Taylor-Britt, in his first full season as a starting cornerback, picked up his third interception in four games in last week’s win over Buffalo, and the 2022 second-round draft pick is hoping to carry that success into Sunday’s matchup. The Bengals host the Texans at Paycor Stadium and seek to extend a four-game winning streak.
“It turns me up a little to go get it,” Taylor-Britt said of Stroud’s one interception this season. “He doesn’t want to mess the game up. He’s a rookie. Just wants to lead the team, but I think that’s why his ratio is so good.”
Stroud, the No. 2 overall draft pick out of OSU in this year’s draft, set a single-game record for most passing yards by a rookie last week against the Buccaneers. He finished with 470 yards and five touchdowns in a dramatic 39-37 comeback win.
Andrew Luck held the previous record (433 yards).
With 46 seconds left, Stroud led the Texans on a 75-yard touchdown drive for the win, connecting with Tank Dell on a 15-yard pass with 6 seconds remaining. Houston is 4-2 since opening with back-to-back losses, and both defeats in that recent stretch were decided by two points.
“I think everybody knew he is a good quarterback,” Taylor-Britt said. “He was just coming into the league itself. I played against him before and know him outside of football as well, but what he did last week kind of opened everybody’s eyes, but most definitely he has good players he wants to get the ball to, and he trusts them.”
Taylor-Britt also is familiar with Stroud’s top receiver, as he crossed paths with Houston wide receiver Nico Collins in high school in Alabama and in Collins’ final season at Michigan in 2019 when Taylor-Britt was a freshman at Nebraska.
Carrying confidence into the matchup, Taylor-Britt said he doesn’t expect “too much” from Collins this week. Stroud wants to throw down field, and the Bengals will keep a “body on the body” and trying to force him into making throws he’s not comfortable trying.
Taylor-Britt is specifically eying more opportunities for interceptions.
“When the balls in the air, it’s mine,” he said. “I got to go get it.”
The Bengals are just two picks away from matching last year’s total number of interceptions on defense. They have 11 overall and 15 turnovers total. In 2022, Cincinnati recorded 13 interceptions and another 11 fumble recoveries.
Last week, the Bengals had an interception and fumble recovery, and they have recorded multiple turnovers in six of eight games, including two or more in each of the last four games. Linebacker Germaine Pratt has two interceptions and two forced fumbles that have led to recoveries by his teammates.
“It’s just understanding that turnovers win games,” Pratt said. “On plays you don’t have the ball in your hand, you know how valuable the ball is. Most people think it’s just our job to tackle but it’s also our job to try to get the ball and get the ball back to our offense. It’s understanding that approach and attacking the ball.”
“We want at least two turnovers each week, so we are going in to create turnovers this week,” Pratt added.
That won’t be easy against Houston, though. Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said he’s not surprised by Stroud’s early success and Cincinnati can’t just write this game off with a big AFC North game approaching next Thursday.
“I think he’s made really good decisions and that shows when you have one interception, 14 touchdowns, you know, his own strength,” Anarumo said. “Everybody knew his athleticism, but what you didn’t know is when he got into these games as a rookie quarterback, how he was going to process things, how he’s going to see things, how he’s going to see the field, and I mean, he to me looks like a veteran out there. So, he’s got really good weapons to throw to and ... they got a good scheme that goes with it. So, I’m very impressed. We’ll have our hands full.”
SUNDAY’S GAME
Texans at Bengals, 1 p.m., CBS, 700, 1530, 102.7, 104.7
About the Author