Cincy Jungle
Knight and day.
Sounds like a buddy-cop movie from the 80s. It also describes Demetrius Knight’s weekend.
Although the Bengals suffered yet another embarrassing loss, Knight had a big game.
He had six tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble. He also did a good job of keeping the quarterback contained, something the team desperately needed in Buffalo. Take a look at this clip.
Knight patiently spies Lamar Jackson. When it looks like Jackson is going to scramble, Knight breaks into the backfield and makes the sack. That is a pretty rare outcome for a Jackson scramble.
Knight also played a significant amount on the edge. One of the reasons Al Golden gave as to why they drafted Knight was his length and versatility to play on the edge, and it really suits him. Knight did a good job of setting the edge in the run game, and in this clip, we see what he can do against the pass.
In this clip, the Ravens run a boot, leaving Knight unblocked. The assumption is that he will get caught up in the run action, but that’s not the way it went down. Jackson rolls out but quickly stops in his tracks as Knight is in his face. Jackson cannot escape Knight’s clutches, and the rookie takes him down for the sack.
Was this Knight’s breakout game just a one-game anomaly? Only time will tell, but it is great to see some positive development from the Bengals’ second-round pick.
Knight and day could be rephrased as “Knight and Fairchild.”
The Bengals’ next pick struggled yesterday, specifically in pass protection, which is generally his strength. Dylan Fairchild has been pretty solid as a rookie, but not this weekend. He was responsible for a sack as well as the pressure that led to Joe Burrow’s pick-six.
The jury is still out on this rookie class, Fairchild’s performance this week was a flash in the pan, and Knight’s was a sign of things to come.
