The defense struggled as a whole on Thursday night versus Pittsburgh. They had difficulty getting off the field when needed for the majority of the game. Let’s take a look at some of the struggles, along with some of the better plays of the night.
DJ Turner put together another good performance this week. He was credited with two passes defensed, along with one incredible interception.
The Bengals continued missing too many tackles out in space. Demetrius Knight Jr. had a rough night. Dax Hill and Josh Newton had their share of issues in run support, as well. The missed tackles were a big part of Jaylen Warren rushing for 127 yards and 7.9 yards per carry.
It did feel like Barrett Carter played a lot better in his second start of the season. He finished the game with 12 tackles. He flashed his awareness, athleticism, and reliability as a tackler. At least for that night, he looked like the better player of the two rookie linebackers.
Geno Stone deserves credit for the hit he had on Metcalf that helped lead to the DJ Turner interception. He also laid a nice hit on a run play combining with Myles Murphy for the tackle.
Stone did have some struggles in coverage. It felt like he shaded over to the sideline too much on a couple of big touchdown plays for the Steelers in the second half.
Jordan Battle played much better at the opposite safety spot this week. He was more reliable in run support. Additionally, he recorded his third interception of the season.
Can the Bengals defense have a bounce-back performance against the struggling Jets offense? They will have to, if they want to get back to .500 on the season.
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