Bengals Notebook: Business As Usual For Kevin Huber; ZAC Taylor Knows His Team`s Vibe Compared To Last Year’s Opener

When the Bengals open the season Sunday (1 p.m.-Cincinnati’s Local 12) at Paycor Stadium towards the Steelers, punter Kevin Huber closes the EEE book on one of the franchise’s oldest facts whilst he breaks Ken Riley’s 39-12 months-antique mark for video games played.

But his 208th sport isn’t any any doubt going to begin like all of the relaxation. Special groups coordinator Darrin Simmons goes to run the stadium steps at some point of pregame and after that he’s going to visit Huber and talk the weather.

There’s a 24-percentage hazard of rain at kickoff and 37 percentage with the aid of using 2 p.m., in step with weather.com

“I do not know if it will be moist due to the fact it is raining or due to the fact I’m (sweating),” Simmons stated.

Simmons, the superstitious Type A Kansas farmer, has run the stadium steps each pregame however  in his 25 seasons of NFL coaching. Fourteen of these seasons had been with Huber and long-snapper Clark Harris, the unpredictable East Coaster in his 202nd Bengals sport, fourth at the list

If it feels like they’re the extraordinary trio, they’re due to the fact the laid-returned Cincinnatian Huber does not precisely fit. Which flawlessly fits his strain roles as holder for kicker Evan McPherson and bail out for the offense.

“He’s unflappable. Happy-cross-lucky,” Simmons stated after Friday’s practice. “It’s an amazing trait for his position. You need to have awful short-time period memory. You need to neglect about an amazing punt in addition to a awful one. You’re most effective as correct as your ultimate punt.”

For the primary time on the grounds that linebacker Reggie Williams had 3 tackles with inside the 1989 opener in Chicago, the Bengals have gamers of their 14th seasons with the crew. Huber and Harris path most effective Riley (15) and quarterback Ken Anderson (16).

“What derails people’s careers, particularly with specialists, isn’t that they get antique, however they lose their effectiveness. They fail at their jobs greater so than their our bodies fail,” Simmons stated. “I deliver credit score to Kevin that he is been capable of live now no longer most effective bodily regular however mentally strong. Dealing with me and Clark might be a chunk challenging.”

The 3 of them deliver it to every quite correct. Although Simmons’ huge superstitions are famous, he insists the alternative  have a few, too. They might not child him approximately going for walks the stairs however they’ll get on him that he runs them slower now.

“We’re different. We feed off every different that way. We butt heads, however in an amazing way,” Simmons stated. “But it does not suggest I do not appreciate and admire what he is completed over time. He’s a pal.”

Huber, 37, is making plans not anything special. He’ll play No. 208 and perhaps take the spouse out to dinner. This may also as properly be two decades in the past at Nicholas High School in close by Anderson Township.

“It’s a business. He’s were given a process to do and that is what he is questioning approximately. I assume it is a purpose he is been round this long,” stated dad Ed Huber.

There constantly appear to be approximately 10 own circle of relatives participants with inside the stadium, even though he by no means is aware of the precise rely due to the fact a number of them have season tickets. His spouse is going whilst she can. Ed and mother Kathy visit each domestic sport. At a few factor at some point of warm ups, Ed, the retired automobile salesman and basketball train who is aware of everyone, scouts a gap alongside the railing in the front of the stands at the back of the Bengals bench. He’s been doing that each domestic sport for the ultimate thirteen years and earlier than that on the University of Cincinnati and earlier than that at McNick.

“He’s made pals with the safety men and he’s going to keep court,” Kevin Huber says. “Then he’s going to come down and get a look.”

Kevin Huber calls it “a fab milestone,” however he thinks it is now no longer going to hit him for as a minimum some years.

“There’s a lot going on. You’re getting prepared for a sport. You’re seeking to win the sport,” Huber stated. “I assume it is a massive photograph thing. Something in which you step returned and recognize how cool it is.”

Maybe at the twentieth reunion of the 2021 AFC champs, he turned into asked.

Huber noticed Simmons taking walks down the hall.

“Darrin will nevertheless be right here,” Huber joked as he stuck his eye.

Business as usual.

SLANTS AND SCREENS: A little perspective:

When Huber punted in his first Bengals sport returned on Sept. thirteen, 2009 at Paycor with inside the Demolition Deflection Derby loss to Josh McDaniel’ Broncos with inside the very last eleven seconds, Bengals head train ZAC Taylor turned into a graduate assistant at Texas A&M, Joe Burrow turned into in junior excessive and his kicker, Evan McPherson, turned into all of ten …

It turned into now no longer misplaced on Taylor that there have been 3 fumbles in Thursday night’s opener in Los Angeles. Or that there have been 14 neglected tackles, 8 with the aid of using a Rams crew that had a quite comparable preseason to his membership whilst it got here to maintaining starters out of video games.

“I failed to see it. I’m privy to it,” Taylor stated after Friday’s practice. “The coaches have pointed out it. We’ve careworn all of it week. Our men failed to play with inside the preseason. They have not completed plenty of tackling. We’ve organized for that. We’ve long gone over that. We cannot cross over it anymore due to the fact we have got completed a lot. Now it is only for them to attend to the soccer and get the ball out.” …

REWIND DEPT.: It can be recalled in ultimate 12 months’s opener right here towards the Vikings, Taylor desired his crew to expand a killer instinct. And so with 3:20 left with inside the 1/3 zone and main 21-7, he went for it on fourth-and-one from his very own 30 and going for walks returned Joe Nixon were given stoned with the aid of using antique pal Nick Vigil. The Vikes used the brand new existence to pressure the Bengals to win it at the ultimate snap of OT, outscoring them, 17-6, the relaxation of the way.

“I had my motives for doing it and I apprehend why it happened,” Taylor stated. “If I turned into in that actual state of affairs a 12 months in the past towards the Minnesota Vikings I’d punt that ball.” …

Now he is aware of precisely what he is were given whilst