Jordan Battle Looks to Exploit Malik Willis' Weakness

“We know we’ve got to be alert for that. Third and longs, they will run quarterback draws, and in the passing game, he will extend plays. So we got to be good downfield. He will take chances. We just have to be alert.”

The observation could give the Bengals’ secondary an important advantage. If Battle and Co. can spot the clue without sacrificing their coverage assignments, they could get into better positions to disrupt passes and potentially create turnovers.

Jordan Battle Cannot Afford More Missed Tackles

Battle needs to do more than study the quarterback’s tendencies. He also has to finish plays, something Cincinnati struggled with against Jacksonville last Sunday. 

The Bengals missed 12 tackles in their 22-17 loss to the Jaguars. In a five-point game, those mistakes can make all the difference. Battle was not responsible for all 12, but several of his mistakes came at crucial moments. He overcommitted on some plays, took poor angles in the open field, and failed to force ball-carriers out of bounds.

His grades were proof of those struggles. Pro Football Focus gave Battle a 70.7 overall defensive grade, but his tackling grade was just 32.9. Bengals coach Zac Taylor shared his stance on Battle’s mistakes on Monday. 

“I think there’s a lot of great examples of Jordan Battle tackling… He has to be a standard-setter for us in that way. It’s a disappointing one for us, the one that got out. And there are some great examples of him doing an excellent job of it,” Taylor said. 

Battle will need to show better control and maintain proper positioning against Miami. Willis can escape the pocket and run with the ball. Running back Ollie Gordon II also showed his big-play ability against Minnesota, exploding for a 53-yard run. 

The Bengals’ secondary will aim to attack the ball at the right moment and finish the play with a solid tackle on Sunday.