The Cincinnati Bengals took care of business against the Carolina Panthers 34-24 in their Week 4 matchup, though they shook up their defensive line by benching cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt. His rough start forced defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo to bench him in favor of DJ Turner, the Bengals’ second-round pick in 2023. For his part, the cornerback reflected on whether his benching came as a surprise, as reporters asked him on Wednesday.
“Nah. Not if you’re messing the game up,” Taylor-Britt told the media, per this post from Bengals reporter Ben Baby on X, formerly Twitter.
Tough week ahead for the Bengals
In another report, the Bengals DC explained his decision-making process that led to benching Cam Taylor-Britt in favor of DJ Turner against the Panthers in Week 4.
“I think just the nature of how the game was playing out and (I didn’t) feel like anybody had settled in,” Anarumo explained on Monday, as reported by Kelsey Conway for The Cincinnati Enquirer. “I thought Dax (Hill) played a solid game when we brought in DJ, I thought he played a solid game. Cam was a little bit erratic yesterday. So, you know if you’re not playing well, we’re gonna put somebody else in.”
Still, the DC said the benching wasn’t permanent, expressing hope that Taylor-Britt can return to his previous form. He knows they’d need him against the potent attack of the Baltimore Ravens, whom they’ll face in Week 5.
“Just a little bit more eye discipline, you know, just making sure we’re looking at the right things more than anything,” Anarumo added.
Against division rivals
The Bengals can’t afford for Taylor-Britt’s issues to continue, since they are staring at a 1-3 record heading into their face-off against their division rivals Ravens. While they started 0-2, the AFC North champions bounced back and took care of business against the Cowboys and the Bills.
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Moreover, the Ravens blew out the Bills 35-10, handing them their first loss of the season. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow knows he and the team must bring their A-game against reigning MVP Lamar Jackson and his crew.
“I’m gonna have to play perfect,” Burrow told reporters, per Ben Baby on ESPN. “That’s how I’m preparing. So it’s an exciting opportunity.”
The question is whether the smack-talking Cam Taylor-Britt can help hold down the defensive side of the ball. For one, the Bengals’ defense suffered a major blow with a neck injury to Trey Hendrickson that forced him out of the game.
At least, he’ll need to play better than he did against the Steelers, where he allowed Diontae Johnson to make two catches for 60 yards and a touchdown, and against the Commanders, where he coughed up a 55-yard play.
