When it comes to Cincinnati Bengals linebackers Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter, the season opener provided some explosive, encouraging signs and some notable mistakes.
Those mistakes, tackling issues, will give Bengals fans some deja vu. But there’s hope that this time out, unlike last year, those were mere Week 1 things that get cleaned up soon.
Most everything else for the sophomore ‘backers was good during the Week 1 win over Tampa Bay: Just ask Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden.
"I think Demetrius played fast. I think Barrett had some really nice plays," Golden said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. "The play on the screen was really, really good. Had some nice run fits, and his overall command was really good with the (radio
helmet)."
Fast, indeed, considering Knight’s marquee moment of the day was a fumble recovery he turned into a touchdown. Carter racked up a half-sack, a forced fumble at the goal line and led all Bengals with eight tackles.
One look at the film says it all: Knight and Carter are a hair faster to react, too.
"I think just the speed in which they diagnose things and go make a play. There's no hesitation, which over the course of the season they certainly improved on, but they trust the talent around them," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told Hobson. "So you don't have to do too much. I thought that they had really good command of the defense. Barrett with the headset and doing a good job getting us in the right calls. So I was impressed."
For one week, at least, Knight and Carter proved the Bengals right. The team didn't challenge their spots at all this offseason in the draft, free agency or trade. On a defense undergoing major changes, those two were constants and unchallenged.
We’ll see if it continues, but the marriage of the duo’s natural pro development and being able to move more freely thanks to Dexter Lawrence and others in the middle, is certainly working out so far.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Demetrius Knight, Barrett Carter proving Bengals right so far
