The Bengals defense has received so much criticism over the past two seasons, but there have been bright sparks along the way. One of those bright sparks is safety Jordan Battle, who had a decent year last season considering the rest of the defense around him.
Battle made 62 solo tackles, two forced fumbles, and four interceptions, showing that he can be a difference maker for Cincinnati. He is one of the few mainstays in the Bengals defense over the past two years.
Battle will have several new teammates this year, with Dexter Lawrence, Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen on the defensive line and Bryan Cook is alongside him at safety, not forgetting the rookies such as Cashius Howell and Tacario Davis too.
Battle says Mafe and Cook will bring a winning mentality
There's a lot of optimism around the Bengals this year, and a feeling that the offseason has felt different to normal in Cincy. Battle is fully on board with the optimism too, as he said in a recent interview that bringing in former Super Bowl champions such as Cook and Mafe on defense, will make a huge difference.
Quoted by Laurel Pfahler in the Dayton Daily News, Battle said the following:
"It’s been a great spring, getting new guys integrated and learning each other’s tendencies. Dex (Lawrence) is going to take up a lot of attention, so that will help us in the back end. For me, I can already see a difference those guys are going to make. It makes my job easier."
"Obviously, (we’ve) got a few guys who have been in winning cultures: Boye Mafe, B-Cook."Jordan Battle, DaytonDailyNews
Burrow shares Battle's optimism
Battle isn't the only Bengal who has spoken up about his optimism of late, as Joe Burrow has been very vocal that he thinks this team can do special things. All the talk about things feeling different this year has hit the QB, too, as
In a recent press conference, Burrow said that he believes this Bengals team feels similar to his 2019 LSU team, one of the greatest college football teams of all time. It's high praise from Burrow, and the high praise from Battle echoes what all Bengals fans are feeling. It's the hope that kills you right?
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