Early in the second quarter Sunday, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith threw a non-descript four-yard pass to running back Zach Charbonnet. Meanwhile, 30 yards down the field, away from everything, Seattle wide receiver DK Metcalf delivered a forceful shove to the helmet of Cam Taylor-Britt, sending the Cincinnati Bengals cornerback to the turf.
Metcalf was flagged 15 yards for unnecessary roughness.
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How Did Cam Taylor-Britt Respond to Being Thrown to the Turf?
Taylor-Britt didn’t respond to Metcalf’s penalty. Instead, he let his play — and his teammate — do that for him.
And it was hard to tell which was delivered more emphatically during and after the Bengals won 17-13 at Paycor Stadium.
The first big play Taylor-Britt made after the incident came in the third quarter with the Seahawks facing third-and-goal at the Cincinnati 5-yard line. Smith tried to hit Tyler Lockett near the front right pylon, but Taylor-Britt got his hand between Lockett and the ball for one of his career-high three pass defenses in the game.
Taylor-Britt described the play after the game.
“I just knew he wasn’t going jump ball. He’s not a jump ball guy,” Taylor-Britt said. “He’s more of a shifty guy, like (Zay) Flowers. I knew he was gonna run a comeback or an out or something. I knew it was coming.”
As Taylor-Britt was talking about the play, teammate Mike Hilton, from a few lockers away, started yelling over the top of him.
MORE: Cincinnati Bengals Depth Chart
“Bullies get bullied, Cam. Can’t play that bully-ball s**t,” Hilton said, causing Taylor-Britt to laugh and stop mid-sentence.
“You know that. He said it, man,” Taylor-Britt said.
“Bullies get bullied,” Hilton repeated. “Long a** damn flight home, too.”
On Monday, Mike Hilton kicked off a Cam Taylor-Britt interview by asking the first question.
Today Hilton interrupted CTB hilariously:
“Bullies get bullied, Cam
Can’t play that bully ball shit. Bullies get bullied.
Long ass damn flight home, too.” pic.twitter.com/TrSSyJ2HHf— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) October 15, 2023
Taylor-Britt and the Bengals defense bullied the Seahawks in the literal and figurative sense the entire second half, with Hilton starting it.
The Seahawks drove into the red zone four times in the second half and failed to score a touchdown on any of them. The first one ended with Hilton intercepting Smith at the 3-yard line on second-and-goal.
The next one ended with the Taylor-Britt pass defense against Lockett, forcing the Seahawks to kick a field goal to get within 14-13.
The last two came on the final two drives of the game. Seattle had first-and-goal at the seven-yard line with 3:27 remaining, only to have Cincinnati defensive ends Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard record sacks on first and fourth down, respectively.
MORE: NFL Defense Rankings 2023
“Just relentless rushing all day,” Hubbard said. “I was winning my matchups all day, and finally (Smith) held the ball and lined up for me to get a sack.”
The final drive had Seattle with a 1st-and-10 at the 11-yard line with 55 seconds to go. An incomplete pass, two-yard run, and incomplete pass set up a 4th-and-8 at the nine-yard line.
What was Taylor-Britt thinking at that moment?
“Come to me. I want the ball, it’s as simple as that,” he said. “I feel like I’ve played enough games, enough big games with the playoff games and thing, to be able to take on that role. And I want it.”
But he never got it as defensive tackle B.J. Hill hit Smith as he threw, ending the game.
“I knew the ball was gonna come. I felt it in my spirit,” Taylor-Britt said. “But great rush to the quarterback like always, and we got the (win) as a team.”
The game-ending quarterback hit put the finishing touches on what Taylor-Britt called the best of his 24 birthdays, which featured his second career interception one week after recording his first.
And it was while he was in coverage battling Metcalf, as he was most of the day. Taylor-Britt said he anticipated what Smith did not, that Metcalf would run a dig instead of keeping the route vertical. Smith’s throw was well wide of both players, and Taylor-Britt made a diving interception.
He tried to downplay the pick, putting it at “a four or a three” out of 10 on the degree of difficulty scale, but Bengals receiver Andrei Iosivas, who also was celebrating his 24th birthday Sunday, knew better.
“It was definitely a super athletic play, and that’s the kind of plays he makes consistently,” he said. “I wasn’t surprised.”
Taylor-Britt became the fifth player in team history to record an interception on his birthday and the first since Reggie Nelson did it while turning 31 on Sept. 21, 2014.
The others:
- Ricardo McDonald, Nov. 8, 1992, 23rd birthday
- Jim LeClair, Oct. 30, 1977, 27th
- Lemar Parrish, Dec. 13, 1970, 23rd
In addition to his second career interception and career-high three pass defenses, Taylor-Britt had seven tackles, the fourth-highest total in his two seasons in the league.
“Cam Taylor-Britt has really come on this year,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “I’m really proud of Cam. He has great, great ball skills. Tremendous ball skills. When the ball is in his area, he usually has a great chance to go get that thing, and I’m happy he did.”
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