Will the Bengals Defense Have Enough to Stop the Rams?
The Bengals might have some vulnerabilities in their pass defense. However, they’ve answered the call during the postseason. Opposing quarterbacks have completed less than 60% of their passes, with 5 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and a combined passer rating of just 73.5. The defense has also racked up 8 sacks in 3 games. They are a key reason why the Bengals are even playing in the Super Bowl.
While the task of stopping the Rams’ passing attack won’t be an easy one, the Bengals have the scheme and pass rush to give L.A. enough problems to keep this one close. All postseason, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has effectively deployed disguised looks in key situations to prevent offenses from getting into the best play at the line or targeting the right receiver.
You can see an example on this play against the Titans in the Divisional Round. This was a 3rd-and-9 from the 21-yard line, right on the edge of the red zone. Cincinnati was showing a blitz look and Cover-0 behind it (man-to-man, no deep safety):
Ryan Tannehill seemed to think he’d be getting a man-coverage look, and he liked his odds with A.J. Brown singled up on the backside:
However, the Bengals would not be blitzing or playing Cover-0. They would end up rushing 4 and dropping out into Cover-3. When Tannehill looked left to find Brown after the snap, he would see 3 defenders in the area:
Tannehill was forced to dump it off and the Titans would settle for a field goal:
Had Tannehill known ahead of time that the Bengals would be playing Cover-3, perhaps he would have been able to get the Titans into a better play. That’s one of the benefits of disguise on defense. It doesn’t always have to be about confusing the quarterback entirely and creating turnovers or sacks.
The Bengals’ deceptiveness on defense also extends to their overall approach. It is hard to predict what they’ll play against a given opponent or in a given situation.
For instance, against the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, the Bengals played mostly 2-safety-shell coverages in the first half. Then they came out in the 3rd quarter and started playing various single-high coverages that focused on taking away the middle of the field.
The below 3rd down in the 4th quarter was a great example. Again, they incorporated disguise and movement to keep Patrick Mahomes from getting a clean pre-snap read:
The Bengals would rush 3 on this snap and play Cover-1 (man-free). However, they ended up with 3 help defenders in the middle of the field: The deep safety over the top, a safety at the intermediate level to handle any in-breaking routes, and another safety (the extra body in coverage as a result of only rushing 3) acting as a hole defender underneath to help out on any shallow crossers:
