The rookie feels like his teammates and coaches have his back.
Near the end of the Cincinnati Bengals’ Week 2 game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium, Joe Burrow and the Bengals were leading by a score of 25-23. With 48 seconds left in the game, on a fourth-and-16 play, Patrick Mahomes threw a pass intended for Rashee Rice as he rolled out of the pocket.
Just before Rice’s hands made contact with the ball, rookie seventh-round pick Daijahn Anthony made contact with Rice, drawing a pass interference call from the closest referee. Four plays later, Harrison Butker made a 51-yard field goal as time ran off the clock. The Chiefs won 26-25.
Now, as the Bengals roll into another Week 3 game with an 0-2 record, Anthony feels the love from his teammates and coaches.
According to Paul Dehner Jr., Anthony said he has rewatched the play “probably 1,000 times.”
“My teammates and coaches got behind me and lifted me up every single moment,” he said.
He’s not the first or last young Bengals player to attempt and make a play that draws a yellow flag and ends the game. Luckily for the Bengals, this particular instance was early in the season, and there’s plenty of time to get things back on track after the slow start.
It’s a testament to the coaching staff’s confidence in Anthony to have him on the field in such a pivotal moment. With the lack of an interior pass rush, due to injuries to both starting defensive tackles during the game, Lou Anarumo decided to he needed all hands on deck in the secondary.
Hopefully, watching that film 1,000 times helps Anthony time it right next time.
