By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Reggie Myles is one of those supposed fringe defensive players whom Marvin Lewis kept to play special teams, and Myles' play has made Lewis look like a genius.

Myles, a former rookie free agent now in his second year, is consistently the first Bengal down the field on kick coverage.

He leads the special teams with 11 tackles.

He's the small, fast No. 37 flying around blockers and often bringing down kickoff and punt returners behind their wedge.

And if he doesn't make the tackle, Myles often disrupts the return.

He and his teammates will have their hands full Sunday with Kansas City's Dante Hall, the most electric return man in the game these days.

Hall came within 16 yards of an NFL-record fifth kick return touchdown Sunday against the Browns when he returned a kickoff 77 yards. He's even more dangerous on punt returns, where he leads the league with a 21-yard average.

Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil, the first NFL special teams coach in 1969 with the Los Angeles Rams, learned the importance of the kicking game from former Rams coach George Allen.

Allen invested practice time in special teams and traded for punt returner Alvin Haymond - who led the league three times in return average.

"(Allen) wanted someone that could make the first first down of every offensive series and average at least 10 yards," Vermeil said.

"Fortunately for us, we're averaging a little more than 10 yards."

Return to Bengals front page...