The Cincinnati Bengals.might have a new starter on defense in Week 12 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, too.
While Jake Browning replacing the injured Joe Burrow understandably commands the attention, a rookie has started to take over a role on the defensive side of the ball.
Said rookie is third-rounder Jordan Battle, who impressed last week at safety after taking over for veteran Nick Scott.
So said Bengals head coach Zac Taylor this week.
“I thought he made the most of his opportunities. So we’re going to continue to rely on everybody moving forward. But Jordan did a great job. You saw him play a lot of the snaps in this game. That’s going to continue as we go forward,” Taylor said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “It’s all about grabbing the opportunity that’s in front of you and I think Jordan’s done a good job of that. He has to continue to be consistent going forward.”
Battle came in for Scott after a mistake from the veteran and never really came back off the field against the Ravens, ultimately recording a game-high 11 tackles.
The Alabama product has been very open in the days since the game when talking about where he could have improved.
“I felt like it was an OK game for me. I had small mental errors on two plays where I could have communicated better,” Battle said. “The more you play, the more settled you get. It felt great to be out there talking to the guys, trying to know what play is coming and what can I do to make a play on this play.”
At this point, it’s hard to see the Bengals going back to Scott, who arrived this offseason via free agency. Not only has Battle looked more impressive, with the team’s playoff hopes fading, letting a rookie get seven games of run as a starter could be key for his development and the long-term outlook of the defense.
