Are the Bengals going to actually score points this week?

They're going to need to if they're going to stay in the game against the Detroit Lions.

It's time for our week five crossover.

Locked on Lions, Locked on Bengals right now on the Locked on Podcast Network.

You are lockeded-on NFL crossover, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network.

Your team every day.

Hi again, everyone, and welcome in to another Locked-on crossover.

I'm James Rupin of Locked-on Bengals. He's Matt Derry of Locked on Lions, and it's a huge, huge matchup this week, well, at least for one team. I think Bengals fans are really down mad. I'm not going to lie to you, but there's plenty to discuss when it comes to this matchup in today's crossover Thursdays presented by prize picks. Download the price picks app today and use co-locked on NFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. Let's start with the good. Let's start with the Lions. How are things in Lions country right now? What's the biggest story when it comes to the Detroit Lions? James, things are great. I mean, they've won three in a row. They feel good. I know.

It's the complete opposite of what you guys went through is Lions fans tuned in on Monday night to do a little scouting of the Bengals and saw that atrocity. But no, to be honest, the Lions started

the year very slow. Week one in Green Bay was an unmitigated disaster. They played very poorly, and the Packers took it to them. And everybody started panicking, and what about the new coordinators? And oh, my God, Frank Rag now retired. What are we going to do at Center? And the last three weeks, the Lions have really established their will. And it starts with the offensive line. And they battered the bears, beat up on the Ravens in Baltimore on Monday Night Football. I know you saw that. And then last week took care of the Browns. It wasn't pretty. But as you know, the Browns, as they did with the Bengals in week one, junked it up and stayed in the game for a while. Then the Lions pulled away. But Detroit feels good. This was a game like you said earlier in the year.

You went, all right, 425 on Fox at Burrow and the Bengals. Now without him there, I think the Lions can breathe a little bit easier.

But again, anytime you go on the road, it's going to be tough. And then there's some storylines here.

DJ Reader coming back, David Montgomery is a Cincinnatiati kid so uh and the alliance have some issues a

cornerback that we'll talk about yeah i i think the montgomery factor is so interesting to me

being a cincinnati and knowing he went to mount healthy high school and well my university of

cincinnati bearcats didn't recruit him and all those things but yeah yeah, it's, there's definitely something there. How is, you mentioned DJ Reader. How is DJ Reader overall? I know Bengals fans think about him often. Well, you know, I talked to Dan Horde last year, the Bengals radio voice and an old Syracuse buddy of mine. And he was like, man, we miss him so much. And he hasn't had the kind of impact maybe on the field.

I think last year was banged up a lot and the numbers kind of, you know, the PFF numbers weren't great to him. He was fine. I see a better DJ reader this year. He's healthy. He's in a contract year, obviously. and he's been kind of the leader of that interior of the defensive line

with the injuries to Alim McNeil and Levi-Onsarrique,

and he just seems like such a good dude and is a force

in there against the run and has been better. And I think coming back to Cincinnati this weekend

for him, I think, will be a nice showcase for him. And I know the Bengals have been struggling.

I got to ask you, James. I mean, you know, I know what the feeling is in Cincinnati.

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