During the Cincinnati Bengals last two games, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s priority was taking away deep passes down the field.
For Anarumo to set up his secondary with five defensive backs spread across the field, he had to live with having fewer players close to the line of scrimmage that were specifically positioned to stop the run.
Even though the Bengals were daring opposing offenses to run the ball with their defensive formation, the Bengals defense still stopped it.
In Week 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Bengals allowed only 37 rushing yards to Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs. One week later, the Bengals held running back Najee Harris, the best player on the Steelers offense, to 23 rushing yards.
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“You have to have really good defensive linemen up front, which we are lucky enough to have,” Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson said. “You’ve got to bleed plays in a sense and make them last longer than they want them to. That allows the guys in the back end to close ground. It’s definitely not easy to do.”
On most plays over the last two weeks, Cincinnati’s defense had four defensive linemen and just two linebackers in the middle of the field. With fewer players near the line of scrimmage, the six defenders in the middle have more responsibilities against the run.
It starts with defensive tackle D.J. Reader, who has had to plug two gaps on every run. In this version of the Bengals defense, Reader is responsible for tackling the running back if he cuts toward either side of the center. According to Wilson, most of the Bengals defensive linemen and linebackers are tasked with cutting off multiple lanes on every run.
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The goal for the Bengals front six is to delay the running back as much as possible. If the defensive line can quickly plug multiple gaps, the running back takes more time to make a cut.
“It just allows us to do so many different things,” Anarumo said. “The fact that (Reader) and all the other guys have really done a good job in that area frees us up to play some more coverages and things like that. (We’re) not always going to over-commit to the run, and D.J. is a big part of that.”
Anarumo calls it “bleeding the play,” which means stalling for the cornerbacks and the safeties to run up the field and make a tackle.
“Bleeding is letting the running back bounce around back there before he makes a true cut up the field,” Wilson said. “That allows our guys in the back end to close space and make plays.”
Against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, this scheme will be tested by one of the most elusive running backs in the NFL. Chargers running back Austin Ekeler is the second player in the last 60 years to have seven rushing touchdowns and seven receiving scores in his team's first 11 games of a season, and he’s averaging 97.9 total yards per game.
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Since the Chargers have one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL at making deep passes in Justin Herbert, Anarumo will still prioritize taking away explosive plays. When the Chargers run the ball, Anarumo will again rely on his front five.
“They have tons of weapons,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “(They have) tight ends, backs, a great quarterback. It's a challenge, and we will not look past them for one second. This is the biggest game of the season to this point.”
ANOTHER TEST: Throughout the year, Taylor said he shows Bengals wide receivers clips of Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen. This season, Allen ranks third in the NFL with 81 receptions and seventh in the NFL with 895 receiving yards.
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“I think Keenan Allen is one of the best wide receivers in the game of football,” Taylor said. “He has been that way for a long time. A lot of the individual routes he runs, we show as examples to guys at different phases of the year."
APPLE’S PROGRESS: Bengals cornerback Eli Apple has interceptions in each of his last two games, and he played his best game of the season last week against the Steelers.
From a player who entered the preseason at fifth or sixth on the Bengals cornerback depth chart, the Bengals have found a reliable starter.
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“I’m proud of him,” Anarumo said. “You see how he continues to drill down on the details and what his job is, and he’s gaining confidence with every play and every interception he makes.”
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