Ratliff leading Cincinnati’s impressive defense

By Connor Byrne  |   Monday, August 21, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Cincinnati Bengals
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After playing two preseason games so far this month, one thing that's manifest for the Cincinnati Bengals is their defense's adept ability to take the ball away from opponents. The trend has actually carried over from 2005, when the Bengals' defense led the league with an eye-opening 31 interceptions.

Through matchups with the Washington Redskins and Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati's defense has already forced seven turnovers. The Bengals' offense, on the other hand, has given the ball away just once, making them one of the league's most economical teams thus far.

Last Friday against the Bills, the Bengals' defense took the ball from Buffalo's offense four times, including three forced fumbles and an interception. On the offensive side of the ball, Cincinnati's only giveaway came during garbage time in the fourth quarter when it already had a 44-17 lead.

In an Aug. 13 showdown against Washington, Cincy's defense started things off by intercepting three passes. The defenders simply terrorized the Redskins' quarterbacks, leading to an impressive 19-3 victory.

The Bengals' standout defensive player up to this point has clearly been cornerback Keiwan Ratliff. The third-year man seems to be turning into an elite performer, as he already has a pair of interceptions that were returned for notable gains. His pick against Mark Brunell led to a long return and his INT against the Bills' J.P. Losman begat a 24-yard gallop into the enemy's end zone.

The 5-foot-11, 188-pound Ratliff was a second-round pick of the Bengals in the 2004 draft. Ratliff, a Youngstown, OH native, began returning the favor to head coach Marvin Lewis by intercepting three passes last year. As a rookie, he played somewhat sparingly, forcing no turnovers.

With another regular season on the horizon, it appears the 25-year-old Ratliff is ready to post a breakout performance. The Bengals' secondary already includes big-time players Tory James and Deltha O'Neal (starting cornerbacks), and Dexter Jackson and Madieu Williams (starting safeties), with Ratliff serving as a nickel back. With a rotation of five players like that, Cincinnati's defense could very well continue its reign atop the NFL in turnovers forced for 2006.

Bengals news and notes:

-Quarterback Carson Palmer finally seems poised to make his season debut, as he'll get some playing time on Aug. 28 against the Green Bay Packers. Palmer, who threw 32 touchdowns last year, has been nursing a severe knee injury. The ex-No. 1 overall pick has been cleared by team doctors, but he wasn't mentally prepared to play in the first two preseason games.

-Rookie running back/receiver DeDe Dorsey is opening plenty of eyes across Ohio. The 22-year-old caught three passes for 80 yards against a good Buffalo secondary last week.

-Defensive end Justin Smith was also impressive against the Bills, registering five tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. The Bengals are looking for Smith to become a more reliable pass rusher this season. The 275-pounder's career-high single-season sack total came as a rookie in 2001, when he tallied 8 ½ quarterback takedowns.

--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com.

Get more on Keiwan Ratliff and the Cincinnati Bengals at Realfootball365.com.
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