Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - Wildcard Weekend Affirms Bengals' Need To Find PLAYMAKERS

Episode Date: January 12, 2026

Duke Tobin made clear on Friday that closing games was one of his biggest issues with the Cincinnati Bengals 2025 season, and Wildcard Weekend games made him look prescient. Tobin has plenty of work to do if they're going to get to the playoffs next season. Jake Liscow and James Rapien reflect on the need to finish games, how it applies to the playoffs and why adding talent is just half of the equation. They need talent and execution to come together in critical moments. Will Bengals OC Dan Pitcher be the Browns next head coach? The guys share the latest on Pitcher as coaching watch in the AFC North continues.Everydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans.Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclubJoin 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!Ultimate QBUltimate QB is totally free to play, has no ads, and works 100% offline — perfect for when you want to sneak in a quick game or two on the go. Just head over to http://ULTIMATE-QB.COM.FanDuelToday's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. FanDuel is officially in Playoff Mode. Every game day during the NFL playoffs, FanDuel is giving customers even more ways to get in on the action. Visit Fanduel.com to get started. PrizePicksDownload the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONNFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup.Click Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNFLGametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.RobinhoodTrade Every Play with Robinhood. Now available across the U.S. Download the Robinhood app now to begin.Futures and cleared swaps trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Event contracts are offered by Robinhood Derivatives, LLC., a registered futures commission merchant and swap firmQuoMake this the year where no opportunity — and no customer — slips away.Try Quo for free plus get 20% off your first 6 months when you go tohttp://Quo.com/lockedonnfl.GustoTry Gusto today at http://gusto.com/lockedonNFL and get three months free when you run your first payroll.Home ChefFor a limited time, Home Chef is offering my listeners 50% off your first box, free shipping, and free dessert for life. Just go to http://HomeChef.com/LOCKEDON.IndeedListeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/lockedonnfl. 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.

Duke Tobin spent a lot of time on Friday talking about finishing games and then Wild Card Weekend gave us a firsthand look at how important that is. Let's tie it all together. 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, now the number one sports podcast network. the land. He's James Rapine. I'm Jake Liscoe. We've been locked on Bengals here with you since 2016, bringing you daily coverage of your Cincinnati Bengals. And we're in offseason mode. We're in analysis mode. Wildcard weekend is maybe by the time you're listening to this completed at

the time we're recording this, we're still waiting to watch the Houston Texans play against the Pittsburgh Steelers. But a lot of these games over Wildcard weekend coming down to the wire with game-winning drives late in the fourth quarter, which immediately invoked to me, James, the Duke Tobin press conference many times throughout this wildcard weekend and the need to finish games better than the Bengals did in 2025, in 2024, and really since 2022. That's what we're going to get into for today's show

before we take a look at what could be happening with AFC. North coaches in Cleveland and Pittsburgh and what's going on with them pitchers' future potentially given what's developed in those coaching markets. As we welcome back in all of the everydayers, all of you who make Lockdown Bengals your first list. We appreciate everyone who's with us every day here, even as the offseason gets going. And James, when you were watching these wild card games, did you go back to the Duke Tobin Presser at all in the waning moments of these games?

that we're going back and forth? Sure, because it's important and it's crucial. And sometimes you get away with the mistakes. Sean McDermott makes a huge mistake scoring right away on the goal line. Like just huge mistake. Trevor Lawrence, Trevor Lawrence. And so we don't talk about it. But like, if they fail there and they end up losing that game,

maybe you fire Sean McDermott. Maybe we're talking about John Harbaugh in Buffalo, right? And instead, it's Bill's Broncos and a huge game at Mile High this coming week. So that's just one example that I think you've got it wrong and you somehow survive. So you can survive at times. We've seen this from Zach. Other times you make the wrong decision or you don't execute at a high level or you make the wrong read or you do have the one play. And that's what happened in 2021 and 2022.

What are the plays that you're thinking of the most? it's a few plays that become the difference between winning and losing, between beating Tennessee and not beating Tennessee, between coming back from a 21 to 3 deficit against the Chiefs and not, the Eli Apple tackle on the goal line. It's closing games, closing halves, like there are critical moments in these playoff games that you remember. And even if the Bengals add all the talent that we want them to add,

even if they do everything right in the draft, even if all of those things happen and it's like check check check check well to duke's point because some thought he was just going after zach and i don't think that's the case i think it's very but it's very clear that even if all of those things happen in the front office does its job obviously the players and coaches have to do theirs and execute down the stretch and finish games which they have had an issue doing part of that is talent no doubt over the past couple of years part of that is execution and both need to be on point if you're going to make a Super Bowl run. That's on both sides of the ball, too, you could say.

It's largely, it's a lot of defense, but it's also, and you see this across the league, so it's not specifically a Bengals problem, but the teams that win in these games that we've watched required both sides of the ball to make plays to win. It requires you to go score a touchdown in the clutch. It requires you to make a stop in the clutch. And like you said, in those playoff runs, the Bengals defense helped. And they had that complimentary football, and people like to echo the Joe Burrow fourth quarter playoff stats and the lack of a touchdown pass for Joe Burrow in the fourth quarter. Fine, but they got to a point where they could have the defense make game winning plays because of what Joe Burrow did to get to that point.

And then the defense made those game winning plays. Even go back to the first playoff win in decades, Jermaine Pratt makes an interception in the red zone. with the Raiders driving and potentially extending that game. And you see that in these wildcard games where you have an interception on an awesome play from Trudevius White in Buffalo for the bills to escape that game. Or insane plays from Caleb Williams in the Bears game to get them back in a position where they can take a lead in their defense can make plays to stop Jordan Love. after Jordan Love has driven them down into scoring territory.

And the same thing with 49ers Eagles where the 49ers are doing it with no players. And I mean, heck of a coaching job there from Kyle Shanahan, right? But I think when you take a step back and think about those Duke Tobin comments, in the context of everything else he said, it just makes me wonder what his real feelings are about, what they need as he evaluates the soft season because we know that trade hendrickson the current closer on the defense side of the ball right not likely to be back so where do they go to find those those playmakers those closers who can help you win games in the fourth quarter when you're

protecting a four point lead late in in a game in december of january yeah and i think of like we're going to talk a lot about Caleb Downs, right? As a guy should he be considered at pick 10? Should they just run to the podium if he's there? All of those things. And that's it is which guys can help you, one, lead to close games and be comfortable down the stretch knowing exactly what they need to do, when they need to do it, the situational awareness, all of those things.

It's going to be the difference. Like if you want to go into Denver and win and you're Buffalo, you cannot make the mistake you just made. You cannot. And I don't even know if you feel like it's a mistake. But to me, you're on the half yard line. You got to burn a little bit more. You got to find a way to do that. And instead, Jacksonville let him score wisely and Trevor Lawrence, Trevor Lawrence. Otherwise, like if Joe Burroughs in that situation, you absolutely want the bills to score. And you give the ball to Joe Burrow and see if you can get downfield and win the game. So those are the type of of coaching situations that you need to nail in this playoff format where it's just pressure

filled and you're on the road or even if you're at home. It just, we've seen it with the Hubbard Yard dash, how quickly one play changes things and gives you a chance to win a game that honestly I bet Baltimore felt like they should have won. And so it's coaching, but it's also playmakers. And I just, over the past couple of years, does it feel like they have two reliable playmakers on defense, week in and week out, that you're like, hey, you can have this guy. Like maybe it's one, and that one has been different, really,

because you don't really count Trey Hendrickson. Don't put Trey Hendrickson in that bubble, so to speak, this season, or in that category. So they need to find multiple, multiple playmakers. And I think that's it is Duke is probably, saying, all right, well, I know I need to do this, but if we do that and we find these guys, you need to make sure we're executing down the stretch and closing games, because it's both. It's a talent issue.

It's an execution issue. And there's coaching points for sure over the past two seasons. Like the Colston Loveland touchdown against the Bears, there's no scenario where that should happen ever. And that's execution. And that just can't happen. And so there are plenty of plays like that. And is that a coaching issue?

Duke went on to say, hey, these guys work on this all the time. I see it. And so I think he was good about not outing Zach or putting headlines out there about Zach Taylor and the coaching staff that he didn't mean. It's just, it's a very slim margin, especially when you've had the talent deficiencies that they've had and they need to be better in both areas. And he was very positive about the coaching staff in general when he was. when he was asked about him and really affirmed his belief,

which to me, and maybe this is a bigger conversation, affirms to me that if I were running the Bengals team, at this point, if I took over today and was told, you can run this team, but Duke and Zach stay in place for this year, I would just couple them going forward. And I want, because you see that quite often around the league. Zach is more than any other coach in Bengals history,

not a Mike Brown guy. I mean, I'm sure Mike Brown gave his blessing, right? But he's Duke Tobin's guy. And that synchronicity and alignment to use last season's buzzword again was the whole idea with the hire. And so I would link those guys' fates as it were going forward if I were running things for the Bengals at this point and wanted to give them more time to try to write the ship.

I also have some thoughts, James. You brought up the last time the Bengals had defensive playmakers. I want to just reflect on when that actually was because I think it was a while ago. And we'll hit that point before we continue the conversation here coming up there. Today's show is brought to you by Indeed. If you've ever hired someone who looked good on paper but wasn't the right fit, you know how important that is. When you want candidates who truly match what you're looking for, trust Indeed sponsor jobs. If you're hiring, Indeed is all you need.

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no miss customers. So you talked about the last time the Bengals had playmakers on defense. I think you have to go, like, they had Trey last year, and then they had some other guys sprinkling in some plays here or there, obviously not enough last year. And we'd, spent a lot of time last year talking about it. We talked about their lack of a nose tackle, and I include DJ Reader as one of the playmakers they had. You go back to when they had Jesse Bates at the second level and even Von Bell in his first tenure with the Bengals, but Jesse Bates as a secondary guy, and you had Trey and you had DJ

Reader on your defensive line with even Jermaine Pratt and Logan Wilson, like those guys were combined at least like a 0.75 playmaker if you think about it in terms of like FTEs you know they contribute every now and then enough that that between them when they were playing well they were making some plays you had guys sprinkling in plays at corner chidobe abuzier would would sprinkle in some plays right so you had your your main guys in Trey and jesse and then you had all these complimentary pieces who would occasionally chip in and now it's like Jordan battle sometimes and that's kind of it because

Trey missed this season right there's nobody else consistently toward the end of the season Miles Murphy starts making some place right but there's nobody that was consistently doing it and helping you close games the way that you could more or less rely on Trey Hendrickson and Jesse Bates to win you some games down the stretch for you when you had those guys or DJ Reader to put you in position especially earlier in games

where he's not necessarily closing games, but you're not running nearly as effectively when DJ Reader's on the field and everyone remembers those splits and how much more effective the Bengals defense was with Reader on versus off the field. So those are the guys that come to mind to me as a collective unit,

which means you have to go back, what, three, four years? Yeah. To the last time that Bengals had multiple playmakers on defense. Well, because you could say, oh, well, let's go with these situational items that happen in these close games, like down the stretch of games. Well, DJ Reader could make a play.

Trey Hendrickson could make a play. Von Bell could make a play. Logan Moulson made his fair share of plays. Jermaine Pratt made his fair share of plays. Every once in a while, Eli Apple would make a play. Obviously, the tackle on Tyree Kill is one we're going to remember. You had these guys, and that didn't include, you're right, Cheeto would just make a play in coverage.

And really, outside of the Titans game where A.J. Brown got him a few times, I just remember Cheeto making plays. And so there were a lot of guys. some. I get it in 2021. Yeah, Larry Ogen-Jobie with the big fumble, forced fumble against Kansas City or fumble recovery. I forget who forced it

and who recovered it. I think it was Larry O. though. It was a BJ Hill. Larry O was hurt. Right? He, yeah, he... Yeah, Larry always heard. Yeah, he was hurt. So he made a big play against the Raiders. Because going into the

Bill's game, there we go. Going into the Bill's game, I remember everyone would like, how, or the Titans game. how are they going to stop Derek Henry how are they going to stop Derek Henry it was like Larry O is more of a pass rusher anyway

so anyway they stopped Derek Henry all these guys I didn't even mention Mike Hilton right like there's just there's just so many different guys that you could bank on Mike Hilton was a big time playmaker man

no doubt and he had his issues for sure like there there were rewards but like the guy made plays especially in the run game and as a blitzer like that's why they went and got it and so for this team

you're like, oh, well, DJ can make some plays. And Dax certainly can make some plays in the secondary. And Jordan Battle has flashed some ability to make some big time plays. And you need your linebackers to come along. You obviously need your defensive front. We need a couple of guys in there. If I'm Duke Tobin, I'm going to say, all right, well, we need two guys here in the defensive front probably. I think we, as in me and you, think linebacker would make sense.

I don't know if the Bengals necessarily feel that way. We have plenty of time to discuss that. and then bare minimum, a safety that can be that general, that can, I don't even want to keep chasing the ghost of Jesse Bates. Like, I don't care playstyle-wise as much as it's playmaker, someone that's going to make an impact and fits with Jordan Battle. And so, goodness gracious. It's just, it's a simple thing that they need to find. It's just, it's a lot. And it's much, much easier said by us than done by the Bengals front office or any front office.

for that matter. Well, we've seen that the last couple of years. I know it. As they've been unable to find these guys. And it's not just the Bengals. It's not like this is uniquely, you know, like none of these things that we're talking about that affect the Bengals outside of like the way they structure contracts.

And that's going to be a whole discussion unto itself one of these days in the coming weeks is uniquely a Bengals problem. Most of the issues of Bengals go through issues that most teams in the NFL deal with in some capacity. And this is certainly one of them, finding the guys. that can help you close games. But I think that that goes back to some of the issues with what Duke said, and maybe some of the questions that will be asked at the combine.

Because I know, you know, kind of in the days that followed, people remain kind of fiery about what Duke had to say or what Duke didn't say and how fruitful the whole press conference was. There will need to be changes in the way they acquire talent. because they're missing those guys that can really wreck a game. And it's really hard to do it, Corner. Like, I'm very glad, obviously, that Dax and DJ look like the future corner. If they can get extensions on with both, not one, as they've done in the past,

both of those guys, then you feel good about your two corners. Sure. At least on paper, based on what they showed you this year. And then you need to go attack these other spots because Corner of all positions. it's really hard, especially in the current NFL, the way offenses are attacking you, to be that much of a game changer at corner. Like, you can be really good and you can really help with defense. But as we saw many times this year, when you're taking five seconds to get to the passer,

any corner is very likely to lose a guy if you have to hold up for five plus seconds. and if you can't get to the passer or you know you can't get guys making plays in the run game like in the middle of the field up the spine of the defense where the Bengals are lacking well like okay great

you've got good corners but we can run the ball down the middle all day on you congrats on your corners we can make them irrelevant you know so like sure you need those players throughout the defense

yeah it's multiple layers multiple levels and then it's still going to come down to the execution in Zach Taylor and Al Golden. But it's why they've struggled is the answer's been yes. Everything. Late game execution, talent, inability to make plays, inability to

the situation of awareness, some of the coaching stuff, like all of it, all of it. And most 6 and 11 teams are that way. It is, well, what it is. Are they going to lose a key piece of their offensive coaching staff? Is there going to be a third head coach let go in the AFC North. We will discuss those topics coming up next.

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That's right. Three months free right now when you run your first payroll. gusto.com slash locked on NFL, gusto.com slash locked on NFL. We're also brought to you today by Fandul and Fandals in playoff mode. Every game day during the NFL playoffs, Fandall is giving you even more ways to get in on the action. Every NFL playoff game day,

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So visit Fandul, an official sportsbook partner of the NFL, and grab your profit boost pack every NFL playoff game day. The Browns still haven't made a decision when it comes to their head coach. Doesn't feel like it's going to be John Harbaugh, right? Doesn't feel like it's going to be John Harbaugh. Dan Pitcher, the Bengals offensive coordinator, interviewed last week. I will say this, because Cliff Kingsbury has getting interest from the Ravens. you got Mike McDaniel interviewing for the Brown's job today,

like these offensive-minded head coaches. I'm surprised the Ravens haven't requested interview Dan Pitcher, at least as of right now on Monday afternoon. That's the case. The longer that Brown's job is open, Jake, the more worried it makes me about Dan Pitcher. Like if McDaniel just gets the job by Wednesday, and they realize they're not getting Harbaugh,

and they think McDaniel is the guy, then fine. But if we get into like Wednesday, Thursday, and the Brown stuff, it made a move. Just, I feel like it's more likely that they're going to hone in on Dan pitcher and try to target him and bring him in as the offensive minded head coach. But also a guy that's probably willing to keep Jim Schwartz around as defensive coordinator if he does take that job, which if he did, it would obviously suck for the Bengals. Yeah, I think it's, it's interesting when you look at the list of guys that are being

considered in Cleveland. and where does pitch fit into that? And I can't really figure out what direction they're going. I mean, yeah, I think pitcher becomes more likely if they don't go with Mike McDaniel, if they think Mike McDaniel isn't ready for a head coaching job for whatever reason. But on paper, McDaniel, I mean, unless you really hold his time in Miami against him, instead of seeing it as potentially an attribute that he has head coaching experience, he's actually done it.

Jim Schwartz has also done it. Where does Clint Kubiak fit in? Clint Kubiak seems to be a guy that's in the running for every opening outside of New York and maybe Tennessee who appears to want to hire a more experienced head coach, maybe Miami. But just where is pitcher on the Brown's list? Because they've cast a pretty wide net here and are interviewing. and quite a few guys.

And you're right, it doesn't seem like John Harbaugh is particularly likely to land there. It sounds like that is very much leaning toward the Giants at this point. But I wonder how that process is going in Cleveland in terms of where pitcher fits in to their list of candidates. Because like I said, they've talked to a lot of pretty hot names in this coaching cycle. I would just, my message to him would be very simple.

like I get you want to be a head coach I get it's one of 32 it's going to be really exciting initially and they're going to be like oh well we'll give you this and that I just know what it's like up there man it is hard that is a hard job there is no path there's no obvious path clear cut path to a franchise quarterback and when you don't have that and I know how much pressure whatever coach that takes that job is going to be under just a tough ask especially that doesn't have the skins on the wall. Like if Harbaugh takes that job, he's going to be like, I'm doing this and the Browns are going to listen.

Pitcher won't have that. And that's tough. I would say the same thing to Mike McDaniel, by the way. Like, man, Detroit for a season probably isn't too bad, my man. Like, if you don't find the right thing, it's not too bad. Like coaching Joe Burrow isn't too bad, Dan. So who knows? I know it's one of 32 and it's really easy for me to say.

But that's just a tough ask. It has me worried. That being said, I got to throw this by you because I know you love hypotheticals and speculating. And as we record this, it's Monday afternoon. And there's a Monday night football game that includes Aaron Rogers, who's like 52 years old. And Mike Tomlin, who's also 52 years old. He's been in Pittsburgh for the past nearly two decades now. If they lose to Houston by double digits, you think Mike Tomlin's out?

or we see more AFC North head coaching chains everybody but Zach is new or do you think that they stand pat regardless? I think I'll believe it when I see it. I think I have quite a few things that are you know at this point having talked about you know the Bengals for as long as we have on the show having seen the way the NFL is going lately. There's certain things that I'll just believe it when I see it. I think it's possible but I mean I think it would have to go real sideways because I think I think. think once again, winning the division with, again, a clearly flawed team, like, Pittsburgh is just never going to have a quarterback. Maybe that's what it is.

Like, they keep winning too many games to really get a quarterback. They need to luck into another mid-round quarterback, the way that the Packers drafted and developed Aaron Rogers, the way that they drafted Ben Rothensberger back in the day. Like, they just aren't picking at the top of the drafts with Mike Tomlin as a coach. And so there's something to be said for that. But if Pittsburgh's ownership was really honest with themselves, I think they would move on because they aren't, they're not like, unless Aaron Rodgers goes on an absolute heater, right,

and rediscovers his previous Super Bowl form, his previous MVP form and maintains that throughout the playoffs. Like they're not really contending even with the team they have. And so it's a pretty tough spot for them to be in. And I think if you're really honest, I don't know if Mike Tomlin gets you over that hump and it's one of those. Like maybe he can do it elsewhere.

We talked about this with Harbaugh. And the way that went, we've drawn the Andy Reed comparisons. There's also just different standards in these cities, man. Like people in Philly, they won the Super Bowl last year. People in Philly are ready to see significant changes to both that roster and the coaching staff.

It's just a different set of standards for some of these organizations. Well, yeah, and there's going to be changing Philly. I, that's also, talk about a tough job. I'd say it's a really tough job in general because fans don't, they don't play there. It is, it would not shock me, put it that way. Like, I think there's a decent chance if they get blown out. If they don't, like they may win.

If they win, then it doesn't matter. I could also see Houston. sacking Aaron Rogers six times and in it going really, really bad. But I don't think Houston is this juggernaut, but I also don't think that there's really is a juggernaut. I don't think Denver is this insurmountable team in the AFC. And I think bringing it back to the Bengals, which is what really sucks is everybody's flawed.

The bills are far from great. The Jags are far from great. Heck, Jake Browning had his moment in the sun this year against the Jacksonville Jaguars. you had a path this year because there was no elite team. And so that's why, if you want to look at hope of turning this around and being back in the mix and playing in these high leverage big games, part of it is like Bo Nix is still going to be in Denver. Are they going to be this crazy good team next year? They might be really good record wise, but are they going to just be unbeatable?

No. Bills, probably not. Steelers, probably not. Browns. Hell no. Ravens, I don't know. I don't know the path to that where I would feel that way. And I know I miss some teams. Chiefs, you have all the uncertainty with Patrick Mahom. So when you look at the AFC, it's like, all right, we'll get some of those playmakers that we talked about 15, 20 minutes ago and tried out that offense, maybe add a piece or two on offense. You know me. And let's roll. And that's what's going to be fun about the next few months is I do think it is achievable to build.

a championship contending roster again. I do. I think that's realistic. And it's going to be fun talking about the different scenarios because there are a ton in different paths that could get the Bengals back there. Yeah. There are a lot of directions they could take this thing. It's going to be interesting to see which path they choose,

where they pigeonhole themselves in the draft again, because you know that's coming. The only other point here that is quite quick, we're not going to get to discuss it very much. Elite coaching staffs. across these playoffs as well and for the most part the the better coaching staff and the better head coach i think won these games for the most part i mean yeah like we talked about with kyle shanahan the job that he's doing with san francisco right now with all the injuries they have the innovation the bred ben johnson the breath of life ben johnson brought to the bear

i was going to make dermit i agree i think i agree with that yeah that that's mcdermit is the one exception of my mind where it's like super bowl or super super super super super super man, Josh Allen wins in the game in the fourth quarter. And Tradavius White throws it back. But like Sean McVeigh, and I have a lot of respect for Dave Canales going forward. I think that he has a bright future, at least appears to have a bright future as the head coach in Carolina, where again, like talent deficient compared to the Rams, I think, in most ways. And they took that game to the wire.

But Shaw McVeigh gets a plays they need down the stretch to win that game. His coach is once again in high demand and obviously Rable and the way that case. game went and I know all the issues that LA has with injuries on their offensive line and offensive line play but better coaching staff and good coaching staffs across the board and for the most part the better coaching staff winning which again is why you might like Houston but Mike Tomlin has some some magic to him too and maybe this is a year for Mike Tomlin to get a win we'll continue to keep eyes toward all those scenarios we're talking about James this

offseason as we are once again talking about offseason topics here in January. I might dive into some of them a little bit more here. There are fewer and fewer games to talk about. Going to hear nothing from the Bengals for a little bit here. And so we're going to have to look forward to the off season more and more as we get underway. Until next time, thanks for listening to this episode of the Lockdown Bengals podcast. Who day? and have a good one.