**PLAY OF THE DAY**
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### **S P.J. Jules**
As first-team safety Geno Stone stood on the sidelines Saturday during the red zone lock-out drill with a hamstring issue from Thursday night's first series, Jules told him he wanted to get an interception like Stone has been known to do.
"I said, 'Listen P.J., just do your job and the ball will come to you,'" Stone said. "That's how my career is based on. Next man up when your name is called, just do your job, and the ball will come to you. I told him, 'P.J., don't try to do too much."
So with Browning throwing a deep corner to wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley and cornerback DJ Ivey steering him to the sidelines, Jules came out of centerfield to dive for the interception.
"He came from back-side quarters (coverage) and made a speed turn and made a read to the ball. A big play in the crucial part of the lock-out drill," said safeties coach Jordan Kovacs. "He's come a long way. He's one of these guys who played all over the field in college but was never truly a safety. So he learned from the ground up. How to backpedal, how to be a safety. And he's still learning. He just loves football."
Jules, who spent his entire rookie year on the practice squad last year after coming out of Southern Illinois undrafted, may have been learning to backpedal at this time last year. But now he's pedaling smack into the Bengals' roster scrum at safety.
On top of his team-leading five tackles in Philly, Saturday's pick, and Stone's "week-to-week," injury, people are taking notice of Jules at the safety backup spots where Kovacs say's they're waiting for somebody, "to take the bull by the horns."
The 6-foot, 203-pound Jules has thrown his hat into the ring where the backup spots to Stone and Jordan Battle are to be decided. Head coach Zac Taylor is clearly looking for more from Daijahn Anthony and Tycen Anderson.
"I think that's a group that we're looking to make sure we're deep enough there," Taylor said. "So they're going to continue to get a lot of opportunities, certainly with Geno being out. So I think it's a good chance to really see where they're at in their development. They've got to contribute on special teams. They've got to prove that they can walk in there and help us on defense as well."
Anthony began Saturday next to Battle in the starting lineup. It ended with Jules next to Battle in the starting lineup and then Jules teamed with the cornerbacks to knock the ball out of wide receiver Tee Higgins' hands on the sideline.
"You make a play," Kovacs said. "You get rewarded."
In his five years at Southern Illinois, Jules did everything but star in _The Blues Brothers._ As a freshman, he played cornerback. Then he basically played nickel linebacker during a 56-game career he racked up 169 solo tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and 29 passes defensed in being named a consensus first-team FCS All-American.
"I'm sure they're aware of the kind of work I've put in behind the scenes," Jules said of Saturday's battlefield promotion. "I put in a lot of work. Day in and day out. It means everything to me. For real."
Real? In his two summer breaks as a pro, Jules never left Cincinnati and continued to work out.
"I didn't go anywhere. These past two years, I haven't gone home," Jules said. "I haven't taken any trips."
That's the kind of guy other players notice.
"I'm happy for him," Stone said. "Since the start of camp, he was here early, and he's showing he can play. He's one of the best communicators on the field when he's out there."