Orlando Brown Jr. on Bengals Playoff Chances, Preparing for Chiefs
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00:00 going back to Kansas City?
00:01 - Yeah, well, you know, man, it's, you know, hard to say,
00:04 but, you know, for me personally, you know,
00:07 just what's at stake in terms of playoff contention
00:11 and, you know, how important this game is for us as a team.
00:14 That's really what's at the front of my mind, man.
00:17 You know, obviously that was an organization
00:19 that gave me an opportunity to be a left tackle
00:20 in this league and helped put me in position to be here.
00:22 So there is no animosity, but, you know,
00:26 I'm super excited, man,
00:27 just for everything that's at stake for us as a team.
00:29 - You've watched Christians wreck a lot of games,
00:32 but what was that like from your seat on the bench
00:34 watching what he did in that AFC championship?
00:36 - Yeah, man, well, I also practice against him every day,
00:38 so, you know, I've seen him wreck practices too,
00:41 but, I mean, a special player, man.
00:43 You know, he'll be a Hall of Famer one day.
00:45 He's amazing at what he does, and, you know,
00:47 does a great job doing his job
00:50 at a high level consistently.
00:51 And so he's a guy, man, that, you know,
00:53 we'll have to basically have all five's eyes on,
00:56 set eyes on at one time.
00:58 - So did you go good on good in practice,
00:59 or was that you just talking about camp?
01:00 - Yeah, yeah, yeah, training camp.
01:02 Not so much in season, maybe earlier in season,
01:06 but not so much in season, but training camp and OTS.
01:09 - What makes him so good on right now?
01:11 I mean, 'cause he can line up anywhere.
01:13 - Yeah, well, I mean, I think, you know,
01:15 he's got, you know, an old school like body man,
01:17 just with his height and weight,
01:19 and he's got a really good set of skills too.
01:22 You know, using his hands, he's strong.
01:24 You know, it's different, you know what I mean?
01:27 Most guys his size,
01:28 they don't play the way he does,
01:29 and he plays kind of high too,
01:30 but you know, it works out to his advantage.
01:32 - What would it mean to go into KC
01:35 and come back with a win,
01:36 knowing that you're playing for everything in front of you?
01:38 - Yeah, a lot, man, a lot.
01:39 You know, I would say that, honestly,
01:41 if we were going to Seattle or San Francisco, wherever,
01:44 you know what I mean?
01:44 This is, you know, important time of year,
01:46 and that's what makes these Bengals Chiefs games
01:48 so exciting and everything,
01:50 just because, you know, the time of year
01:52 and what's at stake.
01:54 - Is it going to be weird going back there
01:55 and being a visitor this time around?
01:57 - You know, man, I've been a visitor in the stadium before.
02:00 I haven't been back since the banner's been up.
02:02 You know, honestly, I kind of want to see that,
02:04 but, you know, other than that, man,
02:06 you know, I'm just excited to get out there
02:08 with these guys, man.
02:09 You know, we've had a long year.
02:11 You know, Jake's doing his job, man,
02:13 and, you know, there's a lot at stake.
02:15 So I'm really, really just excited to get out there
02:17 and have this opportunity to put us, you know,
02:19 in the playoffs, hopefully.
02:20 - Their defense appears to have taken another step or two
02:23 since you've been there this season.
02:24 What stands out?
02:26 - I think, man, just honestly, they're playing really hard.
02:28 They're playing really well together.
02:30 You know, they've always had a really good scheme,
02:31 and I think the DBs too, as well, man,
02:33 are playing really well.
02:34 And so when you got that combination, man,
02:37 you know, it makes it easier for the guys rushing up front.
02:39 When you got 95, you know, being his type of player he is
02:42 and the surrounding crew around him
02:44 and how well they're doing coverage
02:46 and mixing coverages up.
02:47 - You said there's no animosity for you,
02:49 but do you think you've got a little extra fire
02:52 to you going up against?
02:53 - Yeah.
02:54 Well, yeah, I mean, just as I said, you know,
02:56 everything that's at stake, you know what I mean?
02:58 This is going to be a playoff-like atmosphere.
03:00 And so, man, it doesn't matter who we play
03:02 in this time of year, you know, I'm excited.
03:04 So, you know, that's the best way I can put it for you.
03:08 - Did you face Chris when you were in Baltimore?
03:09 - I did, yeah.
03:10 Yep, yep.
03:11 We faced him, but he, at the time,
03:13 he wasn't really playing outside much,
03:14 just really all through technique.
03:16 - What do you remember about his performance
03:17 in that game against the Bengals?
03:19 I mean, in that championship game.
03:21 - Oh, yeah.
03:21 - People were talking about that, bro.
03:22 I mean, what sticks out to you?
03:24 - Yeah, well, I mean, you know,
03:25 just because you take it back to 2021,
03:27 the AFC championship that, you know, Bengals won,
03:30 he was really disappointed in his effort
03:32 and all of those things.
03:34 And so he took that off season
03:35 and that season really seriously last year
03:37 for that moment and opportunity.
03:38 And, you know, as far as the bigs go,
03:42 the line of scrimmage, we didn't play well
03:44 the first time we played here in Cincinnati last year.
03:46 And so, man, it was a really big game for him
03:48 going into that AFC championship,
03:49 just kind of, as I said,
03:51 everything that was at stake in, you know,
03:52 the previous years.
03:53 - How do you prevent him doing what he did
03:56 on the last third down?
03:57 - Yeah.
03:58 - How do you prevent him from doing it?
04:00 - Yeah, well, I mean, first and foremost,
04:02 try to stay out of that situation
04:03 and then, you know, outside of that, you know,
04:07 when that opportunity does arise, you know,
04:09 may the tougher man win.
04:10 So, yep.
04:12 - You know what a grind this season is
04:14 and how physical the sport is.
04:16 What kind of a point of pride is it for you guys
04:17 at All-Fiver?
04:18 Do you have started every single game this year?
04:20 That doesn't happen very often.
04:21 - It doesn't, man.
04:22 You know, we're very blessed to have a great room
04:25 that we have and, you know, we've got a lot of tough guys
04:27 because, you know, not everyone has been healthy
04:29 every single game.
04:30 And, you know, when you've got the camaraderie that we have
04:32 and the toughness in our room, good things happen.
04:35 And so, you know, man, it starts with Frank
04:37 and his approach on a daily, how he is.
04:40 And from there, I mean, I think, you know,
04:42 Zach and Callahan have done an amazing job
04:44 putting us in great position as well,
04:46 which makes it a lot easier on us.
04:47 And when you got Jake playing the way he's playing, man,
04:49 when nine comes out, I mean, everything goes hand in hand.
04:52 - You're in a position to essentially play your way
04:55 into the playoffs.
04:56 Does that add pressure?
04:58 Does that take the pressure off
04:59 knowing it's as simple as going out there and winning?
05:01 What does it?
05:02 - Yeah, that's a good question.
05:04 You know, man, I kind of look at it, man,
05:06 like we really don't have much to lose in my opinion.
05:08 You know what I mean?
05:09 This is, you know, a unique situation
05:11 where our starting quarterback, our franchise guy
05:13 has been out for a while
05:14 and we're playing with Jake Browning.
05:16 And so he's been able to come out
05:18 and be a great quarterback, you know what I mean,
05:20 throughout, you know, his few starts that he has this year.
05:22 And so, I mean, man, I think, you know,
05:24 the pressure isn't really on us,
05:25 it's on these other teams, you know what I mean?
05:26 We don't really have a lot to lose, you could say.
05:28 - You've never been in this situation.
05:31 - When you see Joe Burrow injured,
05:32 but still on the sidelines with a headset,
05:34 with an iPad, helping his teammates,
05:36 what kind of message does that send?
05:38 - I mean, man, it just lets you know the type of guy he is
05:40 and, you know, how much he loves the game.
05:42 And, you know, we all still, you know,
05:44 could talk to him in those situations
05:45 and kind of feed off his energy, if that makes sense.
05:47 So it's good to see him out there.
05:49 - You've been, I don't think you've ever been
05:50 in this situation where you've had to grind
05:52 in the last two weeks to make the playoffs, right?
05:54 - Yeah, my rookie year, I think, is a weird situation.
05:59 I think Lamar took over late and then,
06:03 man, I want to say the worst record I've had
06:06 since I've been in the league is 11-6 in 2020.
06:09 Yeah, I don't know, man, it seems like the season
06:13 just gets longer every year, I don't know.
06:15 It's crazy.
06:16 - Maybe when you had a grind, I mean, I guess this is a,
06:19 you never really had to grind like this to get in.
06:21 - Yeah.
06:22 - I guess to worry about who's going to win
06:23 and who's depending on who, on somebody else.
06:27 - Yeah, no, man, I mean, you're probably right about that.
06:29 Yeah, yeah.
06:30 - Does it feel weird?
06:31 - Yeah, I mean, it's definitely different.
06:33 You know, I'm spoiled in the football world, man.
06:34 I was, you know, from all the wins and championships
06:37 and accolades, personal accolades, I'm spoiled, man.
06:39 So, but it's different, but it is what it is.
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