CINCINNATI -- For Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt, the conviction in his voice said it all.
This year was supposed to be his bounce-back season after a rocky 2024 campaign. Instead, in a prime-time game on Week 4, Taylor-Britt started and finished the game on the sidelines. A few poor reps, or what he called "bad football," and that was that. Just five total snaps in a 28-3 drubbing against the Denver Broncos on "Monday Night Football."
He knows he didn't play well enough to warrant being on the field. No excuses were offered. Instead, just a vow to make sure he never finds himself in that position again.
"That's why you ain't going to see it any more," Taylor-Britt told ESPN on Thursday. "I'm dead serious. I'm not playing. Everybody keeps talking about this s---. I'm for real.
"That pissed me off. This is the game I love, that I've been playing for so long. It can't fly with me ... I just gotta go ball and be myself."
That's why the stakes have arguably never been higher for him heading into Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox). The player who was once considered one of the strong, young pieces for the Bengals' defense knows he must play up to his potential immediately.
In 2024, Taylor-Britt seemed on the verge of a breakout year following a one-handed interception in tight coverage against the Kansas City Chiefs, a play that came on the heels of a week where Taylor-Britt's self-confidence and opponent analysis fueled headlines. The next week, after Taylor-Britt said the Washington Commanders had a "college offense," the Bengals were torched for 312 passing yards in a 38-33 home loss.
Things were never the same for Taylor-Britt, as he was briefly benched in spots. But he still finished the year as the starting outside cornerback.
This offseason, Taylor-Britt talked about playing with the trademark "juice" he exhibited often in his first three years in the league, the self-confidence that once made the 2022 second-round pick a rising player.
But once the season started, things quickly careened. A hamstring injury kept him out of Week 3. A minor illness, coupled with the hamstring issue, limited him on Week 4. Then came the game against the Broncos.
Taylor-Britt said he knew he was going to be in a rotational mix with the team's other cornerbacks. But he didn't know that he was going to watch from the sidelines for the entire first quarter. Then when he finally did go into the game, he had a couple of gaffes, including a missed tackle that resulted in a 22-yard gain. That was his fifth and final snap of the night.
"I was like, 'All right, great teammate time it is," said Taylor-Britt as he clapped his hands to mirror cheering from the sideline. "It ain't nothing more, nothing less."
Bengals coach Zac Taylor said no injury issues kept Taylor-Britt from getting more playing time. During his weekly briefing with reporters, defensive coordinator Al Golden referenced the injury and illness issues but made it clear that the fourth-year cornerback needs to be better.
"We need to improve," Golden said. "And he's a big part of that. Cam's a very talented player. We need this to be a turning point. We need him to have a great week."
On Thursday, Bengals assistant coach Chuck Burks said Taylor-Britt has had a consistent week of practice.
"He's done a phenomenal job this week of being present, playing well," Burks told ESPN. "He had a great practice (Thursday), being active in the meeting, so I like where he is at."
That last phrase is especially noteworthy. The reason why Taylor-Britt spoke with such conviction in his voice on Thursday is because he knows he needs to play with extreme confidence that has been lacking.
"That has to be back," Taylor-Britt told ESPN. "At the end of the day, that's what they want from me. Why shy away from it?
"I feel like I shied away from it, listening to everybody else. I let that play into my game and my head, everything. As a corner you have to have a short memory. You can't dwell on things."
This week, he knows he has a prime opportunity to showcase his potential. The Lions feature Amon-Ra St. Brown, a back-to-back All-Pro receiver. Taylor-Britt said everyone inside the building wants him to show he can be a lock-down defender.
And nobody wants that more than him.
"Go out there and handle business, man," Taylor-Britt said. "The ball goes into the air and I'll show everybody why they drafted me."