Cam Taylor-Britt stresses improved communication for Bengals' secondary
The Cincinnati Bengals will not go further in 2024 if their secondary doesn't take the next step. Cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt needs no reminder of that. "I was just talking to the young guys about that. We're gonna get started instantly," Taylor-Britt told reporters after Cincinnati's 31-14 season-ending victory. "I know the season's over now, but […]
The Cincinnati Bengals will not go further in 2024 if their secondary doesn't take the next step. Cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt needs no reminder of that.
"I was just talking to the young guys about that. We're gonna get started instantly," Taylor-Britt told reporters after Cincinnati's 31-14 season-ending victory. "I know the season's over now, but I'm gonna give them some time to rest up a little bit and we're gonna all fly somewhere together and we're gonna get started early. Because there's no way some of the things [that] happened should've happened this year.
"I believe if we get started a lot earlier and we'll be on the same page, they can't stop us."
Communication is key for Bengals defense
Taylor-Britt brought the juice to the secondary in the form of four interceptions, but big plays allowed with and without him on the field have put his unit in bad light. The 24-year old ended up as one of the more experienced players in the backend as two rookies and a first-year starter played alongside him.
So many new faces taking over roles once occupied by seasoned vets ended up highlighting a clear lack of communication. It's an emphasis for CTB this offseason.
"Once we get on the same page is the biggest thing. I need to see what Jordan Battle see or Dax [Hill] sees on the back end. Along with DJ [Turner II]. Bringing us all in together so we can be on one.
"Communication is key for us. That's one thing we plan to work on a lot this offseason."
Battle, Hill, and Turner were the rookies in question. Each of them flashed enough to warrant playing them more next year, but having all of them go through growing pains at different times proved too much for the defense to overcome. Let's not forget that some of this happened while Taylor-Britt was out for four weeks due to injury.
The Bengals' 2023 season was partially defined by a major risk that didn't pay off. The team opted to go young and cheap in the secondary, banking on athleticism to make up for inexperience.
The 2024 season cannot have the secondary suffer the same fate. All eyes will be on Taylor-Britt leading the charge for improvement.
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