Film Study: How the Bengals Defense Slowed Down the Titans Rushing Attack

Man.....like it or not, hats off to Lou Anarumo and that Bengals defense.

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Hats off to Lou Anarumo. For whatever reason, the Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator just seems to have the Tennessee Titans number. After the Titans lost this one 20-16, my initial reaction was “well, the Bengals stopped the run and that clogged up the entire Titans offense,” but as usual, things are a little more nuanced than that. After watching the all-22, I’ve come away thinking the Bengals were able to take away the run because they were ready for whatever the Titans threw at them. On several occasions, it looked like the Bengals defense knew exactly what the Titans were going to do. At the very least, they guessed right an awful lot. In obvious pass situations, the dropped linebackers into coverage. In obvious run situations, they quite simply crashed the line of scrimmage and took away any running lane Derrick Henry might’ve had.

So, how were they able to do so? Well, it starts with the DC having this offense well-scouted and having his defense prepared for how to attack it. Take this play for instance:

We’ve seen this formation and variations of it all season long, but apparently the Bengals have to. Any time you see Cody Hollister on the field as the only wide receiver, it’s usually a pretty good indicator that it’s going to be a run, but they do like to mix things up every once in awhile and do some different things out of this formation. Here’s how it looked after the ball was snapped:

This is certainly an example of the Bengals either knowing what was about to happen or “guessing right.” They send eight guys up to the line of scrimmage, overwhelm the offensive line, and blow up this play. But, I love the positioning of the defensive backs here because it shows they were prepared in case the Titans were going to try and get a little fancy and throw this ball. The DB at the bottom of the screenshot is coming around the edge, and he’s in position for Henry should he decide to bounce this outside (not saying he’s going to take down Henry on his own…just saying the Bengals had a body there just in case). But, he’s also in position to stick with Chig Okonkwo should he come up and out. At the top of this screenshot, the other cornerback is playing way off of Hollister, with the safety over the top. The Titans aren’t going to get any gadgety deep shot off of this. The corner and safety funnel Hollister inside, and keep him in front of them. Just brilliantly scouted and perfectly executed by the Bengals defense.

The above play is a good example of how the Bengals played the pass in obvious passing situations. Where is Ryan Tannehill supposed to go with this ball? They put three guys at the line and dropped everybody else. But, notice the positioning of the Bengals defenders that dropped. They have three guys playing inside…it’s almost as if they know this Titans passing game loves itself a good in-breaking route. Just great scouting and preparation here.

This isn’t to say the Titans didn’t have anything going for them – on their final drive before halftime, they were moving the ball particularly well through the air. They couldn’t finish the drive, and they didn’t lean into the success they were having there in the second half. That has been a criticism of this staff all season long – they haven’t shown a particular knack for game flow. Big plays were there for the taking, but the offense couldn’t execute on them because the Bengals were doing a good job of pressuring Tannehill and forcing rushed throws. The Titans offensive line couldn’t move any damn body off the block. There was one play in particular that felt like a gut punch because if Aaron Brewer could’ve cleared out Germaine Pratt, Henry would’ve been off to the races and the game might’ve had a different outcome. That’s how razor close this thing was despite the Bengals being so prepared on defense.

I don’t know whether the Titans are somehow tipping their plays or what, but the Bengals defensive line did a great job of dictating the line of scrimmage, bullying the offensive line around, rushing throws, and playing disciplined defense when they appeared to know exactly what the Titans were going to do. The Bengals tackled well and they were relentless in their pursuit. The linebackers were so decisive in crashing the line of scrimmage. They were basically saying, “hey, we’re either taking out Derrick Henry or he’s going yard.” It was aggressive, but it worked because…again…they were routinely “guessing right.” They were sending eight or nine guys in just about every obvious run situation, and the linebackers did a great job of identifying where the tight ends were and adjusting their positioning to it.

It really came down to scouting and the reckless abandon with which the linebackers crashed the line of scrimmage. If you want a blueprint for jacking up this Titans offense, the Bengals just put it out there.

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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.

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