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There was a time when Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo openly detested rotations in his secondary. Didn\u2019t want them. With a mix of consistency, communication and stability executing his scheme in the defensive backfield, change was often the enemy.<\/p>\n
These days for Anarumo\u2019s struggling defense, rotations are all he\u2019s got.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s currently working some form of rotation at four of the five secondary spots, as well as edge rusher in the never-ending search for pressure opposite Trey Hendrickson.<\/p>\n
Instead of rotating his players, it feels more like Anarumo is begging them.<\/p>\n
\u201cUltimately, you\u2019d like to just see somebody settle in and say, \u2018This is mine,’\u201d Anarumo said. \u201cBut again, I\u2019ll say the word. It gets boring, but it\u2019s just consistent. I just want to see consistency, play in, play out. And until we get that, we\u2019ll continue to rotate.\u201d<\/p>\n
The rotations have become so convoluted that when the Bengals brought four-time Pro Bowler Xavien Howard in for a visit Monday, the fair question wasn\u2019t if he would play should Cincinnati sign him, but rather, who would he replace? Would it be the struggling Cam Taylor-Britt or the struggling DJ Turner?<\/p>\n
And then Howard left town without agreeing to a deal. Why would a team with the cornerback needs the Bengals have had since draft weekend wait until now to bring in Howard? Why would they be unable to reach a deal with him?<\/p>\n
The answers are baked in the same stench. Everything surrounding this defense smells of desperation and exasperation.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start with Taylor-Britt, really the poster child of all that has gone wrong on this side of the ball. He entered the season with potential and hype to become the next great cornerback. The foundation all made sense. He entered his third season with two ascending, solid years under his belt. The path cleared to take over the top-corner gig. He went out against Kansas City and hauled in one of the best interceptions you\u2019ll ever see. From that point forward, he\u2019s become a liability Anarumo pulled and rotated during multiple games this season, including each of the last two weeks.<\/p>\n
Pro Football Focus credited Taylor-Britt for allowing seven receptions on eight targets for 116 yards and three touchdowns for a perfect passer rating in that span. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson took a deep shot at Taylor-Britt on the first play of the game \u2014 just as Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew did five days prior \u2014 and never stopped.<\/p>\n
When asked if he views Taylor-Britt as a liability, Anarumo toed the line between politically correct and over it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hate to say that about any of our guys,\u201d Anarumo said. \u201cCertainly, those stats aren\u2019t what you want. If we just tackle the guy on a 5-yard out \u2014 they tempoed us and he should have gotten up there and pressed him and it doesn\u2019t even happen but we didn\u2019t. We are never going to give up on a guy like that. He\u2019s got the great want-to and he\u2019s doing everything he can. But we\u2019ve got to do it better, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the meantime, fifth-round pick Josh Newton is the latest corner to receive a shot to become a part of the solution instead of another problem. The rookie played 13 snaps against Las Vegas and added another 19 against the Ravens. Anarumo suggested more of the same should be expected against the Chargers on Sunday.<\/p>\n
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\u201cJosh has been a hard worker,\u201d head coach Zac Taylor said. \u201cI like his energy. I like his approach as a young player, so we\u2019ll just continue to work with him and see how it plays out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, despite a search for answers in the secondary, Mike Hilton has been consistently supplying those plays. Hilton has the lowest missed-tackle rate (7.5 percent) and leads the secondary in stops (tackles for offensive failure) among the 17 players with at least 150 defensive snaps this year.<\/p>\n
Yet, on third down, Anarumo opted to take Hilton off the field a little over half the time.<\/p>\n
Why do that when he\u2019s making a lot of plays?<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is, on first and second down, sure is,\u201d Anarumo said.<\/p>\n
Hilton rotated in to play some safety on third downs last year and his overall snap percentage for the season was 80 percent. It\u2019s down to 67 percent this year, largely because Anarumo hasn\u2019t opted to move the 30-year-old to the safety spot again.<\/p>\n
Third\/fourth-down DB snaps last five games \u201cIt\u2019s more of a matchup deal,\u201d Anarumo said. \u201cIf we can get guys where we can match up on somebody who gives us our best chance from a coverage standpoint, then we will do it, but he\u2019s out there on a lot of third downs, too \u2026 it\u2019s just different packages. It\u2019s not one thing or another, it\u2019s maybe a man thing here or there but he\u2019s out there in some man situations, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Anarumo indicated the safety position feels more settled, largely resulting from Battle finally contributing in place of Bell. Anarumo cited his \u201cyoung legs\u201d being an advantage as Bell, who turns 30 next month, spends more time watching on the sideline.<\/p>\n Battle lived most of this season in Anarumo\u2019s doghouse, but appears to be digging his way out.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s headed in the right direction,\u201d Taylor said.<\/p>\n Even with certain players headed in the right direction, everyone heading in so many directions can be nauseating. Almost as nauseating as watching the defense go from 7 points allowed through the first seven Ravens drives last Thursday, then watching them rip off four touchdowns in four straight drives to close out the 35-34 win.<\/p>\n GO DEEPER Is Joe Burrow clutch? The answer is complicated (and might point to a broader issue)<\/p>\n Anarumo continues to throw bodies at the problem to see if any solutions surface. So far, they\u2019ve more often than not gone belly up. Specifically, in the most high-leverage situations.<\/p>\n The Bengals over the last six weeks rank 31st in red zone percentage (80 percent) and 29th in third-down conversion percentage.<\/p>\n Combine the two? You\u2019ve reached the 32nd-ranked, high-pressure core of the Bengals hurricane.<\/p>\n Since Week 5, they have faced 12 red zone third-down plays.<\/p>\n The results were five touchdowns, five conversions, one touchdown nullified by offensive holding and one stop.<\/p>\n You know what happened after the one stop? A fourth-down touchdown run by Nick Chubb.<\/p>\n \u201cThe third-down red zone plays have really been killers,\u201d Anarumo said. \u201cIt starts with the red zone. It\u2019s something we\u2019ve done pretty well around here and we\u2019re not right now. So we\u2019ve honed in on some of those things. Third down. We have to do better there.\u201d<\/p>\n The last red zone stop without penalty assistance was a goal-line stand against Carolina in September.<\/p>\n In high-leverage situations, the Bengals lose. So goes the season.<\/p>\n Anarumo will keep grasping at answers hoping something changes to try to save it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Different players are getting their chance in the secondary, in particular, with multiple starters struggling.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2560,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[65],"class_list":["post-2559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cincinnati-bengals","tag-cincinnati-bengals"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n<\/strong>\u2022 DJ Turner: 77
\n\u2022 Cam Taylor-Britt: 76
\n\u2022 Geno Stone: 76
\n\u2022 Vonn Bell: 58
\n\u2022 Mike Hilton: 43
\n\u2022 Josh Newton: 26
\n\u2022 Jordan Battle: 25
\n\u2022 DJ Ivey: 18<\/p>\n\n