Bengals Beat: Can The Bengals Defense Be Fixed In Time To Salvage Season?

CINCINNATI — From 2021 through 2023, one thing defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo hung his hat on was the ability of his defense to close out potentially big plays with sure tackles.

Mike Hilton, who made the terrific chop-down takedown of Diontae Johnson before half Thursday, has been a symbol of this defense for the last three seasons. That quality has disappeared too often at key moments in 2024.

There have also been the likes of Dax Hill, Jessie Bates, Vonn Bell and the first two seasons of Cam Taylor-Britt. All of the above may have allowed completed passes but they kept the play in front of them and rarely saw the backs of their jerseys racing down the field.

But this season, if your name isn’t Logan Wilson or Germaine Pratt, then you’ve been the subject of wrath from coaches and fans alike for not stepping up and making a play. And even Wilson and Pratt have succumbed to the defensive lapses that helped turn wins into losses in three games against the AFC elite.

Most recently, three Bengals had chances to take out receiver Tylan Wallace on his 84-yard excursion down the left sideline and into the end zone as the Bengals were leading 21-14 in the fourth quarter last Thursday in Baltimore.

First it was Cam Taylor-Britt, then Wilson actually shoved Wallace on his way to the end zone from the Baltimore 35. And finally Geno Stone flew in out of nowhere and grabbed only air as Wallace eluded everyone in stripes on a score that signaled to Anarumo that his defense was in trouble.

“I just did (show it to the defense),” Anarumo said. “I always do good plays, bad plays. I show, ‘Hey, here’s what we have to do better. Here’s what we did well. I thought we tackled, and when we tackled 22 (Derrick Henry) and most of their guys we were physical. I was pleased with that part of it. It was just those other plays and you look up and it’s like, ‘How did we get here?'”

“There are moments we’re great against the run,” Zac Taylor added. “And there are times when guys get away in the end (on) missing tackles. Overall for the year probably more missed tackles than we’re comfortable with. I know that’s a fact. But I think we’ve gotten better at the run this past couple of weeks and we do our best to minimize that.”

The Bengals defense had four chances to get off the field on third down in the fourth quarter and failed each time. Three of Baltimore’s four second-half touchdowns came on third down.

Poor tackling led to red zone failures on third down and explosive plays against the Ravens. Consider: The Ravens had 295 yards passing (just 95 through three quarters) and picked up 200 in the fourth quarter alone. They had plays of 84, 20, 19 and 18 in the fourth quarter.

The effort has been there, just not the results and as any NFL coach will explain, it’s a results-driven business.

“We’ve given the same effort to it,” Anarumo told me. “The same drills. The coaching aspect of it hasn’t changed, the way we approach it. Just keep drilling it. Keep working. That’s all we can do. The more guys you get to the ball, people are going to miss in this league. They are going to make you miss.

“The more guys you get to the ball and we got a chance to get guys on the ground, I thought our hustle level across the board was damn good. Just a couple plays where you get a little worn out, maybe. You watch Joseph Ossai he’s out there running around tackling his own guys sometimes, but he’s running around. McKinnley Jackson had a great hustle play. That’s not the issue. Its just a matter of being consistent with everything.”

The Bengals have been very good against the run since Saquon Barkley wore them down in the fourth quarter. And even then, they held Barkley mostly in check until garbage time, allowing him just 3.2 yards per pop until a 50-yard gallop in the fourth. No team has been better at wrapping up Derrick Henry, the NFL’s leading rusher, than the Bengals, holding him under four-yards a carry.

“I think that’s certainly gotten better,” Taylor told me. “You look at Lamar. How many times do we have him right in our clutches and he’s able to get out of it? That’s playing a guy that’s a two-time MVP and does all the things he does. So, I certainly think over the last couple weeks, the pass rush has gotten better, and overall, those things have improved and we just got in a tough spot some of the plays last week against Baltimore.”

“It was obviously a frustrating night the other night. You look up six minutes left in the third quarter and these guys have seven points. Then the fumble. We’ve got to put the fire out there and we don’t, 84 yards we don’t. Those are the biggest plays. We had him second-and-9 and he has nowhere to throw the ball (on the series after the fumble), he’s running around, we have them covered great and he does Lamar. Now it’s first-and-goal at the one.”

The balance of the season is going to lie at the feet of Cam Taylor-Britt, DJ Turner, Josh Newton, Mike Hilton and safeties Jordan Battle, Vonn Bell, Geno Stone and Daijahn Anthony. That’s eight players to cover five spots in the Bengals base secondary.

The Bengals brought in veteran defensive back Xavien Howard on Monday but the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement. Howard was a three-time All-Pro with the Miami Dolphins and played for Anarumo when Anarumo was the defensive backs coach with the Dolphins.

It’s the secondary that is of primary concern with the Bengals defense right now. They have seven games to prove they can actually cover primary and secondary targets in the passing game, and get them to the ground when they have the ball.

BLOCK FOR TYCEN:

The Bengals have named Tycen Anderson as the recipient of their 2024 Ed Block Courage Award.

Coordinated through NFL athletic trainers, the award honors players who symbolize “professionalism, great strength and dedication,” while also serving as role models in the community.

Anderson, a third-year player out of the University of Toledo, suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 8 of the 2023 campaign at San Francisco. At the time of his injury, he led the Bengals with eight special teams tackles. He finished the game against the 49ers before further testing confirmed the injury, which required surgery and an extensive rehab process.

Anderson was cleared to return to practice ahead of training camp and has played in each of the Bengals’ 10 regular-season games in 2024. He once again leads the team with eight special teams tackles, and his efforts in punt coverage during the Week 6 win over the N.Y. Giants were recognized with a game ball presented by head coach Zac Taylor.

“I am very humbled to accept the Ed Block Courage Award,” said Anderson. “I want to thank the Bengals, the state of Ohio and the city of Toledo for their support during my three seasons in the NFL, and especially over the past year as I recovered from my injury. I also want to shout out the Bengals’ strength staff and athletic training staff for helping me get to this point today.”

“Tycen’s perseverance was on full display as he battled through his rehab process,” said Bengals Director of Sports Medicine/Head Athletic Trainer Matt Summers. “His trust, tremendous work ethic, consistency and faith were all integral in his successful return, and it is exciting to see him back on the field making plays.”

Away from the field, Anderson returns annually to his hometown of Toledo, where he hosts a Local Legends Youth Football Camp and McKinley Broncos Little League Football Camp. This past summer, he volunteered at the Bengals Character Playbook Skills & Drills Clinic powered by Gatorade.