Monday, October 29, 2001
Defense makes batch of big plays
Bengals sustain pressure on Detroit's QB
By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
PONTIAC, Mich. — Playing with a patchwork secondary, the Bengals' defensive front seven had to slow down Detroit's pass offense Sunday by pressuring quarterback Charlie Batch.
Mission accomplished. One of the major factors in the Bengals' 31-27 victory was the consistent pressure Batch faced throughout the game. If he wasn't sacked, he was hit. And if he wasn't hit, he was hurried.
Linebacker Brian Simmons and defensive end Reinard Wilson each had 1.5 sacks, and linebacker Takeo Spikes had one for the team's total of four. The Bengals now have 17 sacks for 109 yards in losses after getting an AFC-low 26 sacks last season.
Batch had thrown for 683 yards, six touchdowns and just one interception in his past two games. Sunday, the Bengals held him to 239 yards, 21 below the Lions' third-best NFL average, and intercepted him twice.
Batch also had been sacked 18 times, and the Lions' offensive line had also let backup Ty Detmer get sacked six times.
“We know coming in they gave up a lot of sacks,” Spikes said. “We just want to focus on their weakness of protecting the quarterback on the edge. We went out there and did it with the blitz, and even when we didn't blitz the front four got a lot of pressure.”
Before the game, the Lions deactivated their best running back, James Stewart, because of an ankle injury. The Bengals' defense held the Lions to 61 yards rushing on 21 carries.
But the key was the pressure.
“They sit back and hold the ball trying to get the passing game going,” Wilson said. “Chicago was three-step (dropback) type stuff. I knew (the Lions) were going to throw downfield. Their running back (Stewart) was out.”
Simmons, who leads the team with 3.5 sacks, forced Batch to fumble in the first quarter, which was recovered by Wilson. Wilson also forced one, but it was recovered by Detroit.
Pressuring Batch was important for the Bengals to relieve pressure from their cornerbacks. With Rodney Heath gone for the season and backups Tom Carter and Robert Bean out because of injuries, the Bengals played two free agents who weren't with the club two weeks ago.
Ligarius Jennings, signed by the Bengals off the Lions' practice squad, had two tackles. Kevin Kaesvihard had a special teams tackle.
Defensive end Justin Smith and safety Darryl Williams had the Bengals first two interceptions since the team's three-interception performance in the Game 2 upset of Baltimore.
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Defense makes batch of big plays
