Darnell Washington was a problem for the Bengals, but perhaps most especially in trying to figure out how to bring him down. One of the very largest non-linemen in all of football, he made good use of his frame on Sunday. And he has some on the Bengals reconsidering their approach to how they attack the ball carrier.
“We’ve just got to tackle,”, DB Jordan Battle told Charlie Goldsmith of FOX19, later referencing Washington specifically. “We’ve got to get off the field. We have little room for error as a defense. We’ve got to do whatever we can to get the ball back for the offense”.
According to our charting, the Steelers forced 16 missed tackles against the Bengals, including three by Darnell Washington. He plowed through two tackles on one highlight-worthy catch-and-run play that earned him a scepter Tuesday morning.
Washington caught four of five targets against the Bengals for 67 yards, a new career high. As you can imagine, he earned those yards, battering his way through Cincinnati’s defense. At 6-7 and 300ish pounds, defenders rarely encounter someone with the football boasting those dimensions. It might have you reevaluating your life choices in addition to your approach to tackling.
“We’ve got to keep attacking the ball”, Battle insisted. “The second guy in can rally to the ball and get it out. We’ve got to do a better job of having more gang tackles than solo tackles. Knowing where to aim is a big thing. The main thing, especially with big guys like No. 80 [Darnell Washington], is take their legs, make them stop and the second guy in can knock it out”.
Washington does have one fumble on 18 receptions on the season, so ball security is a consideration. But it’s hard enough for defenders to even get into his frame, let alone near the ball. The Bengals found that out the hard way, having not had to deal with him much previously. Washington has played the Bengals now six times. He only had three catches in his first four games against them. He did have three earlier this season, including a touchdown, but those were all short-space targets. On Sunday, he had room to roam, and he took full advantage.
The Bengals have arguably the worst defense in football, allowing more yards and points than any other team. They have allowed four defensive touchdowns this year, including two by the Steelers on Sunday, but nevertheless, they are awful. And yet Darnell Washington stuck out in their minds—after all, how could he not? Watching him barreling down on you is not an image you’re likely to soon forget. Fortunately for Jordan Battle, he won’t have to worry about it until next season.
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