With an outstanding comeback, the Cincinnati Bengals fight their way into the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs. In the second half, the defence in particular does a 180-degree turn and becomes the guarantor of success.

Munich – A look on Head Coach Zac Taylor’s face spoke volumes: “How the hell are we supposed to win this?” must have gone through the young Head Coach’s mind.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ offence seemed too strong. Superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes seemed to have had too good a day in the first half. The Chiefs were 21:3 in front, and even a touchdown by the Bengals shortly before the break was only cosmetic.

The fact that the Bengals finally made it to the Super Bowl was mainly due to an enormous improvement in their defensive performance. To get a playoff-experienced playmaker like Mahomes to falter so badly, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo had to dig deep into his bag of tricks.

Cincinnati Bengals: Change in defence brings turnaround

In the first half, the Bengals had one goal above all: to move Mahomes out of the pocket with constant pressure. In doing so, the young team ran into an open knife, as Mahomes put on a magic show and created some big plays with wild runs and passes on the move – making the 2019 Super Bowl MVP unstoppable.

Because the Bengals coaches realised at halftime that this could not be the path to success, they consistently made defensive adjustments. While only 24 percent of all defensive plays in the first half had more than eight defenders in coverage, the Bengals shut down the passing lanes in the second half with 45% of all plays in coverage.

An important element here was the frequent use of the pass rush with only three defenders. The fourth defender, who was supposed to be chasing the quarterback, instead went backwards and into coverage.

As a result, Mahomes had much more time in the pocket, but the face-off stations that had often worked in the first pass were suddenly completely taken out of the game. Several times, the Chiefs playmaker had the ball in his hands for a few seconds because none of the receivers were free.

“We had to adjust our formations a little bit,” safety Vonn Bell said after the game. “But we knew at some point, once the ball was in the air, it was ours,” the veteran said of the two interceptions Mahomes made as a result of the adjusted coverage. “We had to adjust our formations a little bit,” Bell said.

Cincinnati Bengals: variability key to success

Defensive end Trey Hendrickson is actually known for his excellent pass rush skills. The 27-year-old, who was traded to Cincinnati from the New Orleans Saints before the season, put together a monster season in his first year for the Bengals. He totalled 16 sacks in the regular season and in the playoffs, and he also caught Mahomes on Sunday.

But in the second half, he too had to tread rather unfamiliar ground. On the first interception, the 120-pound hunk dropped into coverage to help prevent a short pass. Mahomes hesitated too long – and missed defensive tackle B.J. Hill.

An additional X-factor the Chiefs didn’t have on their minds in the second was the deft use of edge rusher Sam Hubbard. The 26-year-old acted as a so-called “quarterback spy” whose job it was to react to the playmaker’s actions before the throw. Mahomes’ dangerous runs in the first half could thus be kept in check.

Then in the final moments of regulation time, when the Chiefs were on the verge of winning the game, Hubbard forced the Chiefs into a field goal with two consecutive sacks. “I’ve never had two sacks in a row send your team to the Super Bowl. I still can’t believe I pulled that off for the city and my team,” the Bengals star said.

Cincinnati Bengals: patience pays off

Hubbard saw his team’s will to fight as the reason for their monster second-half performance: “I guess if you keep going and you don’t give up despite the odds, you get rewarded in the end,” he concluded.

It was a similar story for safeties Bell and Jesse Bates, who were both involved in the decisive play in overtime. It was only because Bates knocked the ball out of the hands of star receiver Tyreek Hill that Bell was able to pick up the ball via interception and put the offense in position for the decisive drive.

“We fight best with our backs against the wall,” Bell stated about the lost coin toss early in overtime. “All the guys showed up and made big plays. We presented ourselves as a resilient squad throughout the game. We knew we could win and that’s why we never batted an eyelid,” he continued.

Cincinnati Bengals: Defense as X-factor in Super Bowl?

The Bengals’ defence will also have to be patient in the Super Bowl against the Los Angeles Rams. Against the next offensive powerhouse, it will need a similarly concentrated performance as in the second round against the Chiefs to be successful in the end.

“We’re made for this moment,” Bell predicted in closing, “Why not us at the end? Let’s just go out and win this last game.” So from the players’ side, it’s clear: the title this year can only go through this sworn bunch of warriors.

For the coveted Lombardi Trophy to find its way to Cincinnati, it will once again come down to defensive adjustments in the game. If the coaching staff proves to be as lucky as they were against the Chiefs, the “Bengal” defence could even end up being the X-factor for Super Bowl triumph.