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Orlando Brown Jr.'s Gut Check
Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. returned from his first-ever stint on the inactive list in his accomplished seven-year NFL career Sunday, and it was a true gut check against the Steelers.
Brown hadn't played since he injured his fibula Oct. 27. After Bengals head coach Zac Taylor watched him leaving it all on the Paycor Stadium turf, he hopes he has him for next Monday night (8:15-ESPN) in Dallas.
"He was struggling at the end. We'll let some time pass. The bonus day this week should help us with a couple of guys," Taylor said Monday.
"He was fighting through it. He's a guy that he wants to play, he's been trying to play. Trying to protect him from himself as best we can. You could see there at the end of the game. He was really struggling with it, so I appreciate his effort. We'll just see where he's at as the week goes."
It was one of the gutsiest performances in recent Bengals history, and it may have not been lost on Steelers outside linebacker Nick Herbig late in the game when he appeared to test Brown's mobility by lining up in a wide 9 before he sack-stripped quarterback Joe Burrow for a Steelers touchdown.
When Burrow was talking about, "The next six weeks will say a lot about who we can count on and who we can't," Brown, who acts like a captain, is one of those guys he already knows has what Taylor calls, "The Right Stuff."
"It's important for me that the organization and my teammates understand they can always count on me no matter what I'm going through or dealing with," Brown said after the game. "It's been very important to me to be available and be there with the guys."
Despite struggling, Brown said he was ready to go out there if the Bengals got the ball back down by six.
"We were ready," Brown said. "I thought we were going to pull it out."
SECONDARY SET
Safety Jordan Battle drew his first start of the season and cornerback Josh Newton had the first start of his career Sunday against the Steelers, and it looks like they'll get another shot against the Cowboys.
After losing the job he won last season halfway through his rookie year when the Bengals re-signed Vonn Bell, Battle started in his place, and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo indicated Monday he's sticking with Battle, the club's 2023 third-round draft pick.
"Going forward, we'll keep it that way," Anarumo said. "For the most part, Jordan had some good plays. Hopefully he'll continue to trend in the right direction."
Battle said Monday he's attempting to bring leadership and physicality to a defense that allowed a season-high 44 points to the Steelers.
"Getting everybody on the same page. Play fast, play physical. Keep playing and causing turnovers. That's the main thing. Get the ball back for Joe B. however we can," Battle said.
"Turnovers. Getting off the field on third down. I feel like we haven't shown our physicality as much as (this) defense did. I feel like we have to get back to that."
Newton, who played so well coming off the bench in Los Angeles two weeks ago, had a rough one. He gave up a touchdown pass in a zone while also allowing Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson's two longest passes of the day on a 36-yard bomb to wide receiver George Pickens and the zero blitz third-and-nine for 43 yards to wide receiver Van Jefferson with six minutes left. Newton also didn't contain the edge when backup quarterback Justin Fields kept a zone read for seven yards on third-and-four with 1:54 left to deny Burrow one last shot to win it.
Battle tried to get everyone lined up, but Fields was all by himself on the perimeter.
"Just knowing our keys. They brought Justin Fields in for a reason," Battle said. "We know he's a threat in the run game. That's been that way the last few weeks when Russell's been the starter. It's about reading our keys. We knew we had to contain the edge. He got outside of us and the game was over. It's doing the small things right. Just being able to make plays like that."
Anarumo made sure on Sunday night he reached out to Newton, the fifth-rounder they believe has a promising future.
"The late play in the game, he's got his eyes on his man, and all of a sudden there's a guy with the ball. He'll get that the next time," Anarumo said. "(Pickens) catching the deep ball on him, 14 (Pickens has) scored a lot of deep balls on a lot of guys.
"(Newton is) a guy who was one of the first guys I spoke to last night on the phone, because I know how much it means to him. He's a very serious guy and really cares, as I mentioned, like all our guys do. Cares about his teammates and what he's doing out there. There's nobody in that locker room or in our meeting room on defense that feels good about what has happened. He took it to heart and certainly doesn't ever want it to happen again."
Anarumo also said he's sticking with safety Geno Stone after his three missed tackles were part of a day the Bengals missed 14, according to Pro Football Focus, and he's pleased how cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt responded to his benching in Los Angeles two weeks ago.
"Geno's all in. One hundred percent," Anarumo said. "Geno's our guy. We'll move forward there."
Taylor-Britt didn't wait around Sunday. On the third snap he muscled Pickens for a 51-yard pick-six and went on to dole out some big hits while PFF graded him their best coverage player Sunday in allowing three catches on four targets for 26 yards. He had two penalties that included a tough face mask, but Anarumo liked his seven tackles with no misses.
"As I thought Cam would, he reacted the right way during the week," Anarumo said. "I told you last week he reacted well during the game, and I was proud of the way he came out and started the game and certainly had the big play to get us going. So I was happy with him.
"Cam was fine yesterday. He battled. He had a couple of penalties, but it's a physical bunch and he was trying to be physical. So I'd rather him be that way than the other way."
Anarumo acknowledged it was a tough conversation with Bell, a player who means so much to him and the franchise. Bell played 18 snaps Sunday, his fewest with the Bengals and his fewest since Dec. 17, 2017, his second year in the league with the Saints.
It's also the first time Bell hasn't started an NFL game when available since Dec. 30, 2018, the last regular-season game as the Saints rested for the playoffs.
Among his 60 games with the Bengals are two of the more memorable moments of the Burrow Era: The 2020 Monday Night hit on Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and his interception in overtime of the AFC title game that set up a trip to the Super Bowl.
"He helped us build this thing," Anarumo said. "(He) probably (had) one of the bigger plays in Bengal history on the one Jesse (Bates III) tipped to him in the AFC Championship Game, and he's had a lot more than that. I feel like his hit on JuJu back in '20 started the whole thing to be quite honest with you. Yeah, it wasn't easy. "
LOU TAKE
Anarumo, architect of a Super Bowl defense that also has quelled the offenses of the AFC North during two division championship runs, took the blame Monday for what happened. For the second time this season, a division rival came into Paycor to gain 520 yards.
"All of this starts and ends with me. How we play is certainly my responsibility," Anarumo said. "I think the players have done a fantastic job of preparing, practicing with energy, giving us their best. I'm proud of the way we've gone about that. We need to do a better job. I need to do a better job of making sure it shows up on Sundays.
"My message is getting across crystal clear. I know what it feels like when players, I think we all do as coaches at some point, feel like if maybe it's not. It's no different than being a teacher when you're in the classroom. If all eyes aren't on you, you've got an issue. All eyes are always on me, and I have a great respect for all of the players in our room and I feel like they'll give us their best and I feel like my message is getting across."
IOSIVAS AGAIN
In the five games since wide receiver Tee Higgins returned from injury, Andrei Iosivas had six catches heading into the Steelers game and hadn't scored a touchdown since putting them ahead to stay against the Raiders back on Nov. 3.
But he had three catches for 35 yards Sunday and two huge ones in the last 9:40. He had a 17-yard catch that set up Higgins' score to cut it to 41-31, and when Burrow threaded the needle from three yards with 2:39 left, they cut it to 44-38 on Iosivas' ninth career touchdown catch. All 10 yards and in.
He also took a hellacious shot from safety Deshon Elliott on the sidelines in the second quarter and held on for a 15-yard catch in a 21-21 game.
"I think Dre is making the most of his opportunities. It's circumstantial sometimes the ball isn't coming his way because we have two of the best receivers in the NFL," said Taylor of Iosivas' station behind Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase. "You're spending a lot of time and effort that they get the ball and trying to put them in position. Mike Gesicki is a tremendous matchup for us as well at the tight end position. We've got an abundance of talent over there.
"He gets that opportunity, he makes the most of it. Ton of confidence in Dre. Love his work ethic. Love his passion. Love how much it means for him. He wants to do it exactly the way we want it done. He can play all three positions, which is critical. So you're not worried about if you've got an issue at another receiver spot. Dre can go in there and fill that role and be a primary target, a secondary target … It's those guys just being patient and work hard so you can count on him when his number's called. He steps up and makes that play."
