By Dustin Dow
The Cincinnati Enquirer

When the Bengals signed free agent cornerback Jeff Burris and re-signed cornerback Artrell Hawkins in the offseason, it was meant to bolster an already solid defensive backfield.

After all, the corners made seven of the Bengals' 13 interceptions last season and the Bengals finished 12th in the NFL in average passing yards allowed. Retaining fifth-year veteran Hawkins and adding a nine-year veteran in Burris made sense for improving the defense.

This season, however, the Bengals' cornerbacks have failed to make many interceptions. Of the Bengals' three interceptions, a cornerback made one; Hawkins intercepted Peyton Manning last week in Indianapolis. The other two are by linebacker Brian Simmons and defensive lineman Oliver Gibson.

"We have to really improve in that area," said cornerbacks coach Kevin Coyle. "Hopefully we'll make steady improvement. We've had our hands on a couple of balls that we haven't been able to come down with the last couple of weeks."

Teams often are going long on the Bengals and coming up with big passing plays. Some are for more than 50 yards, something that did not happen last season. It has occurred twice so far this season, most recently when the Colts' Marvin Harrison caught a 69-yard pass. The week before, against Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers' Keenan McCardell hauled in a 65-yard touchdown pass.

But it's not just the long passes. The Bengals have given up 11 touchdown passes, tying them with the Dallas Cowboys for 10th-worst in the NFL.

"It's just been big plays," Hawkins said. "That's something we need to correct in a hurry."

Burris, who was released by the Colts in February, hasn't spoken to the media in two weeks and indicated again Thursday that he is not answering questions from reporters.

"At this point right now, we're all frustrated," Coyle said. "(Burris') focus is on what he needs to do from a player standpoint, and he's trying to limit the distractions that would detract from his focus."

Last week, Burris was matched up for much of the game with Harrison, who finished with 145 yards and a touchdown on nine catches. Burris probably will line up across from the Steelers' Plaxico Burress, who averages 12.6 yards a catch, in Sunday's game at Paul Brown Stadium (1 p.m. start).

Defending the Steelers' receivers certainly would be easier with a pass rush more formidable than the Bengals' current one, which has produced just five sacks this season.

"If you're going to let quarterbacks and receivers have time to throw the football, your chances of success are very limited no matter who you have back there covering," Coyle said. "The pass rush is critical. We were able to generate a lot of pressure last year, and the results were significant in terms of our sacks and overall defense."

But because they have fallen behind so early and often this season, the Bengals have had fewer opportunities for pass rushing because opponents have run more in the second half.

"Whenever a team gets ahead on the scoreboard - and I'm not talking three, four, seven points either - they dictate the flow of the game offensively," Simmons said. "The offense can do what they want to do."

Coyle said that puts the pass defense at a disadvantage because, without obvious passing downs, the Bengals can't use certain coverages they normally would use for passing-only situations.

Regardless of the situation, Coyle said the cornerbacks are trying too hard to make the play and are getting beat.

"We've got to get in position and make the catch," he said. "I think sometimes you try to make plays in games where you may try to do too much. We just need everybody to try to play within the scheme of the defense and eliminate the big plays for the other team, and the big plays will start to happen for us."

E-mail ddow@enquirer.com

	INTs	Comp. %	Yds./G	Att./G	Sacks	TDs allowed
2002*	3	63.3	199.8	27.8	5	11
2001	13	60.7	197.3	32.0	48	23

* Through five of 16 games.