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          Bengals defenders hold meeting, know 'we have to do our part'

          • Ben Baby, ESPN Staff WriterOct 9, 2024, 06:38 PM ET
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              Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN's NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. A native of Grapevine, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He is an adjunct journalism professor at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
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          CINCINNATI -- Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton didn't mince his words when speaking about the state of the team's defense.

          Through five games, the unit ranks near the bottom of the league in several key categories after Cincinnati allowed 41 points in last week's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The defense held a players-only meeting Wednesday morning during which Hilton addressed the group for about five to 10 minutes.

          Speaking to reporters after Wednesday's practice, Hilton was blunt when asked about any frustration from the fan base amid the team's 1-4 start.

          "I know we've been playing like s--- for real, honestly," Hilton said of the defense. "And we know we have to turn around for us to have a chance to make this run, but that's the thing about this game. You all have another opportunity to go out there and prove yourself."

          Through five games, the Bengals rank 31st in defensive success rate, 30th in points allowed per drive and 31st in third-down defense, according to ESPN Research.

          Hilton told ESPN on Wednesday that a players-only defensive meeting had not happened since last season, when the Bengals were in a similar position. And in both cases, Hilton spoke to the group and issued a similar sentiment.

          But this year, Cincinnati has one of the league's best offenses, led by quarterback Joe Burrow, who is second in Total QBR. And Hilton said the defense knows it has to do its part.

          "We have to hold up our end of the bargain," Hilton said. "[Our] offense is rolling, but we have to do our part. A play here, a play there. Our record be 4-1, but we're 1-4 and we got to climb out [of] this hole."

          Last month, Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase said the team still believed it was the one to beat in the AFC. But that was a couple losses ago. And as things stand, Burrow said that is not Cincinnati's current reality.

          "I don't think we can say that about ourselves right now," Burrow said. "There's a lot of work to do before we can consider anything postseason-wise. Right now, we just have to focus on the week-to-week, day-to-day and try to get a win."

          But Burrow, along with coach Zac Taylor, didn't point any fingers explicitly at the defense, and said the whole team collectively needs to be better.

          Taylor said he has confidence the defense can be better than it has been the previous few weeks. And whether or not the team feels like its back is against the wall heading into a Sunday night matchup with the New York Giants (2-3), Taylor said making things feel like a normal week has not only been a point of emphasis but a strength for this year's group.

          "When you watch practice, you wouldn't know what our record was based on the energy and the attention to detail," Taylor said. "That's something we gotta continue moving forward."

          Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt said a healthier defensive line will help the whole group considerably. Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, who has missed the past three games with a hamstring injury, practiced for the first time since Week 2.

          But no matter who's out there, Pratt and the rest of the defense is aware that improvement must occur immediately.

          "We've got to step up our play," Pratt said. "If we get more opportunities for [Burrow] to get the ball back, we'll be able to win more games."