenty of time to rest that toe. Joe's going to have, they're two and one, and they've been outscored by 33 points. You know, they had two wins by a total five points. They get crushed by 38 today. That's a rough goal of it. And you told me a few days ago, I think you said it on the pod too, but the schedule is not forgiving. It is going to be tough over the next few weeks, and it starts on Monday night football, Denver. And by the way, if they win that game and they get the three and one, you feel pretty good. Three and one, given the circumstances. So it's salvageable, obviously. We're not like jumping off of the possibility of them winning next week because they got crushed today. At least I'm not. But they have to fix a lot of things. And all eyes are

on Zach Taylor because this run game needs to be better. It's just that simple. There's no margin for error, or not the same margin for error, certainly, that you had with Joe. And Jake isn't Joe. And so you're going to have to do more around him. And that's run the ball. And honestly, that's find a way for him to get his horses going. T. Higgins should never have one catch regardless of who's guarding him.

He had one catch today. Did you notice T. Higgins? Big DPI drawn in the end zone, but that's probably. his biggest play. And that sucks. Like how is that? Like it's a big play by the way. I'm not saying that.

But like we should be talking about, oh, I remember that slant? Oh, you remember that cross? Remember that? But yeah, the two plays that I think of are in the end zone.

He did have a nice catch on third down. But then the, his only catch. But the two plays that I could think of are in the end zone. The one was batted away and the other one was the DPI. Mm-hmm. A lot of things need to be better. I think a lot of the fate of this team comes down to how they answer.

in the next few weeks. You've got to get eight more wins. Yeah, 14 more games. Get to 10 wins. I feel like that is like the realistic goal. Obviously, you take a week to week and you try to win every week, you know, whatever. Obviously, that's the approach. But got to get eight more wins.

And it's going to be tough to do so. Week to week league, though. Cleveland beat Green Bay this week. So sometimes things happen. We've seen the ups and downs of Jake Browning in the past. We saw them in 23 when he played. Had two of the worst games you can imagine as a quarterback against the Steelers. And Browning for all his faults today, he was pressured on like 60% of his dropbacks.

It was bad. It's not like it was all him. And it wasn't, you know, his fault that it was as bad as it was today. But the entire offense needs to be so much better. Defense has to figure out these first drive issues they've had where they have adjusted to credit them. But the first drives have been rough for them this year. And you're right. It doesn't get easier.

Monday night football coming up. So that'll do it on this one. One of the worst games we've ever seen from the Cincinnati Bengals, certainly the worst in the Zach Taylor era. Until next time, thanks for listening to this episode of the lockdown Bengals podcast. Have a good one.