Breaking down the 4 most disappointing Bengals entering the bye week

Nick Scott

Nick Scott, in my opinion, has been the most disappointing Bengal by far this season. And with how Burrow has struggled coming off the calf injury, that's saying something. I didn't expect Scott to be the perfect replacement for Bates/Bell, but I thought he'd be a solid veteran to rely on when the younger players in that safety room like Dax Hill or Jordan Battle struggled.

Unfortunately, while he is a good tackler and a reliable last line of defense against the run, he is an absolute liability in coverage. It feels like he gives up at least one or two big passing plays a game.

Scott has been targeted 20 times this season and has allowed 13 catches for 201 yards and a passer rating of 98.1. He has been less of a liability than Awuzie has been in coverage, however, Awuzie at least has the excuse of coming back from a torn ACL, whereas Scott played 16 games last year and has largely been without injury his pro career.

It's a good thing that Dax Hill has been one of the few good surprises for the Bengals this year and looks to be panning out, as well as Jordan Battle has shown flashes in the limited opportunities he's gotten, otherwise, I wouldn't have much faith at all in this safety room. A lot of fans have been calling for Battle to start alongside Hill, and I can't say I disagree with them, especially with how high I've been on the rookie out of Alabama since he was drafted.

That being said, I still think Scott can turn it around this year. While last year-- his first as a full-time starter-- painted the same story of struggles in coverage as he gave up over 600 yards when targeted with four scores and a 118.5 passer rating, he's shown he can be a solid rotational piece, as he snagged two interceptions and allowed rating of just 61.3 in a much more limited role during the 2021 season.