EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — Earlier in the week, cornerback Mike Hilton declared the Cincinnati Bengals’ defense wasn’t “holding up our end of the bargain” and playing, as he put bluntly, “sh—y.”
In the aftermath of the Bengals’ 17-7 win against the Giants on Sunday Night Football, Hilton’s attitude shifted away from the embarrassed admission of failure early in the week and the mirror-looking that followed every ugly defensive effort this year.
Instead, he stood next to DJ Turner in the locker room while the cornerback discussed his game-altering fourth-and-2 pass breakup of Daniel Jones and bobbed his head up and down with confidence, hanging on every word with a renewed sense of pride.
DJ Turner denies the Giants on 4th down and the Bengals take over! ❌
via NFL | 📺 NBC & Peacockpic.twitter.com/zIz3us3YqC
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) October 14, 2024
The Bengals’ defense put the team’s season on the brink and, for one night, they were responsible for helping pull it back out. At least for one night, confidence returned and planted the seed for more.
“One hundred percent (frustration was building),” Turner said. “Sunday night, couldn’t have asked for a better stage and we had to show it. It definitely is a big deal.”
There’s no denying that.
Jones and the Giants offense were far from world-beaters. Specifically without receiver Malik Nabers on the outside, they were the cure for what ailed this Bengals’ defense. That’s the point, though. What the Giants put on the field is similar to what will be across from Cincinnati on most days this season. They have eight games remaining against teams ranking in the bottom 10 in the NFL in EPA/play entering this weekend. That includes Deshaun Watson and the Browns next week, who rank dead last and haven’t crossed the 20-point barrier this season.
These are the types of performances the Bengals need the defense to provide. Two fourth-down stops, one turnover, four punts forced and a first-half shutout. Proving that they are capable of that combination at any point would make the defensive players on this team play with a bounce in their step. Doing it on a night the offensive sloppiness dictated they needed every one of those plays was a glorious role switch for the defense.
“Fortunately, we were able to, to lean on the defense today,” Joe Burrow said. “It was great to see them step up like that. They needed that one. We needed that one.”
They pulled it off by finally implementing their desired strategy on the defensive line. The hope was the entire group returning to full health for the first time this year could bring a level of stability and playmaking back. That proved to be the case because they came in waves.
According to TruMedia, the Bengals’ full rotation included eight defensive linemen playing between 20 and 51 snaps.
• BJ Hill: 51
• Trey Hendrickson: 45
• Sheldon Rankins: 40
• Kris Jenkins: 38
• Sam Hubbard: 37
• Joseph Ossai: 36
• Myles Murphy: 30
• McKinnley Jackson 20
Ossai is the only player on that list who hasn’t missed any game time or played through a significant injury this year. They only notched two sacks but consistently found pressure in ways they hadn’t come close to doing yet this season.
“We came in waves,” Hubbard said. “We were able to stay fresh. You saw the rotation. That really goes a long way because when we are out there fresh, we are able to make plays. I know when we were down a lot of guys we were kind of in survival mode getting beat up. Too tired to do anything but just be out there. Having the guys back is what an NFL defensive line looks like.”
It looked to benefit Hill the most. In his second game back from the hamstring injury and first game back in New York, where he played for three seasons before being traded for Billy Price in 2021.
“A little emotional at the beginning,” Hill said. “I needed to control my emotions. Spent three great years here. Special place here.”
He made a hit on Jones that popped up an interception by Germaine Pratt. Hill later jumped and broke up a third-down pass with his facemask leading to a missed field goal. He logged seven tackles, two quarterback hits and two passes defensed.
B.J. Hill having himself a game on Sunday Night Football!@Bengals @BJHill5 pic.twitter.com/LGKZl5dzJw
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) October 14, 2024
A day that started with containing his emotions ended in a game ball.
“It means a lot to me,” Hill said.
It means even more to the Bengals’ season. This line was the root of all the defense’s problems. They were hurt, not getting enough pressure or making hardly any plays. The hope entering this game was Rankins’ return and a second game back for Murphy and Jackson could go a long way to righting the wrongs of the season. That happened.
“I told them, once we get our D-line back we will be able to play great, complementary football,” Pratt said. “It starts with our D-line. D-line created pressure. Helped us be able to play sound defense.”
Head coach Zac Taylor pointed out in his postgame locker room speech that the defense had “to listen to a lot of crap these last few weeks.” What the waves of this defensive line started and cornerbacks finished offered hope that the “crap” subsides.
They didn’t sound much interested in that, though. They were just happy to be part of the solution instead of the problem.
“Never worry about what naysayers and outsiders have to say,” cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt said. “It’s just about who is in the building and everybody in this building believed so … everybody fed off each other’s energy. Everybody was turnt up. You feed off of that. It’s contagious.”
The defense’s energy changed on Sunday. In the process, they planted a seed of hope that this could be the unofficial reset of a new standard for the group.
“Just a resilient group,” Taylor said. “They go about it the right way. Believes in each other. Believes in what we are doing. That’s what I expect to see from those guys. This was a great way — on Sunday Night Football in front of the world — to show who they are. Because that’s what we see every day.”
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(Photo of B.J. Hill pressuring Daniel Jones: Luke Hales / Getty Images)
