Off The Bench by Chatterbox Sports

Cincinnati Bengals NEED someone to STEP UP! Trap Game incoming? Reds Season is OVER | OTB 9.18.24

The Bengals are signing a veteran defensive tackle to help with shredded depth at that position. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Lawrence Guy is inking a deal with Cincinnati. The 34-year-old had 38 tackles for New England last season in 17 games played. It amounted to a 45.5 PFF grade across 502 snaps. He has been durable, playing 500-plus snaps each of the past seven seasons. Cincinnati is hoping to get any of Kris Jenkins (thumb), B.J. Hill (hamstring), or Sheldon Rankins (hamstring) back soon. Bookmark Bengals Talk for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more! For more on the Bengals, subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Cincinnati Bengals Bolster the Defensive Line adding Lawrence Guy! | OTB 9.18.24

The Bengals are signing a veteran defensive tackle to help with shredded depth at that position. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Lawrence Guy is inking a deal with Cincinnati. The 34-year-old had 38 tackles for New England last season in 17 games played. It amounted to a 45.5 PFF grade across 502 snaps. He has been durable, playing 500-plus snaps each of the past seven seasons. Cincinnati is hoping to get any of Kris Jenkins (thumb), B.J. Hill (hamstring), or Sheldon Rankins (hamstring) back soon. Bookmark Bengals Talk for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more! For more on the Bengals, subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Paycor Stadium Getting MASSIVE Renovations! Atlanta Falcons Impress Monday Night. | OTB 9.17.24

Watch Off the Bench Presented by UDF with Chatterbox Sports Monday-Friday 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. LIVE on the Chatterbox Sports YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE to the channel to ensure you never miss a thing. Four major projects headline this work: a new field which is expected to be finished this summer, new club seats set to be installed by early June, expansion to the plaza entrance at Gate D tying the building to downtown is envisioned for late July's Cincinnati Music Fest, and an enhanced TV system earmarked for the preseason. Tradition is also getting a ticket in the new club seats. In a nod to the stadium being the first footprint on The Banks, the Bengals are using forest green for the color. It's the closest shade to the original color of the seats, when the plans for the parks and green space were merely on paper. Now that reality sprouts around the building, the Bengals decided the color scheme fits not only "The Jungle" theme, but also the kaleidoscopic view of the cityscape rolling on the Ohio River. Plus, Pope says orange seats would have faded into pink in about two years and black seats would have been too hot to the touch for much of the season. About 95% of the club seats have been installed on the east side with all that really needs to be done is attaching the new end-plate logos. Power washing is being completed on the west side while work continues on the concrete and drain repairs. "We're taking advantage of the seats being out of there," Pope says. Meanwhile, the tripling of the size of the plaza entrance at Gate D has begun. Pope figures fans see evidence of the work with the rise of a thickened concrete deck as the entrance widens from 60 feet and 200 feet. Two steel staircases are being added, one at the corner of Second and Elm streets and one along Elm Street near the Andrew J Brady Music Center, to help fans traverse from the tailgates to The Jungle and the rest of the Banks this fall. Once in the stadium, fans are going to be treated to twice as many TVs in a massive technology upgrade switching to a faster internet fiber optic system. The project scatters about 1,600 TVs around the building on gameday with many of the sets going in on the general admission concourses and the canopy level. Plus, they can now be controlled in one spot and personnel doesn't have to rely on remotes being used on-site. "That's fantastic because it allows for a better use of resources on gamedays," Pope says. "The added TVs really keep the fans connected as they move around the stadium." As the season looms closer, everyone will be working quickly to complete these projects ahead of the late-summer concerts. Another offseason filled with stadium improvements shows that both the Bengals and Hamilton County are committed to investing in the future of the stadium and delivering a best-in-class fan experience.

Cincinnati Bengals Start 0-2 AGAIN Following Frustrating Loss At Kansas City Chiefs | OTB 9.16.24

We discuss this Sports Illustrated article written by James Rapien about Ja'Marr Chases Contract Negotiation - https://www.si.com/nfl/bengals/news/sources-bengals-extension-talks-jamarr-chase-broke-down-over-one-key-detail-01j7efw7kkqx The Bengals had intense contract talks with star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, but the two sides didn't agree to a long-term deal before Sunday's regular season opener against the Patriots. Chase didn't participate in practice during training camp in hopes of landing a long-term extension with the team. The two sides were close to an agreement, league sources say. In fact, the Bengals offered Chase a four-year, $140 million contract with $90 million guaranteed. That guaranteed money included a $30 million signing bonus. Those raw numbers worked for Chase's camp, sources tell Bengals On SI. The lone snag in the agreement had to do with when guarantees would kick in. Chase was willing to sign a four-year extension that would've put him under contract through the 2029 season, sources say. His camp wanted the guaranteed money and injury protections to kick in earlier in the deal. That's when talks broke down. Essentially, the two sides couldn't agree on when Chase's guarantees would vest (become fully guaranteed). The Bengals' offer pushed it down the line (2027), which would protect the franchise over the next few seasons. Meanwhile, Chase didn't have the assurance of guarantees early in the contract, which puts him at risk if he were to suffer a serious injury. The Bengals and Chase were in the red zone. Heck, they might've been inside the 10-yard line, but a deal didn't get done before the season opener. They still can negotiate. And that's what's interesting about this process. There is no real deadline. Chase decided to play on Sunday, despite not getting a new contract. He could've sat out—especially with both sides close to a deal. Traditionally, the Bengals don't negotiate in season. Would they make an exception for Chase? If it's as simple as moving some of his guaranteed money up by a year or two—why not get it done? Only time will tell if they can come to an agreement. In reality, Chase and the Bengals weren't far apart in their contract talks even though they never agreed to a long-term extension.

Cincinnati Bengals Try to Avoid BACK TO BACK 0-2 Starts | Off the Bench 09-13-24

Headlines: 
The Reds lose the series finale in St Louis. 6-1 the final score as the Reds only mustered up 4 hits.
Sonny gray had a perfect game through 5 innings before jake fraley finally broke it up in the top of the 6th
Junis was solid yet again, throwing 5 innings of 3 hit, 1 run baseball.  He struck out 3.  His era drops to 2.73
Spiers looked atrocious as he gives up 4 earned runs on 7 hits and 3 walks. 
Jonathan India drove in the lone run for the reds.  
They are back at it tonight in Minnesota where it will be Julian Aguiar vs Bailey Ober.  Ober is 12-6 on the year with a 3.77 era while Aguiar has a 5.06 era in his limited time on the team.  
Around the league
The brewers shutout the giants 3-0.  Frankie Montas pitched 6 scoreless innings 
The Rangers win 5-4 over Seattle as Kumar Rocker struck out 7 in his debut
The rays beat the guardians 5-2
The Yankees barely hang on to beat the red sox as Aaron Judge has failed to hit a home run in now 16 consecutive games 
Rockies beat the Tigers and the Astros took care of business against the athletics. 
TNF
The bills obliterated the Dolphins 31-10. Tua was 17-25 with a touchdown and 3 interceptions.  But the story of the game is a concussion that occurred in the second half.  Tua was pulled from the game after a collision with Damar Hamlin.  Its his 3rd official head injury suffered in the NFL. 
James Cook rushed 11 times for 78 yards and 2 touchdowns including a 49 yard touchdown.  He also caught his lone target on a 17 yard touchdown.

Cincinnati Bengals Week Two A MUST WIN?!! | Off the Bench 09-12-24

Headlines: 
The reds fall to the cardinals 2-1 last night.  2 runs is the most reds pitching has given up in their last 4 games.  
Brandon williamson looked great tossing 5 innings of 3 hit baseball.  He struck out 5 as well
Fernando cruz strikes out 4 in his 5 outs.  
Buck Farmer gives up the losing run in the 8th inning.  
Jonathan india, spencer steer, santiago espinal, jake fraley and Noelvi Marte were the only reds to reach base.  
India is hitting 193 with a 299 obp and a 351 slug over his last month of baseball 
The reds and the cardinals are back at it TODAY at 115 for the rubber match where Jakob Junis takes on former red Sonny Gray.  Junis is 4-0 with a 2.82 era with a 0.92 whip.  Sonny is 12-9 with a 3.84 era with a 1.09 whip
Around the league
The Dodgers hang on to beat the cubs last night by a score of 10-8.  Shohei Ohtani steals another base and hits another home run. He has 48 stolen bases and 47 home runs
The giants rout the Brewers 13-2 as collin rea gives up 10 earned runs on 11 hits
Bryan Woo carried a perfect game into the 7th inning but unfortunately lost it.  Fortunately the mariners still beat the padres 5-2
The Athletics take the series from houston as Brent Rooker and Kyle McCann carried the way 
The Red Sox walked off the orioles last night in extra innings on a tyler oneil 3 run shot 
Angels lose to the twins 6-4
Royals fall to the yankees 4-3 in 11 innings 
Nationals beat the braves 5-1
Detroit scored 6 runs in the first inning and all of a sudden the tigers have life.  3 games out of a wild card spot
The pac 12 is back! Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State, and Fresno state will join the pac 12 in the 2026-2027 academic year.  Oregon st and washington state will remain.  

Did Joe Mixon Take A Shot at the Cincinnati Bengals? Jay Morrison Joins Us | Off the Bench 09-11-24

Watch Off the Bench Presented by UDF with Chatterbox Sports Monday-Friday 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. LIVE on the Chatterbox Sports YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE to the channel to ensure you never miss a thing. We discuss this Sports Illustrated article written by James Rapien about Ja'Marr Chases Contract Negotiation - https://www.si.com/nfl/bengals/news/sources-bengals-extension-talks-jamarr-chase-broke-down-over-one-key-detail-01j7efw7kkqx The Bengals had intense contract talks with star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, but the two sides didn't agree to a long-term deal before Sunday's regular season opener against the Patriots. Chase didn't participate in practice during training camp in hopes of landing a long-term extension with the team. The two sides were close to an agreement, league sources say. In fact, the Bengals offered Chase a four-year, $140 million contract with $90 million guaranteed. That guaranteed money included a $30 million signing bonus. Those raw numbers worked for Chase's camp, sources tell Bengals On SI. The lone snag in the agreement had to do with when guarantees would kick in. Chase was willing to sign a four-year extension that would've put him under contract through the 2029 season, sources say. His camp wanted the guaranteed money and injury protections to kick in earlier in the deal. That's when talks broke down. Essentially, the two sides couldn't agree on when Chase's guarantees would vest (become fully guaranteed). The Bengals' offer pushed it down the line (2027), which would protect the franchise over the next few seasons. Meanwhile, Chase didn't have the assurance of guarantees early in the contract, which puts him at risk if he were to suffer a serious injury. The Bengals and Chase were in the red zone. Heck, they might've been inside the 10-yard line, but a deal didn't get done before the season opener. They still can negotiate. And that's what's interesting about this process. There is no real deadline. Chase decided to play on Sunday, despite not getting a new contract. He could've sat out—especially with both sides close to a deal. Traditionally, the Bengals don't negotiate in season. Would they make an exception for Chase? If it's as simple as moving some of his guaranteed money up by a year or two—why not get it done? Only time will tell if they can come to an agreement. In reality, Chase and the Bengals weren't far apart in their contract talks even though they never agreed to a long-term extension.

No Tee Higgins vs Chiefs? The Cincinnati Bengals Panic Meter | Off the Bench 09-10-24

Watch Off the Bench Presented by UDF with Chatterbox Sports Monday-Friday 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. LIVE on the Chatterbox Sports YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE to the channel to ensure you never miss a thing. Article Written by Jason Williams Cincinnati Enquirer Everyone came happily wearing orange to Paycor Stadium. They left with red faces. They had every right to be spitting angry after the Bengals’ 16-10 loss to the lowly New England Patriots, especially at Bengals coach Zac Taylor. Players say Taylor ran a tougher training camp to try to reverse the Bengals' history of slow starts during his tenure. But it's the same ol', same ol' season-opening narrative: The Bengals flat out weren’t prepared to play. They were hardly competitive. They were uninspired and stunk in every facet of the game. There’s no excuse for this one, and certainly plenty of things to be alarmed about as the Bengals prepare to head to Kansas City to face the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs. The Bengals opened at home in front of a sold-out crowd, which answered the call to blanket the stadium in orange clothing. The weather was picture-perfect, unlike last year’s season-opening debacle in rainy Cleveland. And the Bengals didn’t have to open against an AFC North rival like they did the past two seasons. They were given the gift of playing what’s widely projected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season – and they missed the layup. Remember this one come December, when the playoff race is in full go mode. Will it come back to cost the Bengals a playoff spot? Or will it ultimately hurt their playoff seeding? Cincinnati faces the likelihood of starting 0-2 for the third consecutive year, and for fifth time in Taylor’s six seasons. Suddenly, an opening-month schedule that looked mostly easy – except the trip to Arrowhead – doesn't look so soft anymore. You could argue that last season’s 0-2 start came back to cost the Bengals a playoff spot. Had they won at least one of the first two games, they likely would’ve made the postseason – even with quarterback Joe Burrow sidelined for the final 1½ months of the 2023 season. Burrow says he's healthy now, but his injury history is a big reason not to simply blow off this season-opening loss. The margin for error is razor thin for a franchise that’s built everything around the man who wears jersey No. 9. The downfield passing attack that Burrow and the offense is known for was nonexistent. Even still, Burrow & Co. had a chance to drive the field for a winning touchdown when the Bengals got the ball back with 3:04 left in the fourth quarter. But they gained all of five yards on the possession and had to punt. Receiver Ja'Marr Chase called it the most frustrating possession of the game.

Reactions To Cincinnati Bengals Loss to the New England Patriots | Off the Bench 09-09-24

Headlines: 
The Bengals lose the opener to one of the leagues worst teams.  The patriots win 16-10. 
Joe Burrow was 21-29 for 164 yards and took 3 sacks 
Zack Moss ran it 9 times for 44 yards and a touchdown.
Ja’Marr chase caught 6 passes for 62 yards 
Gesicki and Yoshi both caught three balls.
Mcpherson nailed his lone 51 yard attempt 
Rhamondre Stevenson ran for 120 yards on 25 carries adding a touchdown.  
Around the league
Rams fall 26-20 in overtime
Chargers win 22-10 in Harbaugh’s debut as jk dobbins rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown 
Buccaneers win 37-20 as Baker Mayfield tosses 4 touchdowns
Cowboys obliterate the cleveland browns 33-17.  Prescott signed 4 year 240 million dollar deal before the game. They didnt have to do much because Deshaun Watson was 24-45 for 169 yards and two interceptions. 
Seahawks survive against the Broncos 26-20 as kenneth walker rushed 20 times for 103 yards and a touchdown
Steelers beat the Falcons 18-10 without scoring a touchdown
Bills were down 17-3 early against the cardinals but comeback to win 34-28.  DeeJay Dallas scored the first touchdown with the new kickoff rules and marvin harrison jr only caught one pass in his debut
Bears win 24-17 without scoring an offensive touchdown. Caleb williams went 14-29 for 93 yards.  They had 148 yards of total offense 
Texans survive 29-27 as former bengal joe mixon rushed 30 times for 160 yards and a touhcdown.  He added 3 catches for 19 yards 
Dolphins come back to beat the jaguars 20-17.  Tyreek Hill’s 80 yard touchdown was followed by a handcuff celebration 
Saints obliterate the panthers 47-10.  Bryce Young threw for 13-30 with 2 picks.  
Vikings won 28-6 as sam darnold and aaron jones carried the way
MLB
The Reds lose the series against the Mets but they won yesterday 3-1. 

No Word On Ja'Marr Chase Extension for Cincinnati Bengals Before Week 1 | CBox Streams 09-06-24

Headlines: 
 
The reds have now won 9 straight against the houston astros. Rhett Lowder threw 6 and a third innings allowing 4 hits while striking out 3
Tony Santillion and Alexis Diaz brought it home as the Reds hold on 1-0
Ty France tied a record for best batting average in a 3 game series hitting .818 with 9 hits.  
Jake Fraley also added a couple of hits with a double.  
Spencer steer did draw a walk that resulted in a strikeout
Reds are back at it tonight against the New York Mets where season long starting pitcher Fernando Cruz is taking on Sean Manaea. Cruz enters play with a 4.99 era and a 1.35 whip.  Sean Manaea enters play with a 3.35 era and a 1.12 whip. 
Around the league 
The Tigers were down to their final strike and trailing 3-0 when Parker Meadows hit a go ahead grand slam  to win the game.  Tigers beat the padres 4-3
Rangers beat the angels 3-1
Rockies win 3-1 against the Braves who are now tied with the Mets for the final wild card spot
Pirates crush the nationals 9-4
Phillies win 5-2 over the marlins 
Patrick bailey walked it off for the giants in their win over arizona
NFL
The chiefs beat the baltimore ravens in the NFL opener.  27-20 the final score as the Ravens were a toe away from tying the game
Patrick Mahomes was 20-28 for 291 yards, a touchdown, and the worst interception ive ever seen.
Isaiah Pacheco went 15-45 on the ground with a touchdown 
Rashee Rice caught 7 passes for over 100 yards
Kelce caught 3 passes for 34 yards and finished the night 4th in receiving 
Xavier worthy started his career out hot with 2 catches for 47 yards and a touchdown as well as a 21 yard rushing touchdown 
Lamar was 26-41 for 273 yards and a touchdown. He added 122 yards on 16 carries 
Derrick henry was neutralized with 13 carries for 46 yards and a touchdown
Isaiah Likely had 9 catches for 111 yards and a touchdown
Zay flowers caught 6 passes for 37 yards 
Chiefsaholic gets 17 years for robberies