Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor isn’t ready to name his starting quarterback for Week 12 just yet, but media reports suggest it will be Brandon Allen, who was elevated from the practice squad earlier this week.
For now, the Giants are preparing for Allen with an eye on both he and Ryan Finley. And for some, that means a whole lot of sleuthing.
Veteran Giants defensive back Logan Ryan is one of those guys. He wants to know literally everything about his opponents and that now includes Allen.
“I want to know what type of bubble gum he likes, you know? I’m just one of those guys. Tell me something to go out there to trash talk with that day,” Ryan told reporters, adding that he’s aware of the Bret Bielema-Arkansas connection.
“I definitely want to know as much as I can about the opponent, it’s kind of how I am as a player. It might let me know how he handles pressure, how he handles adversity, is he a fighter, how does he handle when things are going well or when they’re not going well. That might help the game plan a little bit.”
Ultimately, Ryan says, he needs to know what makes Allen tick — he needs to know how to get into his head and conversely, what not to do that might fire the young quarterback up.
“Some information some players can’t handle, some can. I like to get it all and see what works,” Ryan added. “There’s some players I don’t talk trash to because I know it turns them up – like don’t talk trash to that guy, that’s going to get him going to the next level, you know? I’m going to take everything I can from it and try and give us the best game plan and the best opportunity to win.”
With all the focus and effort being put into Allen, both Ryan and the Giants had better hope that’s who Zac Taylor starts on Sunday bubble gum or not.
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