The Cincinnati Bengals got some early great signs of how replacing Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell could go to start training camp and through the first preseason game.
After some solid showings in practices, former first-rounder Dax Hill stepped in and displayed some wicked range while breaking up a pass.
And the seemingly forgotten safety Tycen Anderson picked off two passes against the Packers, taking one back for a touchdown.
Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said Sunday that Anderson’s development is on the right track.
“Any time you see a guy make a play on the football and then score on defense, it’s great. So, he had two of them, which is good to see.,” Anarumo said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “And certainly, enough stuff that he’s got to clean up in the other parts of the game. But we were happy with what we saw.”
And on Hill, Anarumo took a good-with-the-bad approach: “Dax did well. I thought he was around the ball, made a nice range play that we know he can do. There are still some things he’s got to clean up when he’s closer to the ball in the box and be a little bit more physical at times.”
Hill’s spot as a starter in 2023 never really felt in question, but this is the second preseason in a row he’s shown some stunning range while effectively playing starters.
It’s Anderson that’s more interesting now. He lost his rookie year to injury but is back and looks even better as he battles Nick Scott and Jordan Battle for reps. If he can hit on some of Anarumo’s critiques and keep this momentum going, it means Anarumo has more options than anticipated next year.
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