'It's Real Now:' Cincinnati Bengals Defense Looks to Get Rid of Sour Taste From 2023 Season

The Bengals host Jacoby Brissett and the Patriots on Sunday.

Elise Jesse | Sep 5, 2024

Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (98) is blocked by Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. (75) during Cincinnati Bengals training camp in Cincinnati on Friday, July 26, 2024. / Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals enter the 2024 season with high expectations. They’re confident that they’ll start faster this year, after falling to 0-2 in each of the past two seasons.

They have a combined record of 4-6 in the first five games of the past two seasons. Simply put: they are tired of having to play catch up.

The 2023 numbers on the defensive side of the ball were simply brutal, the team ranking 31st in total defense, 26th in stopping the run and 28th against the pass. Cincinnati’s front office and staff got to work quickly in the offseason to bring in reinforcements like defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins.

He’s been in the building since March and has noticed just how frustrated the defensive line was with the numbers last year.

“My understanding from the guys that have been here, that left a sour taste in everyone’s mouths,” Rankins said. “Collectively they felt like they were better than that and coming in here I can see that the group overall is way better than those numbers reflect so we are eager to get out there and prove exactly who we are.”

The Bengals' defense allowed 10 more touchdowns in 2023 (41) than they did in 2022 (31). The sour taste wasn’t just in the mouths of the defensive linemen.

“We all take responsibility for what happened last year,” safeties coach Jordan Kovacs said. “I love where we are at from a defensive back standpoint from a safety standpoint. We are really good at communicating which has been a point of emphasis from day one. Vonn (Bell) is as good as there is at that and Geno (Stone) is as well. Its just been such a point of emphasis from Lou (Anarumo) and the rest of the coaching staff and those guys have really taken it to the next level.”

Communication is a strong suit of veteran safety Vonn Bell. He was the ring leader of player-led meetings when he was on the roster from 2020-2022. The whole agenda of each meeting focused on communication and getting everybody on the same page. Bell is back after being released by the Panthers in March.

The Bengals also added veteran Geno Stone. The starting duo is working hard to build their chemistry.

“That is still going on,” Stone said. “Every Tuesday we do that, get with the guys and he’s the one that leads it all.”

Losing Jessie Bates III and Bell in 2023 left a massive hole on defense. They relied on the younger group to stop drives. The young guys are on their way up, but player mentoring and experience is a valuable assent. Bell is also a vet who is more than willing to be a guy who enforces player accountability.

“I’m always giving my P’s and Q’s on it and I want them to give how they feel too and I just want to have an open dialogue conversation with it,” Bell said. “The sky is the limit for us and I mean that very sincerely. We have a lot of talent probably even more than I’ve seen in the past years being here. Everybody has to see out of the same lense, everybody has to have the same dialogue, and the same wants.”

The Bengals defense as a whole was a victim of 65 completed passes of 20+ yards which placed the group in a tie for second in the NFL according to ESPN Stats and Info. That ranking was unacceptable, and Cincinnati quickly acquired Stone, a ball hawking safety from Baltimore who hauled in seven interceptions last season.

“That was the main emphasis at the beginning of the year is we don’t want any explosive plays this year so we try to limit that as much as we can," he said. "They’re going to happen, its the NFL but you want to put a limit on that. That’s one of the main roles, why me and Vonn are back there to communicate and make sure those things don’t happen.”

The new, revamped secondary will take on their first official test on Sunday in the team’s season opener when the New England Patriots come to town.

Though the Patriots drafted a quarterback 3rd overall in Drake Maye, first year OC Alex Van Pelt decided to go forward with veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

Lou Anarumo runs a very complex defense, he likes to disguise a lot of looks making it difficult for the quarterback, especially a rookie with an offensive line that a few media members in New England have dubbed a “block of swiss cheese”.

The Patriots first injury report of the year wasn’t promising for their starting offensive guard, Sidy Sow who was the lone player who did not participate in practice on Wednesday as he’s dealing with an ankle injury. Veteran Lowe was also limited with an abdomen injury.

Outside of the injury list, the Patriots have guys like Chuks Okorafor playing outside of their normal position. He moved to the left side of the line after playing the majority of his career on the right side. Mike Onwenu is moving from right guard to right tackle in an effort to give Brissett some inkling of a pocket.

“They’ll be hitting on all cylinders, if we think there is something to expose, we have to go out there and operate at a level to do that,” Rankins said.

With a patch work offensive line in New England, the Bengals could see Van Pelt lean into the zone running schemes he favors with Rhamondre Stevenson leading the charge in that effort. The Bengals don’t plan on allowing 4.4 yards per carry like they did last year.

“Going into any game you’re going to try to make a team as one dimensional as possible,” Rankins said. “Take away the run game and we feel like we have the rushers to impact any game against any offensive line. If we can go out there and stop the run and limit them on the ground and force them into passing situations we feel like we’ll be able to go out there and help this defense go out there and win the game.”

Brissett would then have to turn to getting the ball out quickly, but he should have a tough time doing that with Logan Wilson, Germaine Pratt, Bell, and Stone roaming the field looking to make a big play. Dax Hill and Cam Taylor-Britt will be on the outside looking grab a pass from Brissett on Sunday as well.

“My mentality I feel like I’m a ball hawk, a guy who is going to go get the ball for the team," Stone said. "Be around the ball as much as I can, that’s who I am. I feel like I bring a physical presence so that’s just the type of player I think I am and I feel like I show it on film a lot.”

“It’s our job to go out there and harass him and give him hell for 60 minutes,” Rankins said.

The Bengals seem poised and ready for the first game of the season as it’s just the first of many hurdles to the February finish line.

“It’s real now," Rankins said. “Everything matters, every detail, every play, the sense of urgency has to go up. Going through preseason it feels like you have time, the season isn’t here yet but now it’s here so sense of urgency has to go up and we can’t start slow. We have to be hitting on all cylinders from the jump and we intend to do so.”

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