It wasn't easy, but the Cincinnati Bengals secured a 1-0 record to start the season and their first week 1 win since 2021. The Bengals walked into Cleveland to take on the Browns and escaped with a narrow 17-16 victory.
The Bengals' offense didn't light the world on fire, as evidenced by their 141 yards of total offense on 49 plays (2.9 yards per play). The defense did their part in bending but not breaking, as they allowed just 16 points on 327 yards allowed on 71 plays.
One player who stood out on the defensive side of the line of scrimmage was a rookie lineacker Demetrius Knight Jr.
Bengals rookie LB Demetrius Knight Jr. shines in NFL debut
In his NFL debut on Sunday, Knight recorded 10 total tackles, eight of which were solo tackles (a team high), and defended one pass. Eight of those tackles by Knight also arrived in the first half. That's just how quick of an impact he made in his first game. As for the pass breakup, he did so on Cleveland's final offensive drive of the first half. After tight end David Njoku seemingly boxed him out, Knight was able to get his hand in the way and deflect the pass.
Knight was selected in the second round of this year's NFL Draft after splitting time Georgia Tech, Charlotte, and last year with South Carolina. In 13 games played for South Carolina, Knight recorded 82 combined tackles (57 solo, 25 assisted), two sacks, and one interception.
Knight shined in training camp, making some highlight reel worthy plays. But in preseason action, his play didn't exactly pop. Through two preseason games, Knight recorded two tackles and two defensive stops. Yet, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor wasn't worried about the rookie.
“There’s learning to be done, but he’s had an outstanding camp,” Taylor said, h/t Bengals radio voice Dan Hoard. “Demetrius is a guy that sees something once and you make a correction, and the next time he’s lights out.”
Taylor's trust in Knight paid off, as he saw him make an immediate impact to start his NFL career. We'll see if he can follow it up next week when they play the Jacksonville Jaguars.