Missin' The Leon Hall Factor: Bengals Cornerback A Big Producer Against The Ravens

Based on their impressions and perspectives of Leon Hall, you could categorize Bengals fans as one of two groups. You have the constantly disappointed fanbase that emerges following a poor Leon Hall performance and then you have those that frequently label Hall somewhere near the top defensive player on the team. Truth is we could probably meet somewhere in the middle and everyone leaves satisfied. However what we're going to miss this year is Leon Hall's production against the Baltimore Ravens. If The Joker is the Baltimore Ravens, then Leon Hall is Batman.

Hall has four career interceptions against the Baltimore Ravens during his four-year career in the NFL. During the tenth week into the 2007 regular season, Steve McNair lined up third and one from the Bengals two-yard line with the Bengals hanging onto a six-point advantage. Hall intercepted McNair's pass, ending Baltimore's threat. The Ravens didn't threaten the Bengals defense again until two minutes remained in the game with Cincinnati already securing a 21-point lead.

With nine seconds remaining during the fifth week of the beautifully radiant 2009 season, Leon Hall sealed Cincinnati's 17-14 win picking off a Joe Flacco pass at the Bengals 17-yard line. Several weeks later Hall crushed Baltimore's two-minute offense, preserving the Bengals first half shutout in week nine. Down by one point during the second week of the 2010 season, Hall intercepted his third career interception off Joe Flacco (and fourth against the Ravens) at Cincinnati's 35-yard line midway through the third quarter, keeping Cincinnati well within striking distance to eventually win the game late in the fourth.

Of the games against the Ravens that Leon Hall records an interception, the Bengals are 4-0. When he doesn't post an interception against the Ravens, the Bengals are 2-2.

Unfortunately the Bengals won't have Hall this weekend after the cornerback suffered a season-ending Achilles injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Instead it Kelly Jennings and Nate Clements are your likely starters with a combination of Adam Jones, Brandon Ghee or (most likely) Chris Crocker filling in with three receiver formations and Gibril Wilson coming into the game at safety.