As we’ve been doing for several years now, we’ll break down the Pittsburgh Steelers’ opponent each week, telling you what to expect from a scheme and individual standpoint. This year, Jonathan Heitritter and I will cover the opposing team’s defense. I will focus on the scheme, Jonathan on the players.
Today, scouting the Cincinnati Bengals’ defense.
Alex’s Schematic Report
Bengals’ Run Defense
The run defense has been average-to-below. On the year, the Bengals are allowing 4.4 yards per carry, ranking 17th in the league. They’ve also given up 15 rushing touchdowns, tied for 27th in the league. They do a nice job keeping a lid on things, eighth best with just 31 rushes of 10-plus yards this year, but they’re not making a lot of splash plays or getting consistent stops up front.
It’s a 4-3 front that often presents a five-down look/Bear front. Sometimes the SAM rolls up or they use true five defensive lineman, though EDGEs Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard are versatile and can play on their feet. They most often show this front on 1st and 10.
LB Akeem Davis-Gaither primarily plays in base and leaves in their true 4-2-5 nickel, leaving Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt as the linebackers. As of this writing, Wilson has missed the last two days of practice with a knee injury so his status is one to watch.
On the year, Wilson leads the way with 104 total tackles. Pratt is right behind with 97 of them. No one else has 60-plus. Wilson and Pratt rarely leave the field; Wilson has logged 99 percent of the Bengals’ defensive snaps; Pratt has been out there for 94 percent of them. Each has forced two fumbles.
CB Mike Hilton remains tough against the run. He has seven tackles for a loss, tied for second most of any corner in the NFL (the Titans’ Roger McCreary has 11).
Their d-line responds to Y-motion and will shift with it. Against the Chargers, they held up well on the goal line, stuffing Los Angeles on two-straight runs around the 1-yard line before RB J.K. Dobbins leaped over the goal line on his third try. Overall, they mix one- and two-gapping well, they’re fairly gap sound, and they rally to the ball pretty well. They just lack the high-end d-tackle talent to stuff the run up front. DT B.J. Hill hasn’t been the impact player he was a year ago.
One other note. Don’t think you’ll fool them with a third and long draw or a run to begin a two-minute drive. Bengals are prepared and stamp them out.
Some other defensive stats. They’re allowing a lot of points, 26.9 per game. That’s 28th in the NFL. Cincinnati has allowed 34-plus points in five games across 2024, including each of its last two games. On the year, that’s tied for the NFL’s most with the Carolina Panthers.
Situationally, they have been bad. Just 27th on third down (44.4 percent) and 31st in the red zone (70.6 percent). Over the last month, that red-zone number jumps to 75 percent (9-of-12). They have forced 11 turnovers this season, six interceptions and five forced fumbles.
Bengals’ Pass Defense
Like the run defense, the pass defense has been average-to-below. Perhaps a little better. They’re allowing 64.1 percent of passes to be completed (14th), a 7.0 YPA (14th), and 19 touchdowns (tied-22nd). As a team, they’ve only allowing 30 passes of 20-plus yards, 11th best in the league. Like the run defense, they’ve kept a lid on things.
Pressure has been a problem. They’re 21st in pressure rate at 20.5 percent despite being 15th in blitz rate at 24.5 percent. The most glaring number is the Bengals having only 19 sacks despite, incredibly, DE Trey Hendrickson leading the NFL with 11.5 of them. The rest of the team has just 7.5. Their total sacks are 30th in the league.
Hendrickson has 24 QB hits. The rest of the team has 38 combined, meaning Hendrickson is responsible for 38.7 percent of his team ‘s hits. To put that in perspective, Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett has 27.3 percent of his defense’s hits while T.J. Watt has 23.7 percent of the Steelers’.
The next-closest to Hendrickson is Hubbard with just two. No one else has more than one. Hilton has just one QB hit and zero sacks this season.
Hubbard has always been a versatile and criminally underrated player in the league with a full stat sheet. He has 37 tackles (three for a loss), two sacks, two pass deflections, one forced fumble, one interception, and one safety. While DT B.J. Hill isn’t as productive as a season ago, he does have four pass deflections Watch out for him getting hands up in the throwing lanes.
Six different Bengals have exactly one INT this season. CB Cam Taylor-Britt, a hot-and-cold corner, has 11 pass deflections.
Schematically, you will see some uncommon groupings in passing situations. The Bengals will use 3-3-5 looks with all three linebackers on the field. They aren’t using a dime package with six DBs.
Overall, it was hard to identify a true trend with their coverages. They mix things up well and play a bit of everything. But there are some tendencies worth noting. Against two-receiver Twin sets, two receivers to the same side, the cornerback won’t travel, and they’ll bump the linebacker out and/or roll a safety down.
I will say their Cover 3 is a spot-drop call and they don’t match or carry. Four verts can work against them, the Chargers hitting one for this score in Week 11.
They do blitz fairly consistently. Alert the LB wrap by No. 55 Logan Wilson (should injury not hold him out). He likes to align in the A/B-gap and then wrap into the opposite A/B-gap to get pressure as one of the Bengals’ games/stunts.
One third-and-long, they play a “picket fence” defense of putting everyone at the sticks and allowing anything underneath. Then they rally and tackle.
Often, they will have a DL or LB head-up on the center to put pressure on him, which makes it harder for him to slide and creates one-on-one matchups for guys like Hendrickson.
The nature of the rush creates escape lanes up the middle that Chargers QB Justin Herbert took advantage of for several long gains in their last game.
Jonathan’s Individual Report
The Steelers look get back on track this weekend when they visit the Bengals. The Bengals sit at 4-7 and have struggled mightily this year to stay relevant this year, mostly due to their defense. Cincinnati is 23rd in the league in total yards allowed this season, 28th in points allowed. They rank 23rd in the league against the pass and have only forced 11 turnovers. As far as run defense, the Bengals are 21st in the league, allowing 130 yards per game on the ground.
Defensive Line
Since DJ Reader left in offseason, DL #92 B.J. Hill has had to step up as the anchor of the interior defensive line. Hill came to Cincinnati from the Giants in exchange for OL Billy Price and quickly made a mark on the defensive line in his first three seasons with the team. So far in 2024, Hill has recorded 30 total stops, two tackles for loss, zero sacks, and four pass breakups. He plays with great effort, running down ball carriers while stuffing running lanes and pushing the pocket.
The Bengals have No. 98 Sheldon Rankins starting beside Hill as more of a quicker gap shooter who brings more pass-rush upside. Rankins has battled injuries, starting seven games this season, and has 18 total tackles and a sack. Rotating in with the starters are No. 90 Kris Jenkins and No. 93 McKinnley Jackson. Jenkins is the son of four-time Pro Bowler Kris Jenkins and has been productive as a run defender as well as generating a pass rush, posting one sack and 17 total tackles this season.
Jackson is more of a pure run stuffer as a stout 6-2, 331-pound defender while No. 97 Jay Tufele also provides depth up front. He has played 168 defensive snaps this season, his most to date in his four-year NFL career.
EDGE
DE No. 91 Trey Hendrickson headlines the unit as the team’s most accomplished pass rusher. He came over from New Orleans on a big-money deal after a breakout season in 2020 and has proven to be worth the investment, tallying 39.5 sacks in his first three seasons with the team. His 11.5 sacks this season lead the league, and Hendrickson also has 12 tackles for loss. Playing with a motor that is always running hot, he wins as a power rusher and likes to use a chop/swipe move paired with a rip around the edge as a changeup from straight power. He also is a stout run defender, making him a handful for LT Dan Moore Jr. come Sunday.
Opposite of Hendrickson is No. 94 Sam Hubbard, who is a solid second pass rusher and capable run defender. He has two sacks and 37 total tackles on the season and like Hendrickson is a high-effort pass rusher. He constantly pursues the QB, winning with his hands and pursuit to get into the pocket. He does a great job setting the edge for Cincinnati, stringing out runs toward the sideline while providing great effort in pursuit of the ball.
In terms of depth, No. 58 Joseph Ossai has underwhelmed as a pass rusher to this point in his third season, posting just one sack. But he’s playing more snaps and is more disruptive than productive, and on the tape he shows good pursuit. No. 99 Myles Murphy has been mired in a sophomore slump, playing in just seven games this season with no sacks and 12 total tackles on just 180 defensive snaps. Rookie No. 52 Cedric Johnson is mainly a depth piece with only 47 snaps so far on the year.
Linebackers
The starting inside linebackers for Cincinnati form possibly one of the most underrated duos in the NFL. No. 55 Logan Wilson signed a nice contract extension with Cincinnati back in 2023, and he’s been worth every penny of it. The Wyoming product plays as the MIKE backer and does it all for the defense, being a sound run defender with great instincts. Wilson has 104 total tackles, two tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and one pass deflection in 2024 as the leader of the LB corps. He is instinctual in coverage and flies to the football, being a guy offenses always have to account for on the field.
No. 57 Germaine Pratt starts beside Wilson brings size and strength as a rocked-up ILB. Pratt has good play speed and explosiveness, filling gaps well as a run defender while working off blocks. Due to his size and athleticism, he will also align outside and can set the edge on occasion. He is a capable coverage defender as well, totaling 97 total tackles, one tackle for loss, two fumble recoveries, four pass breakups, and one interception.
Behind them, No. 59 Akeem Davis-Gaither is more of an undersized nickel defender who has played 158 defensive snaps this season. He has good play speed and can drop into coverage, posting 24 total tackles, two pass deflections, and an interception on the year. No. 45 Maema Njongmeta is an undrafted free agent who flies around to the ball in the sparing playing time he receives, being a core special teamer. No. 49 Joe Bachie provides special teams help as well.
Cornerbacks
No. 21 Mike Hilton is a captain on defense and has become one of the best slot corners in the game since coming over from the Steelers. Hilton made his bones in Pittsburgh as a physical nickel defender who excelled in run defense as well as on the occasional CB blitz. He’s up to 44 total stops, seven tackles for loss, and two pass breakups on the year. Watch out for Hilton to make an impact as a run defender as well as being a feisty competitor in coverage.
No. 29 Cam Taylor-Britt has returned after losing part of last season due to injury and has started all 11 games in 2024, posting 50 total tackles, a tackle for loss, half a sack, 11 pass deflections, and one interception. Britt is fast and can run with long, tall, fast receivers. He also brings the demeanor of a stout run defender to the table.
No 28 Josh Newton is expected to step in for the injured DJ Turner II. A fifth-round pick out of TCU, Newton is a physical pass coverage defender who doesn’t mind coming up in run support. He can be a bit grabby in pass coverage and lacks ideal quickness, making him the man to exploit. No. 38 DJ Ivey, No. 42 Marco Wilson, and No. 33 Daijahn Anthony primarily play special teams, Wilson having come over from New England earlier this season.
Safeties
The Bengals brought back No. 24 Vonn Bell this offseason after spending a year in Carolina, getting inserted right back into the starting lineup. Bell has racked up 48 total stops, one tackle for loss, two pass deflections, and one interception this season. A tone setter in the secondary, he can roll up close to the line of scrimmage as well as play deep in centerfield.
The Bengals signed No. 22 Geno Stone after a phenomenal 2023 season with the Baltimore Ravens in which he snagged seven interceptions. He has one so far in 2024 along with 58 total tackles, one fumble recovery, and two pass deflections. The Pittsburgh-area native has an average build and average athleticism but is extremely intelligent and puts himself in position to make plays.
No. 27 Jordan Battle started seven games last season but has been made into more of a sub-package/rotational defender in 2024. Battle has 134 logged defensive snaps this season and has posted 25 total stops and two pass deflections. No. 26 Tycen Anderson is primarily a core special teamer, having seen no defensive snaps this season.
