Bengals rookie report: Cam Taylor-Britt’s hustle highlight

Everyone knew what kind of game the Cincinnati Bengals would have to play against the Tennessee Titans. The veterans from last year’s playoffs had firsthand experience on what it took to leave Nashville with a win, and the rookies now know it as well.

As a huge matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs looms, Cincinnati’s first-year players are all entering the week with an earned pep in their step after Sunday. It’s always a track meet when the Chiefs come to play. Luckily, Cincinnati’s rookie cornerback got his sprints in early against the Titans.

Cam Taylor-Britt

Derrick Henry’s longest rush of the day was his first. It went for nine yards, and Taylor-Britt came from the other side of the formation to make the tackle. His longest play of the day went a lot further, but the tackler was the same.

69 of Henry’s 117 total yards came from a well-timed play action screen. which gave him ample room to break free. Taylor-Britt was already down the field covering a deep route by Treylon Burks and soon saw Henry sprinting towards him. Taylor-Britt tried going around Burks initially, which ended up as the worse angle for him, and he pivoted back to his left and turned on the jets.

From the 35-yard line all the way inside the 10, Taylor-Britt hauled himself to Henry and swung his right arm so hard at the football that it popped out of Henry’s hands. Burks ended up falling on it for the touchdown, but Taylor-Britt’s pure hustle didn’t go unnoticed.

It takes a village to stifle Henry, the running back, for four quarters. Taylor-Britt continued to prove why he belongs in it on Sunday. Including the forced fumble, he had seven tackles on the day, with one stopping Henry right at the line of scrimmage as he crashed down off the edge.

Taylor-Britt showed improvements in coverage as well, highlighted by a combined pass breakup at the goal line with Logan Wilson that forced the Titans to kick a field goal at the end of the first half. But Burks ended up outshining him again on the second-longest play of the day as the rookie receiver ate up CTB’s cushion in off coverage and out-jumped him for a 51-yard completion.

Zach Carter

All seems right with the Bengals’ defensive line now with DJ Reader back in the fold, and things will get better once Josh Tupou makes his return. Carter had held his own in Tupou’s spot as the third defensive tackle in the team’s five-man front. He was on for 10 run downs, primarily as the 3-technique over the left guard.

Dax Hill

Thanks to the bye week, Hill only missed one game due to his shoulder injury he suffered against the Carolina Panthers. He returned to the defense in his usual limited role, and ended up making an impact play on third down. Hill shot the B-gap on a blitz, rushing a Ryan Tannehill pass that was broken up by Eli Apple to get the Titans off the field. He also was at free safety for a few other third down plays.

Where on the field was Dax Hill?

• Free safety: three snaps
• Wide corner: two snaps
• Box: one snap

Cordell Volson

Samaje Perine has a knack for following Volson’s lead into the end zone. Cincinnati’s first touchdown of the day featured Perine running behind Volson, who pulled around center Ted Karras on a nice power run to the right. Volson ended up tossing linebacker Monty Rice to the ground and sprung Perine with enough momentum to get him across the goal line.

There wasn’t much for the Bengals to critique in Volson’s pass blocking production either. He surrendered just two pressures on the day against Jeffery Simmons and the Titans’ imposing front four.