Loveland, Ohio – Chris and Mark survived the Snowmageddon to bring you this weeks’ podcast. We discuss how the Bengals season has come to a close and reflect on just how they got here. There were plenty of missed opportunities along the way which really dampened amazing the numbers put up by Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Trey Hendrickson. But at the end of the day the Bengals ended the year on a very nice winning streak. Zac Taylor improved his play calling, and the defense played much better. And while the season may have ended in disappointment, there is plenty to be positive about.
This offseason is perhaps the most crucial in Bengals’ history, and Chris and Mark delve into the opening moves Cincinnati has made to start that offseason, and how the firing of defensives coordinator Lou Anarumo and other assistant coaches impact the plan for next year. Then, Mark breaks down just what has gone wrong with the Bearcats basketball team and their 0-3 start to conference play, and how they can bounce back with a big game looming against the Kansas Jayhawks at home this Saturday.
The guys also touch on whether the Michigan Wolverines are legitimate Final Four contenders, and just what the Cleveland Cavaliers’ big win over the Western Conference heavyweights, the Oklahoma City Thunder, might mean for Cleveland’s chances to make it to the NBA Finals.
Have a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!
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Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – It’s the first podcast of 2025! The Bengals need a win on Saturday night, and then a lot of help from the Chiefs and Jets on Sunday in order to make it into the playoffs. Chris and Mark break down just how likely it will be that Carson Wentz and Aaron Rodgers come up big, and they try to find some positivity. They also look back at another cardiac Cincinnati win, this time against a very talented Broncos team. The defense played decently for the first time in recent memory against a quality opponent, and Joe Burrow was his old magnificent self. Then, Mark addresses the Bearcats’ first loss in conference play against Kansas State, and explains why there’s no reason to panic. Cincinnati has a chance to erase all the questions with a big win at home against the Arizona Wildcats.
Have a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!
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Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – Chris and Mark are back at it again! This time the duo talks about the Bengals’ much-needed win over the Browns. Just how much faith can we have in this Cincinnati defense? It has played much better as of late, but has done so against much lesser quarterbacks than the one it will face this week in Denver’s Bo Nix. Joe Burrow was once again Superman against Cleveland, and Chris and Mark discuss just how much of a boost Chase Brown has been this year. Having a running back of his quality on the roster only spells good things for this team. Next, Mark clues us into the state of Bearcats basketball and just how special this team might end up being. Their next run of very tough conference games will tell us quite a lot about just how good they are. They will face off against some of the best college teams in the country in the coming weeks, including Kansas, Arizona, and Baylor. Finally, the guys take a look at the upcoming slate of College Football Playoff games and discuss which ones may be close, and which could get ugly.
Have a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!
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Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – The Bengals took care of business this past Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. It certainly wasn’t easy, but Joe Burrow once again led Cincinnati to victory in a must win game. Burrow paced the Bengals with 252 yards and three more passing touchdowns.
His superhuman efforts are almost the sole reason that Cincinnati has any chance to make the playoffs this year, and his touchdown pass against the Browns was just more proof of how tough he’s been this year.
That being said Cincinnati still has plenty of work to do to make the playoffs. WLWT summarized the Bengals’ odds to make the playoffs at about eight percent. The Bengals have to win out, and get some help from the Broncos, Dolphins and Colts.
The Bengals must take care of business this week against Bo Nix and the Broncos or else it is all over. Denver is coming off a tough loss against the Chargers. But they boast one of the league’s premiere corners in Pat Surtain II who will look to lock down Ja’Marr Chase. And Nix is a solid quarterback who could punish Cincinnati’s secondary. Although Geno Stone and company have played better of late, Nix will be a true test of how just how much that secondary can step up.
As for the other teams the Bengals need to lose at least one game, it’s a situation outside of their control. Indianapolis plays two awful teams in the Giants and Jaguars. Miami has the Browns and Jets. And even if Cincinnati beats the Broncos this week they need Denver to lose to the Chiefs the following week.
Even though the Bengals playoff hopes are slim, and a lot depends on several other teams, there is still plenty of hope. And with Joe Burrow anything is possible.
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Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – After a very fun Thanksgiving hiatus, the podcast returns! Chris and Mark start off with a tiny bit of good news (if you are a Wolverine or anti-Ohio State fan) as Michigan pulled off an inexplicable upset of the Buckeyes this past weekend, 13-10. The guys discuss Ryan Day’s dubious game plan and how it led to one of the more memorable upsets of the year and extended the four game winning streak for the Wolverines in The Game. Then, things turn a bit more depressing as Mark guides us through the Bearcats’ football loss to TCU and the basketball squad falling short against Villanova. Mark also sheds some light on the good things we can expect from the ‘Cats on the gridiron next year, as their season is now over. But Cincinnati’s basketball season is just opening up and there is plenty to be exited about on that front, despite falling to Villanova last game.
Then, of course, the guys get into the Bengals’ most recent game against the Steelers. Both Chris and Mark lament having to watch Old Man Russell Wilson throw for over 400 yards against a defense that has been DOA for about 6 weeks now. They also talk about the upcoming game against Dallas and whether perennial backup Cowboys’ quarterback Cooper Rush is going to add his name to the laundry list of players who have embarrassed this Bengals defense.
So tune in this week, and we apologize for having to cut this episode a bit short due to some technical issues. Rest assured that next week’s episode will be error-free!
Have a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!
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Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – When you think about it, it’s very fitting that Cincinnati Bengals are playing in a nationally televised game with a Simpsons-themed broadcast. I’m forced to be reminded of that epic scene from the show’s season 5 where Sideshow Bob, an intellectual genius, tracks Bart and his family with an eye of getting revenge for the young Simpson’s actions in foiling his latest criminal master stroke. Though he’s got everything planned down to the smallest detail, he’s nearly derailed by inexplicably continuing to step on a series of rakes, one after the next, wincing in pain each time.
It’s the perfect microcosm of the 2024 Cincinnati Bengals.
This team has had ample chances to salvage their season. And so far, their defense has let each and every one of those opportunities slip away in excruciating fashion. Despite having the league’s leaders in passing yards, receiving yards, and sacks, the team sits at 4-8 and looks extremely likely to miss the playoffs for the second straight year.
Talk about stepping on rakes.
It’s certainly a deflating position to be in as the Bengals head into Dallas for next week’s matchup on Monday Night Football. They won’t be the only disappointing team facing a national audience in primetime. The Cowboys are without Dak Prescott and are 5-7. They are a team that, like Cincinnati, has to face plenty of questions about their head coach. While Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones pledged not to fire Mike McCarthy during the regular season, the coach is in the final year of his contract and fans are clamoring for a change.
It’s a matchup of extremely flawed teams, but one that does favor the Bengals in certain aspects. As bad as Cincinnati’s defense has been this year, they have shown the ability to play well against lesser NFL quarterbacks. Dallas’ Cooper Rush has had a mercurial run since taking over after Prescott’s injury. He threw for 354 yards agains the Texans and 247 in the matchup against the Commanders. During that two game span he connected for three touchdowns to just one interception.
Last week in a slim win over a struggling Giants team, Rush had only 195 yards. The entire Cowboys roster imploded in their blowout loss to the Eagles and Rush was no exception as he managed just 45 yards through the air. While Rush isn’t blowing the doors off any opposition, any offense with CeeDee Lamb on the roster can be dangerous. Even with a backup quarterback, Lamb is fifth in the NFL in receiving yards, though in his last five games he’s surpassed the 70 yard mark only once.
As Dallas’ passing game looks to find consistency, Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle is showing just how good he can be. He had a season high 123 yards last week and has run for more than 90 yards in three of his last five starts. Overall, though, Dallas has have the second-least rushing yards in the NFL (1,030) and the least rushing touchdowns (four) as a team.
The Bengals defense is fresh off its latest embarrassing meltdown and looking to find any way to get off of the field without allowing points. The numbers continue to be extremely bleak. They rank 31st in points allowed per game, 27th against the pass, and 22nd in stopping the rush. They saw veteran Russell Wilson torch them for 414 yards and three touchdowns last week and had no answer for the Steelers’ receivers, which is extremely concerning given the talent Lamb brings to the field.
The bad news for the Bengals as well is that Micah Parsons is waking up. He has 5.5 sacks and 9 quarterback hits in his last four games. Overall the Cowboys defense isn’t overwhelming but they are the 13th best against the pass despite giving up 8.0 yards per attempt through the air, tied for the second most in the NFL. Dallas’ secondary has also allowed nine passes of at least 40 yards downfield, which is also tied for the second most in the league. Though these numbers make it appear as though Joe Burrow could do some major damage, there is a bit more to the story.
Micah Parsons says the Cowboys (5-7) are far from finished after winning back-to-back games 👀 pic.twitter.com/hHyTxoL1kc
Dallas has shown a heightened ability to rush the passer, especially Parsons. They are ninth best in sacking the quarterback, and after allowing four of those last week against the Steelers, this has to be an area of extreme concern for Cincinnati coming into this one.
Special teams also plays a role here. The Bengals will be without embattled kicker Evan MacPherson, out with a groin injury. He’s been far from “Money Mac” but kicked decently last week against the Steelers. While the hope was that he would use the last few matchups of 2024 to try to stabilize his game, for now the team will be rolling with former Commanders’ kicker Cade York.
But there’s a chance many of his detractors will be longing for MacPherson’s return very soon. In 17 games with Cleveland (his team before the Commanders), ESPN notes that York struggled. He was 24-of-32 on field goal attempts and 35-of-37 on extra point attempts. In August, the Browns traded him to the Commanders for a conditional seventh-round pick. He missed both of his field goal attempts in the team’s season opener and was released.
When it premiered, the Simpsons redefined both animation and the sitcom and irrevocably changed pop culture forever. Let’s hope by some miracle they can just help the Bengals win a primetime game.
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Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – On this week’s episode of the podcast, Chris and Mark wade through the negativity of a weekend that included a crushing Bengals loss to the Chargers, and the Bearcats struggling on the road against Iowa State. The guys get into whether the Cats can become bowl eligible and what is going on with Brendan Sorsby. They also break down what went wrong on Sunday night in Los Angeles and lament more wasted offensive performances from Joe Burrow and company. And they finish by going into just what it could take to get Cincinnati into a competitive position in 2025 and beyond, if this season is truly over (and the numbers look pretty bleak). But they at least start of the pod with some positivity and all the good things that Simas Lukošius and the Cincinnati Bearcats basketball team has been doing in this early season.
And don’t worry, when you hear Mark go nuts in the middle of our discussion, all was well, it wasn’t someone breaking into his home. He’d just won a nice little wager, so felt the need to celebrate!
Have a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!
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Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – After a week hiatus, the podcast is back! Unfortunately, the first half of it is devoted to breaking down a heartbreaking loss for the Bengals and a head-scratching defeat for Bearcat football. But there is plenty of positivity too as Cincinnati and Joe Burrow remain right in the thick of the playoff hunt. Sunday night’s game against the Las Angeles Chargers, though, represents a real turning point as to whether those postseason hopes still have any life left in them. The Bearcats, meanwhile, have to regroup for two big games against Iowa State and Kansas State as they fight to get to bowl eligibility. Mark also covers the early season start for the ‘Cats in basketball, while Chris talks a little about what has propelled the Cleveland Cavaliers to their 13-0 start.
Have a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!
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Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – Watching the Bengals’ second half lead evaporate last week against the Baltimore Ravens felt very familiar. The first 30 minutes of that contest showed so much of what makes Cincinnati football special. Joe Burrow was locked in, the defense was keeping Lamar Jackson from having an explosive game, and they were up by 14 in the third quarter on the road.
Then, it all came crashing down. Up two touchdowns the Bengals forced a Ravens punt. They looked to add to their lead, but Chase Brown had the ball ripped out of his hands. Baltimore recovered and then went on to score, and we all know how the game played out from there.
That being said there were some positives to take away from that game. The defense played much better in spurts and showed that they are capable of containing a good team, even if it was for just one half. Cincinnati again proved that it refuses to give up even when things look bleak. Ja’Marr Chase’s two fourth-quarter touchdowns (including one for 70 yards) are plenty of evidence of that.
It was a heartbreaking loss, but one that by still does not yet represent the final nail in the Bengals’ playoff hopes just yet. As outlined by the folks over at Stripe Hype Cincinnati’s chances of making the postseason still stand at around 36 percent. The game against the Chargers on Sunday Night Football this week, though, represents a major fork in the road for this team. According to the projections, “with a win over the Chargers, Cincinnati’s playoff odds will jump up to 53 percent, which means that it would be more likely than not that they would qualify for postseason play at that point. However, with a loss the Bengals’ playoff odds would drop down to 22 percent.” That is a major swing in odds that underscores the importance of this week’s game.
With that in mind it’s important to take a look at the Chargers and what matchups the Bengals could potentially exploit in order to keep the playoff odds in their favor.
The Chargers offense is towards the bottom third in the league in several categories. They are 21st in yards per game and 19th in points. They are about even in terms of how effective they are through the ground and in the air, coming in 22nd in passing yards per game and 19th in rushing.
Justin Herbert throws for just 209 yards per game (22nd in the league) but his QBR is 11th. This is largely because he has completed 66 percent of his passes and has only one interception to his credit against 11 touchdowns. It’s clear how the Chargers plan on winning games. It’s the Jim Harbaugh way that I am personally very familiar with after watching so many of his games in Ann Arbor as head coach of the Wolverines. His teams are stingy with turnovers and play monster defense. This both controls the clock and allows the Chargers to dictate the pace of the game.
And that defense is every bit as good as advertised. The numbers are daunting. Los Angeles allows the fewest yards per game in the league (302) and the fewest points per game (13). While other defenses may have better numbers in terms of stopping the rush or the pass, the Chargers are a more complete defense in that they are in the top 10 in the league in shutting down both. Only 23.2 percent of the Chargers’ opponent’s drives end in a score of some kind, again, tops in the league.
The Bengals offensive line has increasingly struggled these past few weeks and the task does not get any easier on Sunday night. The Chargers are tied for fourth in total sacks. When you combine that with one of the best pass defenses in terms of expected points contributed (2nd in the league at 26.1) it could be very difficult for this line to hold up long enough for Burrow to connect with his wide receivers, talented though they may be.
The Chargers offense doesn’t put points up in bunches. They don’t necessarily have major weapons at the receiver position. Ladd McConkey is their leading pass catcher and averages just 54 yards per game (compare that to Ja’Marr Chase’s 98 yards per game). Running back J.K. Dobbins is solid, putting up 74 yards per game with a 4.8 yards per carry figure.
You can be sure that Jim Harbaugh knows the Bengals’ weaknesses on defense, which include in the secondary and against the run. Those flaws play well into the Chargers’ gameplan and don’t really matchup well with what Los Angeles’ main goal will be: to keep Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Burrow off the field for as much of the game as possible. Then, when they are on the field, suffocate them and bottle them up in any way they can.
Another loss might realistically end this season for the Bengals, and the Chargers will be looking to put Cincinnati to bed Sunday night in front of a national audience. If Burrow and the offense can stay patient, exploit the opportunities that present themselves (there may not be many), and count on their defense to buckle down in the red zone and perhaps force some field goal attempts rather than touchdowns, this team can walk away with a win on the west coast.
And if they do, the numbers could certainly swing their way.
Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – Fresh off a terrifying Halloween, Chris and Mark talk about something truly frightening: the 2024 Cincinnati Bengals’ defense. Against the Philadelphia Eagles last week they put as much fear into the opposing offense as Charlie Brown in his cut-up ghost outfit. After the 37-17 loss, the guys discuss how the defense showed once again that they cannot hold up against mobile quarterbacks. The game next week against the Raiders is yet another winnable one versus a bottom-of-the league team, and if they can’t win there, the season will be officially declared dead as a doornail. Mark also explains how the Bearcats matched up against Colorado, and highlights the fight they had against two Buffalo All-Americans in Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. Chris gets to celebrate a rare Wolverines rivalry win against Michigan State, while bracing for potentially ugly Saturday when the top-ranked Oregon Ducks visit Ann Arbor.
Have a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!
As a few notes, here is the exceptional breakdown of the struggles facing the Bengals running game referenced in the podcast:
There's been A LOT of talk about the #Bengals' rushing attack. What's going wrong? Can it be fixed? Is it all on the offensive line? Running backs? Scheme? @bengals_sans with a GREAT breakdown⬇️https://t.co/TmWIZ1SfMG
Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
by Chris Ball
