The Cincinnati Bengals made two big starting lineup changes before kickoff in Week 13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Along the offensive line, the Bengals benched Cordell Volson and instead had Cody Ford in the lineup at left guard. Ford played left tackle in recent weeks due to injury, but is a more natural fit at guard.
The idea in the trenches, at least, is to fix some of the issues that have plagued the line while allowing pressure up the middle.
And in the defensive secondary, Jordan Battle was running as the starter over Vonn Bell. This had been more of a rotation as the season continued, but Battle is now fully taking over.
Both moves walk a line between the Bengals attempting to make changes that help them win now — while also letting them evaluate problematic positions before the offseason.
