Bengals Week 11 Snap Counts vs Chargers: Defensive chaos was nearly tamed by rookie's emergence
We should've known a meeting between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Chargers would result in absolute mayhem. When it looked like neither team wanted to win it at the end, the Bengals let one too many chances slip through fingers and now must face the music at 4-7.Let's see what the snaps from Sunday night […]
We should've known a meeting between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Chargers would result in absolute mayhem. When it looked like neither team wanted to win it at the end, the Bengals let one too many chances slip through fingers and now must face the music at 4-7.
Let's see what the snaps from Sunday night had to say about the game.
Bengals Week 11 Snap Counts vs Chargers
Cornered out
Cam Taylor-Britt (29) was challenged this week to step up as the Bengals' No. 1 cornerback. He instead was benched midway through the game as the Chargers' passing attack thrived in the first half. One too many miscommunications led to a three-score deficit that saw rookie Josh Newton (51) take over for the struggling starter. Newton's two pass breakups in his first extended action on the boundary helped the defense stagnate Los Angeles in the second half as an improbable comeback was mounted.
Taylor-Britt would get a second chance to finish the game after DJ Turner (46) reportedly fractured his clavicle. The pairing of Taylor-Britt and Newton is what the Bengals have left now with Turner likely out for the year along with former Michigan teammate Dax Hill.
No shared backfield
Whatever plans the Bengals have with Khalil Herbert (4), they're either extremely limited or haven't been shown yet. Herbert barely saw the field for his second-ever game with the team. It made sense why he hardly appeared in his first game just two days after he was traded for. To see only four snaps on offense after a full week of practice while Chase Brown (68) rarely left the field was notable.
Is Herbert not picking up the playbook as quickly as hoped, or is the ramp up process longer than expected? Whatever the case may be, it's given Brown a chance to prove himself as a bellcow. away sack-free and evaded the Bengals' pass rush just like he did a month ago.
Other notes
Sheldon Rankins missing the game due to an illness paved the way for Jay Tufele (15) being active and playing just down the road from where he played in college. Tufele was one of 20 Bengals defenders to see the field with cornerback DJ Ivey (8) and linebacker Maema Njongmeta (4) trailing him in snaps.
Jermaine Burton (18) saw opportunities despite the return of Tee Higgins (69) but didn't make the most of them outside of catching Joe Burrow's (82) first pass of the night. Burton had three other targets fall incomplete.
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Chase posted two touchdowns in Cincinnati’s deflating loss in Los Angeles.
