How the Bengals defense got so good at stopping the run

When he signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020, defensive tackle D.J. Reader wasn’t expecting to spend so much of the game-planning process talking about the detailed process of “formation recognition.”

Reader had a reputation as one of the best run stoppers in the NFL when the Bengals signed him. With what he has learned with the Bengals, Reader has elevated his game.

Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s goal is for the Bengals’ run defense to know what they’re doing before the play. The Bengals’ defensive coaching staff spends the week showing examples of the types of runs that the next team on the schedule uses out of each formation.

The goal is that when a team sets up, for example, with two tight ends and the quarterback under center, the Bengals’ run defense is ready with a counterattack.

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Bengals run defense key vs. Steelers

The Bengals’ track record of success in stopping the run gives them an edge heading into Sunday’s season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that centers its offense around Pro Bowl running back Najee Harris.

“Different plays are set up for different people,” Reader said. “You’ve got to know that. It’s all about being on the same page and knowing you have one job. That’s stopping the run. You’ve got to stop the run to make people throw the ball. We want to be able to rush the passer twice. That means you have to focus on early downs and stop the run.”

The Bengals’ run defense was the most underrated element of their success in 2021. They opened the year by holding Minnesota Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook to 61 rushing yards on 20 carries. During the regular season, the Bengals beat the Ravens because they stopped the run, and they took the San Francisco 49ers to overtime by holding the NFL’s best rushing offense to 100 yards.

Bengals' Super Bowl run helped by outstanding run defense

Then in the playoffs, Las Vegas Raiders’ Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs finished the game with 83 rushing yards. In the second round, the Bengals held Derrick Henry, the best running back in the NFL, to 62 rushing yards on 20 carries.

In the Super Bowl, the Los Angeles Rams averaged 1.9 yards per carry.

“Any time I think you can make a team one dimensional or feel like they’re one dimensional (by stopping the run), that’s good,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “Our guys have that confidence. We present a lot of different fronts and personnels that can be difficult looks for teams. We’ve got really good run down defenders. Really good. They take a lot of pride in that, too. That, I think, is the biggest thing.”

The Bengals’ defense is known for its complexity against the passing game, but the Bengals use the same scheme variety to stop the run. Anarumo has different ways for Reader to break down multiple offensive linemen on the same play. Linebacker Germaine Pratt sometimes lines up on the line of scrimmage like an edge rusher so he can get a head start with his run blitz. Safety Vonn Bell can line up inside the box like a linebacker to simulate a 4-3 defense.

'We take run defense as a challenge'

Anarumo said the biggest challenge is adjusting the rules of the Bengals’ run defense every week based on the opposing team’s offense. Each game, there’s a different pre-snap routine for the Bengals’ defensive players to identify where the tight ends are lined up and what that could mean for the running game.

Throughout last season, the Bengals met the challenge against the best rushing attacks in the NFL.

“We take run defense as a challenge,” Bell said. “That’s a new opportunity for the group to showcase our talents. That’s a new opportunity for our group to show why we have a great defense. Everybody is flying around making plays on the ball. That’s a challenge, and we accept that.”

If the Bengals limit Harris on Sunday, they’ll start the season with a win.

Harris got the ball more than any other running back in the NFL last season and ranked fourth in rushing yards. He’s one of the biggest running backs in the NFL at 6-foot-1, 235 pounds, and Harris is known for his ability to break through tackles and accelerate for a big gain.

"I thought he was really impressive for a rookie coming in to have that kind of impact,” Taylor said. “He's very durable. I thought he did well in preseason, in the game he played two weeks ago. I thought he looked really good. We know that he's a physical back, they can put the ball in his hands a lot of different ways, and he's one of the better backs in the league."

Last year, Harris played two of his worst games of the season versus the Bengals. In Week 3, he had 14 carries for 40 yards. In Week 11, he had eight carries for 23 yards in a blowout win for Cincinnati.

“He’s a back that’s an every down back, and he’s a big and strong guy who’s confident,” Pratt said. “When you can make them one dimensional, it makes the game easy. You know the threat they have in the backfield. We have a game plan to stop the run and make them throw the ball.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bengals elite run defense will be on display in opener vs. Steelers