‘Kase’ is made for Bengals defense

By Tre Hutcherson  |   Monday, October 23, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Cincinnati Bengals
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They usually call him 'Kase'. But some teammates on the Cincinnati Bengals, like defensive end Justin Smith, call him 'Clutch'.

He is defensive back Kevin Kaesviharn.

Having played in the Arena Football League and the XFL, Kaesviharn will take any nickname they give him, as long as he is playing with the Big Boys in the NFL. With a name that looks like a word that would elicit a challenge in a game of scrabble, Kaesviharn is becoming the playmaker in the Bengals' emerging defense.

That's right: I said Bengals, emerging, and defense in the same sentence.

The publicly chided defensive unit has made progress. Despite the early-season losses of their top tackler, linebacker Odell Thurman, veteran linebacker David Pollack and recently acquired free-agent Pro Bowl safety Dexter Jackson, the team has improved markedly. The 'D' is 12th in the NFL and sixth in the AFC for points allowed - giving up 18.8 per game. Even better than that, in their last two matchups, both of the Bengals' opponents were held to just 14 points.

The team is also continuing the Marvin Lewis-era tradition of having the knack to create turnovers. After leading that statistical category in 2005 with 44 takeaways, the Bengals are again in the top five with 14 steals through six games.

All the reserves have been playing well but Kaesviharn in particular has stepped up. Right now, he is third on the team in tackles and currently leads all Bengals with three interceptions.

His biggest pick came this past Sunday in Cincinnati's win over Carolina. His late-game, end-zone interception off quarterback Jake Delhomme thwarted a Panthers comeback attempt and insured a Bengals victory, the team's fourth of the season.

Afterward Carolina wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson ruminated on the play, stating "I think he just got lucky, and fell off into position. Sometimes guys just get lucky. In the film, he was never there."

Being lucky is what Kevin Kaesviharn is all about. I mean, c'mon, he played his college ball at Augustana College in South Dakota. Augustana? Do you even know that school's nickname? It's the Vikings. I know because I googled it!

After that, he spent four years in the AFL and XFL before grabbing a spot on a NFL roster. What else could that be, but luck? And as a direct result of that luck. 'Kase' always seems to find himself around the football.

Being at the right place at the right time is what Kaesviharn is all about. He started out as a special teams whiz in 2001 and quickly found his way into the defensive lineup by replacing the team's injured starting cornerback that same season.

Now, he in his sixth season with Cincinnati. He has played every position in the Bengals' defensive backfield, filling in ably, year in and year out, as one player after another has gone down with injury. Kaesviharn is only one of two Bengals defenders - Brian Simmons is the other - with more than five years experience as a Bengal. He has played in 64 of the last 65 games.

And yet, for as well as he had played the dual roles of nickel back and multi-position reserve, he never was able to climb to the top of the depth chart and claim a starting position for his own. There was always a better player coming into town, a Deltha O'Neal or Tory James. Kaesviharn somehow always found himself sifted back onto the bench.

Then finally in 2005 he cracked the starting lineup full-time. As a safety, he found himself involved in 948 snaps, or about 95% of the team's defensive plays. His time on the field was well spent as he finished second in tackles, with 87. He also reinforced his reputation as a ball hawk, gathering in three interceptions and three fumbles. He seemed to be in the middle of everything.

Then in the offseason safety Dexter Jackson was acquired from Tampa Bay through free agency, and Kaesviharn found himself once again on the bench. Marvin Lewis named Jackson and Madieu Williams as the starters. It even seemed like rookie first-round draft pick Johnathan Joseph was being primed to take the nickel back position.

Cincinnati started the season with five of its 11 defensive starting positions filled by newcomers -- two of those five spots by rookies. At first, no one looked comfortable and communication seemed to be lacking. The defensive acquisitions that were supposed to lead to vast improvements didn't seem to be panning out. The coaching staff was quickly questioned with alarm.

Then as luck would have it, Dexter Jackson was injured in Week 3. Luck, you say? Lucky for whom? Kaesviharn? Maybe. Lucky for the Bengals? Definitely. That injury allowed Kaesviharn to replace Jackson as the starting safety and 'Kase' , true to form, has remained the one constant on team that is continually being forced to change.

He is the glue that keeps the defense together. He always seems to make a play. Whether he is downing a punt at the one, recovering a fumble or making an open field tackle, 'Kase' seems to come through when it is needed most.
And this Sunday, he'll be returned to the bench.

Jackson is back from his injury and all the "starters" are healthy. Sure Kaesviharn will cover a few kicks and get spot duty on the occasional passing down. If someone in the defensive secondary gets hurt, he'll be there for that, too. It really doesn't matter how much time he gets on the field, because whenever he is out there, 'Kase' will be making the play.

Because, you know why? It's like Keyshawn said, "Sometimes guys just get lucky."

Original Cincinnati Bengals analysis, courtesy of RealFootball365.com
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