NY Comeback! New York Jets vs. Cincinnati Bengals FULL GAME | NFL 2025 Season Week 8

NY Comeback! New York Jets vs. Cincinnati Bengals FULL GAME | NFL 2025 Season Week 8

NAMES. SENSATIONAL START, CRAZY COUPLE OF WEEKS, FINALLY FELT LIKE THIS WAS A SEMINORMAL WEEK FOR HIM. WE HEARD THE REPORT FROM ADITI, AND CAN HE KEEP IT GOING AGAINST A JETS DEFENSE THAT’S PLAYING BETTER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS? ADAM: IF YOU THROW ME THE BALL 23 TIMES, I’LL PUT IT IN THE EXTRA WORK. THAT’S EASY. SPERO: AND WE ARE OFF AND RUNNING HERE AT CINCINNATI. RETURNED THERE BY CHARLIE JONES. OUT ACROSS THE 20-YARD LINE, AND THAT IS WHERE JOE FLACCO AND THE CINCINNATI OFFENSE ARE GOING TO BEGIN. 31-47 LAST THURSDAY NIGHT, 342 YARDS AND THREE TOUCHDOWNS, ARCH, AGAINST THE REALLY GOOD PITTSBURGH DEFENSE. ADAM: AND REALLY, WHAT WAS AMAZING ABOUT IT IS IT JUST LOOKED LIKE IT CAME EASY TO HIM. HE WAS COOL AND CALM IN THAT POCKET. NOTHING SEEMED TO FAZE HIM. WHEN THEY HAD TO GO DOWN THERE ON THE LAST DRIVE MAKE THE PLAYS, NOT AFRAID TO BE AGGRESSIVE AND MAKE THE BIG THROWS DOWN THE FIELD. SPERO: BENGALS BEGIN WITH THE RUN GAME THAT FINALLY AWOKE, AWAKENED, I BEG YOUR PARDON, THE LAST VICTORY AGAINST THE STEELERS. ADAM: LISTEN, THERE’S NO SAUCE GARDNER, THE JETS’ NUMBER ONE CORNER. THE ROOKIE THOMAS GETTING HIS FIRST START OF THE SEASON. AND IT DOESN’T MATTER WHO HE LINES UP AGAINST, WHETHER IT’S CHASE OR HIGGINS, HE’S GOING TO HAVE HIS HANDS FULL. I CAN GUARANTEE YOU HE’S GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF CHANCES TO SHOW WHAT HE CAN DO. SPERO: THIS STAFF LOVES THIS KID, THOMAS, PHYSICALITY. BUT BOY, IS HE UNDER THE MICROSCOPE FOR THE BENGALS. FIRST DOWN AND MORE FOR CINCINNATI. THE TIGHT END, TANNER HUDSON, OVER THE MIDDLE, A PICKUP OF NINE. AND FLACCO GETS THEM AN EARLY FIRST DOWN. WE MENTIONED THE BIG HOLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT BACK END OF THE DEFENSE FOR THE JETS. THAT’S THE BAD NEWS. THE GOOD NEWS, THEY GET QUINCY WILLIAMS BACK. HE’S BEEN ON THE SHELF SINCE WEEK FOUR. ADAM: YEAH, AND A RUN DEFENSE THAT’S PLAYED PRETTY WELL FOR THE MOST PART THIS SEASON. THEY’VE LET SOME QUARTERBACKS GET AROUND AND MAKE SOME PLAYS DOWN THE FIELD, RUNNING THE FOOTBALL. BUT THEY’VE REALLY PLAYED SOME GOOD BALL, ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS. SPERO: BROWN TRYING TO FIND THE EDGE. GOOD PURSUIT, BREAKS THE INITIAL TACKLE, GETS HIM A COUPLE OF YARDS. CISCO THERE FOR THE JETS. YOU JUST SAW DYLAN FAIRCHILD BACK IN THE LINEUP, MISSED THE LAST TWO GAMES WITH THE KNEE INJURY AND WAS PROBABLY READY TO PLAY LAST THURSDAY NIGHT, BUT ZAC TAYLOR HELD HIM BACK AS THEIR OFFENSIVE LINE GETS CLOSER TO FULL STRENGTH. >> AND THEY’VE GOT TWO ROOKIES AT BOTH GUARDS, FAIRCHILD AT LEFT AND JALEN RIVERS AT RIGHT GUARD. AND THEY’RE GOING UP AGAINST A FRONT THAT I THINK IS GOING TO GIVE THEM A BIG CHALLENGE, WITH QUINNEN WILLIAMS. BRIGGS REALLY GOOD SOME GOOD FOOTBALL INSIDE. SPERO: SCHEDULED AND 8. BENGALS PLAYING FROM THEIR OWN 42. FLACCO NEAR SIDE OF THE FIELD, AND THAT THING FALLS INCOMPLETE TO SET HIM UP WITH A THIRD AND 8. ZAC TAYLOR TELLING US THIS WEEK THEY GOT DEEPER IN THEIR PLAYBOOK, TRYING TO OPEN THINGS UP GRAD WAIL, NOT TRYING TO OVERLOAD FLACCO WITH THE VERBIAGE AND PLAY CALLS. ADAM: HE’S GOT A BIG — A BIG ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FOOTBALL KNOWLEDGE TO DRAW FROM. AND AGAIN, WHEN YOU HAVE THE RECEIVERS THAT YOU HAVE, IT MAKES THINGS MUCH, MUCH EASIER TO ACCLIMATE YOURSELF TO THIS OFFENSE. SPERO: FLACCO, QUICK RELEASE. NOT THE SLIGHTEST BIT OF HESITATION, FINDS HIS STAR, JA’MARR CHASE. HE TARGETED HIM 23 TIMES AGAINST THE STEELERS, FIRST DOWN, A PICKUP OF NINE. ADAM: THIS IS DESIGNED TO BEAT MAN TO MAN COVERAGE. HE’S GOING TO LINE UP INSIDE IN THE SLOT, FAKE LIKE HE’S GOING OUTSIDE TO GET THAT LITTLE PICK ROUTE, AND THE BALL COMING OUT ON TIME. THAT’S WHAT WAS IMPRESSIVE ABOUT WHAT WE SAW ON THURSDAY NIGHT, THE TIMING. HOW HE GOT THE BALL TO CHASE, HOW HE GOT THE BALL TO HIGGINS, IN THE QUICK GAME, AND ALSO DOWN THE FIELD. SPERO: A.F.C.’S OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR. FLACCO, PLAY-ACTION. SMOOTH DELIVERY, COMPLETE. NOAH FANT. AND ALREADY FLACCO SPREADING THE WEALTH. THEY PICK UP 15 MORE, AND ANOTHER CINCY FIRST DOWN. ADAM: LISTEN, THIS IS WHAT YOU CANNOT DO AGAINST FLACCO, LOOK AT THE POCKET. THERE’S ABOUT FIVE YARDS BETWEEN FLACCO AND THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. AND A QUARTERBACK LIKE THAT, THE NUMBER ONE THICK THAT JUMPS OUT IS HIS TEMPO AND SMOOTHNESS. IF HE CAN THROW IT ON TIME, THE JETS PASSING DEFENSE HAS NO CHANCE. SPERO: AND BROWN! SPRINTING THROUGH A GAPING HOLE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE 12-YARD LINE. WE’LL SEE WHERE THE OFFICIALS MARK THE FOOTBALL. MALAKI MOORE MAY HAVE SAVED A TOUCHDOWN. AND CHASE BROWN, WHO IS SOMEONE WHO REALLY STRUGGLED IN THE FIRST FIVE, SIX WEEKS OF THE SEASON, SUDDENLY LOOKS REBORN. HAROLD: HOW ABOUT THE LEFT GUARD AND THE CENTER PLAY? IT REALLY MAKES THIS BLOCK. BUT THEN QUINCY WILLIAMS, HE GOES BEHIND. HE GETS OUT OF HIS GAP, AND THERE YOU GO, CHASE BROWN, WHO ONLY HAD 11 CARRIES LAST WEEK, BUT HAD RUNS OF 27 AND 37 YARDS. IF HE CAN GET THOSE BIG, EXPLOSIVE PLAYS, IT’S GOING TO BE IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP THE OFFENSE. SPERO: FLACCO AGAIN, CLEAN POCKET, TRYING TO FORCE IT INTO A TIGHT WINDOW TO CHASE, AND IT FALLS INCOMPLETE. QUINCY WILLIAMS WAS THERE FOR OT BOY, WHAT A DIFFERENT OPERATION THIS THING HAS LOOKED LIKE OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS. ADAM: AND ZAC TAYLOR NOT AFRAID TO PLAY AN AGGRESSIVE STYLE OF FOOTBALL WITH FLACCO. SPERO: SAMAJE PERINE GETS HIS FIRST TOUCH, GOING TO DUCK INSIDE THE 10-YARD LINE FOR THE BENGALS. SO 22-YARD RUN BY CHASE BROWN TO GET THEM SET UP TO WHERE THEY ARE HERE, THIRD AND 6. ZAC TAYLOR LOOKS DOWN AT THAT PLAY SHEET FOR THE BENGALS. ADAM: TO ME, HOW I SEE IT, THE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR FOR THE JETS, AND AARON GLENN, DEFENSIVE-MINDED HEAD COACH FOR THE JETS, THEIR NUMBER ONE TASK TODAY IS GOING TO BE HOW CAN WE PRESSURE, HOW CAN WE DISRUPT? HOW CAN WE GET JOE FLACCO TO MOVE OFF HIS SPOT SO FAR IN THIS GAME THEY HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO GET CLOSE. SPERO: FLACCO TAKES A SNAPSHOT OF THE DEFENSE. THIRD AND 6, OVER THE MIDDLE, INCOMPLETE. HUDSON WAS THE INTENDED TARGET, AND ALREADY YOU’RE SEEING THE IMPRINT AND THE INFLUENCE OF QUINCY WILLIAMS, ONE OF THE REALLY ASCENDING DEFENDERS WE’VE SEEN IN THE LEAGUE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF SEASONS FOR THE JETS. ADAM: YEAH, NICE JOB. YOU GOT TO CONSIDER THIS A WIN. REALLY GOOD JOB BY THIS DEFENSE AFTER GIVING UP A COUPLE OF BIG PLAYS. YOU GIVE UP A BIG RUN TO CHASE BROWN, BUT IN THE RED ZONE, IF YOU CAN TIGHTEN UP AND YOU CAN FORCE INCOMPLETIONS AND FORCE FIELD GOALS, YOU GOT TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT WHAT YOU JUST DID IN THAT FIRST DRIVE. SPERO: EVAN MCPHERSON, WHO WAS TREMENDOUS LAST THURSDAY NIGHT AGAINST THE STEELERS, HIT ALL FOUR OF HIS FIELD GOALS, ON FOR A 26-YARD CHIP SHOT. GOOD SNAP, GOOD HOLD, AND CINCINNATI IS GOING TO COME AWAY WITH THREE POINTS. JETS DEFENSE ABLE TO HOLD AFTER A COUPLE OF BIG PLAYS THAT THEY GAVE UP. SIDELINE, JOE BURROW HOPING FOR A MID-DECEMBER RETURN. A LITTLE LESS URGENCY WITH THE PLAY OF JOE FLACCO AS HE LEADS THE BENGALS ON AN EARLY DRIVE TO GET A FEW POINTS. ADAM: SPERO, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THIS JOB? DON’T YOU KNOW IT’S ONE PLAY, ONE GAME AT A TIME, AND YOU’RE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT DECEMBER. SPERO: I LOVE WHEN YOU HIT ME WITH THE CLICHES. ADAM: YES. SPERO: WILLIAMS CROSSES THE 25, OUT TO THE 30-YARD LINE. THAT IS WHERE JUSTIN FIELDS AND THIS MUCH-MALIGNED JETS OFFENSE IS GOING TO BEGIN. THE PASSING OFFENSE, THE STRUGGLES OF FIELDS, BENCHED LAST WEEK, HALFTIME OF THEIR LOSS AT HOME TO THE PANTHERS, ARCH. WHERE DOES HE AND THIS OFFENSE GO ON THE ROAD AGAINST THE DEFINITION? ADAM: THERE’S NO DOUBT THE PASSING GAME HAS GONE BACKWARDS, ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS. AS STRONG AS HE IS MENTALLY, AND AS MUCH AS HE SAYS IT DOESN’T BOTHER HIM, IT’S GOT TO BE VERY DIFFICULT TO BLOCK OUT ALL THE NOISE AND ALL THE CHAOS, BUT THAT’S WHAT HE HAS TO DO IN THIS GAME. HE’S GOT TO GO OUT THERE AND TRUST HIS INSTINCTS AND JUST LET IT RIP. SPERO: PITCH PLAY. THIS IS BREECE HALL TRYING TO BOUNCE TO THE EDGE, GOOD PURSUIT BY THE BENGALS. AND AMONG THE TACKLERS WAS CAM TAYLOR-BRITT. BOY, AS IF THIS WASN’T CHALLENGING ENOUGH, WITH THE WORST RATED PASSING OFFENSE IN THE LEAGUE, NO GARRETT WILSON FOR A SECOND STRAIGHT WEEK, AND THEIR NUMBER TWO WIDE RECEIVER, JOSH REYNOLDS ALSO UNAVAILABLE. ADAM: YEAH, I MEAN, IT’S GOING TO BE A BIG CHALLENGE. AND TO ME, IT’S NOT REALLY THE — IT’S NOT THE STRENGTH OF JUSTIN FIELDS TO BE A POINT GUARD, DISTRIBUTION TYPE QUARTERBACK, AND THAT’S REALLY WHAT YOU HAVE TO BE IN A GAME LIKE THIS, WHEN YOU DON’T REALLY HAVE YOUR GO-TO TARGET LIKE GARRETT WILSON. SO HE IS GOING TO HAVE TO ADAPT. SPERO: FIELDS, DESIGNED RUN. WONDERED IF WE WOULD SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT IN THIS JETS OFFENSE. THIRD DOWN. ADAM: LISTEN, WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT HIS TARGETS. THAT’S WHY, TO ME, LOOKS LIKE THEY’RE HURRYING UP, BUT YOU GOT TO GET BREECE HALL INVOLVED, ONLY 11 RUSHING ATTEMPTS. HE’S GOING UP AGAINST THE DEFENSE THAT HAS STRUGGLED MIGHTILY SINCE THEIR FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON. TO STOP THE RUN. BREECE HALL HAS TO GET HIS TOUCHES. SPERO: THIRD AND SHORT. ISAIAH DAVIS, DID HE GET ENOUGH? NO SIGNAL FROM THE OFFICIALS. IT’S GOING TO BE CLOSE, AND HE IS SHORT. AND IT LOOKS LIKE AARON GLENN, ADAM, IS GOING TO KEEP HIS OFFENSE ON THE FIELD. SAW THIS LAST WEEK, THEY WENT FOR IT ON FOURTH DOWN, BUT THEY WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL ON THE FIRST DRIVE AGAINST THE PANTHERS. THEY’RE GOING TO ROLL THE TUESDAY AGAIN, AND WHY NOT, AT 0-7. ADAM: TO ME, YOUR BEST ASSET, LOOKS LIKE IT’S A SHORT ONE, USING JUSTIN FIELDS, MOST LIKELY IN A QUARTERBACK SNEAK SCENARIO. SPERO: THEY SNAP IT WITH ONE OF THE — WITH ONE ON THE PLAY CLOCK, AND BURIED! CARTER, ONE OF THEIR ROOKIE LINEBACKERS IN THE MIDDLE WAS THERE. THEY LOSE TWO. ADAM: I TELL YOU WHAT, JUST EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT JOB BY CARTER. BUT THERE WAS A SWARM, JUST A SWARM OF CINCINNATI BENGAL DEFENDARON GLENN STILL SHAKING HIS HEAD. ARCH, HE DENT LOVE THAT PLAY CALL. LOOK AT THE REPLAY AFTER THIS, BUT FIRST AND 10 FOR CINCINNATI, AS THEY TAKE OVER ON DOWNS. THE JETS COME UP SHORT ON FOURTH AND LESS THAN A YARD. COMPLETE, BACK TO THE TIGHT END FANT. AND THIS BENGALS OFFENSE IS ROLLING ALREADY, ARCH, TAKE US BACK TO THE FOURTH DOWN PLAY JUST A MOMENT AGO FOR THE JETS. ADAM: I JUST THINK THAT IN FOURTH AND LESS THAN A YARD, YOU JUST — QUARTERBACK SNEAK IT OR GO DOWN. RIGHT THERE, IT’S JOE FLACCO ON THE BOOTLEG PASS TO GET THAT STARTED. BUT I JUST THINK THAT YOUR BEST CHANCE WAS TO GO FORWARD INSTEAD OF TRYING TO GO LATERALLY. BUT THE BENGALS WERE JUST ALL OVER IT. SPERO: NOAH FANT ALREADY A COUPLE OF CATCHES, AS FLACCO SPREADING THE FOOTBALL AROUND. HERE’S CHASE, SET UP ON THE QUICK RELEASE. AND NOW, ARCH, TAKE US BACK TO THE FOURTH DOWN SEQUENCE FOR THE JETS. ADAM: FIRST OF ALL, YOU’VE GOT TO GET A BETTER BLOCK RIGHT HERE BY SMITH, BECAUSE CARTER IS JUST GOING TO FLOW. AND IF YOU GET THIS BLOCK, THERE’S A CHANCE THAT YOU’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HIT THIS CREASE. BUT YOU SEE THE CINCINNATI BENGALS WERE ALL OVER IT. ARIAN SMITH JUST WHIFFS ON CARTER COMING UNDERNEATH THAT BLOCK, AND THE BENGALS STUFF IT ON FOURTH DOWN. SPERO: HANDOFF TAKEN BY CHASE BROWN. LOOKS LIKE THERE’S TWO, THREE YARDS SHORT. ARCH, EVERYONE ALWAYS TALKS ABOUT THE COACH’S LACK OF PLAY CALL. BUT RIGHT THERE, THEY SCHEME IT UP, YOU HIT THAT BLOCK, MAYBE IT’S A DIFFERENT OUTCOME. OBVIOUSLY THE FURTHEST THING FROM AARON GLENN’S MIND, HOPING HIS DEFENSE CAN HOLD AGAIN. ADAM: ON THE LAST THIRD DOWN, THE JETS CHOSE TO DOUBLE JA’MARR CHASE IN THE RED ZONE. LOOKS LIKE RIGHT HERE THEY’RE GOING TO SINGLE HIM UP. AND IF HE IS SINGLE, I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE FLACCO GO RIGHT AT JA’MARR CHASE. SPERO: HERE’S PERINE, FIRST DOWN AND MORE. SPINS HIS WAY, LET’S SEE WHERE THEY MARK HIM. LOOKS LIKE THEY’RE GOING TO MARK HIM JUST SHY OF THE END ZONE. POWERFUL RUNNING FROM PERINE. FIRST AND GOAL, CINCINNATI. THEY’RE GOING TO MARK HIM DOWN ABOUT SIX INCHES SHY OF THE END ZONE. ADAM: TO ME, THAT WAS ALL JOE FLACCO. HE SAW THE DEFENSE, YOU NOTICE HE CHECKED TO THAT PLAY. THE JETS WERE MISALIGNED, AND HE CALLED THE PERFECT PLAY FOR PERINE TO GET DOWNHILL. SPERO: FLACCO ON THE KEEPER. FLACCO, TOUCHDOWN! BOY, THIS JETS DEFENSE ALREADY PLAYING ON ITS HEELS. FLACCO AND COMPANY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE SHORT FIELD, AND JOE FLACCO WITH THE 17TH RUSHING TOUCHDOWN OF HIS 18-YEAR CAREER. ADAM: YEAH, NOTHING WRONG WITH A QUARTERBACK SNEAK BEHIND YOUR 40-YARD LINE 6’6″, 245-POUND DAD QUARTERBACK. FOR YOUR FIRST TOUCHDOWN OF THE GAME. SPERO: MCPHERSON COMES ON FOR THE POINT AFTER. AND CINCINNATI GOING TO TRY TO PUSH THIS THING TO A 10-0 LEAD. THE GOOD SNAP, GOOD HOLD, AND MCPHERSON RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE. SO AARON GLENN, THE DECISION TO GO FOR IT ON FOURTH AND SHORT. BREECE HALL STUFFED. AND THEN FLACCO AND THE CINCINNATI OFFENSE MAKING QUICK WORK OF THE JETS. ONLY BEEN IN L OF FIVE YEARS. LAST FIVE YEARS, ON THE DETROIT STAFF UNDER DAN CAMPBELL. LAST TWO AS BEN JOHNSON’S PASSING GAME COORDINATOR. AND RIGHT NOW HE’S ONE OF THE PEOPLE UNDER FIRE WITH THIS JETS OFFENSE THAT’S REALLY STRUGGLED, TO SAY THE LEAST, TO BEGIN THE SEASON. AS WE GO DOWNSTAIRS TO ADITI. ADITI: I JUST WATCHED AARON GLENN, VERY HEATEDLY SPEAK TO TANNER ENGSTRAND. HE WAVED HIS ARMS A BIT. MAYBE THAT WILL BE ENOUGH TO JUICE THINGS UP HERE. SPERO: TENSE TIME CERTAINLY ON THAT SIDELINE. EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK WITH THE BENCHING, WOULD IT BE TIE ROD OR JUSTIN FIELDS? EVERYONE PUTTING THEIR HEADS TOGETHER TO TRY TO FIGURE IT OUT FOR THE JETS OFFENSE. ADAM: CERTAINLY, I MEAN, NOW YOU’RE IN A POSITION THAT YOU DIDN’T WANT TO BE IN. IT’S STILL IN THE FIRST QUARTER, BUT OBVIOUSLY THIS OFFENSE ISN’T DESIGNED TO BE A PASS-FIRST OFFENSE. SO YOU STILL HAVE TO BE PATIENT. I DON’T THINK JUST DROPPING BACK JUSTIN FIELDS OVER AND OVER AGAIN IS GOING TO BE YOUR ANSWER. SPERO: PASS GAME HERE, THIS IS HALL. THEY TRIED TO GET HIM MORE IN PATRIOTS. BACK TO YOU. SPERO: ALL RIGHT, ADAM. CINCINNATI FANS KEEPING CLOSE TABS ON THAT ONE. FIRST DOWN, JETS. PITCH PLAY TO HALL. AND HALL TRIPPED UP, JUST BARELY TRYING TO GET BACK TO THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. D.J. TURNER, WHO HAS BEEN REBORN AFTER A SLOW START, BENCHING, A LITTLE BIT OF A DEMOTION TO BEGIN THE SEASON, PLAYING AS WELL AS ANY QUARTERBACK IN THE NFL. ADAM: HE REALLY IS. HE’S PLAYING REALLY THE ONLY DEFENSIVE BACK HERE FOR CINCINNATI, PLAYING AT A HIGH LEVEL. THIS TIME HE COMES UP, MAKES A GREAT TACKLE IN THE OPEN FIELD. BUT HE’S REALLY DONE A GREAT JOB IN MAN TO MAN COVERAGE. THAT INTERCEPTION LAST WEEK IS ABOUT AS GOOD OF AN INTERCEPTION AS YOU WOULD POSSIBLY EVER SEE AGAINST D.K. METCALF. SPERO: A MISDIRECTION. JETS RIGHT UP THE MIDDLE WITH ISAIAH DAVIS. YOU GO BACK TOOT DECISION BY AARON GLENN, OF COURSE, YOU’RE 0-7, EVERYONE SAYS WHY NOT GO FOR IT? YOUR DEFENSE IS PLAYING REALLY WELL. YOU PUT YOURSELVES IN KIND OF A TOUGH DECISION, SHORT FIELD, AND NOW THEY’RE PLAYING CATCHUP. ADAM: HE EARNED UNDER DAN CAMPBELL, AN AGGRESSIVE COACH, AND IT’S MORE IN VOGUE FOR COACHES TO GO FOR IT, ESPECIALLY IF THEY FEEL LIKE IT’S GOING TO GIVE THEIR TEAM A SHOT IN THE ARM OR SOME ENERGY. I’M A LITTLE OLD SCHOOL. I’M NOT A BELIEVER OF CONSISTENTLY GOING FOR IT WHEN YOU’RE NOT A STRONG OFFENSE IN YOUR OWN TERRITORY. SPERO: ON THIRD AND 9. FIELDS UNDERNEATH TO DAVIS. NEVER HAD A CHANCE. BARRETT CARTER, AND THESE ROOKIE LINEBACKERS FOR THE BENGALS FLYING ALL OVER THE PLACE. FOR AL GOLDEN AND THIS CINCY DEFENSE. ADAM: I TELL YOU WHAT, CARTER, HE’S BEEN UNBLOCKABLE. YOU SAW IN THAT FIRST, IT WAS A WIDE RECEIVER TRYING TO BLOCK HIM. AND THEN THIS LAST TIME, AN OFFENSIVE LINEMAN IN THE OPEN FIELD JUST PLAYING AGGRESSIVE, AGGRESSIVE FOOTBALL. THIS DEFENSE RIGHT NOW, FIRED UP TO PLAY AT HOME IN FRONT OF THEIR FANS. SPERO: FIRST-YEAR PUNTER AUSTIN MCNAMARA PUTS IT IN PLAY, AND CHARLIE JONES, THEY’RE GOING TO MARK HIM OUT OF BOUNDS RIGHT AROUND THE 25-YARD LIN BOTH OF O FRANCHISES. AS HE’S GOT THE CINCINNATI TEAM IN FRONT, 10-0, LATE STAGES, FIRST QUARTER, HERE IN CINCINNATI. PITCH PLAY TO CHASE BROWN. AND HE’S GOING BACKWARDS. EXCELLENT PLAY BY WITNESS I WILLIAMS, AS WE GO DOWNSTAIRS TO ADITI. ADITI: WE KNOW MIKE TOMLIN THOUGHT IT WAS CRAZY THE BROWNS SENT JOE FLACCO TO THE BENGALS. THERE’S ACTUALLY A LOT MORE TO THIS STORY. WHEN THE BENGALS G.M. CALLED ANDREW BERRY WITH THE BROWNS, BERRY SAID, WHOA, LET ME TAKE THIS TO FLACCO. HE WENT TO FLACCO, HE SAID I KNOW THAT YOU WANT TO START IN THIS LEAGUE. I THINK YOU COULD DO IT THERE. AND HE SAID IF YOU WANT TO DO THIS, THEN I’M WILLING TO DO IT FOR YOU. THERE’S MORE, SPERO. SPERO: CRAZY COUPLE OF WEEKS. RAISED EYEBROWS AROUND THE LEAGUE WHEN THAT THING WAS ANNOUNCED. FLACCO FEELING PRESSURE FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND SOMEHOW ABLE TO GET IT OUT. NONETHELESS, AS HE FINDS PERINE, THE EMOTIONAL PENDULUM, STARTED WITH CLEVELAND, THEN THE BENCHING AS THEY WENT TO GABRIEL. SO FLACCO WONDERED, BOY, IS THIS IT? AND YOU GET THAT PHONE CALL LATE ONE NIGHT FROM ANDREW BERRY, AND HERE HE IS IN CINCINNATI. ADAM: YEAH, YOU THINK HE REALLY HAD TO SELL HIM? HEY, WHY DON’T YOU COME HERE AND START? WHO ARE THE RECEIVERS? WHO AM I GOING TO THROW THE FOOTBALL TO? WELL, JA’MARR CHASE, TEE HIGGINS. EASY DECISION. SPERO: INCREDIBLE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES, AND BOY, ONCE AGAIN, JUST LIKE WE SAW FROM HIM A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AFTER HE JOINED CLEVELAND, LATE IN THE SEASON IN NOVEMBER, HE TOOK IT BY THE HORNS. FLACCO, FIRST ERRANT PASS OF THE DAY, LOOKING IN THE DIRECTION OF CHASE. ADITI: THERE IS MORE TO THISSER TO. JOE FLACCO WENT TO HIS WIFE, WHO SAID OF COURSE YOU HAVE TO DO THIS. AND FLACCO SAID HE DIDN’T KNOW IF IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED ANYWAY. I ACTUALLY CALLED THE BROWNS G.M., ANDREW BERRY, AND HE SAID NO, HE WOULDN’T HAVE SHIPPED HIM OFF TO THE BENGALS IF JOE WASN’T COMFORTABLE WITH IT. THAT’S HOW MUCH RESPECT THE BROWNS HAVE FOR FLACCO. SPERO: YEAH, AND THAT GOES BACK TO WHAT FLACCO DID FOR THAT FRANCHISE, AGAIN, THE 2023 SEASON, AN INCREDIBLE RUN, 4-1 FINISH TO THE YEAR, GOT THEM INTO THE PLAYOFFS. SO HE’S PAYING THE VETERAN QUARTERBACK HIS RESPECTS. ISAIAH WILLIAMS RUNS IT OUT OF BOUNDS, A 66-YARD PUNT BY THE LATE STAGES IN THE FIRST QUARTER. WINLESS TEAM IN THE NFL. THIS STAFF DEALING WITH ALL THE TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM THAT HOT NEW YORK MEDIA. CAN THEY FIND SOME ANSWERS HERE AGAINST THE SUDDENLY SURGING BENGALS TEAM? PLAY-ACTION FROM FIELDS. PROTECTED POCKET CLEAN OVER THE MIDDLE, COMPLETE, AND THAT’S ANDREW BECK GOING TO BE REALLY CLOSE TO THE LINE, A PICKUP OF NINE. KNIGHT, ONE OF THE ROOKIE LINEBACKERS FOR AL GOLDEN, WHO IS THE D.C. HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. IT’S HIS SECOND ESTIMATE. HE WAS A LINEBACKER COACH ON THE BACK-TO-BACK DIVISION TITLE-WINNING TEAMS. HIS DEFENSE GETTING HEALTHIER. ADAM: YEAH, IT’S BIG TO HAVE HENDRICKSON BACK. WITHOUT HIM IN THE GAME, THEIR PASS RUSH, THE WORST IN THE NFL, IS VIRTUALLY NONEXISTENT. AND TAYLOR-BRITT GETTING HIM BACK UP TO HIS FORM, WHAT HE’S CAPABLE OF, IF HE CAN DO THAT, IT GIVES THEM MUCH MORE FLEXIBILITY IN DEFENSE. SPERO: THE HEAVY PACKAGE, SIX OFFENSIVE LINEMEN, AND BREECE HALL GETTING THE PUSH THAT HE NEEDED, PICKS UP FOUR, AND IT’S GOING TO BE A JETS FIRST DOWN AS WE ARE NOW INSIDE A HALF MINUTE LEFT IN THIS OPENING QUARTER. ADAM: THIS IS A GOOD CHANCE ON THIS DRIVE FOR THE JETS TO REALLY TRY TO GET THEIR OFFENSE ON TRACK. I’VE SEEN TWO THINGS THAT I LIKE THAT I WANT TO SEE MORE OF. IN THE FIRST DRIVE, DESIGNED QUARTERBACK RUN. AND THEN ON THIS DRIVE, YOU SAW SOME PLAY-ACTION. THOSE ARE THE TWO PLACES WHERE JUSTIN FIELDS HAS PLAYED HIS BEST. SPERO: DOESN’T LOOK LIKE THEY WILL SNAP THE FOOTBALL, AND THEY WILL NOT. THAT’S GOING TO GET US TO THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER HERE IN CINCINNATI. BENGALS WITH A 10-0 LEAD SPERO: JETS OFFENSIVE STRUGGLES CONTINUING AFTER WHAT WE SAW THE FIRST SEVEN WEEKS OF THE SEASON. THEY GOT THEIR FIRST KIND OF POSITIVE THING WORKING ON THIS POSSESSION, AS THEY PLAY OUTSIDE THE 35. A LITTLE MISDIRECTION. THIS IS WILLIAMS, AGAIN, THE TOUCH INTO OPEN FIELD INSIDE CINCINNATI TERRITORY. THEY PICK UP 25 TO GET THE JETS IN BUSINESS. ADAM: THIS IS REALLY A NICE PLAY CALL HERE, JUST USING THE SPEED TO GET AROUND THE EDGE AND GET TO THE PERIMETER, AND LISTEN, THAT’S A MISMATCH. I UNDERSTAND THAT DEMETRIUS KNIGHT, HE’S A PRETTY GOOD ATHLETE, BUT THAT SPEED, AND ONE OF THE RARE POSITIVE PLAYS. SPERO: ISAIAH WILLIAMS, WHO HAD JUST ONE OFFENSIVE SNAP ALL SEASON BEFORE TODAY, THIS FIRST CHANCE TO PUT HIS IMPRINT ON THIS JETS OFFENSE. HERE’S HALL OUT OF THE BACKFIELD. AND HALL IS GOING TO DUNK HIS WAY DOWN TO THE 35. WE SAT WITH BREECE HALL YESTERDAY AT THE JETS HOTEL, AND IT’S NOT IN HIS PERSONALITY TO DEMAND THE FOOTBALL. BUT YOU GET THE SENSE THAT HE’S GROWING IMPATIENT AND FEELS LIKE HE SHOULD BE MORE INVOLVED. ADAM: I LIKED HIS DISPOSITION. THERE’S NO QUESTION THAT HE IS SUPREMELY CONFIDENT IN HIS SKILL SET, SUPREMELY CONFIDENT IN HIS VALUE TO THIS FOOTBALL TEAM OR ANY TEAM FOR THAT MATTER. AND SO, YES, HE’S NOT GOING TO BE A PAIN IN THE YOU KNOW WHAT, BUT HE DOES UNDERSTAND THAT ESPECIALLY WITHOUT GARRETT WILSON IN THIS OFFENSE, HE’S THEIR BEST PLAYER, AND HE HAS TO BE FEATURED TODAY IN THIS GAME. SPERO: CERTAINLY HAS BEEN THE FEATURED PLAYER SO FAR, AS HE GETS DOWN CLOSE TO THE 30. ADITI? ADITI: EVERYONE SAYS HE’S CONFIDENT HE CAN BE GOOD FOR ANY TEAM. WELL, BREECE HALL’S NAME HAS BEEN ALL AROUND TRADE RUMORS THE LAST FEW WEEKS. I ASKED HIM ABOUT IT, HE SAID MY JOB IS TO SHOW UP ON SUNDAYS. I EITHER SHOW THIS TEAM I DESERVE TO BE HERE, OR I AUDITION FOR OTHER TEAMS. AND HE DID OFFER A LITTLE BIT OF A THREAT. HE SAID IF Y’ALL DON’T WANT ME, THAT’S YOUR LOSS. I’LL COME BACK AND KILL YOU GUYS. ADAM: CERTAINLY KNOWS THAT REGARDLESS WHAT HAPPENS, HE’S GOING TO BE OK. SPERO: IF HE WANTS TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION, THE ANSWERS FOR THIS TEAM NO DOUBT AS THE RUN PLAY HERE BY DAVIS, LOOK LIKE HE’S SHORT OF THE FIRST DOWN. D.J. HILL WAS THERE FOR THE BENGALS. WE ALREADY SAW AARON GLENN GO FOR IT ON FOURTH DOWN ONCE, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY’RE GOING FOR POINTS WITH THE FOOTBALL MARKED DOWN AT THE CINCINNATI 28-YARD LINE. JUST TRY TO GET SOME POINTS ON THE BOARD HERE, EARLY STAGES, SECOND QUARTER. ADAM: I’M NOT AGAINST POINTS, BUT I ALSO WOULDN’T BE AGAINST, IN THIS SITUATION, THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST DRIVES THAT YOU HAD AS AN OFFENSE IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS. YOU KNOW, IT’S FOURTH AND A SHORT ONE. I WOULDN’T BE OPPOSED TO GOING FOR IT IN THIS SITUATION AS WELL. SPERO: NICK FOLK, 24TH CONSECUTIVE FIELD GOAL. THAT STREAK CONTINUES. AS HE PUTS IT IN FROM 46 YARDS OUT. JETS GET THEIR FIRST POINTS, SEVEN-POINT CINCY LEA SPERO: MANGOLD HAD STAYED SUCH A CLOSE MEMBER OF THIS JETS ORGANIZATION, EVEN IN RETIREMENT. HE ACTUALLY LIVED WITH HIS FAMILY JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM THEIR FACILITY IN NEW JERSEY. ALL OF OUR THOUGHTS AND LOVE AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO HIS WIFE AND HIS YOUNG CHILDREN. HARD TO BELIEVE NICK MANGOLD IS GONE. SOMEHOW TRYING TO GET BACK TO FOOTBALL HERE WITH CHARLIE JONES TRIPPING UP ACROSS THE 30-YARD LINE. AND A GOOD STARTING FIELD POSITION FOR THE BENGALS, A 27-YARD LINE RETURN. HE HAD SOME KIND OF CAREER. AGAIN, ONE OF THE CENTER PIECE PLAYERS, JUST THINK BACK TO THE LAST HEYDAY, REX RYAN, THOSE GREAT TEAMS, AND MANGOLD WAS RIGHT IN THE THICK OF IT. HUGE LOCKER ROOM PRESENCE WITH EVERYTHING HE BROUGHT TO THE TABLE. PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME NOMINEE BACK IN SEPTEMBER FOR THE FIRST TIME. AGAIN, WE’RE THINKING ABOUT HIS FAMILY IN THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON FROM CINCINNATI. CONVERSELY, HE GREW UP ONLY ABOUT 45 MINUTES AWAY IN CENTREVILLE, OHIO. STILL STRONG TIES TO THIS STATE, AS JA’MARR CHASE MAKES THE CATCH, A PICKUP OF 17 TO GET THE BENGALS THE FIRST DOWN. ADAM: THIS IS WHAT MAKES THIS OFFENSE, WHETHER IT’S FLACCO OR BURROW, SO GOOD. IT’S A DEFENSE THAT REALLY CAN’T PLAY THEM SINGLE HIGH. THEY ARE SO GOOD, ESPECIALLY WITH BURROW. BUT EVEN FLACCO NOW WITH HIS SENSE OF TIMING, HIS RHYTHM, BEING ABLE TO GET ON THE SAME PAGE. IT’S REALLY HARD TO STOP THESE RECEIVERS IN SINGLE HIGH COVERAGE. SPERO: CHASE, AND HE’S GOING TO GET WAYS THEY MOVE HIM AROUND THIS OFFENSE, GETTING BETTER AND BETTER. IT’S REALLY DIFFICULT FOR A DEFENSE TO HONE IN ON WHERE HE’S GOING TO BE. SPERO: FLACCO, A LITTLE BIT OF MOVEMENT. UNDER IT, AND DOWN THE FIELD! HIGGINS, WIDE OPEN FOR THE TOUCHDOWN! JOE FLACCO WITH A 44-YARD HOME RUN PASS. ADAM: HOW ABOUT THIS? THE SAVVINESS FROM HIGGINS. WATCH THE HESITATION MOVE, ABOUT 10 YARDS DOWN THE FIELD, RIGHT THERE. THAT LITTLE HESITATION. AND THERE’S NO WAY THOMAS CANNOT KEEP UP WITH HIM, AND FLACCO JUST DROPS IT RIGHT THERE. SPERO: FLACCO AND HIGGINS PICKING ON THE ROOKIE. THOMAS MAKING HIS FIRST CAREER START IN THE ABSENCE OF SAUCE GARDNER, WHO WAS UNAVAILABLE TODAY, STILL RECOVERING FROM THE CONCUSSION. AND HIGGINS JUST TOO MUCH. MAJESTIC PASS FROM FLACCO, AND IT IS ALL BENGALS. WEEK. AGE 40 QUARTERBACK, AND HE’S GOT THE CINCINNATI OFFENSE HUMMING AGAIN. THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY’RE STRUGGLING IN THE THREE STARTS WITH JAKE BROWNING AGAINST PRETTY GOOD DEFENSES IN BROWNING’S DEFENSE. BUT MY GOODNESS, DOES THIS OPERATION LOOK A WHOLE LOT DIFFERENT SINCE. WILLIAMS SLIPS THE NATIONAL TACKLE, AND TACKLED BACK AT THE 20-YARD LINE. ARCH, TAKE US BACK TO THE TOUCHDOWN. ADAM: THIS SHOULDN’T REALLY HAVE HAPPENED, BECAUSE ON THE SNAP, YOU GOT TEE HIGGINS HERE, THEN MALACHI MOORE, HE IS SHADED OVER TO TEE HIGGINS’ SIDE. WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN, FOR SOME REASON, MOORE SEES TINSLEY ACROSS THE FIELD, AND WATCH HIM JUMP ACROSS THE FIELD. FLACCO IS LOOKING OUTSIDE THE WHOLE WAY. DOESN’T EVEN RESPECT MOORE. AND THEN HE JUST PUTS A MOVE ON THE ROOKIE QUARTERBACK. THAT WAS BEAUTIFULLY DONE FROM PRESNAP TO POST SNAP, EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. RIGHT NOW THE BENGALS ARE ROLLING. SPERO: JETS PLAYING, HOW COMMITTED CAN THEY STAY TO THE RUN GAME AS BREECE HALL RUNS FOR THE FIRST DOWN. IT’S THE DRIVE THEY WERE HOPING FOR, AS WE COME UP ON THE 10-MINUTE MARK LEFT IN THIS FIRST HALF. ADAM: LISTEN, I KNOW THAT YOU’RE PLAYING FROM BEHIND RIGHT NOW, BUT I STILL, I DON’T BELIEVE YOU’RE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL IF YOU’RE THE JETS WITH A PASS FIRST OR OBVIOUS PASS-ONLY OFFENSE. YOU’VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO MIX IN THE RUN, BECAUSE YOU CANNOT LET THIS FRONT FOUR THAT DRUGGED TO GET TO THE QUARTERBACK COME TO LIGHT — THAT STRUGGLED TO GET TO THE QUARTERBACK COME TO LIGHT TODAY. ADAM: HE’S RUNNING FOR IT. EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO WITH THE FOOTBALL, AS TANNER ENGSTRAND AT THE CONTROLS OF THIS OFFENSE, FIRST-TIME ROOKIE NFL OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR CALLING THE PLAYS FOR THIS JETS OFFENSE. YOU KNOW WHAT THIS JETS OFFENSE IS DEALING WITH, DOWN GARRETT WILSON FOR A SECOND STRAIGHT WEEK. NUMBER TWO, JOSH REYNOLDS, IS ALSO UNAVAILABLE. SO ARCH, IN TERMS OF EXPERIENCE, THERE’S NOT MUCH THERE WITH THIS CURRENT GROUP. ALLEN LAZARD, WHO’S REALLY STRUGGLED THIS SEASON, YET TO REALLY PUT HIS IMPRINT ON THIS OFFENSE. WHO CAN STEP INTO THAT VOID FOR THE JETS? BACK TO HALL. GOING TO BE CLOSE TO THE LINE, MAYBE ABOUT A HALF YARD SHORT, AS WE APPROACH NINE MINUTES. THIRD DOWN COMING UP. ADAM: HERE YOU GO, SHORT YARDAGE, IF YOU’RE THE JETS, THIS IS ONE AREA RIGHT NOW IF YOU’RE TANNER ENGSTRAND, THAT YOU’VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT. TO ME, IT’S ONE OF THE BIG DIFFERENCES IN THIS GAME, YOUR INABILITY TO CONVERT IN THIRD AND FOURTH AND SHORT YARDAGE SITUATIONS. I STILL BELIEF YOUR BEST ASSET IS BEING ABLE TO USE JUSTIN FIELDS. I DON’T BELIEVE THEY’VE USED HIM ENOUGH IN THIS SITUATION, BUT CERTAINLY HE HAS GOT TO BE A FACTOR IN YOUR RUN GAME IN CRITICAL SITUATIONS. SPERO: IT IS INDEED THE KEEPER WITH FIELDS. THEY GET THE PUSH, AND THE JETS ARE GOING TO HAVE THE FIRST DOWN, AS WE GET THE OFFICIAL SIGNAL. AND A FRESH SET OF DOWNS FOR THE JETS. YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON SUNDAYS WITH THE NFL ON CBS AND STREAMING ON PARAMOUNT+. A JETS OFFENSE THAT BEGAN THE DAY HAVING NOT SCORED A TOUCHDOWN IN THEIR LAST TWO GAMES. FEWEST PASSING YARDS PER GAME IN THE FEWEST GAMES OF THE SEASON FOR THIS FRANCHISE GOING BACK TO 1979. HOW QUICKLY CAN THEY PUT THAT BEHIND THEM? A LASER BEAM ON IT, MIDDLE OF THE FIELD, GETS IT TO TYLER JOHNSON. JOHNSON STILL NOT DONE. GOING TO GET INSIDE THE CINCINNATI 25. AND BOY, HOW DESPERATELY DID THE JETS NEED THAT PLAY. THEY PICK UP 34. ADAM: YEAH, VIEWEDLY. AGAIN, WHEN I THINK OF JUSTIN FIELDS, AND ANY TIME HE’S BEEN SUCCESSFUL, IT’S REALLY BEEN OFF OF THE PLAY-ACTION PASS. AND PITTSBURGH LAST YEAR, HE WENT PLAY-ACTION OVER 30% OF THE TIME. HE’S BEEN UNDER 20% IN THIS OFFENSE WITH THE NEW YORK JETS. AND IN THE LAST TWO GAMES, VIRTUALLY ZERO PLAY-ACTION PASSING. SO TO ME, YOU ARE DOING WHAT JUSTIN FIELDS DOES WELL, KEEP CONTINUING THE PLAY-ACTION. THAT’S WHY THIS RUN GAME IS SO IMPORTANT. SPERO: ISAIAH DAVIS GIVING BREECE HALL A BREATHER. EVERYONE WAS GUESSING IN NEW YORK, WHO WOULD IT SOMEBODY WOULD IT BE TYROD TAYLOR AFTER HE CAME ON IN RELIEF LAST WEEK? THEY SPLIT REPS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK. AND EVENTUALLY WE FOUND OUT WITH TAYLOR ON THE INJURY REPORT, IT WOULD BE FIELDS. AND NOW FIELDS AND THIS OFFENSE PLAYING 14 POINTS DOWN AS WE PLAY THE SECOND QUARTER. ADAM: THE BEST THING THE JETS HAVE GOING FOR THEM, THE BENGALS HAVE PUT VIRTUALLY ZERO PRESSURE ON JUSTIN FIELDS. BY FAR IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS, THIS IS THE BEST THAT WE’VE SEEN FIELDS OPERATE. SPERO: FIELDS, A LITTLE HIS DIRECTION. FAKE HANDOFF, RUNNING OUT OF BOUNDS. LET’S SEE WHERE THE OFFICIALS MARK THE FOOTBALL HERE AS THE JETS ARE FACED WITH A THIRD DOWN. AS FIELDS PICKS UP ONLY TWO. AND IT WILL BE THIRD 3 OFFICIALLY FOR NEW YORK. ADAM: EVEN THOUGH IT’S ONLY TWO YARDS, JUST THE THREAT. IF I’M A DEFENSIVE PLAYER AND I’M LOOKING AND PLAYING AGAINST FIELDS, I ASK MYSELF, WHAT IS THE NUMBER ONE THING WHERE HE CAN HURT ME? THAT’S RUNNING THE FOOTBALL, USING HIS LEGS. SOME OF HIS MOST DANGEROUS AND BIGGEST PLAYS WHEN HE PLAYED FOR THE BEARS CAME ON THIRD DOWN IN SCRAMBLE SITUATIONS. SPERO: HENDRICKSON ON THE SIDELINE. 13 DEFENSIVE PLAYS TO THIS POINT, AS BREECE HALL IS GOING TO BE WELL SHORT OF THE FIRST DOWN. JORDAN BATTLE AMONG THE TACKLERS, AND ANOTHER FOURTH DOWN DECISION COMING UP HERE FOR AARON GLENN. HE WENT FOR THE POINTS LAST TIME, BUT THEY JUST HAVEN’T HAD MANY RED ZONE OPPORTUNITIES. HE’S GOING TO KEEP HIS OFFENSE ON THE FIELD. ADAM: IF YOU’RE AARON GLENN RIGHT NOW, I THINK YOU UNDERSTAND, ESPECIALLY WITH THE WAY THE BENGALS OFFENSE IS PLAYING, AND HOW RED HOT THEY ARE, I DON’T KNOW IF YOU CAN AFFORD TO COME OUT OF THIS DRIVE WITH LESS THAN SEVEN POINTS. NO TREY HENDRICKSON, SO THE BENGALS COULD BE VULNERABLE ON THE EDGE OF THIS DEFENSE TO FIELD’S RIGHT. SPERO: HE DOES LOOK AWAY, GOES TO THE END ZONE, AND IT IS CAUGHT! THE JETS, A TOUCHDOWN, JUSTIN FIELDS TRYING TO BREATHE LIFE INTO THIS JETS OFFENSIVE OPERATION THAT HAS BEEN DORMANT. 15 YARDS. ADAM: I TELL YOU WHAT, THIS IS REALLY A GREAT THROW BY JUSTIN FIELDS WITH PRESSURE IN HIS FACE COMING TO THE RIGHT. JUST EXCELLENT JOB, SITTING IN THE POCKET, AND THEN LAYING BEAUTIFUL TOUCH. JOHNSON GETTING THE OUTSIDE LEVERAGE ON DAX HILL, AND BOY, WAS THAT NEEDED FOR AARON GLENN’S JETS. SPERO: ARCH, IT WAS THEIR ROOKIE RIGHT TACKLE, A YOUNG MAN THEY TOOK WITH THE SEVENTH OVERALL PICK IN THE DRAFT, HOLDING STEADY, GIVING FIELDS THE TIME HE NEEDED. AND SUDDENLY SIGNS OF LIFE FROM THIS JETS OFFENSE. SEVEN-POINT CINCINNATI LEAD JETS GET THEIR FIRST TOUCHDOWN IN TWO PLUS GAMES. 50TH CAREER TOUCHDOWN PASS FOR FIELDS. SOMETIMES THAT IS ALL YOU NEED, A LITTLE BIT OF A SPARK. THE JETS HOPE THAT IS THE CONFIDENCE BOOST THEIR QUARTERBACK NEEDS TO GET THIS THING GOING. ADAM: ARE YOU KIDDING ME? HE IS 6-6, 72 YARDS. HE HAS BEEN PERFECT. SPERO: TOUCHBACK ENSURING THE RECIPIENTS HAVE SOMETHING TO EAT ON THE WEEKENDS. SPERO: WONDERFUL TO SEE. EXCELLENT WORK BY THE CINCINNATI FRANCHISE. SO FIRST AND 10 BENGALS AS THEIR DRIVE BEGINS ON THE 35. BACK TO A ONE SCORE GAME IN CINCINNATI. FIVE AND CHANGE LEFT BEFORE HALFTIME. CHASE BROUGHT NUMBER FOR THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. HOW DO YOU ASSESS FLACCO? ADAM: ANOTHER NICE DAY OF LOOKS SO FAR. GETTING THE BALL OUT OF HIS HANDS NICE AND QUICKLY, MOVING THE POCKET. QUARTERBACK SNEAK FOR A RUSHING TOUCHDOWN. ONE MORE TIME, JUST SMOOTH JAZZ TO ONE OF HIS WIDE RECEIVERS, TEE HIGGINS. REALLY EFFICIENT DAY. THE JETS DEFENSIVE FRONT HAS NOT GOTTEN CLOSE TO FLACK OF THIS ONE. SPERO: THIS WOULD BE FIRST DOWN AS CHASE MAKES ANOTHER CATCH. PICK UP OF SEVEN. CHASE’S SOLIDAY CONTINUES. FLACCO, NO STRANGER TO THIS STATE. WITH CLEVELAND TO BEGIN THE SEASON. NOT QUITE AS SUCCESSFUL AS HIS 2023 CAMPAIGN WAS WITH THE BROWNS. THE SHOCKER OF A TRADE WITHIN THE DIVISION TO THE BENGALS. MAKING HIS THIRD START WITH HIS NEW TEAM. HE HAS BEEN NO STRANGER TO THE STADIUM, ALL THOSE YEARS WITH THE RAVENS. BROWN. LOOKS LIKE THEY WERE THINKING ABOUT A FLEA-FLICKER. NOT SURE IF THAT WAS A BROKEN PLAY. LOOK AT BROWN. UNBELIEVABLE. SOMEHOW ABLE TO GET TO THE LINE TO GAIN A FIRST DOWN RUN FOR THE BENGALS. ADAM: IT IS HARD TO TELL. WAS IT A FAKE? I THINK THIS WAS A REAL FLEA-FLICKER. I THINK CHASE BROWN SAW THAT FLACCO HAD SOMEBODY COMING FROM HIS BLIND SIDE. I THINK CHASE BROWN ABORTED THAT PLAY, MADE A HEADS UP PLAY. THEY WERE SCREAMING DOWNFIELD FOR A PASS. IF THAT IS THE CASE, THAT IS ABOUT AS HEADS UP AS IT GETS. AND HE GETS A BIG RUN OUT OF IT. SPERO: LOOKED LIKE HE MAY HAVE BOBBLED THE FOOTBALL ON THE FAKE. JUST A CRAZY SEQUENCE. CHASE BROWN OUT OF THE BACKFIELD. REFEREE: HOLDING, OFFENSE, NUMBER 63. THAT IS A 10 YARD PENALTY. FIRST DOWN. SPERO: FIRST GOT HIM ON YOUR FAY TEAM THIS MORNING? ADAM: ACTUALLY, MY SON DOES HAVE HIM. YES, HE DOES. SPERO: CONGRATULATIONS TO HAWK. ADAM: HOW DID YOU LEARN? SPERO: FANTASY. ADAM: YOU PAY ATTENTION. SPERO: FLACCO GOES OVER THE MIDDLE. THE SHIFTING THIS OF CHASE BROWN. PLAYING WITH A PEP IN HIS STEP. THIS WAS REALLY SUPPOSED TO BE A BREAKOUT SEASON AFTER HE STEPPED FORWARD LAST YEAR WITH ALL THE STRUGGLES IN THE RUNNING GAME. FLACCO’S ARRIVAL HAS CHANGED ALL OF THAT. ADAM: TELL YOU WHAT, HE HASN’T GONE MORE THAN A PEP IN HIS STEP. HE HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE. 11 FOR 108 LAST WEEK AGAINST THE STEELERS. IN THIS GAME, HE HAS BEEN SENSATIONAL. THAT ABORTED FLEA-FLICKER TO ME WAS OUTSTANDING, BUT HE’S GOT SIX CARRIES FOR 39 YARDS, ALREADY AVERAGING 6.5 PER CARRY. SPERO: FLACCO, THAT LITTLE FAKE. PERINE WILL GET INSIDE THE JETS 40. THAT SHOULD TAKE US TO THE TWO-MINUTE WARNING. FLACCO HAS HIT SIX STRAIGHT COMPLETIONS. WE HAVE AN INJURED CINCINNATI BENGAL. LOOKS LIKE ONE OF THEIR OFFENSIVE LINEMEN. WE MENTIONED THE INJURIES THEY HAD TO CONTEND WITH WITH THE OFFENSIVE FRONT. ATHLETIC TRAINERS ONTO THE FIELD. I BELIEVE IT IS DYLAN FAIRCHILD, THE ROOKIE LEFT GUARD WHO TODAY IS BACK IN THE LINEUP. HE MISSED THE LAST TWO GAMES WITH A KNEE INJURY. IT LOOKS LIKE FAIRCHILD IS IN SOME PAIN. THIRD ROUND PICK OUT OF GEORGIA. TWO-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPION AS A COLLEGIATE. IT LOOKS LIKE FAIRCHILD IS GOING TO COME OFF THE FIELD. LUCAS PATRICK, WHO ACTUALLY WAS ONE OF THEIR OPENING DAY STARTERS AT GUARD, GOT TO PUT HIM ON IR WITH A CALF INJURY, AND HE IS GOING TO MAKE HIS FIRST APPEARANCE SINCE WEEK ONE. THAT WILL GET US TO THE TWO-MINUTE WARNING AND GIVE PATRICK A CHANCE TO CATCH HIMSELF AS HE READIES HIMSELF. THIRD AND 7 FOR THE BENGALS COMING UP ON THE OTHER SIDE. 17-10 BENGALS, BUT THE JETS SHOWING A HEARTBEAT. IVES US A CHANCE TO REMIND YOU TO KEEP IT HERE. THE VERIZON HALFTIME REPORT COMES YOUR WAY NEXT. DO YOU CAUGHT UP AROUND THE LEAGUE, ALL THE LATEST SCORES AND HIGHLIGHTS, ALL TO COME ON THE VERIZON HALFTIME REPORT. BIG THIRD DOWN HERE. FLACCO DELIVERS OVER THE MIDDLE. IT IS CAUGHT BY CHASE IN TRAFFIC. THE CONCENTRATION. CISCO WAS THERE. LET’S SEE WHERE THE OFFICIALS MARK THE FOOTBALL. IT WAS AROUND THE 31.5 YARD LINE, THE LINE TO GAIN. THE OFFICIALS HAVE INDEED SET FIRST DOWN. THE JETS HAVE TAKEN A TIMEOUT. I TAKE THAT BACK. THEY HAVE NOT SIGNALED A FIRST DOWN. IT IS A TIMEOUT FOR THE JETS WITH 1:47 LEFT. THE FOOTBALL IS DOWN AT THE 32, SO IT WOULD BE A 50 YARD FEUD GOAL FOR MCPHERSON. ADAM: BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS FOURTH AND JUST MAYBE INCHES BASED ON WHERE — I CAN’T TELL IF THEY HAD THE OFFICIAL MARKING YET. BUT IT IS GOING TO BE AWFULLY CLOSE. SPERO: LESS THAN A YARD FOR SURE. ADAM: YEAH. AGAIN, STATISTICALLY SPEAKING WHEN YOU ARE FOURTH — REFEREE: THE PREVIOUS PLAY IS UNDER REVIEW. THE RULING WAS A COMPLETED CATCH. SPERO: SO THE OFFICIALS ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THE SPOT INSIDE OF TWO MINUTES, SO IT IS AN OFFICIAL REVIEW TRIGGERED BY UPSTAIRS. SEE WHERE THE LINE TO GAIN IS BETWEEN THE 31 AND 32 YARD LINE. ADAM: YOU CAN SEE THAT JETS HAD A DOUBLE ON CHASE. CISCO COMING DOWN TAKING THE INSIDE. FLACCO ABLE TO DRILL IT IN THERE. CHASE WITH A TOUGH CATCH. SPERO: THEY CAN HOLD THEM TO A POTENTIAL FIELDOWN. TRIGGERED UPSTAIRS, INSIDE OF TWO MINUTES. DETERMINED CHASE WAS INDEED BEYOND THE LINE. A FIRST SET OF DOWN FOR THE BENGALS. THE JETS WERE GIVING THEIR TIMEOUT BACK — GIVEN THEIR TIMEOUT BACK. THE GAME CLOCK SET AT 1:47. BACK TO THE RUN GAME. CHASE DOWN TO THE 25 YARD LINE — BROWN DOWN TO THE 25 YARD LINE. AARON GLENN WILL TAKE HIS FIRST OFFICIAL TIMEOUT HERE 92 SECONDS LEFT IN THE HALF. ADAM: THAT IS A GREAT FIRST DOWN PLAY IN THIS SITUATION IF YOU ARE THE BENGALS BECAUSE WHAT YOU WANT TO YOU IS ENSURE YOU GET OUT OF THIS DRIVE. OF COURSE YOU WANT TO SCORE A TOUCHDOWN, BUT IF YOU GET OUT OF THIS DRIVE WITH THE JETS HAVING VIRTUALLY NO TIME TO GET THEIR POINTS RIGHT BEFORE HALFTIME. AND IF YOU CAN RUN THE ROCK, GAIN SIX YARDS ON FIRST DOWN, AND GET HIM TO CALL A TIMEOUT, THAT IS AN EXCELLENT FIRST PLAY. THIS SEQUENCE FOR ZAC TAYLOR. SPERO: SECOND AND 4. BENGALS FOOTBALL MARK AT THE 25. JOE FLACCO PLAYING WITH SUPREME CONFIDENCE. 12-16. THROWS FAR SIDE, INCOMPLETE. SEVEN STRAIGHT BEFORE THAT ONE. LOOKING FOR HIGGINS. EXCELLENT COVERAGE ON THE PLAY BY BRANDON STEPHENS FOR THE JETS. ADAM: YOU SEE THAT. YOU START AT LAST WEEK AGAINST PITTSBURGH DO NOT GO FADE, BUT THEY HAVE ALERTS.THEY HAVE A PLAY CALL . IF THEY SEE HIGGINS OR CHASE AND THEY ARE PRESSED, THEY WILL TAKE A SHOT. THEY DID AT THE END OF THE GAME AGAINST PITTSBURGH. THEY DO IT RIGHT THERE, BUT IT IS AN INCOMPLETE PASS. YOU SAVE THE JETS FROM CALLING A TIMEOUT. SPERO: BIG THIRD DOWN HERE. THIRD AND 4. CAN THE JETS DEFENSE GET OFF THE FIELD. A HARD COUNT. ADAM: THE WILY VETERAN. REFEREE: NEUTRAL ZONE INFRACTION, DEFENSE, NUMBER 90. THAT IS A FIVE YARD PENALTY. SPERO: IT WAS QUINNEN WILLIAMS. FIRST JET PENALTY AND IT COULD NOT HAVE COME AT A FIRST TIME — AT A WORSE TIME. BENGALS FIRST DOWN. ADAM: THAT VIRTUALLY STOP YOU FROM GETTING A CHANCE TO GET THE BALL BACK WITH ANY CHANCE TO GET POINTS BEFORE THE HALF. SPERO: GETS IT OUT TO CHASE. JARVIS BROWNLEE, ONE OF THE ADDITIONS, TRADED IN THE EARLY PART OF THE SEASON FROM TENNESSEE. DOWN TO 1:22 LEFT. JETS WITH TWO TIMEOUTS. ADAM: IF YOU LIKE TO NICK PICK — NITPICK, YOU KEEP THE JETS FROM CALLING A TIMEOUT. TIME IS NOT AN ISSUE FOR YOU IF YOU ARE THE BENGALS. YOU WANT TO SCORE, BUT YOU LEAVE OPPORTUNITY ON THE TABLE FOR THE JETS TO GET SOMETHING IF YOU GIVE THE BALL BACK. SPERO: JETS RUSH FOUR. FLACCO THREADS THE NEEDLE. BROWN BUSTS HIS WEIGHT IN FOR A TOUCHDOWN — WAY IN FOR A TOUCHDOWN. IT WAS QUINCY WILLIAMS WHO HAD A CHANCE. UNABLE TO BRING HIM DOWN. 19 YARDS ON THE CATCH AND RUN FROM BROWN. OFFICIALS CONFIRMING THAT BROWN DID INDEED GET IN. CERTAINLY LOOKS GOOD FROM THAT VANTAGE POINT. THEY HAVE CONFIRMED IT UPSTAIRS. CINCINNATI, WHAT A TURN OF EVENTS. JUST AS THE JETS WERE HOPING TO GET OFF THE FIELD WITH THEIR DEFENSE, TOP PENALTY AGAINST QUINNEN WILLIAMS. CHASE BROWN, WHO HAS BEEN ON A HEATER OF LATE. AND THE POINT AFTER EXTENDS THIS THING BACK TO A TWO TOUCHDOWN LEAD. 1:15 LEFT, FIRST HALF INSTANCE HE — I UP AROUND THE LEAGUE IN THE VERIZON HALFTIME REPORT. JUST STICK WITH US — JUST THINK WHERE THIS CINCINNATI TEAM WAS WEEKS AGO WITH THE DEVASTATION OF LOSING JOE BURROW, THREE STRAIGHT LOSSES, THE MONDAY NIGHTER WHERE THEY GOT SMACKED AROUND, THEN THE FLACCO TRADE. THEY BEGIN THE DAY IN THE NINE SLOT IN THE AFC STANDINGS. JUST AMAZINGLY AS A TURNAROUND SEASON CONTINUES. TAKE US BACK TO THE CHASE BROWN TOUCHDOWN. ADAM: IT STARTS WITH, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH JA’MARR CHASE? THIS DOUBLE VIRTUALLY TELLS YOU THAT BROWN — THERE WILL BE NOBODY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD. WHEN YOU USE ONE OF YOUR DEFENDERS TO DOUBLE, THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD IS WIDE OPEN. WILLIAMS HAS TO PROTECT THE INSIDE. UC CHASE BROWN AND JOE FLACCO. THEY READ IT. BROWN DOES THE REST. LIKE ELLIE GOLDING, HE HAS THE FIRE RIGHT NOW. IT DOES NOT MATTER. CHASE, HIGGINS, BROWN, THIS OFFENSE HAS COME TO LIFE IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS. SPERO: I DID NOT TAKE YOU FOR AN ELLIE GOLDING FAN. ADAM: YEAH. SPERO: CAN THEY DO SOMETHING HERE WITH TWO TIMEOUTS? INCOMPLETION ON THE FIRST DOWN, LOOKING FOR TAYLOR. YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH CINCINNATI WHO HAS ALL THREE OF THEIR TIMEOUTS. IT LOOMS LARGE FOR AARON GLENN. EVERYTHING HE IS THINKING ABOUT ON THE JETS SIDELINE. THAT WAS JUSTIN FIELDS’S FIRST INCOMPLETION OF THE DAY. ADAM: HE HAS BEEN PLAYING WELL. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE JETS, THE WAY THEY HAVE OPERATED THEIR TWO-MINUTE DRILL IN GAMES PAST IS ALMOST THEY TRY TO PROTECT THEIR OFFENSE. THEY HAVE BEEN ULTRACONSERVATIVE IN THIS PORTION OF THE GAME. SPERO: BENGALS COMING. FIELDS INCOMPLETE. HAD TO MAKE A QUICK DECISION LOOKING IN THE DIRECTION OF TYLER JOHNSON, WHO HAD THE TOUCHDOWN EARLIER. GENO STONE ON THE COVERAGE FOR CINCINNATI. ADAM: RIGHT NOW BECAUSE YOU WENT TWO INCOMPLETE PASSES AND HAVE NOT BURNED ANY TIME OFF THE CLOCK, RIGHT NOW ON THIRD AND 10 YOU ARE IN GREAT DANGER OF GIVING FLACCO AND THIS OFFENSE THE BALL WITH THREE TIMEOUTS WITH EXCELLENT CHANCE OF GETTING ANOTHER AT LEAST THREE POINTS RIGHT BEFORE HALF. SPERO: BENGALS COMING WITH A BLITZ OF THE MIDDLE. FIELDS DELIVERS. FIRST DOWN, JETS. BIG-PLAY FINDING WILLIAMS. WAS NONEXISTENT, NOT IN THE ROTATION AS OFFENSIVE PLAYER THROUGH THE FIRST SEVEN WEEKS. PICKS UP 15. ADAM: IT IS A MONSTER PLAY. THE DEFENSE, SOMEBODY HAD TO HAVE AN ASSIGNMENT ERROR BECAUSE THAT WAS A BUST. THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN OPEN. EXCELLENT PROTECTION UPFRONT. FIELDS DID NOT PANIC. HE SPOTTED THE MATCHUP. THAT IS A MONSTER PLAY FOR THE JETS IN THIS DRIVE. SPERO: FIRST AND 10, JETS. DOWN TO 63 SECONDS. FIELDS PROTECTED. FIELDS COMPLETES IT TO JOHNSON OVER THE MIDDLE. GETS INSIDE THE CINCINNATI 35. THEY PICK UP 15 MORE. ADAM: YOU CAN RUN A PLAY HERE. YOU HAVE TIME FOR A PLAY NOT WASTED BY SPIKING THE BALL. SPERO: JETS ON THE EDGE OF A NICK FOLK FIELD GOAL. ADAM: NOW YOU CALL A TIMEOUT. SPERO: DAVIS MAKES THE CATCH DOWN AT THE 30. LOOKING INSIDE OF A 50 YARD FIELD GOAL. THE JETS IN GOOD SHAPE. 38 SECONDS, ONE TIMEOUT STILL LEFT IN THEIR POCKET. SUDDENLY, JUSTIN FIELDS PLAY WITH SOME PURPOSE AND CONFIDENCE . ADAM: HENDRICKSON BACK ON THE FIELD. HE HAS BEEN IN AND OUT ON SPOTS — IN SPOTS. HE HAD A HIP INJURY SUFFERED IN THE GREEN BAY GAME BUT CLEARLY DOES NOT FEEL LIKE HIMSELF. QUITE HONESTLY, I AM IMPRESSED WITH HOW JUSTIN FIELDS HAS RESPONDED. I THINK THIS IS THE BEST I HAVE SEEN HIM PLAY THIS SEASON. AFTER THE LAST THREE WEEKS HE HAS HAD, I THINK HE HAS COME OUT AND BEEN OUTSTANDING. RIGHT NOW, HE HAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO GET SOMETHING OUT OF THIS HALF BEFORE THE DRIVE — SOMETHING OUT OF THIS DRIVE BEFORE THE HALF. SPERO: ANOTHER FIRST DOWN FOR THE JETS. WILLIAMS PLAYING HIMSELF INTO THIS OFFENSE. A PICKUP OF 11. 26 SECONDS. THEY WILL SPIKE IT, STOP THE CLOCK. 24 SECONDS. THEY WERE STILL — THEY WILL STILL HAVE THE TIMEOUT LEFT. ADAM: ONCE YOU HAVE ABOUT 18 SECONDS OR SO, THEN YOU RUN THE RISK AND YOU DON’T HAVE A TIMEOUT. THEN YOU RUN THE RISK OF, CAN WE GET OUR SCRAMBLE FIELD GOAL OUT THERE WITH ENOUGH TIME IF FOR SOME REASON WE TAKE A SACK ORAL-B CATCH THE BALL IN BOUNDS WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO STOP THE CLOCK, BUT THEY KEEP THE TIMEOUT IN THEIR BACK POCKET, SO NOW THEY CAN STILL THROW THE BALL ANYWHERE ON THE FIELD AND STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO SET UP FOR THE FIELD GOAL. SPERO: ON SECOND DOWN, FIELDS. EVERYONE COVERED. GOING TO RUN FOR IT OUT OF BOUNDS. GOING TO PICK UP THREE, MAYBE FOUR. THERE WAS A PENALTY FLAG THROWN. CLOCK STOPPED AT 18 SECONDS. FLAG IS DOWN AROUND THE FIVE YARD LINE. ADAM: GOING TO BE A HOLD. REFEREE: WHILE THE QUARTERBACK WAS IN THE POCKET, ILLEGAL CONTACT FROM THE DEFENSE, NUMBER 29. THAT FIVE YARD PENALTY WILL BE ADDED TO THE END OF THE RUN. FIRST DOWN. SPERO: THAT IS CAM TAYLOR-BRITT WHO IS BACK IN A STARTING ROLE TODAY AFTER HE WAS A HEALTHY SCRATCH LAST WEEK. THAT IS GOING TO HELP THE JETS EVEN MORE. ADAM: THAT IS BIG-TIME. YOU SEE IT RIGHT THERE. HE LOSES HER — HE LOSES LEVERAGE AND WRAPS AROUND THE NECK. HOW BIG CAN THIS BE FOR THE JETS TO GET THE BALL AND GO ALL THE WAY DOWN THE FIELD AFTER A BIG THIRD DOWN THINNER WITH PRESSURE FROM JUSTIN FIELDS? NOW HEAR THIS WOULD BE HUGE FOR THE JETS BEFORE HALF TO PUNCH THIS IN. SPERO: THEY GET THE BALL TO BEGIN THE SECOND HALF AS WELL. FIELDS DELIVERS. IT WILL BE A CATCH. TAYLOR, THE ROOKIE, BROUGHT DOWN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CATCH. AARON GLENN WILL TAKE HIS FINAL TIMEOUT HERE. DOWN TO 12 SECONDS LEFT. ADAM: THAT WAS ONE HECK OF A CATCH. SPERO: UNDER DURESS. TIGHT WINDOW. WELL DONE BY THE ROOKIE. ADAM: YEAH. REALLY, BOTH TEAMS, BUT BENGALS ABSOLUTELY NO PRESSURE. SPERO: NOW YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL. NO TIMEOUTS. 12 SECONDS FROM JUSTIN FIELDS. ADAM: CANNOT TAKE A SACK. YOU HAVE ONE, MAYBE DEPENDING ON HOW LONG IT TAKES YOU, YOU COULD GET TW MOORE PLAYSO — MORE PLAYS HERE IN THIS LAST 12 SECONDS. BUT BE CAREFUL. DO NOT THROW OVER THE MIDDLE. SPERO: LOOKING TO THE SIDELINE OR THE END ZONE. HE IS A LITTLE BIT HIGH. LOOKING FOR LAZARD. INCOMPLETE. TAYLOR BRITT ON THE COVERAGE. THIRD AND 5. EIGHT SECONDS. ADAM: YOU GOT A QUICK WENT TO THE SIDELINE HERE. YOU SEE TREY HENDRICKSON. YOU CAN TELL HE JUST DOES NOT HAVE IT. HE TOOK A SHOT. HE TOOK A SHOT RIGHT THERE. SPERO: FOOTBALL DOWN AT THE SEVEN. THIRD AND 5. FIELDS TAKES A SNAPSHOT OF THE CINCINNATI DEFENSE. ADAM: LOOK TO THE SIDELINE. IF IT IS NOT THERE, YOU HAVE TO THROW IT AWAY. IT HAS TO BE A CLEAR THROW. SPERO: FIELDS TO THE END ZONE, INCOMPLETE. ONCE AGAIN LOOKING FOR TAYLOR. SO THE BENGALS DEFENSE HOLDS. NOW AARON GLENN WILL SEND OUT HIS FIELD GOAL UNIT WITH NICK FOLK. ADAM: THAT IS TWICE THEY HAVE GONE HERE, THE SAME ROUTE. THE BENGALS ARE ALL OVER IT. THEY ONLY GET THREE POINTS, BUT TO ME, THAT IS A GOOD DRIVE. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN GOOD IN TWO-MINUTE SITUATIONS THIS SEASON. IT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE WORST THINGS THEY HAVE DONE. THAT GIVES YOU SOME PROMISE THAT THE OFFENSE IS STARTING TO TURN THE CORNER. SPERO: 25 YARD CHIP SHOP. NICK FOLK, WHO HAS BEEN MONEY IN THE BANK, HAS NOT MISSED ONE FROM INSIDE THE 40 SINCE 2017. THAT STREAK CONTINUES. SO JUSTIN FIELDS, EVERYTHING HE HAS HAD TO CONTEND WITH. NO GARRETT WILSON TODAY. NO JOSH REYNOLDS. 11-16. 123 YARDS. A TOUCHDOWN AS HE ORCHESTRATES AND 11 PLAY DRIVE — AN 11 PLAY DRIVE TO CLOSE OUT THE FIRST HALF THAT LEADS TO A FIELD GOAL. ONCE AGAIN, THE JETS WILL RECEIVE THE FOOTBALL TO BEGIN THE SEI AM IMPRESSED WITH WHAT N FIELDS HAS DONE, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT GARRETT WILSON, WITHOUT JOSH REYNOLDS, WITH ALL OF THE NOISE, EVERYTHING THAT HAS GONE ON THE LAST TWO WEEKS, ESPECIALLY THIS LAST WEEK. I REALLY THOUGHT HE HAS COME OUT AND THE OFFENSE HAS PLAYED MUCH BETTER THAN EXPECTED. SPERO: MCPHERSON PUTS IT IN PLAY. SMITH IS GOING TO FIELD IT INSIDE THE 5 YARD LINE. CUTS ACROSS THE FIELD, AND A NIFTY RETURN. A COUPLE SECONDS AGO, ADITI WITH AARON GLENN. ADITI: YOU TOLD US ALL YOU WANTED TO SEE FROM JUSTIN WAS TO PLAY WITH CONFIDENCE. HOW DO YOU ASSESS WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN COME AND WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED? AARON: I THINK HE IS PLAYING WITH CONFIDENCE.THE OFFENSE IS DOING A GOOD JOB MOVING THE BALL. WE HAVE TO STOP THEM ON DEFENSE. WE KNOW WHO THEIR TWO GUYS ARE. WE CAN CONTAIN. IF WE CAN SCORE, GET A STOP, WE ARE GOOD AND RIGHT BACK IN THIS GAME LIKE WE NEED TO BE. ADITI: WE APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. SPERO: HOW WOULD HE NAVIGATE WHAT HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE ROOKIE SEASON AS NFL HEAD COACH, EVERYTHING THEY HAVE HAD TO CONTEND WITH, MOUNTING LOSSES, HIS OWNER WEIGHING IN ON THE QUARTERBACK SITUATION FOR THE JETS AT THE OWNERS MEETINGS IN NEW YORK. THIS WAS THE QUOTE FROM WOODY THAT SENT SOME OTHER IT’S AROUND THE BUILDING AND RAISED SOME EYEBROWS. DESPITE ALL OF THAT, HERE COMES JUSTIN FIELDS. EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT HOW STOMACH HE IS, HOW STRONG-WILLED HE IS AS A PLAYER. HE HAS PUT IT ALL BEHIND HIM. ADAM: IT IS ONE THING TO SAY IT. DO YOU ACTUALLY BELIEVE IT? CAN HE ACTUALLY BLOCK IT OUT? PUT ALL THAT BEHIND HIM AND COME OUT AND PERFORM. SO FAR THIS FIRST HALF, IT SEEMS HE HAS BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT. SPERO: FEELS RIGHT BACK TO THE AIR. A LITTLE BIT HIGH. THIS WAS THE VERSION OF JUSTIN FIELDS THEY HAD IN MIND WHEN THEY MADE THE DECISION TO PART WAYS WITH AARON RODGERS, GIVE FEELS THAT $30 MILLION GUARANTEED CONTRACT TO TAKE THE REINS AT QUARTERBACK. THE HOPE WAS THEY COULD RESURRECT HIS CAREER, PULLED OFF WHAT HE DID WITH THE STEELERS. ADAM: THINGS STARTED. THEY STARTED WELL IN THEIR FIRST GAME AGAINST THE STEELERS. AND THEN HE GETS HURT WITH THE CONCUSSION. WHAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS KIND OF SPIRALED OUT OF CONTROL, BUT HE IS STARTING TO GET BACK ON TRACK. THIS IS A BIG HALF A FOOTBALL FOR HIM AND HIS JETS TEAM. SPERO: THIRD AND 7. THEY PROTECT AND GET A FIRST DOWN. DAVIS, PLENTY OF REAL ESTATE IN FRONT OF HIM. NO FLAGS DOWN, AND THE JETS PICK UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF. AN 11 PLAY DRIVE THAT RESULTED IN A FIELD GOAL TO CLOSE THE FIRST CAP DAVIS RINGS HIM UP FOR 26. ADAM: NO PASS RUSH WHATSOEVER. THIS IS A CONTENT DESIGNED TO BEAT MAN-TO-MAN COVERAGE. A WELL-DESIGNED PLAY. BEATS MAN-TO-MAN COVERAGE. FEELS ABLE TO SIT IN THE POCKET WITH NICE CALMNESS, JOE FLACCO-LIKE CALMNESS, AND GETS THE FIRST DOWN ON THIRD AND LONG. SPERO: WHAT A DIFFERENCE THIS LOOKS LIKE FOR THE JETS. PLAY ACTION FOR FIELD FIRES AND. NO FLAGS. IT LOOKED LIKE KNIGHT IS IN PAIN. STILL DOWN FOR CINCINNATI. GOING TO GET THE ATHLETIC TRAINERS ON THE FIELD FOR THE BENGALS. THAT WAS AN ALL WORLD COLLISION AS BOTH OF THOSE TWO PLAYERS SACRIFICING THEIR BODIES. THE CONCERN, THE YOUNG ROOKIE KNIGHT. UNABLE TO BRACE HIS FALL. JUST BARELY WITH THAT RIGHT ARM. THE WIND KNOCKED OUT OF HIM. HARD COLLISION. THE EIGHT-YEAR VETERAN HAS COME IN. A SEASON WITH PHILADELPHIA, SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM. HERE IS FIELDS. GOING TO HIS RIGHT, BACK INSIDE. HE IS GOING TO PICK UP PRETTY GOOD YARDAGE TO SET THEM UP FOR THIRD DOWN. ADITI: TREY HENDRICKSON HAS NOT LOOKED LIKE HIMSELF. I WATCHED HIM FOR MOST OF THE FIRST HALF TRYING TO LOOSEN THE HIP, WORK THAT HIT. HE HAS FINALLY GIVEN UP. HE IS IN THE LOCKER ROOM, AND THE BENGALS TELL US HE WILL NOT RETURN TODAY. SPERO: THAT IS TOUGH NEWS. WE WATCHED HENDRICKSON VERY GINGERLY LIMP HIS WAY INTO THE LOCKER ROOM AT THE END OF THE FIRST HALF. THIS WAS IT. YOU CAN CLEARLY TELL SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT WITH THE SAME HIP INJURY THAT GOT HIM ON THE SHELF LAST WEEK. ADAM: CLEARLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER ON THIS BENGALS DEFENSE. WITHOUT HIM ON THE FIELD, THE PRESSURE DROPS SIGNIFICANTLY. SPERO: THIRD AND 6. POCKET, FIELDS WITH THE JUMP PASS, BUT IT FALLS INCOMPLETE ON A THIRD AND 6. THE CLOSEST JET WAS SMITH. THAT PLAY DID NOT LOOK GOOD RIGHT FROM THE START. ADAM: ONE OF THE ONLY TIMES WE HAVE SEEN ANY SORT OF PRESSURE COMING OFF OF FIELDS’S RIGHT SIDE, SO HE FEELS THAT PRESSURE AND TRIES TO MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN BUT WISELY THROWS IT TO THE GROUND AND AVOIDS A POTENTIAL INTERCEPTION. SPERO: OUTSIDE OF THE FIELD GOAL RANGE, SO NO CHOICE BUT TO PUNT WITH MCNAMARA. ANOTHER IMPRESSIVE JETS DRIVE STALLS OUT JUST AFTER THEY ACROSS MIDFIELD ON CINCINNATI’S SIDE. MCNAMARA TRYING TO KEEP THIS THING OUT OF THE END ZONE. UNSUCCESSFUL. SMITH GETTING DOWN QUICKLY FOR THE JETS TOUCHBACK FOR CINCINNATI. HE WILL GET HIM BACK TO JOE FLACCO WHEN WE TERMINAL IN DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI. NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK, ONE OF THE GREAT SITES OF THIS FANTASTIC CITY. 11 POINT BENGALS LEAD AS THEY TAKE OVER POSITION FROM THEIR OWN 20. JOE FLACCO. THE POCKET STARTED TO COLLAPSE ON HIM. THE COMPLETION OVER THE MIDDLE TO CHASE BROWN. WHAT A CRAZY RIDE IT HAS BEEN IN CINCINNATI FOR ZAC TAYLOR. HAD A CHANCE TO VISIT WITH THEM ON FRIDAY. GOING INTO THE SEASON, HIGH EXPECTATIONS, LOSES HIS QUARTERBACK SECOND WEEK OF THE, AND IS A LETTER LAST KIND OF YEAR. INCOMES JOE FLACCO. HE HAD TO LEARN HOW TO KEEP HIS EMOTIONS IN CHECK, SOMETHING HE HAS FOCUSED ON THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. WHEN IT HAS BEEN GOOD, IT HAS BEEN FANTASTIC. BACK-TO-BACK DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIPS, RUN TO THE SUPER BOWL. JA’MARR CHASE RIGHT BACK TO THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. OF COURSE HE HAS BEEN THERE. THINK ABOUT WHAT AARON GLENN HAS BEEN GOING THROUGH WITH THE JETS SIDE. THEY LOST THEIR FIRST 11 GAMES BEFORE THEY FINALLY BROKE THROUGH. SOMETHING AARON GLENN IS HOPING FOR THE JETS TEAM AS WELL. ADAM: THINK ABOUT IT BECAUSE IF YOU ARE ZAC TAYLOR, THEY HAD A CHANCE TO GET A GENERATIONAL TYPE QUARTERBACK IN JOE BURROW, SO YOU THINK, OH, MY GOODNESS, WE ARE SET UP FOR THE NEXT HOW MANY YEARS. BUT BECAUSE OF THE INJURIES TO JOE BURROW AND BEING UP AND DOWN , HE HAS HAD TO MANAGE A LOT OF HIGHS AND LOWS, WHICH YOU TYPICALLY DO NOT SEE WHEN YOU HAVE A QUARTERBACK LIKE BURROW. SPERO: SIDEARM FLICK WITH FLACCO THERE AT THE JETS WERE GIVING CHASE. THIS JETS DEFENSE AFTER SOME EARLY SEASON STRUGGLES, SOME OF THE MISSING PIECES THEY HAVE HAD, TRYING TO KEEP THIS THING IN STRIKING DISTANCE AS THEY TRIED TO FORCE A THREE AND OUT. ADAM: THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DRIVE FOR THE JETS DEFENSE BECAUSE THE FIRST HALF, YOU GAVE UP 24 POINTS AND DID NOT HAVE AN ANSWER. YOU LOST ALMOST ALL OF YOUR ONE-ON-ONE MATCHUPS AGAINST THIS OFFENSE. TO BE ABLE TO COME OUT HERE AFTER HALFTIME, GET THREE AND OUT, GET THE BALL BACK TO THE OFFENSE, THAT IS A REALLY GOOD START FOR THE DEFENSE. SPERO: THE PUNT FIELDED BY WILLIAMS FROM REHKOW. A FLAG. WE WILL CHECK A MARKER FROM SCOTT NOVAK. 53 YARD PUNT FROM REHKOW. 12 ON THE RETURN FROM WILLIAMS. ADAM: GOING TO BE HOLDING ON THE JETS RETURN TEAM. REFEREE: DURING THE KICK, HOLDING, RECEIVING TEAM, NUMBER 37. 10 YARD PENALTY FROM THE END OF THE KICK. FIRST DOWN. TIMEOUT. SPERO: THE SPECIAL TEAMS PENALTY WILL MARK THE JETS BACK. WHEN SPERO: IT’S CBS SPIRIT WEEK. THURSDAY’S TREAT IS THE SPEAK-TACULAR NEW “GHOSTS,” 8:30 ACCIDENT 7:30 CENTRAL, STREAMING ON PARAMOUNT+. WE GOT A BEAUTIFUL DAY HERE IN THE QUEEN CITY. TEMPERATURE IS RIGHT AROUND THE 60 DEGREE MARK. 11-POINT JETS DEFICIT, AS THEIR OFFENSE HEADLINED BY JUSTIN FIELDS BACK ON AT THEIR OWN 14. THE FLAG PINNED THEM BACK INSIDE THE 15. REFEREE: FALSE START, OFFENSE NUMBER 85. FIVE-YARD PENALTY. FIRST DOWN. SPERO: JUST TWO KILLER PENALTIES, ARCH. WHAT’S BEEN DIFFERENT, WHY THE SUCCESS SO FAR FOR FIELDS IN THIS GAME? ADAM: I THINK IT STARTS WITH PROTECTION. HE’S HAD A VERY CLEAN POCKET. BUT HE’S REALLY EXCELLED TODAY IN THE INTERMEDIATE PASSING GAME. TO ME, THIS IS ABOUT AS DECISIVE AS WE’VE SEEN HIM. YOU KNOW, THE LAST COUPLE OF GAMES, A LOT OF THE DECISION, A LOT OF SECOND-GUESSING HILLS. BUT IN THE FIRST HALF, FOR THE MOST PART, HE’S THROWN THE BALL ON TIME AND ON TARGET. SPERO: BACK TO THE GROUND GAME, WHERE THEY BALANCE IT OUT WITH BREECE HALL. THAT WILL HELP THEM EVEN MORE, AS HALL PICKS UP EIGHT. THEY GOT SOME OF THE PENALTY YARDAGE BACK FOR THE JETS AS THEY CROSS THE 15-YARD LINE. ADAM: I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT AT LEAST EARLY IN THIS GAME, THAT IN THE RUN GAME, BREECE HALL WOULD HAVE HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE SUCCESS. NOW HE’S RAN THE BALL 10 TIMES FOR 32 YARDS. THAT’S ONLY A 3.2 AVERAGE. AND THIS DEFENSE HAS HAD A HARD TIME GIVING UP SOME EXPLOSIVE RUNS IN THE RUN GAME. SPERO: FIELDS, QUICK DELIVERY TO LAZARD. WELL DESIGNED PLAY. THAT’S GOING TO GET THE JETS CLOSE. IT WILL BE PALATABLE THIRD DOWN AND SHORT COMING UP HERE, AS WE CROSS THE 10-MINUTE MARK EARLY STAGES OF THIS THIRD QUARTER. TANNER ENGSTRAND LOOKING DOWN AT THAT PLAY SHEET. WHAT CAN HE DIAL UP FOR FIELDS AND COMPANY? NO GARRETT WILSON FOR A SECOND STRAIGHT WEEK, THE STAR OF THIS JETS OFFENSE. STILL NOT READY TO COME BACK FROM THAT KNEE INJURY. THIRD AND 2. FIELDS LOOKING FOR THE LINE TO GAIN, AND HE’S GOT IT. FIRST DOWN, JETS. WE WONDERED IF WE WOULD SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THE WAY OF DESIGNED RUNS IN THIS GAME. WE’VE SEEN A COUPLE, AND THEY FIND SUCCESS AGAIN. ADAM: YOU GO BACK TO WHERE JUSTIN FIELDS HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL, HIS FIRST GAME OF THE YEAR, HAD 10 DESIGNED ROUNDS IN THAT GAME. SINCE THAT TIME, THEY’VE HAD 10 DESIGNED QUARTERBACK RUNS TOTAL. SO, AGAIN, AS YOU’RE TRYING TO GIVE A DEFENSE SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WITHOUT GARRETT WILSON, WITHOUT JOSH REYNOLDS, WHAT ARE THE NEXT BEST WEAPONS ON THE FIELD? THAT’S THE LEGS OF JUSTIN FIELDS. SPERO: THIS IS DAVIS. DAVIS LOOKS, AND BIG PLAY. DAVIS ON A FULL SPRINT. SHOWING THE WHEELS FOR THE JETS. FINALLY IT WAS BATTLE WHO SAVES A TOUCHDOWN, A 50-YARD SPRINT FROM DAVIS. ADAM: MAN, THIS IS JUST ONE-ON-ONE FOOTBALL RIGHT HERE. THAT’S ALL IT IS. ONE-ON-ONE. WHO’S GOING TO WIN? LINEBACKER AGAINST RUNNING BACK. MISSED TACKLE, AND THAT’S WHAT HAS PLAGUED THE CINCINNATI DEFENSE. I JUST TALKED ABOUT HOW BREECE HALL HASN’T BEEN EFFECTIVE, EVEN THOUGH THIS DEFENSE HAVE GIVEN UP EXPLOSIVE RUNS THIS SEASON. AND WE WEREN’T THINKING OF DAVIS. I WAS THINKING MORE OF BREECE HALL. BUT THAT RUN COULD NOT HAVE COME AT A BETTER TIME. SPERO: HERE’S BREECE HALL. HE GOES TO THE OUTSIDE. LOOK OUT, ONE OF THE CAMERA OPERATORS TAKES A HARD HIT. TANNER ENGSTRAND KIND OF INTIMATED IN OUR CONVERSATION AT THE JETS HOTEL YESTERDAY THAT WE WOULD SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE MAYBE OF ISAIAH DAVIS, AS THE YOUNG SECOND-YEAR RUNNING BACK, FIFTH-ROUND PICK LAST YEAR OUT OF SOUTH DAKOTA STATE, WITH THE LONGEST RUN OF HIS TWO-YEAR CAREER. CLOCK RUNNING, 7:44, AS DAVIS BACK ON THE FIELD FOR THE JETS, DOWN 11. AGAIN, THE JETS OFFENSE THAT HAD GONE TWO STRAIGHT WEEKS WITHOUT A TOUCHDOWN, TRYING TO CUT THIS THING BACK TO A ONE-SCORE GAME. FIELDS OVER THE MIDDLE, COMPLETE, BACK TO THE ROOKIE TIGHT END TAYLOR. THERE’S ANOTHER FLAG THROWN. BACK IN THE SECONDARY PORTION OF THE FIELD FOR CINCINNATI. ADAM: THEY MIGHT GET TAYLOR-BRITT AGAIN. REFEREE: WHILE THE QUARTERBACK WAS IN THE POCKET, ILLEGAL CONTACT ON THE DEFENSE, NUMBER 29. PENALTY IS DECLINED. FIRST DOWN. ADAM: TAYLOR-BRITT IS GOING SAY THAT HE HAD A RIGHT, AS YOU SEE HIM RIGHT HERE, NUMBER 29. I DON’T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HE’S GOING TO ARGUE RIGHT THERE, BUT HE MAKES ILLEGAL CONTACT, AND THEN GETS HIS ARM AROUND LAZARD. BUT TAYLOR-BRITT IS A GUY THAT THEY REALLY, IF THEY WANT TO GET BACK TO PLAYING THE TYPE OF AGGRESSIVE DEFENSE THAT AL GOLDEN WANTS TO PLAY, MORE MAN-TO-MAN, MORE AGGRESSIVE, THEY REALLY NEED THE BEST VERSION OF TAYLOR-BRITT TO SHOW UP. SPERO: THE URGENCY LEVEL REALLY HIGH FOR THE JETS, DESPERATELY TRYING TO GET INTO THE END ZONE, DOWN 11, AS WE CROSS THE SEVEN-MINUTE MARK NOW IN THIS THIRD QUARTER. SECOND AND GOAL. ADAM: THE GOOD THING FOR THE JETS IS THAT AFTER REALLY NOT GETTING MUCH IN THE FIRST HALF, THEIR RUN GAME HAS COME TO LIFE A LITTLE BIT IN THIS HALF. YOU SAW THE BIG RUN BY SIGH A ADAVIS. YOU JUST SAW ANOTHER GOOD RUN FROM BREECE HALL. AGAIN, JUSTIN FIELDS AND HIS LEGS ARE A BIG FACTOR. THAT SHOULD REALLY HELP YOU HERE AS YOU GET INTO THIS TIGHT RED AREA TO TRY TO PUNCH IT IN FOR SIX. SPERO: FAKE HANDOFF, FIELDS, THROWS IT OUT THE BACK OF THE END ZONE. AND IT WILL BE THIRD AND GOAL COMING UP FOR NEW YORK. ADAM: THAT’S JUST GOOD DISCIPLINE ON THE EDGE FOR THE BENGALS. JUST TRYING TO GET JUSTIN FIELDS WITH A CHANCE TO RUN A NAKED BOOTLEG, AND THERE’S JUST NOWHERE TO GO AND HE HAS TO THROW THE FOOTBALL AWAY. YOU KNOW, LAST TIME ON THE TOUCHDOWN THAT THEY SCORED IN THE FIRST HALF, ON THIRD DOWN IN THE RED ZONE, AL GOLDEN, THE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR FOR THE BENGALS, HE WENT ALL OUT ZERO PRESSURE. ALL-OUT BLITZ, AND JUSTIN FIELDS WAS ABLE TO SPOT IT, GET IT OUT AND MAKE A PERFECT THROW. LOOKS LIKE THIS COULD BE ANOTHER PRESSURE SITUATION. SPERO: JETS NEED A PLAY FROM FIELDS. FIELDS GETS IT OUT, WOBBLY PASS, AND IT’S INCOMPLETED. ADAM: HE DID NOT SEE IT. SPERO: FIELDS NEVER QUITE FELT THE PRESSURE, AND IT WAS CAM TAYLOR-BRITT TRYING TO ATONE FOR THAT LAST PENALTY, COMING WITH SOME SERIOUS HEAT FOR THE BENGALS. ADAM: YEAH, RIGHT HERE, THIS IS AN ALL-OUT BLITZ. FIELDS DOESN’T SEE IT. BUT THEY DON’T SHOW IT. THEY DO IT AT THE SNAP. HE DOESN’T SEE IT. AND TAYLOR-BRITT IS ABLE TO GET HOME. GOOD PLAY CALL BY AL GOLDEN AND EXECUTED BY HIS DEFENSE. SPERO: AL GOLDEN, A LOT OF YOUTH WITH THIS DEFENSE, SAYS WE WANT TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE, TRYING TO PICK THEIR SPOTS WITH SOME OF THE YOUTH THEY HAVE, AND THEY COULDN’T TIME THAT BLITZ MORE PERFECTLY. FOLK, HE’S GOING BRING THE JETS A LITTLE BIT CLOSER. WE’LL GET THIS THING DOWN TO A ONE-SCORE GAME, 24-16 WITH SIX AND CHANGE LEFT TO PLAY IN THIS THIRD QUARTER. 161 YARDS, ARCH, AND A TOUCHDOWN. A COUPLE OF FRUSTRATING ENDS TO A COUPLE OF LONG DRIVES, BUT THEY COME AWAY WITH POINTS. ADAM: YEAH, RED ZONE, THAT’S REALLY THE DIFFERENCE. SPERO: BENGALS WILL TAKE A TOUCH BACK. AND US, PAYCOR STADIUM, DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI. SPERO DEDES, ADAM ARCHULETA, ADITI KINKHABWALA, OUR PRODUCER JASON ROSS, MARK GRANT, OUR DIRECTOR, THE REST OF THE TERRIFIC CBS CREW, HAPPY TO HAVE YOU WITH US. BROWN IS GOING TO LOSE A COUPLE. HARRISON PHILLIPS LEADING THE CHARGE FOR THE JETS. LET’S GET ANOTHER “NFL TODAY” UPDATE ON A BUSY SUNDAY WITH ADAM SCHEIN. ADAM SCHEIN: SPERO, ARCH, TUA TAGOVAILOA TO JAYLEN WADDLE, 43 YARDS. THAT’S TUA’S THIRD TOUCHDOWN PASS TODAY AFTER THREE PICKS LAST WEEK. SPORTS! SPORTSY SPORTY SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPOR TS. BACK TO YOU. SPERO: LAST WEEK THEY LOOKED DEAD IN THE WATER. ADAM: I THINK IT’S YOU. SPERO: IS IT ME? FLACCO GOES THROUGH HIS PROGRESSIONS. FINALLY GETS IT. LATE RELEASE, LOOKING FOR CHASE, AND IT IS INCOMPLETE. FASCINATING TO TALK TO FLACCO, WHO, OF COURSE, HAS ALWAYS BEEN JOE COOL, BUT ABOUT SIMPLIFYING THINGS WITH THE NEW PLAYBOOK AGAIN, AND ALL THE NEWNESS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. ADAM: TO ME, THAT’S ONE OF HIS SUPERPOWERS. AND REALLY, WHAT’S MADE HIM SUCCESSFUL IN THIS ROLE LATER ON IN HIS CAREER IS HIS ABILITY TO TAKE THE COMPLEX, BECAUSE COACHES AND PLAYERS, THEY LIKE TO COMPLICATE THINGS, OVERCOMPLICATE THINGS, AND BE ABLE TO BREAK IT DOWN TO ITS LOWEST DEMON DENOMINATOR SO HE CAN GO OUT THERE AND PROCESS FAST. SPERO: FLACCO TO CHASE. LOOK AT THE OLD GUY! FIRST DOWN, BENGALS. SHOWING THE WHEELS. BOY, MICHAEL CLEMONS HAD HIS WRAPPED UP, SOMEHOW FLACCO WITH A LITTLE WIGGLE. FIRST DOWN, BENGALS. ADAM: YEAH, NORMALLY YOU TELL YOURSELF, WHEN WE PLAY LAMAR JACKSON, YOU CAN’T BE IN MAN-TO-MAN COVERAGE, BECAUSE IF HE SEES YOUR BACK TO THE QUARTERBACK, HE’S GOING TO KILL YOU WITH HIS LEGS. THAT IS NOT WHAT YOU SAY WHEN YOU PLAY JOE FLACCO. THE JETS UNDISCIPLINED IN THEIR PASS RUSH, AND HE SAYS HEY, WHY NOT, I’LL TAKE THAT. JUST MAKE SURE YOU DON’T POP A HAMSTRING OR THE CALF, BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET OVER 40 AND YOU PLAY FOOTBALL AND PICKLEBALL. SPERO: SAMAJE PERINE BUSTING ONE UP THE GUT. WE KNOW MATT RYAN PULLED A LITTLE LEG CRAMP, WAS IT A HAMMY HE PULLED IN THE STUDIO? ADAM: HE CRAMPED UP IN THE STUDIO, AND HERE HE COME FLACCO OUT THERE, YOU SAW THE ZONE READ LAST WEEK. SPERO: SAID HE LIKES A LITTLE HOT TUB WITH THE COLD TUB IN THE MORNING, BIG SAUNA GUY. AS YOU GET UP THERE IN AGE, ALL THE LITTLE TRICKS, WHATEVER IT TAKES. SECOND AND SHORT. THE FOOTBALL DOWN AT THE JET 45. PERINE GIVING CHASE. BROWNLEE IS GOING TO GET ANOTHER CINCINNATI FIRST DOWN. WE ASKED ZAC TAYLOR, HE’S BEEN AS MESMERIZED BY FLACCO THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, HE LOOKS LIKE ONE OF THE DADS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, FIVE KIDS, FAMILY MAN. HE GOES FROM CLARK KENT TO SUPERMAN REAL QUICK. ADAM: WELL, ALL THE KIDS HAVE JOE BURROW JERSEYS, RIGHT? ALL THE DADS ARE OUT THERE GOING, I’M GETTING FLACCO JERSEYS. THAT’S KIND OF HOW IT GOES. JOE GOT THE YOUNGER CROWD. BUT RIGHT NOW, BIG JOE FLACCO WAS OUT THERE AURA FARMING AND MAKING IT HAPPEN FOR ALL THE DADS ACROSS AMERICA. SPERO: I THINK THERE HAS BEEN AN UP TICK IN THE FLACCO JERSEYS, NO DOUBTED, ESPECIALLY HERE IN CINCINNATI THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. SIDEARM DELIVERY. VANCE GOING TO FIGHT HIS WAY CLOSE TO THE FIRST DOWN. GANG TACKLED THERE. CINCINNATI GETS ANOTHER FRESH SET OF DOWNS, A PICKUP OF 10. ADAM: IF THERE’S ONE DISAPPOINTING ASPECT TO THE JETS DEFENSE, ESPECIALLY IN THIS GAME, IT’S THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURES. THEY’VE ONLY PRESSURED FLACCO FOUR TIMES. COMING INTO THIS GAME, THEY’VE JUST BEEN ABOUT AVERAGE. QUINNEN WILLIAMS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BEST DEFENSIVE TACKLES. JOHNSON CAN GET A HIGH PRESSURE RATE. MCDONALD IS A GUY. BUT COLLECTIVELY, THEY HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO AFFECT FLACCO. SPERO: FLACCO THROWS A DART. BATTED IN THE AIR. WAS IT PICKED? NO, THE OFFICIALS RULE IT COMPLETE. BOY, THOMAS AGAIN MAKING HIS FIRST CAREER START FOR THE INJURED SAUCE GARDNER, AND A FIGHT WITH JA’MARR CHASE. NEARLY THE BIG PLAY THAT THE JETS WERE LOOKING FOR. ADAM: YEAH, THOMAS, HE STEPS OUT OF BOUNDS AND DOESN’T RE-ESTABLISH IN THE FIELD OF PLAY. SO WATCH THOMAS. SPERO: JETS, A DEFENSE THAT HAS NOT HAD A PICK ALL SEASON. SCOTT NOVAK STILL THINKING ABOUT IT HERE. JETS ONE OF TWO TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE NOT TO HAVE AN I.N.T. YET, WITH SAN FRANCISCO. MAYBE SOMETHING WITH THE CLOCK, ARCH. LOOKS LIKE SCOTT NOVAK, EVERYTHING HAS BEEN RESET. FOOTBALL DOWN JUST OUTSIDE THE 32. ANOTHER LOOK HERE. CHASE HAND FIGHTING WITH THOMAS. AND HE COULD AND 10 BENGALS. PERINE BUSTING FREE. PERINE, 10, 5, TOUCHDOWN! MISSED TACKLE, MALACHI MOORE. AND BROWN MAKES HIM PAY FOR IT WITH A 32-YARD TOUCHDOWN. ADAM: WELL, YOU GET BAD GAP DISCIPLINE HERE AND HERE, BUT YOU GOT TO ALSO GIVE THE CREDIT TO THE INSIDE THREE FOR THE CINCINNATI BENGAL OFFENSIVE LINE. JUST CLEAR IT OUT, AND THEN MOORE, WHO REALLY HAS TAKEN OVER HERE AT SAFETY AND HAS DONE A GOOD JOB, TACKLING UP TO THIS POINT, MISSES THAT TACKLE, AND THE BENGALS, ANOTHER BIG RUN. SPERO: POINT AFTER BY MCPHERSON. WHAT A TURN OF EVENTS. JUST AS THE MOMENTUM WAS STARTING TO SWING BACK IN THE JETS’ FAVOR, THE CINCINNATI BENGALS PUSH THEIR LEAD BACK TO DOUBLE DIGITS. AS WE PLAY LATE STAGES, THIRD QUARTER. THE OFFICIALS ARE SAYING THAT THOMAS NEVER RE-ESTABLISHED HIMSELF. YOU SEE HIM STEP OUT OF BOUNDS THERE, BOTH FEET, NEVER REALLY ESTABLISHES INBOUNDS. THAT’S WHY THAT WAS NOT A PICK FOR THE JETS. BOY, WHAT A GAME CHANGER THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN. THOMAS, EXCELLENT EFFORT JUST TO PUT HIMSELF IN POSITION, AND THEN IT’S PERINE. ADAM: HATS OFF. I JUST TALKED ABOUT THE JETS NOT GETTING PRESSURE, BUT HOW ABOUT CINCINNATI’S OFFENSIVE LINE? THEY’RE ARGUABLY COMING OFF THE BEST GAME AGAINST THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS LAST WEEK, AND THEN COMING OUT AGAINST, AGAIN, A JETS FRONT THAT I THINK I BELIEVE HAS THE ABILITY TO BE VERY TALENTED AND BE ABLE TO GET TO THE QUARTERBACK. BUT TODAY, THIS FRONT FOR THE JETS HAS NOT EVEN BEEN A FACTOR. SPERO: JETS’ 29TH IN THE LEAGUE IN SACKS. ONLY 10 THROUGH THE FIRST SEVEN WEEKS OF THE SEASON. A PASS RUSH THAT CERTAINLY HAS BEEN NONEXISTENT SO FAR IN THIS GAME. ADAM: AND AGAIN, THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE THREE PLAYERS ON THEIR DEFENSIVE LINE THAT HAVE THE ABILITY TO EACH GET DOUBLE DIGITS. SPERO: ISAIAH WILLIAMS FIELDS IT, ONE OF THE BRIGHT SPOTS SO FAR FOR THIS JETS TEAM, CLOSE TO THE 34-YARD LINE. SO THE JETS GO OUT AND SIGN JUSTIN FIELDS IN THE OFF-SEASON. SOME OF THE SECOND-GUESSING, THE DECISION TO CUT AARON RODGERS WITH THE NEW REGIME JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER AARON GLENN TOOK OVER. LOOK AT SOME OF WHAT THE OTHER OPTIONS WERE. OF COURSE, GENO SMITH HAS STRUGGLED. KENNY PICKETT, EVENTUALLY THE TRADE TO CLEVELAND. HINDSIGHT ALWAYS 20/20. ADAM: IT’S THE BEST VISION. SPERO: SPORTS TALK RADIO ON FIRE ALWAYS IN NEW YORK, ABOUT ALL THE QUESTION MARKS WITH THIS TEAM. BUT SO FAR, SO GOOD FOR JUSTIN FIELDS INDIVIDUALLY. BUT CAN THEY MAKE ANOTHER PUSH? AARON GLENN, ARCH, WE VISITED WITH HIM, HE’S ALWAYS BEEN SO STOIC, HAD SPARRING SESSIONS WITH THE NEW YORK MEDIA, SOME OF THE SECOND-GUESSING, BUT HE KNOWS WHAT THIS IS LIKE. HE WAS ON THE DETROIT COACHING STAFF, LOST THEIR FIRST 11 GAMES BEFORE THEY GOT A WIN. TRYING TO DO THE SAME HERE WITH THE JETS. ADAM: YOU KNEW IT WASN’T GOING TO BE EASY. THIS IS NOT AN EASY JOB. WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, MOST OF THE ISSUES AND THE PROBLEMS AND THE TALK AROUND AARON GLENN IS REALLY ALL CENTERED AROUND THE QUARTERBACK POSITION AND HOW IT HASN’T BEEN PLAYED EFFECTIVELY THIS SEASON. SPERO: JETS PICK UP THE BLITZ. FIELDS, BEAUTIFUL DECISION, GETS IT TO TAYLOR FOR THE FIRST DOWN. ADITI: WE TALKED ABOUT THIS EARLIER, IT FEELS AS IF JUSTIN FIELDS HAS ALMOST BEEN HARDENED BY WOODY JOHNSON’S COMMENTS. LOOK, IT WAS FASCINATING YESTERDAY WHEN HE TRIED TO TELL US THAT HE’S NOT LISTENING TO IT, THAT THE WEEK HASN’T, IN FACT, BEEN A ROLLER COASTER, THAT HE LEARNED A LONG TIME AGO TO PUT HIS HEAD DOWN AND QUIET THE NOISE. BUT YOU CAN SEE A VERY DIFFERENT CONFIDENCE IN HIM TODAY ON THE FIELD. DARE I SAY, IT’S ALMOST LIKE THE CONFIDENCE WE SAW EARLY IN THE YEAR LAST YEAR IN PITTSBURGH. SPERO: ADITI, FIELDS NOW APPROACHING 200 YARDS PASSING. PLAY CLOCK DOWN TO TWO. FIRST AND 10 FOR THE JETS. BACK TO THE GROUND GAME. THIS IS HALL. HALL HAS A FIRST DOWN AND MORE. TAKING ON ALL COMERS AS BREECE HALL BOUNDS FOR THE EDGE. AND AS WE MOVE INSIDE OF A MINUTE, HALL WITH A 35-YARD LINE RUN FOR THE JETS. ADAM: ALMOST EXACTLY WHAT WE SAW FIRST. LOOK AT THIS COMBINATION BLOCK, MASON TAYLOR. BUT THEN AGAIN, JUST ONE-ON-ONE. THIS TIME IT’S A SAFETY. YOU GOT BATTLE AGAINST BREECE HALL. WHO’S GOING TO MAKE THE PLAY? THE BENGALS ALSO HAVE REALLY STRUGGLED WITH MISSED TACKLES IN THEIR SECONDARY. SPERO: HATE TO SEE THIS. D.J. TURNER, WHO’S BEEN SENSATIONAL, COMES OFF THE FIELD, LOOKS LIKE IT’S HIS RIGHT HAND. JOSH NEWTON IN THE MEANTIME HAS COME IN NOW FOR CINCINNATI. THERE’S BEEN NO ONE BETTER ON THE DEFENSE SINCE WEEK ONE THAN D.J. TURNER. ADAM: HERE’S A QUESTION FOR THE JETS. CAN THEY SOLVE THE RED ZONE? THAT’S REALLY BEEN THE DIFFERENCE. CINCINNATI’S DEFENSE HAVE GIVEN UP SOME PLAYS, BUT THEY PLAYED REALLY GOOD WHEN THEY GET IN THIS PART OF THE FIELD IN THIS GAME. SPERO: LOW SNAP. FIELDS HANDS TO DAVIS. DAVIS TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER A BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE HERE. THE JETS, BY THE WAY, ARE APPROACHING 200 YARDS ON THE GROUND, AND WE ARE STILL IN THE THIRD QUARTER, BARELY. ADAM: LISTEN, THIS IS ONE OF THE TALKING POINTS COMING INTO THIS GAME, KNOWING THAT THE PASSING GAME COULD STRUGGLE, THIS RUNNING GAME HAD TO TAKE CENTER STAGE. IT’S DONE ITS PART, BUT THEY’VE GOT TO SCORE TOUCHDOWNS. SPERO: END. THIRD QUARTER IN CINCINNATI, AND HERE WE GO. WE’LL BE BACK AFTER THIS MESSAGE AND A WORD FROM YOUR LOCAL STATION. SPERO: PAYCOR STADIUM, DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI. TEMPERATURE JUST YOU SHOULD THE 60 DEGREE MARK IN WHAT LAB A GORGEOUS DAY. THERE’S THE SCORE, 31-16. JETS DESPERATELY TRYING TO GET INTO THE END ZONE. YOU DON’T HAVE TOE SCORE HERE. LINE TO GAIN IS JUST OUTSIDE THE 3. IT’S SECOND AND 4. OFFICIALS ARE GOING TO WHISTLE THIS PLAY DEAD. REFEREE: PRIOR TO THE BALL BEING SNAPPED, FALSE START FLINCH ON THE BACK, NUMBER 20. FIVE-YARD PENALTY. SECOND DOWN. SPERO: THEY GOT BREECE HALL. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME COSTLY PENALTIES AGAINST THE JETS. ARCH, THAT MARGIN FOR ERROR SO THIN FOR THIS WINLESS TEAM. ADAM: THAT CHANGES IT. BREECE HALL, YOU’RE GOING TO SEE. FIRST TIME I’VE EVER HEARD THE OFFICIAL CALL IT A FALSE START FLINCH OUT LOUD. SPERO: WELL, IT WAS VERY MINIMAL, CALLING IT TIGHT. ADAM: BUT THAT HURTS. TO ME, YOUR BEST CHANCE BEFORE THAT PLAY TO GET A TOUCHDOWN WAS TO BE ABLE TO DO IT WITH THE RUN GAME. NOW YOU GOT TO DECIDE WHO DO I HAVE THAT CAN WIN ONE-ON-ONE? SPERO: BREECE HALL TRYING TO GET SOME OF IT BACK, GOING TO GET DOWN TO THE 5. REMEMBER, DON’T NEED A TOUCHDOWN HERE. THEY’RE GOING TO CALL IT THIRD AND 2. ARCH, THEN A POTENTIAL DECISION ON FOURTH DOWN. IF YOU DON’T GET IT, DO YOU GO FOR THE POINTS? DO YOU GO FOR THE TOUCHDOWN? FIELD GOAL GETS YOU TO WITHIN 12. EVERYTHING ON THE MIND OF AARON GLENN THAT HE’S THINKING ABOUT EARLY FOURTH QUARTER. ADAM: I THINK THE FACT THAT YOU STILL HAVE ALMOST A FULL QUARTER, AND YOU’RE GOING TO BE DOWN, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY TWO POSSESSIONS, DOES MAKE IT A DECISION. BUT I ALSO THINK, AGAIN, YOUR BEST CHANCE IS TO USE THE RUN GAME TO PICK UP THE FIRST DOWN. SPERO: HANDOFF, HALL. HALL IN FOR THE JETS TOUCHDOWN. AND THEY JUST KEEP ON COMING HERE IN CINCINNATI. THE DESPERATION OF AN 0-7 TEAM. AS BREECE HALL BRINGS THEM TO WITHIN NINE. AND AARON GLENN IS GOING FOR TWO. ADAM: REALLY, THIS IS WELL BLOCKED, AND THEN IT’S ONE-ON-ONE. BREECE HALL WITH GENO STONE, THE SAFETY. STONE GETS LOST, AND THEN THERE’S NO CHANCE. BOY, THAT WAS SO WELL DONE. THIS RUN GAME TAKING OVER HERE ON THAT DRIVE. SPERO: YOU KNEW AT SOME POINT YOU’RE GOING TO NEED A TWO-POINT CONVERSION. JUST GOING FOR IT EARLY. NINE-POINT GAME, OPENING MINUTE, FOURTH QUARTER. AS THE JETS ARE OVER THE 200-YARD MARK ON THE GROUND. FIELDS STEPS UP. FIELDS UNDER DURESS. PULLS IT BACK, HE’S GOING RUN, AND HE GETS IT. NO FLAGS, AS JUSTIN FIELDS AND BREECE HALL BRING NEW YORK TO WITHIN SEVEN. AND THIS JETS OFFENSE, THIS MALIGNED UNIT THAT HAD STRUGGLED SO MASSIVELY OVER THE FIRST SEVEN WEEKS, THEY LOOK LIKE A DI SPERO: SOLD-OUT PAYCOR STADIUM. RIGHT NOW THE CINCINNATI CROWD IS SITTING ON THEIR HANDS A LITTLE BIT AFTER THE JETS TOUCHDOWN DRIVE. BREECE HALL BANGS IT IN, AND THEN THE TWO-POINT TRY MAKES THIS A SEVEN-POINT CINCINNATI LEAD. GOING TO GET THE BENGALS THE FOOTBALL OUT ACROSS THE 25-YARD LINE, AS WE WELCOME YOU BACK TO THE BOOTH. ARCH, I KNOW NEW YORK CITY IS NOT THE SILVER LINING KIND OF TOWN. BUT IF YOU’RE THE JETS AND AARON GLENN, THIS IS THE KIND OF FIGHT THEY WERE HOPING FOR AS THEY CAME IN HERE 0-7. ADAM: YOU LOOK AT THE LAST TWO GAMES OFFENSIVELY, THEY’VE BEEN A MESS. I MEAN, THEY REALLY HAVEN’T PUT ANY GOOD PRODUCT ON THE FIELD. THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF ADVERSITY AND STUFF GOING ON THIS WEEK. FOR THEM, AGAIN, NOT HAVING GARRETT WILSON IN YOUR PASSING GAME IS HAVING A TREMENDOUS, TREMENDOUS LOSS. AND THEN AGAIN, WITHOUT REYNOLDS, BEING ABLE TO COME IN HERE AND FIELDS PLAY WELL AND RUN THE BALL FOR OVER 200 YARDS AND STILL COME BACK AND HAVE YOURSELF IN THIS POSITION. SPERO: SAMAJE PERINE, BOY, THE DRIVE START CINCINNATI WAS HOPING FOR AS THEY TRY TO SHIFT THE MOMENTUM BACK IN THEIR FAVOR. A 21-YARD BURST. FINALLY TACKLED. MISSED TACKLE WAS SHERWOOD FOR THE JETS. ADAM: IT’S A SIMPLE RUN. THERE’S NOTHING FANCY ABOUT THAT RUN. HE JUST RUNS STRAIGHT AHEAD, AND SCHEMATICALLY, THE JETS DON’T HAVE ANYBODY TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT GAP. SPERO: SO PERINE RIGHT NOW, THE WORKHORSE. PERINE SLIPS A TACKLE, AND HE’S GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER FIRST DOWN FOR THE BENGALS AS WE CHECK DOWNSTAIRS WITH ADITI. ADITI: WE TALKED ABOUT HOW LAST WEEK THE BENGALS’ RUN GAME FINALLY BROKE FREE. WE’RE SEEING IT AGAIN HERE. I TALKED TO TED KARRAS THIS WEEK, AND ITS THE OFFENSIVE LINE SAID IT NEEDED AN EXCESSIVE EFFORT LAST WEEK. IT WAS BLOCKING HARD, STRAINING TO THE FINISH. WE AN SAW IT IN THE WAY THAT JA’MARR CHASE GAVE EXTRA EFFORT IN THE RUN GAME. IT’S CARRYING OVER. IT’S STACKING ONE WEEK UPON ANOTHER. SPERO: GIVE THEIR OFFENSIVE LINE CREDIT. SOME OF THE MOVING PISCES, INJURIES, NOT ONLY IN THE RUN GAME, BUT KEEPING JOE FLACCO UPRIGHT. SACK NUMBERS DOWN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. HERE’S SOME MISDIRECTION. CHASE, AS THEY TRY TO GET HIM THE FOOTBALL IN OPEN SPACE. ONE WEEK AFTER HIS HISTORIC PERFORMANCE, THE FRANCHISE RECORD 16 CATCHES LAST WEEK AGAINST THE STEELERS. ADAM: AND THEN YOU KNOW WHAT? GO OUT THERE AND GIVE A LITTLE EXTRA EFFORT RUN BLOCKING. A LITTLE HURDLE, CHASE HIM DOWN, TRY TO GET OUR HANDS ON HIM. ALL-AROUND EFFORT FOR JA’MARR CHASE. SPERO: AND HE’S A GUY WHO HAS SUCH APPRECIATION FOR THE GOOD FORTUNE HE’S HAD, A CHANCE TO PLAY WITH JOE BURROW. HE LOOKS ACROSS THE WAY, AND I KNOW GARRETT WILSON IS NOT PLAYING IN THIS GAME, BUT I THINK ALL THE DIFFERENT QUARTERBACK PLAYERS THAT WILSON HAS PLAYED WITH, AND HERE’S CHASE. GREEN GRASS IN FRONT OF HIM, BUT LETHAL WITH THE OPEN TERRAIN, DOING DAMAGE FOR THE BENGALS, A PICKUP OF 16 MORE. ADAM: HIS BODY CONTROL, AND REALLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT CHASE, AS COMPLETE A RECEIVER AS YOU’RE POSSIBLY GOING TO FIND. SOMEBODY WHO CAN WIN OUTSIDE ONE-ON-ONE DOWN THE FIELD, THE WAY HE ATTACKS THE FOOTBALL. THEY MOVE HIM AROUND, THEY PUT HIM IN THE SLOT. THERE’S NO ROUTE HE CAN’T RUN. AND I DON’T KNOW IF RIGHT NOW THERE’S A BETTER RECEIVER WHEN THE BALL IS IN HIS VICINITY WHO GOES AND ATTACKS THE FOOTBALL THE WAY HE DOES. SPERO: BENGALS IN BUSINESS. HERE THEY GO. BROWN, BOY, THEY ARE JUST CARVING UP THIS JETS RUN DEFENSE AT THE MOMENT. IT IS GOING TO BE A FIRST AND GOAL, CINCINNATI. ADITI: ARCH LAID OUT EVERYTHING THAT JA’MARR CHASE DOES, BUT WHEN I ASKED JOE FLACCO WHAT MAKES CHASE AND TEE HIGGINS DIFFERENT THAN ANY RECEIVER YOU’VE PLAYED FOR, HE SAID THEY BOTH ATTACK THE BALL. THEY GO UP, AND THEY GET IT. THEY DON’T JUST WAIT FOR IT TO COME TO THEM. SPERO: IT’S A UNIQUE TANDEM, THERE’S NO DOUBT, AS GOOD AS ANY DUO WITHOUT QUESTION IN THE NFL. LOCKED THEM UP TO BIG CONTRACT EXTENSIONS AFTER LAST SEASON. CHASE BROWN TAKING ON TACKLERS. A CHANCE TO VISIT WITH JA’MARR CHASE, AND HE SAID HE WENT BACK TO HALFTIME OF THAT GREEN BAY GAME, THE FIRST GAME WITH JOE FLACCO A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER THE TRADE, HE SAID WE WENT INTO THE LOCKER ROOM, CAME OUT, THE 17-PLAY DRIVE TO START THE SECOND HALF. AND FROM THAT MOMENT, EVERYTHING CHANGED FOR THIS OFFENSE. ADAM: THAT’S WHEN ZAC TAYLOR STARTED TO GET A COMFORT, THEY STARTED TO FEEL WHAT JOE WAS READY FOR, WHAT HE COULD DO. AND FROM THAT POINT FORWARD, THINGS REALLY STARTED TO CLICK. THEY DID NOT GET A WIN IN THAT GAME, BUT YOU’VE SEEN THEM CARRY THE MOMENTUM OF THAT SECOND HALF INTO THE PITTSBURGH GAME, AND THEN TODAY, REALLY, THIS IS A COMPLETE GAME BY THE OFFENSE, THROWING AND RUNNING. SPERO: HERE’S BROWN. BROWN, TOUCHDOWN. BOY, CINCINNATI WITH A QUICK STRIKE AFTER THE JETS BANGED IS IN FOR THE TOUCHDOWN AND THE TWO-POINT CONVERSION. CINCINNATI RESTORES ORDER, AND THEIR LEAD BACK TO DOUBLE DIGITS. ADAM: TO BE HONEST, THIS OFFENSIVE LINE, YOU COULD POINT OUT SOME MISTAKES THAT THE JETS ARE MAKING ON DEFENSE, BUT THIS OFFENSIVE LINE HAS BEEN MORE PHYSICAL. AND THEY’RE JUST MOVING OUT THIS JETS DEFENSIVE FRONT TO MAKE THOSE ONE-ON-ONE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHASE AND PERINE ON THESE SAFETIES AND LINEBACKERS. SPERO: EVAN MCPHERSON ON FOR THE POINT AFTER. GIVING THE JETS A LITTLE TASTE OF THEIR OWN MEDICINE WITH THE GROUND ATTACK. LOOKS LIKE THE OFFICIALS MAY BE LOOKING TO CONFIRM, OF SPERO: TOUCHDOWN HAS BEEN CONFIRMED HERE IN CINCINNATI. SO CHASE BROWN HAS HIS SECOND RUSHING TOUCHDOWN OF THE SEASON, NINTH OF HIS CAREER. ZAC TAYLOR’S OFFENSE HEADLINED BY JOE FLACCO, DOES ITS DUTY ONE MORE TIME. 37-24. MCPHERSON’S POINT AFTER IS UP AND PERFECT. TWO-TOUCHDOWN LEAD FOR THE BENGALS WITH 10 AND CHANGE LEFT IN REGULATION. HARD HIT HERE BY TONY ADAMS, TRYING TO KEEP BROWN OUT OF THE OUT OF THEEND ZONE, TO NO AVAIL. BENGALS BACK IN COMMAND. ADAM: LISTEN, TO ME, AGAIN, IT’S IMPRESSIVE WHAT THIS OFFENSIVE LINE HAS DONE. YOU MAKE A PLAY AT OR BEHIND THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE, JETS DEFENSE THIS YEAR IS NUMBER ONE IN THE NFL. # 2% OF THE TIME THEY’VE STOPPED THE OPPONENTS’ RUN. THEY ONLY HAVE TWO IN THIS GAME. THIS OFFENSIVE LINE AGAINST A VERY, VERY GOOD RUN FRONT IS REALLY GETTING THE JOB DONE. YOU GOT TO TIP THEIR HAT. BACKS ARE ALSO RUNNING HARD AND DOING THEIR JOB BY MAKING THE EXTRA GUY MISS. SPERO: 38-24. ALL SMILES DOWN ON THAT BENGALS SIDELINE. AS THE JETS ARE GOING TO GET THE FOOTBALL BACK. CAN I SAY SOMETHING, BY THE WAY? WEREN’T YOU MAKING FUN OF MY VEST LAST WEEK? AND HERE YOU ARE A WEEK LATER WITH A VEST. YOU WANT TO PUBLICLY APOLOGIZE TO ME? ADAM: IT WAS 10 DEGREES WARMER LAST WEEK. SPERO: IT WAS A LITTLE CHILLY. IT’S NICE TODAY, BUT A LITTLE CHILLY HERE IN CINCINNATI. ADAM: TODAY IT IS, YES. IT’S APPROPRIATE. SPERO: YOU KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE 60 ON GAME DAY. I THOUGHT MAYBE AN APOLOGY. OK, MAYBE I WAS IMPRESSED BY YOUR VEST. I THOUGHT IT WAS A NICE FASHION STATEMENT. ADAM: YES. SPERO: MCPHERSON PUTTING IT BACK IN PLAY. FIELDED HERE BY ISAIAH WILLIAMS. CROSSES THE 30. M.V.P. CONVERSATION FOR THE COWBOYS. AND WE WILL BE WATCHING. JUSTIN FIELDS BACK TO THE AIR. CAN THEY GENERATE MORE POINTS? ISAIAH DAVIS. JETS OFFENSE HAS SCORED ON FIVE OF THEIR LAST SIX POSSESSIONS. THREE FIELD GOALS, AND THE TWO TOUCHDOWNS. ADAM: YEAH, COMING INTO THIS GAME, YOU PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE PREDICTED THIS TYPE OF PERFORMANCE. BUT THEY’VE BEEN ABLE TO STICK WITH THE RUN GAME AND REALLY KIND OF WEAR DOWN THE CINCINNATI DEFENSIVE FRONT. BUT HERE YOU GO, YOU GOT 9:45 LEFT HERE IN THE FOURTH QUARTER. THERE’S NO TAKEAWAYS FROM EITHER TEAM IN THIS GAME. TO ME, THIS HAS GOT TO BE THE DRIVE, BEING DOWN BY 14 POINTS, THAT YOU GET A TOUCHDOWN. YOU DON’T GO ON THIS DRIVE AND GET A TOUCHDOWN, THEN YOU HAVE TO START THINKING YOUR DEFENSE HAS TO TAKE THE BALL AWAY FOR YOU TO GET THE POSSESSIONS. SPERO: OFFICIALS RULE IT INCOMPLETE. ISAIAH WILLIAMS, ERRANT PASS FROM FIELDS, AS WILLIAMS HAD TO REACH BEHIND HIM AND LOW FOR IT. AND IT IS GOING TO BE THIRD AND 6. JUST NEVER CAME OUT CLEANLY FROM FIELDS, ONE OF HIS FEW MISSES IN THIS GAME. FIELDS NOW 16-27. AARON GLENN LOOKING ON. THIRD AND 6. ADAM: JOHNSON HAS BEEN HIS FAVORITE TARGET, FIVE TIMES, THREE CATCHES FOR 64 YARDS. ISAIAH DAVIS IS NEXT. HE’S CAUGHT ALL HIS TARGETS FOR 35 YARDS, 4-4. SPERO: BENGALS RUSH FOUR. FIELDS PROTECTED. FIELDS GOING FOR RUN FOR IT. HE HAS TO SPLIT TWO DEFENDERS, AND HE TAKES A HARD HIT. SO FIELDS PICKS UP FIVE. TAYLOR-BRITT AMONG THE TACKLERS FOR CINCINNATI. JOSEPH OSSAI AS WELL. SO FIELDS PAYS THE PRICE, AND AARON GLENN’S OFFENSE OBVIOUSLY STAYING ON THE FIELD HERE WITH 9:06 LEFT. ADAM: AGAIN, IF YOU PUNT THIS BALL AWAY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE FACT THAT CINCINNATI, YOU HAVEN’T REALLY BEEN ABLE TO STOP THEIR RUN GAME HERE IN THE THIRD AND FOURTH QUARTER. IF YOU DON’T GET A SCORE ON THIS DRIVE, THEN YOU HAVE TO START TO RELY ON YOUR DEFENSE AND TAKEAWAY TO GET THE PROPER AMOUNT OF POSSESSIONS. SPERO: FIELDS FAKES TO DAVIS. FIELDS DELIVERS. FIRST DOWN, JETS. JEREMY RUCKER SLIPS THE TACKLE. THEY FINALLY BRING HIM DOWN, LOOKED LIKE HE GOT AROUND CARTER, WHO RECOVERS FOR THE TACKLE, BUT NOT BEFORE RUCKER BURNS HIM FOR 25. AND A JETS FIRST DOWN. ADAM: REALLY NICE PICK. WATCH ISAIAH DAVIS BLOCK BATTLE ON THE EDGE. THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON THEME FOR BOTH QUARTERBACKS. LOOK AT HOW MUCH TIME, IN A CRITICAL DOWN, THAT JUSTIN FIELDS HAS. NO PANIC, BE CALM, FIND YOUR TIGHT END TO PICK UP THE FIRST DOWN. SPERO: YOU THINK ISAIAH DAVIS IS PLAYING HIMSELF INTO A BIGGER ROLE IN THIS JETS OFFENSE? HE’S BEEN TERRIFIC FOR NEW YORK. HERE’S BREECE HALL BREAKING ONE FOR THE JETS. HALL! SECOND EFFORT, AND HE’S IN FOR THE TOUCHDOWN! ADAM: HE MAY HAVE — SPERO: DID HE STAY INBOUNDS? ADAM: RIGHT ABOUT THE 3-YARD LINE. THERE’S A QUESTION. DID THE RIGHT FOOT? I DON’T WANT TO BE A DEBBIE DOWNER, BUT IT’S CLOSE. SPERO: IF IT STANDS, IT’S A 27-YARD TOUCHDOWN RUN. RIGHT FOOT IN. RIGHT THERE, RIGHT AT THE 3-YARD LINE. BOY, IT’S CLOSE FROM THAT VANTAGE POINT. ADAM: I SEE GREEN GRASS. I THINK I SEE A SLIVER OF GREEN. SPERO: AND YOU STILL GOT THE 12:10. I THINK YOU’RE RIGHT. BREECE HALL GOT HIS FIRST RUSHING TOUCHDOWN OF THE SEASON EARLIER. AND HE’S GOT ANOTHER ONE HERE. ADAM: INTERESTING CALL RIGHT HERE, ISN’T IT? SPERO: JETS ALREADY WITHIN EIGHT. THEY’RE GOING FOR THE TWO HERE. INTERESTING INDEED. FIELDS. HE EVADES, AND IT’S CAUGHT BY DAVIS. THEY’RE GOING TO RULE IT INCOMPLETE. ARCH, INTERESTING PUTTING IT MILDLY. YOU’RE DOWN EIGHT, 7:52 LEFT. INSTEAD OF KICKING THE EXTRA POINT, GETTING IT DOWN TO SEVEN, YOU GO FOR A TWO-POINT CONVERSION. ADAM: YOU ONLY DO THAT IF, IN YOUR MIND, YOU’RE GOING FOR THE WIN. AND YOU’RE SAYING, HEY, WE’RE NOT HERE TO TIE IT. WE’RE HERE TO WIN. REFEREE: RULED A CATCH AND SHORT. WE’RE GOING TO LOOK AT THE PLAY. SPERO: OFFICIALS WILL RULE IT. CALL ON THE FIELD IS INCOMPLETE ON THE ATTEMPTED TWO. CERTAINLY THE DECISION FOR AARON GLENN RAISES SOME EYEBROWS, BUT CLEARLY, ARCH, HE’S THINKING WE’RE GOING FOR THE WIN, NOT FOR ANY TIE POTENTIALLY DOWN THE ROAD. SO HENCE THE DECISION TO GO FOR TWO. FIELDS, THE BODY CONTROL, JUST TO GIVE DAVIS A CHANCE. ADAM: OH, I DON’T KNOW IF THEY BROKE THE PLANE. SPERO: GENE STERATORE, A LOT TO UNPACK HERE. HOW DO YOU SEE THIS SEQUENCE? GENE: A LOT. BUT I THINK WHAT YOU REALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT AND REMEMBER, ONLY THE TIP OF A FOOTBALL HAS TO BREAK THE PLANE OF THAT GOAL LINE. SO IF YOU JUST HAVE A PIECE. NOSE OF THAT FOOTBALL BREAKING THE WHITE THAT HAVE GOAL LINE, TECHNICALLY, OFFICIALLY, YOU’VE GOT A TWO-POINT CONVERSION TOUCHDOWN. YOU’VE GOT SCORING PLAY. AND WHEN I’M WATCHING DAVIS HERE WITH THIS BALL AS IT GOES IN AND HE CRADLES IT, IF HE POSSESSED THAT RIGHT AWAY, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT ANGLE. WE WATCH THIS COME IN, I’LL WATCH THE NOSE THAT HAVE FOOTBALL RIGHT AT THIS POINT. LOOK, IF HE’S POSSESSED THAT FOOTBALL RIGHT THERE, AND YOU ONLY HAVE A PIECE OF THAT FOOTBALL TOUCHING THE WHITE OR BREAKING THE WHITE, GO WITH THE SUCCESSFUL TWO-POINT CONVERSION. ADAM: GENE, I GOT A QUESTION. AT WHAT POINT WHEN YOU’RE IN THE AIR LIKE THAT CAN YOU DETERMINE POSSESSION OF THE FOOTBALL? REFEREE: THE RECEIVER CAUGHT THE BALL AND WAS BEYOND THE GOAL LINE WHEN HE CAUGHT IT. TWO-POINT IS GOOD. SPERO: ALL RIGHT, WE APPRECIATE GENE ALL OVER IT. BOY, THE DECISION FROM AARON GLENN TO GO FOR TWO. ADAM: THE THEORY BEHIND THAT IS KNOWING THAT YOU HAVE TO SCORE AGAIN. THE ODDS AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF YOU SCORING ONE OUT OF TWO, TWO-POINT CONVERSIONS IS HIGHER. YOU KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING? SAYING THAT, HEY, IF WE SCORE AGAIN, THE ODDS AND THE STATISTICS SAY WE HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF CONVERTING IT TO THEN BE ABLE TO TIE THE GAME. SPERO: SO GLENN GOES FOR THE TWO. THEY CUT IT TO SIX. AND WE GOT A BRAND-NEW GAME ONCE AGAIN HERE IN CINCINNATI. 7:52 LEFT. ARCH, I ALWAYS LOOK TO SEE WHAT KIND OF FIGHT A TEAM THAT’S IN THE POSITION THAT THE JETS ARE, 0-7E7, WINLESS AFTER SEVEN WEEKS, HOW DO THEY PERFORM AND FIGHT FOR THEIR EMBATTLED HEAD COACH? ADAM: BOTH TEAMS, THE RUN GAME HERE IN THE FOURTH QUARTER COMING TO LIFE. SPERO: RETURN HERE FROM CHARLIE JONES. AND THE JETS GET DOWN THE FIELD, DECENT KICK COVERAGE, AND CINCINNATI IS GOING TO HAVE IT JUST INSIDE THE 30. “THE NFL TODAY” UPDATE DELIVERED BY LITTLE CAESARS AM O, TIME PERMITTING. J.B. AND THE CREW FROM NEW YORK, WE’LL GET YOU ALL THE LATEST NFL SCORES AND HIGHLIGHTS. ADAM: HERE’S THE DILEMMA THAT AARON GLENN AND STEVE WILKS, THE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR OF THE JETS, HAVE. YOU’D LIKE TO SAY, HEY, WE’RE GOING TO LOAD UP AND PLAY THE BOX. BUT THERE’S ONE PROBLEM. WE STILL, THAT’S GOING TO PUT US ONE-ON-ONE WITH CHASE AND HIGGINS. AS YOU SAW LAST WEEK, FLACCO HAS NO PROBLEMS. IF HE SEE THAT IS ONE-ON-ONE, ESPECIALLY IN PRESS COVERAGE, HE’S GOING DOWNTOWN, THEN WHO’S GOING TO WIN THAT BATTLE? THE MONEY IS ON THE JETS RECEIVERS. SPERO: THAT’S THE DILEMMA, AS CHASE RULES THIS INCOMPLETE. ONE OF THE FEW MISSES FOR JA’MARR CHASE. IT WILL BE SECOND AND 10. LET’S GET A “NFL TODAY” UPDATE. TO NEW YORK AND ADAM SCHEIN. ADAM SCHEIN: SPERO, ARCH, IT’S DAK PRESCOTT AND THE DALLAS COWBOYS TAKING ON BO NIX AND THE DENVER BRONCOS. JIM, TONY, TRACY COMING UP, 4:25 EASTERN TIME. THAT’S GOING TO BE A SHOW. BACK TO YOU. SPERO: ADAM, WE’LL BE KEEPING CLOSE TABS ON THAT ONE. SECOND AND 10. FLACCO OVER THE MIDDLE. IT IS INCOMPLETE. FIRST TIME WE REALLY CALLED THE NAME IOSIVAS. BROWNLEE WAS WITH HIM STEP FOR STEP, AND IT IS THIRD AND 10 FOR THE BENGALS. ADAM: THIS HELPS OUT THE NEW YORK JETS. THEY’RE ONLY DOWN NOW BY SIX POINTS, 7:41 ON THE CLOCK. BUT NOW YOU’VE SAVED THEM WITH TWO STOPPAGES OF THE CLOCK, IF THEY DON’T GET IT ON THEIR NEXT POSSESSION, YOU ARE JUST GIVING THEM MORE AND MORE TIME TO GET BACK INTO THIS GAME. SPERO: CROWD QUIETS DOWN. FLACCO FROM THE GUN ON THIRD AND 10. BUYING HIMSELF SOME TIME, AND THEY FINALLY GET TO HIM. FIRST SACK FOR THE JETS TODAY, AND IT’S WILL MCDONALD. JUST A MASSIVE PLAY FOR STEVE WILKS AND THIS DEFENSE. ADAM: HE HAD TO COME A LONG, LONG WAY. WILL MCDONALD ALL THE WAY FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIELD. LOOK AT HIM WRAP AROUND AND END UP MAKING THAT PLAY OFF FLACCO. THE FIRST SACK OF THE GAME, AND THEY HAVE GOTTEN ZERO PRESSURE ON FLACCO, AND NOW ALL THE SUDDEN THIS GAME GOT INTERESTING. SPERO: SIX-POINT GAME AS THE JETS ARE GOING TO GET IT BACK. ISAIAH WILLIAMS OFF A BOUNCE, CROSSES THE 30. WILLIAMS, NIFTY RETURNING IN THIS GAME FROM ISAIAH WILLIAMS. 18 ON THE RETURN AFTER THE 56-YARD PUNT BY REHKOW. AND FINALLY TACKLED ON THE PLAY BY TAHJ BROOKS. AND WE GOT A BRAND-NEW GAME HERE IN CINCINNATI. FIRST DOWN, JETS. EXCELLENT STARTING FIELD POSITION FROM THEIR 42. ADAM: LISTEN, JUST BECAUSE THEY WENT DOWN ON THAT LAST POSSESSION, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS CRITICAL FOR THEM GETTING BACK IN THIS GAME, AND GOT SEVEN POINTS, NOW YOU’RE SITTING IN A REALLY GOOD SPOT. 6:50 LEFT, AND YOUR RUN GAME HAS STARTED TO COME ALIVE. THE BENGALS SEEMINGLY HAVEN’T HAD AN ANSWER FOR YOU RUNNING THE FOOTBALL IN THIS SECOND HALF. SPERO: PLAY-ACTION FROM FIELDS. FIELDS GOING TO TAKE A SHOT, AND HE DELIVERS A STRIKE OFF THE SIDELINE TO ARIAN SMITH. AND ANOTHER MONSTER THROW FROM FIELDS, A PICKUP OF 23. ADAM: ARIAN SMITH, HE’S GOT THE WHEELS, AND HE CAN FLY. AND WHEN YOU GOT SPEED LIKE THAT, IT’S NOT ALWAYS DO YOU JUST RUN THE GO ROUTE, BUT DO YOU HAVE THE THREAT OF RUNNING BY A DEFENSIVE BACK? YOU PUT ON THE BRAKES, AND THE QUARTERBACK DELIVERS THE BALL. SPERO: HERE’S BREECE HALL. HALL SLIPS A TACKLE. HALL, VERY CLOSE TO ANOTHER JET FIRST DOWN, DOWN TO THE CINCINNATI 25. WAITING FOR THE SIGNAL FROM SCOTT NOVAK. AND NOW THEY SAY FIRST DOWN, JETS. A LITTLE BIT OF A BOBBLE, OSSAI CONVERGING ON THE TACKLE WITH KNIGHT, AND SOMEHOW HALL ABLE TO MAINTAIN POSSESSION. HERE’S WILLIAMS, DUCKS INSIDE THE 20. JUST CRAZY TO WATCH THIS, ARCH. THE JETS OFFENSE WENT TWO WEEKS WITHOUT A TOUCHDOWN. THEY’RE APPROACHING 500 YARDS OF TOTAL OFFENSE IN THIS GAME, JUST A STUNNER. ADAM: OH, MAN. YOU EVER EXPERIMENT WITH TAKING CRAZY PILLS? TODAY IS MY FIRST TIME. AND IT’S BEEN WILD. SPERO: SECOND AND 5, JETS. JUSTIN FIELDS, THEIR EMBATTLED QUARTERBACK, TAKING HIS LUMPS FROM THE MEDIA THIS SEASON, THE FAN BASE, ALL OF HIS TROUBLES, TRYING TO PUT IT ALL BEHIND HIM, AND SOMEHOW GET THE JETS A ROAD WIN HERE IN CINCINNATI IN WEEK EIGHT. HALL TACKLED ON THE PLAY BY KNIGHT TO SET UP A THIRD AND 1, FIVE MINUTES LEFT. ADAM: I’VE BEEN PRAISING THE BENGALS OFFENSIVE LINE, BUT I THINK IT’S TIME TO GIVE THE JETS OFFENSIVE LINE THEIR DUE. IT’S BEEN ONE-ON-ONE TACKLED BETWEEN THESE JETS BACKS, WHETHER IT’S DAVIS OR BREECE HALL ON LINEBACKERS AND SAFETIES. AND THEE BEEN AGE TO WIN THAT MATCHUP — ABLE TO WIN THAT MATCHUP. BOTH OFFENSIVE LINES TODAY REALLY GETTING THE JOB DONE. SPERO: THIRD AND LONG. FIELDS ON THE KEEPER. FIELDS LEANING BACK. WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO SPOT THIS FOOTBALL? LINE IT RIGHT AT THE 15. FIRST DOWN, JETS. AND ARCH, THEY ARE APPROACHING 260 RUSHING YARDS IN THIS GAME, JUST WILD. CLOCK RUNNING, FOUR AND CHANGE. BOTH COACHES THINKING ABOUT THE TIME-OUT SITUATION. CERTAINLY IF YOU’RE ZAC TAYLOR HERE, JETS TRYING TO RUN THAT THING AS MUCH AS THEY CAN. SIX-POINT CINCINNATI LEAD. FRESH SET OF DOWNS FOR THE JETS. FIELDS FROM THE GUN, OPERATING OVER THE MIDDLE. COMPLETE, IT’S DAVIS AGAIN. TACKLED BY LOGAN WILSON. IT’S A PICKUP OF NINE. SECOND AND SHORT. CLOCK RUNNING, 3:34 LEFT. I’M SURE MANY PEOPLE AROUND THE NFL HAD PREDICTED THIS KIND OF OUTCOME. SIX-POINT LEAD FOR CINCINNATI. THEIR NEW QUARTERBACK, JOE FLACCO, CAME IN RED HOT, RIDING HIGH FROM A CONFIDENCE STANDPOINT AFTER THEIR THURSDAY NIGHT WIN AGAINST PITTSBURGH LAST WEEK, GETTING EVERYTHING THEY CAN HANDLE FROM THE WINLESS JETS. DAVIS GOING TO LOSE A YARD. SLATON AMONG THE TACKLERS, AS CINCINNATI GETS THAT PUSH UP THE MIDDLE. ADAM: THAT’S ONE OF THE VERY FEW TIMES IN THIS GAME THAT WE’VE SEEN SOMEBODY FROM CINCINNATI’S DEFENSE GET INTO THAT JETS BACKFIELD. IN THEIR LAST DRIVE, IT WAS REALLY THE JETS RUN GAME THAT LED TO THEM GETTING THEIR TOUCHDOWN, TO GET BACK IN THIS. NOW, THIS SEASON, SPERO, CINCINNATI’S RED ZONE DEFENSE HAS NOT BEEN VERY GOOD. TODAY THEY’VE BEEN PRETTY GOOD. BUT RIGHT NOW YOU ASK YOURSELF, IF YOU’RE THE JETS, KNOWING THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TO SCORE, YOU CAN STILL GET A FIRST DOWN AND A NEW SET, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO PICK UP THIS TWO YARDS? SPERO: THIRD AND 2. SIDEARM DELIVERY, IT’S CAUGHT. FIRST DOWN, JETS. MASON TAYLOR ABLE TO SQUEEZE IT. HE KNEW HE WAS GOING TO GET HIT BY DAX HILL, A PICKUP OF THREE. FIRST DOWN AND GOAL TO GO FOR THE JETS. ADAM: OH, THAT IS A BIG-TIME THROW, AND A SPERO: WHAT A CRAZY GAME IN NEATH. THIS WAS THE SCENE JUST A COUPLE OF SECONDS AGO. JOE FLACCO WINCING IN PAIN ON THE CINCINNATI SIDELINE. IT WAS THE RIGHT SHOULDER THAT THEY’RE LOOKING AT AS THEY TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT HIM. THAT JUST ADDS TO THE INTRIGUE HERE DOWN THE STRETCH. HALL THOUGHT ABOUT IT, NOW TOSSES TO THE END ZONE, AND HE’S GOT TAYLOR FOR THE JETS TOUCHDOWN! AND THIS CINCINNATI CROWD STUNNED. AS THE JETS HAVE COME ALL THE WAY BACK, AND THEY’VE GOT A SHOT TO TAKE THE LEAD WITH 1:54 LEFT. ADAM: I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT HALL THREW THIS FOOTBALL, AND THEN TAYLOR, HE JUST HAD TOPS. TURNER JUST GOES OVER THE TOP AND TAKES IT FROM HIM. THAT IS UNBELIEVABLE, SPERO. SPERO: HOW ABOUT THE PLAY CALL FROM TANNER ENGSTRAND? A RUNNING BACK PASS IN THAT KIND OF A MOMENT. FOR AN O.C. AND PLAY CALLER THAT’S BEEN UNDER THE GUN, ALL THE HITS HE’S TAKEN WITH SOME OF THE OFFENSIVE STRUGGLES, UNBELIEVABLE. THE JETS WERE DOWN 31-16 WITH 2:30 LEFT IN THE THIRD QUARTER. CINCINNATI LOOKED LIKE THEY WERE IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE. SUDDENLY YOU’RE DOWN A POINT, AND YOUR STARTING QUARTERBACK, ARCH, IS IN THE LOCKER ROOM. ADAM: THIS IS INCREDIBLE. WATCH BREECE HALL. BECAUSE TURNER, NUMBER 20, HE DOES A PRETTY GOOD JOB HERE, BUT HIS BACK IS TO THE RUNNER. HE SEES TAYLOR. BUT BOY, WHAT A JOB FROM TAYLOR TO TAKE IT AWAY. AND NOW IT’S NOT FLACCO, IT’S JAKE BROWNING WHO HAS TO COME IN HERE AND TRY TO SAVE THE DAY FOR THE CINCINNATI BENGALS. SPERO: HOW QUICKLY CAN THE BENGALS NOW PSYCHOLOGICALLY TURN THE PAGE? HERE COMES JOE FLACCO. LIKE WILLIS REED COMING OUT OF THE LOCKER ROOM HERE FOR THE BENGALS, AS HE QUICKLY TROTS TO THE SIDELINE. ALL EYES ON HIM AS EVERYONE SETS UP HERE FOR THE KICKOFF. LOOKS LIKE THEY’RE GOING TO GET HIM HIS HELMET. LOOKS LIKE FLACCO IS OK. MAN, THIS IS JUST CRAZY. 398 JETS. TRYING TO GET THEIR FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON. DESPERATION THEY’RE PLAYING WITH TODAY. THIS IS CHARLIE JONES OUT ACROSS THE 20. JONES TO THE 24. AND HERE WE GO WITH 1:48 LEFT. JOE COOL, HOW MANY TIMES HAS HE BEEN IN THIS POSITION IN HIS CAREER? HOW ABOUT THE NEW YORK JETS? TRYING TO GET THEIR FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON. ADAM: BOY, WHAT CAN YOU SAY? THEY’VE DONE IT REALLY IN ALL PHASES. BUT IT’S THAT RUN GAME, SPERO. BREECE HALL, 18 ATTEMPTS, 133 YARDS. ISAIAH DAVIS WITH THE LONG 50-YARD RUN THAT REALLY GOT THAT PARTY STARTED. AND THEN HALL DOES IT WITH THE TOUCHDOWN PASS TO HIS TIGHT END, TAYLOR. UNBELIEVABLE SECOND HALF. SPERO: CINCINNATI BEGINS THE DRIVE. YOU GOT ALL THREE TIME-OUTS LEFT. JA’MARR CHASE, THE COMPLETION FROM FLACCO. SO YOU GOT PLENTY OF CLOCK. JOE COOL HAS BEEN IN THIS POSITION A MILLION TIMES IN HIS CAREER, AS WE APPROACH 90 SECONDS. ADAM: AND LISTEN, CERTAINLY THERE’S A FEW FACTORS HERE. OBVIOUSLY YOU WANT TO BE IN POSITION TO KICK THE FIELD GOAL, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, OFFENSES THESE DAYS ONLY NEED ABOUT 30 SECONDS. SPERO: CHASE BROWN GETS INTO THE SECOND LEVEL. AND ARCH, JUST ADDING TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS GAME, CINCINNATI TRYING TO GET THEMSELVES BACK IN THE CONVERSATION IN THE A.F.C. NORTH. THIS IS ONE THAT YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO MISS. ADAM: IT’S A HUGE GAME. AS HIGH AS THE VIBE HAS BEEN HERE FOR CINCINNATI, COMING OUT OF THAT THURSDAY NIGHT GAME, YOU KNOW, AFTER PRETTY MUCH BEING ALMOST A LOST SEASON, ALL THE OPTIMISM AND ENTHUSIASM AND EVERYTHING THAT FLACCO HAS DONE FOR THIS OFFENSE AND THIS TEAM, BOY, THIS IS ONE THAT YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO DROP IF YOU’RE THE BENGALS. SPERO: FLACCO UP THE SEAM. THAT ONE DEFLECTED IN THE AIR, MY GOODNESS, NEARLY PICKED. IOSIVAS WAS THE INTENDED TARGET. JAMIEN SHERWOOD HAD A CHANCE. ADAM: BOY, JAMIEN SHERWOOD, NUMBER 44, GETS HIS RIGHT HAND, RIGHT THERE. BACK IS TO THE FOOTBALL, GETS HIS HAND IN THERE. BOY, THAT IS A GREAT JOB BY SHERWOOD. THAT’S A TIGHT WINDOW THROW FROM FLACCO, BUT SHERWOOD REALLY IS THE ONE THAT MADE THAT HAPPEN. SPERO: CINCINNATI NEEDS ABOUT 18 YARDS, MAYBE 17 TO GET INTO THE FIELD GOAL RANGE OF MCPHERSON. ADAM: NOW YOU HAVE TO CALL A TIME-OUT. SPERO: ZAC TAYLOR WILL TAKE ONE HERE, DOWN TO 37 SECONDS. AS HE LOOKS DOWN AT THAT PLAY SHEET. THIRD DOWN COMING UP FOR THE BENGALS. AND JUST AGONY FOR THESE FANS WHO THOUGHT THIS ONE WAS IN THE WIN COLUMN JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES AGO. STAY TUNED, “THE NFL TODAY” UPDATE DELIVERED BY LITTLE CAESARS, TIME PERMITTING, J.B. AND THE CREW STANDING BY. GET YOU ALL THE SCORES AND HIGHLIGHTS TO YOUR HEART’S CONTENT. 37 SECONDS WITH TWO TIME-OUTS. ADAM: HOW ABOUT AARON GLENN GOING FOR THAT TWO-POINT CONVERSION ON THEIR FIRST TOUCHDOWN, AND THEN CHALLENGING IT AFTER IT WAS RULED. SPERO: ALL THE DECISIONS TO TRY TO PUT HIS TEAM IN A POSITION TO GET ONE HERE. FLACCO, HERE THEY COME. FLACCO UNDER DURESS, JUST HAS TO THROW IT UP AND OUT OF BOUNDS. IT WAS JOHNSON, THEY DIAL UP THE .PRESSURE TO THROW THE TIMING OFF FOR FLACCO. ADAM: HERE YOU GO, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, THIS COULD BE A SEASON-DEFINING WIN OR LOSS HERE FOR CINCINNATI. AND YOU KNOW, CHASE HAS BEEN KIND OF QUIET HERE IN THE SECOND HALF. HAD A REALLY GOOD FIRST HALF, HAD A LOT OF TARGETS IN THE FIRST HALF. BUT THE JETS HAVE DONE A NICE JOB OF TAKING HIM OUT OF THE GAME. RIGHT NOW, CHASE BY HIMSELF, ISOLATED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN. THERE’S NO DOUBT THEY’LL HAVE SAFETY HELP. SPERO: FOURTH AND 9. FLACCO PROTECTED. FACCO’S PASS INCOMPLETE, AND THE JETS ARE GOING TO DO IT HERE IN CINCINNATI! IOSIVAS, THE INTENDED TARGET. JARVIS BROWNLEE WAS RIGHT THERE FOR THE JETS. AND ONCE AGAIN, THIS CINCINNATI CROWD STUNNED. ADAM: WELL, THIS STARTS ON THE THIRD DOWN. JERMAINE JOHNSON IS GOING TO WRAP INSIDE, AND HE’S GOING TO GET THE PRESSURE. SO FLACCO JUST TRIES TO GET RID OF THIS FOOTBALL, JUST THROW IT AWAY, NOWHERE TO GO WITH THE FOOTBALL. AND NOW THAT’S GOING TO FORCE A BIG FOURTH DOWN. AND YOU’VE GOT TO BE ONE-ON-ONE. THE ATTENTION IS ON CHASE AND HIGGINS. BROWNLEE KNOWS HE’S GOING TO BE THE ONE TO MAKE A PLAY, AND YOU CAN’T COVER IOSIVAS ANY BETTER THAN THAT. SPERO: AARON GLENN, EVERYTHING HIM AND HIS STAFF HAVE HAD TO CONTEND WITH, THE QUESTIONS, SPARRING SESSIONS WITH THE NEW YORK MEDIA. THIS IS HIS MOMENT. THEY FINALLY GET ONE. A GUY WHO’S BEEN IN THIS POSITION BEFORE HIS PREVIOUS YEARS WITH DETROIT, THE 2021 LIONS TEAM, ALL THE LOSSES PILING UP BEFORE THEY TASTED VICTORY. HOPING FOR SIMILAR FORTUNES WITH THE NEW YORK JETS. AS THEY

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