The Bengals defense has shown that it can make plays against struggling quarterbacks. They amassed four interceptions against the Titans’ Will Levis and Mason Rudolph. They picked off Dorian Thompson-Robinson twice last week. Surprisingly, Cincinnati is eighth in the league in turnovers forced per game.
The defense has shown improvement these last two weeks in other areas as well. The line sacked DTR five times and got to Dallas’ Cooper Rush for three more a few weeks ago. Myles Murphy, Joseph Ossai and McKinley Jackson have all been playing more and the results have been positive.
As Charlie Goldsmith cataloged, Ossai, Jordan Battle and Cam Taylor Britt have all stepped up their games with the season on the line. Battle, especially, has been better. Over his last five games he’s allowed just three receptions of the thirteen total times other teams have thrown in his direction.
Battle’s past two games have also shown that the young safety can bounce back from an embarrassing play. After he fumbled away a touchdown against the Titans, he recovered to haul in a crucial red zone interception against the Browns. He’s been a key part of a defense that has nine takeaways in the past two games alone.
The Bengals have a young and talented group of defensive players even if they’ve not shown the full extent of it on the field.
But the question remains whether the improvement we’ve seen in the past few weeks will continue when the Broncos come into town. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix is having a fantastic year. He’s amassed 27 touchdowns and over 3,200 yards. Those are both impressive numbers for a signal caller so young. Nix hasn’t looked much like a newcomer to the NFL this year. He’s led three game winning drives and brought Denver back another three times for come from behind victories.
Nix has already set the Denver Broncos franchise records for attempts, completions, yards, and touchdowns for rookies. With the Bengals secondary looking better, it will be interesting to see how they look to contain the Broncos passing attack on Sunday.
That’s not to say he’s perfect. Against the Colts just a few short weeks ago he threw for just 130 yards and was picked off three times. The Broncos still won but it’s some evidence that it’s not all been smooth sailing for Bo this year. He’s had some tough games against the likes of the Seahawks, Steelers, and Jets. All of those teams have strong defenses and gave Nix plenty of fits.
The Bengals own aerial attack is one of the best in the league. Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase put tremendous pressure on opposing teams to score points. That’s a lot to ask for a quarterback, even one as talented as Nix may be. He’ll likely be hoping Denver’s fourth-ranked scoring defense can shut down Cincinnati, not something many have been able to accomplish.
The long NFL season is all about making adjustments. What worked in the past could break down at any moment. And likewise, something that was a liability can improve and be just the thing a team needs to get to the next level. Yes, Lou Anarumo’s decisions on who to play and who to hold back deserve a great deal of scrutiny. But the improvement we’re seeing on the defensive side of the ball is a very promising sign. And it’s coming at just the right time as the Bengals’ playoff push intensifies. Denver will be a true test of whether this team has learned anything from their previous defensive setbacks and just how much of a chance they have of making the playoffs.
They have to win this game. I want them to win it even if they don’t get in, I mean at the end of the day, we’ve already slid down the pick list regardless…