Mike Hodges spent the past eight seasons with the New Orleans Saints and is excited to bring his coaching skills to the Cincinnati Bengals as part of Al Golden's new defense.

Hodges knows if the Bengals' defense has success, that means Joe Burrow will have more opportunities to put points on the scoreboard and help the Bengals get over the hump and back into the playoffs.

Hodges makes his first appearance on In The Trenches with Dave Lapham, presented by First Star Logistics, to talk about his football journey from a player at Texas A&M to coach at the college level before being hired by head coach Sean Payton Saints as a defensive assistant before moving to linebackers after two seasons.

Hodges discusses the work he's excited to start with current Bengals linebackers Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt and getting ready to start work on the 2025 NFL Draft.

Last week, In The Trenches with Dave Lapham, presented by First Star Logistics, introduced you to the young and intense Cincinnati Bengals offensive line coach Scott Peters. Peters explained how he was ready to take the Bengals' offensive line to new levels with his coaching style.

Another young and intense coach on the Bengals staff is newly hired defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery, who brings a wealth of NFL experience to the Bengals and the intensity fans will love to see.

If you liked what Coach Peters had to say, you'd love even more what Coach Montgomery says about his coaching style and how he's looking to revamp the Bengal's defense under new defensive coordinator Al Golden.

New Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden is no stranger to the  Bengals and the Cincinnati area, having coached linebackers with the Bengals during the 2020 and 2021 Super Bowl seasons.

The past three seasons have seen Golden play a significant role in helping Marcus Freeman turn Notre Dame into a championship-caliber team that reached the College Football National Championship Game this past season.

Now, Golden returns to the Bengals as defensive coordinator and looks to steer the Bengals' defense on a new course and return them to championship-level football in the NFL.

Golden returns to In The Trenches with Dave Lapham, presented by First Star Logistics, to discuss his journey back to the Bengals, his excitement for new defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery, and his reunion with some of the Bengals players he worked with before leaving for Notre Dame.

With mentors like Jim McNally and Bill Callahan, new Cincinnati Bengals offensive line coach Scott Peters brings a wealth of knowledge to coaching along the offensive line. Add his background in mixed martial arts, and you will have a younger coach with a different coaching style.

While Peters didn't start out looking to become an NFL coach, his path to the sidelines is one of the more unique stories to learn about.

Coach Peters joined Dave Lapham In The Trenches, presented by First Star Logistics, to discuss his coaching journey and learning from two of the all-time offensive line coaching greats, McNally and Callahan.

As Cincinnati Bengals center Ted Karras has learned during his nine seasons in the NFL, players and coaches come and go. Recently, the Bengals fired offensive line coach Frank Pollack and have hired Scott Peters as their new offensive line coach.

Karras returned to In The Trenches with Dave Lapham, presented by First Star Logistics, to discuss the disappointments of the past season, entering his tenth season in the NFL, and how he's fired up to play for the Bengals new offensive line coach.

If time allowed, we could talk sports all day with college and NFL analyst Kirk Herbstreit. Thankfully, the busiest man in the game was willing to give extended time to In The Trenches with Dave Lapham, presented by First Star Logistics, to discuss the upcoming College Football National Championship Game, NFL Playoffs, Cincinnati Bengals, and Reds, as well as the latest news surrounding the Herbstreit family.

Legendary NFL QB Phil Simms joins us today on In the Trenches with Dave Lapham to discuss the start of the NFL playoffs and address the Cincinnati Bengal's biggest needs for the 2025 season.

Phil and Dave talk about wild card weekend and predict the outcomes of the NFL Divisional Round. The AFC has the biggest weekend matchup with the Baltimore Ravens traveling to Buffalo this Sunday night. They are two of the hottest teams in the league and two of the best quarterbacks, and they face off for a shot at the AFC Title game.

Phil also talks about how the Bengals didn't make the 2025 NFL playoffs and how they can address their problems to ensure they don't miss the playoffs next season.

The Bengals reportedly are down to two options for their defense coordinator position; Patrick Graham (Raiders 2024 defense coordinator) and Al Golden (Notre Dame 2024 defense coordinator). That decision will be the first big one in a huge off-season for the Cincinnati Bengals.

We want to thank Phil for being a fantastic guest and for joining us today on In the Trenches with Dave Lapham brought to you by First Star Logistics. We also look forward to growing our new central channel, First Star Media Group, and having you fans follow us along the ride. A lot more content is coming soon so definitely hit that subscribe button so you never miss one of our uploads! As always Who Dey! 

Want to win great prizes from First Star Logistics during the Bengals season? During the 2024 Cincinnati Bengals season, First Star Logistics will give away some great and unique prizes. Follow @FirstStarLog, @DLInTheTrenches, and @JoeGoodberry for details each week on how you can win. Also, watch the “NEW” Jake & Joe Bengals Postgame Show on the First Star Media Group YouTube channel.

Longtime NFL analyst Charles Davis is one of the best in the game. He returned to In The Trenches with Dave Lapham, presented by First Star Logistics, to discuss this past weekend's NFL Wildcard games and the upcoming games and teams to watch until the Super Bowl.

Davis also dives into why the Cincinnati Bengals' future is bright with Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Trey Hendrickson, and some names are discussed for the open defensive coordinator job and the offensive line opening.

Also, we talked about who will win the College Football National Championship between Ohio State and Notre Dame.

You don't want to miss the great time we enjoyed with one of football's top voices, Charles Davis.

The weather in the Cincinnati area may have kept Dave Lapham out of the First Star Logistics Studios, but not from discussing Saturday's Cincinnati Bengals win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and them missing the playoffs for a second straight year.

Monday morning, news broke that Zac Taylor was making staff changes, firing defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, defensive line coach Marion Hobby, linebacker coach James Bettcher, and offensive line coach Frank Pollack.

The latest Dave Lapham In The Trenches, presented by First Star Logistics, examines the above subjects and the Bengals' off-season, which has many moving parts.

The Cincinnati Bengals offense has been humming in the latter part of the season. In the latest episode of In The Trenches with Dave Lapham, presented by First Star Logistics, offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher credits players like Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown with the offense's ranking 8th in the NFL for total yards per game and first for passing yards per game.

Be sure to participate in the First Star Logistics Giveaway each week the Bengals play. For all the details, visit the following on X.  @DLInTheTrenches - @FirstStarLog - @JoeGoodberry - @JakeLiscow and watch the Jake and Joe Bengals Postgame show on the First Star Media Group YouTube channel after each Bengals game. 

For Week 18, they are giving away one Bengals-themed Jukebox with Bluetooth speakers.

When all is said and done, one of the best trades ever made by the Cincinnati Bengals came when they sent Billy Price to the New York Giants for defensive tackle B.J. Hill before the start of the 2021 NFL season.

Hill, now in his fourth season as a member of the Bengals defense, has played a key role in the team's on-field success and came up big again Saturday night against the Denver Broncos as the Bengals kept their playoff hopes alive for one more week.

The North Carolina State product jumped into In The Trenches with Dave Lapham, presented by First Star Logistics, to discuss how his role as a player has changed from being a young guy to a mentor to a couple of rookie defensive linemen. He also discussed the Bengals' most recent win over the Broncos and final regular-season opponent, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and his love of being a member of the Bengals and the Cincinnati community.

Be sure to participate in the First Star Logistics Giveaway each week the Bengals play. For all the details, visit the following on X.  @DLInTheTrenches - @FirstStarLog - @JoeGoodberry - @JakeLiscow and watch the Jake and Joe Bengals Postgame show on the First Star Media Group YouTube channel after each Bengals game. 

For Week 18, they are giving away one Bengals-themed Jukebox with Bluetooth speakers.