Eli Apple, Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton only moved to Cincinnati before the season and are one reason why the Bengals are in the Super Bowl. Against the Los Angeles Rams, however, they face arguably their toughest test.

Munich – The Cincinnati Bengals cornerbacks have a mammoth task on their hands in Sunday’s Super Bowl. They must find a way to stop the Los Angeles Rams’ effective pass receivers.

Odell Beckham Jr, Van Jefferson and especially Cooper Kupp are among the best the NFL has to offer at the wide receiver position. Kupp was the ultimate league-wide with 16 touchdowns and 1947 receiving yards.

“It’s a great challenge. They’re a very talented group and they have a great quarterback,” cornerback Eli Apple knows. “For us, it’s a good opportunity to go out and showcase our talent. We’ve had to go against great receivers all season. So the mindset doesn’t change.”

Indeed, the Bengals’ pass defenders proved in the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs that they can keep top pass receivers in check, at least for the most part. Their quarterback Patrick Mahomes only managed 275 passing yards – an unusually low figure for the superstar.

Great respect for Cooper Kupp

But it’s also clear that no NFL pass receiver was on par with Kupp this year. Mike Hilton, considered practically the all-purpose weapon among Bengals cornerbacks and all over the field, has a lot of respect for the star receiver.

“Kupp is really deceptive when running his routes and with his change of pace. He’s a very intelligent receiver,” Hilton said. “I have a lot of respect for him and what he can do inside in the slot and outside. He’s phenomenal.”

Chidobe Awuzie, another Bengals cornerback, has a personally close relationship with Kupp. The two are coached by the same player agent and spent time together before the 2017 NFL Draft, where Awuzie was picked in the 2nd round and Kupp in the 3rd round.

“We had a chance to work out together before the draft. We did one-on-one drills, 40-yard sprints, change of direction drills and all that. It gave me a chance to get to know his nature. It’s crazy how it’s come full circle now.”

Awuzie is looking forward to the “great opportunity to now compete against this guy. He is a friend of mine. We follow each other on all social media. And every time we’re in California at the agency, it’s like nothing has ever changed.”

But the Bengals’ cornerbacks just can’t focus solely on Kupp. The Rams are known for always changing their system of play. “But that’s part of the fun of playing against this type of offense,” Hilton said. “When you expect one thing, they do something different. We know as a defense we always have to expect the unexpected. “

Eli Apple was a bargain

What’s special about the Bengals’ three cornerbacks is that they all arrived in Cincinnati before the season. Hilton came from the Pittsburgh Steelers and signed a four-year, $24 million contract.

Eli Apple played only two games with the Carolina Panthers last season due to injury before signing with the Bengals on a one-year deal worth just $1.1 million – a real bargain by NFL standards. Awuzie came from the Dallas Cowboys and received a three-year contract worth 21.75 million euros.

The fact that all three became top performers in their very first year speaks volumes for the talent scouts of this franchise. “I think our scouting department is one of the smallest in the NFL. But our scouts are by far the hardest working,” praises Awuzie.

None of the newcomers could have expected to make it to the Super Bowl in their first season when they signed their contracts. The franchise’s sporting record has been rather poor lately. Awuzie was impressed by the Bengals’ commitment: “Cincinnati was one of the first teams that believed in me and wanted me when free agency started. That was very important to me. But I didn’t know too much about the Bengals at the time.”

What ultimately tipped the scales in favour of the Bengals? “It was like I felt an attachment to this place. I got an opportunity here to be a part of something special and build something. “

Awuzie praises the team spirit: “like college “

The pass defender especially praises the team spirit within the team: “The culture in the locker room is crazy. I’ve never been on an NFL team like this. It feels more like college. We know each other well and we fight for each other.”

The Bengals’ defense has proven in the playoffs to be capable of making crucial big plays. Six interceptions and a fumble recovery resulted in the three knockout games. By comparison, the Bengals were still in the middle of the league in the regular season with 13 interceptions.

“See ball, get ball” is the motto of the defence, according to Awuzie. Apple adds, “In every one, especially the last three playoff games, we’ve had to make plays and we like that. We like that pressure that we have to win the game. We have to keep doing that.”

After all, they have a mammoth task on their hands in the Super Bowl.