CINCINNATI — Smoke breaks used to be common in the workplace. <\/p>\n
And while the metaphor employed by Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo might have been ripped from the 1970s, his point about subbing out players on his defense hit home Wednesday. <\/p>\n
Anarumo pointed out that it’s still very common for defensive linemen and linebackers. But his defensive backs? They have to get their breaks while still on the field, at least when he employs a two-safety high look to his defense, where the safeties can help out the corners in various parts of the secondary so the corners aren’t responsible for running all over.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody still runs some kind of two-high, or Tampa at some point. We do it, we\u2019ve been doing it out of different looks and different ways. I call it a \u2018smoke break\u2019 for the corners, because they\u2019re not chasing guys around,” Anarumo explained. “Sometimes when they\u2019re playing a lot of plays, they need a smoke break. And they appreciate that, trust me. But it\u2019s effective coverage when used at the right time, in the right way. <\/p>\n
“Some games, you won\u2019t use it at all. I think it\u2019s been around, just maybe not as many teams, the Tampa Bay\u2019s winning the Super Bowl playing Tampa 2 and 3 Buzz and different things like that. Not too many teams do that anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was some conjecture in the spring and summer, especially when Jessie Bates was absent, that rookie Dax Hill could immediately step in and help take some of the load off. When Bates arrived, there was still some thought that Hill could give Bates a break. Anarumo quickly and firmly dispelled that theory Wednesday. <\/p>\n
“No, (Bates) does not need that at all,” Anarumo said. “He’s good. D linemen rotate, as everybody knows. Linebackers can rotate. I’ve been doing this for 30 years, I’ve never rotated a corner or a safety in my life. And I never will. The starters are the starters for a reason. And there’s usually good reason. That kid will get in when I feel it’s the right time, the right place, in the right role, in the right game. And that’s how that’s gonna go.”<\/p>\n
That kid Hill played only six defensive snaps in Week 1 and two snaps against Dallas in Week 2. Why so many snaps for the starters?<\/p>\n
“Because those guys are the best guys and you don’t mess with corners and DBs,” Anarumo replied. “I don’t want to get mad. That (secondary) is my baby. The DBs right? I always say the shortstop, second baseman, if I just flip you the ball because I know the guy’s going to be there without even looking. That stuff takes time. The communication. Plays (with) high-level pass offs during a play, where guys are communicating. These young guys have no idea what that’s all about. So, they can slowly and surely get into it and see it. <\/p>\n
“I had Xavien Howard as a rookie (in Miami), okay, and the first few games, not so good. Okay. It took until about Week 14 before he became Xavien Howard. And I think he’s one of, if not the best corner in the league. It takes time for those guys. So the fact that Dax and Cam’s coming back off the injury, the fact that they have time to not get beat in a game and lose some confidence. Because soon as you put those guys out there too fast and those guys get rattled, it’s a problem, it’s a problem. <\/p>\n
“Nobody sees the three technique get out of his gap and give up a B-gap run. Nobody sees the linebackers shed the block the wrong way. Everybody in the stadium, eighty thousand, and fifteen million people (on TV) and everybody thinks they know that the corner gave up the play or the safety took the wrong angle. So, confidence for those guys is huge and when you have a tight-knit group like we have, there’s absolutely no reason to screw up that chemistry.”<\/p>\n
OK, then. <\/p>\n
Not that the defense has been the weak link in two losses, but Anarumo still expects great leadership from captains DJ Reader, Vonn Bell and Sam Hubbard as the Bengals seek their first win against the Jets.<\/p>\n
“They know the urgency of being in a hole like this and starting out the season like this,” Anarumo said. “They listen to all (criticism), but they\u2019re also a confident group and they believe in each other and they believe in what we\u2019re doing. We didn\u2019t get to the Super Bowl because we just got lucky and they have that belief in themselves that they can shake off any little bad spell and move on. <\/p>\n
“I think that\u2019s more where we\u2019re at as opposed to panicking and doing something different. Those guys\u2019 message has been terrific and that was kind of my message to them this morning when they first got back. Let\u2019s go to New York, play our game and everything will be fine. Don\u2019t panic. I think that\u2019s the kind of message they\u2019re filtering throughout the locker room.”<\/p>\n
Joe Burrow made it perfectly clear that he’s not worried about his team responding this weekend, despite two three-point losses that have left Bengals fans wondering about a typical Super Bowl loser’s hangover.<\/p>\n
“It’s frustrating for me, overall,” Burrow said. “Not just that but myself. Everyone is frustrated but like I said we’re not panicking, two games in. We got 15 games left. Let’s all just take a deep breath and relax. We’re gonna be fine. We’re not worried about it.”<\/p>\n
“He sees it for what it is,” Zac Taylor said of Burrow’s comments. “It\u2019s easy for us to all understand that. It\u2019s easy to sit up here and feel that questioning after two games. You sense panic from others. That\u2019s just not what\u2019s happening for us. Sometimes that\u2019s just the easiest thing to say. To tell everyone to clam down, we are OK, we are a good football team. We will get to where we need to be and it\u2019s just about about having a great Wednesday. Our focus on today, having tremendous energy, understanding the plan, asking questions of the plan. Going out there and having the best Wednesday we can possibly have to put ourself in a great position to have a great Thursday and continue to piggyback on that. Gain some momentum, find our first wind and take a deep breathe and get the ball rolling.”<\/p>\n
\nJoe Burrow takes page out of Aaron Rodgers book "Everyone just take a deep breath and relax. We're going to be fine." #rulethejungle<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/rq1YAMU0i7<\/a><\/p>\n
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) September 21, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n