Jump to a story section:
While Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan scouted Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow from his basement during the COVID draft of 2020, his autographed photo of Peyton Manning oversaw the selection of another overall No. 1 draft pick.
It turns out that Callahan, now getting ready to defend Burrow and AFC Offensive Player of the Week Ja’Marr Chase as head coach of the Titans, has a signed photo of them together laughing during some point in Chase's rookie season of 2021.
Callahan hasn't found a spot for it yet during his whirlwind rookie year, but he knows where to find them Sunday (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Fox 19) as Nashville hosts the first Zac Taylor Coaching Tree Game.
"I had them sign it a couple of years back," said Callahan, who served as Taylor's trusted friend and aide-de-camp during the previous five seasons in Cincinnati. "I told them that at some point I'll look back and they'll both be in the Hall of Fame and I'll get to say that I was a part of their journey and man, they've only gotten better. It's fun to watch and terrifying to get ready for."
Callahan may be having a bumpy 3-10 start to his head coaching career like so many (Bill Belichick went 7-9, Andy Reid went 5-11, Chuck Noll so famously 1-13), and one of the many things he admired in Taylor (2-14) was how he was the same guy every day.
And so when Callahan appeared on Wednesday's conference call with Cincinnati scribes, he was the same quotable, refreshing guy. But he can also go head coach-speak on you as well as anyone. Before the league did away with opposing head coach conference calls, canonizing the Bengals was a weekly occasion and it was that way in 31 other NFL towns.
No different here Wednesday as Callahan went full-Belichick on Burrow and Chase. He said he'd vote for Burrow for MVP and thinks Chase is arguably the offensive player of the year.
The thing is, given his association with them, he no doubt truly believes it.
"They keep getting better. The both of them. And I think Joe's playing the position as good as anybody in the NFL right now," Callahan said.
"Ja'Marr just continues to do things that everyone thought he could do and then he does something more and their performance has been incredible. We've got to find a way to try to keep a lid on as much of it as we can, but they're both just such fantastic players."
NUMBERS GALORE
Everything Callhan said can be backed up in the cold, hard numbers that look like measurements for Pro Football Hall of Fame Gold Jackets.
On Sunday, Burrow can join Steve Young (1998) as the only players in NFL history with at least 300 yards passing and three touchdowns in five straight games. If Burrow does that, he'll also join Tom Brady (10 straight in 2007) and Andrew Luck (eight in 2018), as well as Peyton Manning (eight in 2004) and Dan Marino (seven from 1986-87) as the only players with at least three touchdown passes in six straight games.
Chase has been just as absurd. How about joining Jerry Rice on a list? With seven catches and 81 yards on Sunday, it would be only Chase, Rice, Marvin Harrison, Randy Moss and Cooper Kupp with 100 catches, 1,400 yards and 15 touchdowns in a season.
And Bullet Bob Hayes had to be fast with that nickname, but Chase needs two touchdowns in the last four games to be faster. Chase has 44 career touchdowns and Hayes had 45 in his first four seasons, third most all-time. Moss' 53 seems unreachable, but not Rice's 49.
JOE B BACK
Burrow was listed as limited Wednesday in an estimated injury report because the Bengals only went through a late-afternoon walkthrough as they recovered from Tuesday's 4:45 a.m. return to Paycor Stadium from the Monday nighter in Dallas.
Burrow took a shot in the knee down there and finished with a sleeve on it before limping to his postgame press conference. But he says he'll be fine Sunday and doesn't think he has to practice full to go.
He indicated he'll have his signature mobility against the Titans and says that's a must. While all-world defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons doesn't have staggering numbers in three career regular-season games the Bengals have won two, Burrow knows what happened in last year's loss 27-3 loss in Tennessee.
Simmons controlled the line of scrimmage with his bulk and speed, and Burrow's strained calf prevented him from escaping the pocket. Simmons had a half-sack among the three the Titans had on the day, as well as two of the ten hits on Burrow.
"You always know you're going to be sore after the game," Burrow said. "Those guys play really hard. They're tough, physical, athletic. You know they're going to get home. You've got to play the game the right way against these kinds of teams and get the ball out quickly extend when you can. They're going to win some rushes pretty quick sometimes and in those instances, how quickly can you get out and make a play?
"That first third of (last) season, my calf wasn't feeling great. It's tough to play against those kinds of teams if you can't move around. That's kind of been how it is historically against the Titans. I made a lot of plays with my legs because of how good they've been up front and I'm anticipating having to do that again."
And he says he can no matter what the injury report may look like Friday and Taylor backed him up Wednesday.
"Just sore," Taylor said.
SHORT WEEK
Burrow loves playing on primetime, but Monday nights come with a price. Even legends don't like a road trip that ends at quarter of five in the morning.
"Monday night games are my least favorite for the following week, especially road ones," Burrow said. "You get back late, you lose a bunch of sleep, so then you sleep in late on Tuesday and now you already have a late start for game planning for the week."
The one time Burrow did it, though, he came out firing six days after the Bengals lost in Cleveland on Monday night in 2022. The Bengals came home to beat Carolina, 42-21, on 22 of 28 passing for 206 yards, a touchdown, and a passer rating of 109.2.
After the Monday night loss to the Commanders this year at home, Burrow got another win over the Panthers, this one in Carolina. Before the Bengals went to Tennessee last year for that loss, Burrow was six days removed from a Monday night home win over the Rams.
SIMMONS TREE
Zac Taylor isn't the only one with a coaching tree who faces a branch this Sunday. Titans special teams coordinator Colt Anderson was Bengals special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons’ assistant for the previous four seasons in Cincinnati.
But there is no room for an angle this week. Simmons doesn't want to hear about Anderson's struggles with a batch of young players that has the Titans hovering at the bottom of the league in the kicking game. Not after the near disaster of Monday night.
"I would say, 'unprecedented,'" said Simmons, still steaming in his office Wednesday night. "We were fortunate."
With the game tied at 20 on the first play after the two-minute warning, rookie linebacker Maema Njongmeta got beat underneath by former Bengals linebacker Nick Vigil and watched him block rookie punter Ryan Rehkow’s punt.
But it wasn't ruled a block because it rolled past the line of scrimmage, where, even more unbelievably, a Cowboy touched it. With Simmons screaming "Recover it, recover it," Njongmeta did, and less than a minute later Chase was in the end zone scoring the winner.
"A win is a win is a win is a win no matter what it looks like. I've learned that," said Simmons, the NFL's longest-tenured teams coach at 22 seasons with the Bengals and counting. "We haven't had one in a while, so it's good to savor."
Usually, Taylor gives game balls to players who get turnovers in wins. Not Njongmeta. Not Monday.
"You couldn't do that. He's the reason we had to recover the fumble," Simmons said. "I don't know whether he knew what was going on, but he made a good play sticking with it. It's a good lesson for the young players. Sticking with it and taking nothing for granted."
But Simmons is still mad. He knew the Cowboys had a more veteran crew than he did. Vigil, a 2016 Bengals draft pick who had nine tackles for Simmons during his four seasons in Cincinnati, typified Dallas' experience.
"He's a very insightful guy. They made an adjustment on the sidelines and he made a good play. It wasn't a scheme thing. It was technique," Simmons said.
Now on the short week, Simmons preps for a familiar face who has more younger players than he does. Simmons had many battles with his mentor in the NFL when Scott O'Brien was with Carolina, Denver and New England.
But this is the first time he's faced someone in an NFL game who worked for him. Former assistant Brayden Coombs coached against him in the 2020 Senior Bowl in Coombs' first assignment as the special teams coordinator for the Lions.
"I'll prepare like I do for the Cowboys, Ravens, and Steelers," Simmons said. "Going off tape. Colt played in the league a long time, and he's been around all kinds of football, so he's got other elements along with what he got here."
The Titans have had two punts blocked, have allowed four kickoff returns of at least 56 yards, two punt returns of at least 64 yards, and eight punt returns of at least 20 yards.
But Simmons will hear none of it. Especially after Monday night.
"His guys play hard. They play aggressive. And he's a smart coach," Simmons said.
