Bengals Taylor-Britt not impressed by Chiefs rookie WR Worthy

“Speed, that’s about it,” said Taylor-Britt, the Bengals’ No. 1 cornerback. “He can run straight. Run jet sweeps and just run straight. He doesn’t do too much else, so that’s about it. Feel like if you put your hands on him, he’s only 100-something pounds, so if you put hands on him, you’ll stop the speed so basically, get your hands on him.”

Worthy, who is listed at 5-foot-11, 165 pounds, clocked a record 4.21-second time in the 40-yard dash at the Combine in February before the Chiefs made him the No. 28 overall draft pick, and he showed off his speed in an opening win over the Ravens on Sept. 5 when he hauled in a 35-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes and also added a 21-yard rushing touchdown.

Cincinnati’s defense has little room to criticize after a 16-10 loss to New England last week, but Taylor-Britt said the matchup at Kansas City is an opportunity to show that performance isn’t what teams should expect this year.

“We plan to go in and get turnovers,” Taylor-Britt said. “Just like every other game. This group is special. I’m not thinking about last year. I hope nobody else is. It’s a new year and a new defense. They’ll see that Sunday.”

The Bengals missed 14 tackles, according to defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s count, and that led to an additional 81 yards allowed as the Patriots especially found success in the running game with 171 yards rushing. Anarumo felt like coverage was tight for both Taylor-Britt and new cornerback Dax Hill, as well as D.J. Turner outside of one play he could have done better.

Cincinnati revamped its secondary to address issues giving up explosive plays last year, and Anarumo was pleased his defense didn’t allow any plays over 17 yards.

Two-time league MVP Patrick Mahomes will be a bigger test than Jacoby Brissett, though. It’s a challenge Taylor-Britt embraces.

“It makes you look good too when you do well on him,” Taylor-Britt said.

Hill might be the cornerback Mahomes targets more often, as the newbie in that position after making the switch from safety this offseason. He felt like his first official game Sunday was “decent” in coverage, but he acknowledged his tackling could have been better in the run defense.

With Mahomes capable of extending plays, Hill will especially have to be on top of his game to be ready for the “second or third play” within each play when it seems like it’s breaking down. He said the key will be never giving up on plays.

Hill relishes the opportunity to prove he is ready for a challenge like this, and he said he is ready if Mahomes and the Chiefs try to pick on him. Kansas City also has 2023 second-round pick Rashee Rice and veteran tight end Travis Kelce to rely on outside of Worthy.

“I feel like it will elevate my game, and on the opposite end it will elevate their games in terms of the competition and going against a solid defense,” Hill said. “I feel like it’s good for everybody early in the season and just still trying to find that identity, and I feel like that’s good for me and everyone else.”

Anarumo said Hill was one of the “better tackling safeties in the league last year,” so he expects the 2022 first-round draft pick to clean up the mistakes he made, just like the other defenders on the team. He’s seen enough from Hill since the start of training camp to believe he will be able to handle what the Chiefs throw at him.

“I think he’s just improved each day,” Anarumo said. “He’s shown improvement in his coverage, he’s shown improvement in his awareness. They (the Patriots) try him on a nine-ball the first play, I think, of the second half, and he’s all over it. Geno (Stone) had great range there. So, I think his improvement, a mistake he may have made in a walkthrough or practice he doesn’t make again, so I just think he’s dialed in and knows what it takes and again, the guy is a prideful guy, wants to do well, so we have a bunch of faith in him that he will.”

Hill was a little more respectful about Kansas City’s speed, but said Cincinnati built its secondary to be able to keep up with that type of offense.

“It will be a challenge,” Hill said. “We already know they’ve got some blazers, but we have blazers as well to cover those fast guys, so I feel we will be in good positions to win.”