If the NFL gave “a sixth man of the year” award for the best player who came off the bench, Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither would have been the team’s leading candidate after the first half of the season.
Every week, Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo had Davis-Gaither fill different roles in third down packages. Davis-Gaither was the team’s best linebacker in one-on-one pass coverage against tight ends, tackled well in the middle of the field and blitzed off the edge. Against the Baltimore Ravens, Davis-Gaither was at the center of a new defensive scheme that kept one of the best offenses in the AFC in check.
So even though Davis-Gaither wasn’t a starter, it was a significant hit to the Bengals defense when he went on the injured reserve last week with a left foot injury. Davis-Gaither ranks 14th on the Bengals in defensive snaps, but his injury will force the Bengals to change their third down defense.
“We’ve gotten dangerously thin at linebacker real fast,” Bengals special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons said. “(Davis-Gaither) has been exactly what we thought he was going to be since the day we got him. He’s really mature. He’s had a really good year this year.”
Starting linebacker Logan Wilson has played nearly every snap this season, but linebacker Germaine Pratt has stayed in a rotational role. During his career, Pratt has struggled in pass coverage. His strength is as a tackler in the middle of the field, but the Bengals coaching staff hasn’t given him a chance to become an every-down linebacker because of how Pratt has looked in pass coverage.
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That was clear against the New York Jets, when quarterback Mike White targeted the running back or tight end that Pratt was guarding in the middle of the field.
Pratt is in the middle of a make-or-break season, as he’s eligible for a contract extension at the end of the year. For the rest of the season, he’ll compete with second-year linebacker Markus Bailey for snaps on third downs.
“There was a period of time where (the Bengals linebackers) were creating a lot of turnovers, and maybe that hasn't been the case the last couple games,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “It's not just on them, that's on the entire defense. We've got to get back to that.”
Bailey, the Bengals 2020 seventh round pick, has hardly played in the competitive portions of games during his career. Bailey’s ability in pass coverage was a big reason why the Bengals drafted him, but he hasn’t had much of a chance to show it yet in the NFL.
Bailey was dealt another obstacle during the bye week when he was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
In his most recent game against the Browns, Bailey caught Anarumo’s attention with a pass breakup in the end zone. Bailey made a leaping deflection on a pass to Browns tight end David Njoku, and that play could help him earn snaps when he returns.
“He went up like a (defensive back) and got that ball off the tight end,” Anarumo said. “That was their No. 1 target down there in the red zone. I was pleased with the way he played and hopefully he’ll be able to come in and do some things for us.”
With linebacker Jordan Evans (knee) out for the year and with Davis-Gaither out for at least the next three weeks, the Bengals have two new linebackers on the 53-man roster. Joe Bachie was signed off the practice squad after Evans’ injury in October, but Bachie has still only played 23 total defensive snaps.
The Bengals also claimed linebacker Clay Johnston from the Carolina Panthers. The second-year player from Baylor had a five-tackle game this season, but most of Johnston’s playing time has come on special teams.
The Bengals also have one more option – reverting to the game plan they used in Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings. In that game, the Bengals only played one linebacker on third downs. As a result, Davis-Gaither played just 16 snaps and safety Ricardo Allen played 21 snaps as the Bengals used a three-safety set.
The Bengals depth in the secondary gives the team a few more options without Davis-Gaither, but he’ll be difficult to replace.
“(We’ll) try to figure something out,” Anarumo said. “We’ll have guys step up.”
NOT YET: The Bengals expected Trae Waynes to be the team’s No. 1 cornerback when they signed him in 2020, but he has still only played in two games with Cincinnati. Waynes injured his hamstring on Oct. 10 against the Green Bay Packers and hasn’t played since.
While Waynes has begun rehab work during practice, Taylor said Waynes will likely miss Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
“He'll continue to rehab that hamstring, and then we'll see where it goes from there,” Taylor said. “I don't have the number of weeks it will be. We'll just take it week-to-week. But I'm not counting on him for the Vegas game.”
ANOTHER LOSS: Bengals safety and kick returner Brandon Wilson went on IR with a torn left ACL. While Wilson was a backup on defense, he was one of the Bengals most important special teams players.
Wilson injured his knee when he was tackled on a kick return against the Browns, and he’s not expected to play again this season.
“Brandon has worked his tail off, and everybody around here feels terrible for him,” Simmons said. “They love and respect him so much. And I think the personal side of (football) really comes into play for him. We’ll get through it. It won’t be easy.”
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