Bengals Beat: Getting On Defensive About What Ails Bengals, Ja’Marr Chase ‘Wouldn’t Mind’ More Vocal Joe Burrow

CINCINNATI — With the season already teetering on the brink, the Bengals have another chance to get the train back on the tracks this weekend.

But it will take a more consistent and cohesive effort from the defense and better execution in the red zone against a Carolina team that – after just one win under Andy Dalton – suddenly feels rejuvenated.

Anyone who watched last week knows the defense was overwhelmed. A lot of this has to do with players out due to injury on the defensive line (BJ Hill, Sheldon Rankins, McKinnley Jackson, Myles Murphy) and players playing through injury (Sam Hubbard).

Admittedly, that’s a lot for any team to be dealing with. But the charge of Lou Anarumo to his troops this week is to play the scheme tighter and ask the players on the field to be more aware of the defensive calls being made.

The Bengals are going to have to find a way to get through this week and hope that the likes of Myles Murphy, BJ Hill and Sheldon Rankins are good to go for Baltimore in Week 5.

Rookie Cedric Johnson flashed some good signs Monday night and that could be very valuable is trying to lessen the burden on Sam Hubbard, who is coming off the effects of a hamstring strain in camp when he banged into Mike Gesicki.

“We talked about it. It’s a tough position to play period. But it’s a tough position to play when you’re still getting your legs underneath you. Hopefully when the cavalry comes in, we’ll able to get him a little bit of a break,” Anarumo said.

Cam Taylor-Britt gave up a couple of big plays Monday, one on an outside run and the other when Terry McLaurin beat him deep for 51 yards on a perfect pass from Jayden Daniels.

“He just has to stay outside,” Anarumo told me. “Every gap is filled on the inside, For whatever reason, he goes inside. He has to stay outside. He’ll make that tackle. And he has to stay on top of that deep ball. It was a quarters concept.”

There’s no doubt that when Murphy returns from his knee injury, he needs to be an immediate impact player on the edge.

“We’ll see when he comes back. He’s shown flashes, certainly,” Anarumo said. “We’ll see when he starts practicing again. He’s been working on the side. He certainly has the ability. If Ced (Johnson) can come along, Sam gets healthier, then we can provide Trey with some help.”

Right now, the Bengals are leaking all around on defense and facing a quarterback like Daniels is no easy task. Daniels simply stressed the Bengals at points on the edges where they couldn’t make stops and there was no pressure breaking through on the quarterback.

“First we’ve got to stop the run,” Hubbard said. “We’ve got to put ourselves in third and long situations where we get an opportunity to pin our ears back. Once we get that and get a lead then we get to tee off. That’s the formula for rushing the passer.”

And Daniels played one of the most accurate games of the last several years in the NFL. Not fair but that’s the NFL.

“I’m doing alright. Fighting to get this win to take the pressure off of us. Tough start, but trying to get it dialed in. Once you get a win, and that’s the hardest, it can snowball from there,” Hubbard said, refusing to talk about how much injuries have impact his play and the overall defensive line.

“I don’t want to talk about injuries. I think I definitely could play better – fixing my mistakes, getting with my coach, getting a rotation going. I think Ced stepped in and played great. Getting Myles back soon, that’s going to be really good for us. It’s all about the next play.”

Safety Geno Stone has been one of the bright spots for the Bengals in the secondary. He still has faith that the Bengals defense still has the necessary talent and will make the adjustments they need to make.

“I’m confident in this group,” Stone said. “I mean, we just gotta go out and do it. We keep losing these close games and it’s some somewhat self-inflicted, but we just gotta get past it and get our first win. I feel once we get that first win, it’s going to clear a lot up for us and get that motivation going.”

What gives Stone confidence?

“Just the group we have. I mean we’ve been showing it all year. We have splash plays all year, and show we can do it. I mean it’s gotta be consistent. It’s consistently gotta be there. That’s all it is.”

While the other side of the ball put up 33 points Monday night, they still left points on the field, getting into the red zone twice and settling for field goals both times.

Ja’Marr Chase broke through Monday for six catches and 118 yards and two touchdowns. He said he was having fun again and has made it past the drama of the offseason.

“I just wanted to make a play for the guys, man, just felt like a relief moment for me,” Chase said. “With all this BS that was going on this offseason and prior to the season, I’m just happy that is overwith, and finally, I’m playing ball and having fun with the guys. That’s what matters most for me, I feel like I’m having fun again.”

When Chase has a game like he did Monday, it leads one to wonder if the star receiver has unlocked his potential and could be onto bigger and better games going forward. One area the Bengals could use his help is in the red zone, if – as he put it – he’s not getting doubled like Calvin Johnson, the former star receiver of the Lions.

“I could help in the red zone (if) I don’t get double like Megatron,” Chase said. “But if I’m double like Megatron, then it’s, it’s 10 on nine. They might take me out of the play (for a moment), then I might come back.”

There’s been a lot of talk this week, led by Joe Burrow himself, as to whether the quarterback needs to step up and take a more vocal approach in his leadership style.

“Joe’s always been a leader to me,” Chase said. “I’ve never really seen him say extra, like anything out of ordinary to get us going. He’s pretty much himself. For me, I don’t know what he’s telling other people personally.”

Is there the need for an extra word or two from Burrow this week as the team tries to shake an 0-3 start?

“I don’t know. I wouldn’t mind it, though,” Chase said.