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The Bengals' young secondary couldn't overcome a tough year for Nick Scott

charlie goldsmith, cincinnati enquirer
·5 min read

Nine months before the Cincinnati Bengals’ season was undone by mistakes from a very young secondary, the Bengals signed a veteran to replace safety Vonn Bell.

Nick Scott, who beat the Bengals in the 2021 Super Bowl, received an introductory press conference at Paycor Stadium when he signed with the team in March. Quarterback Joe Burrow reached out to him to welcome him into the fold. Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo had said it would be a “dark day” if the Bengals lost both Bell and Jessie Bates III in free agency, but he changed his tone when the Bengals signed Scott to a three-year deal in free agency.

But when the Bengals’ secondary got picked apart in season-ending December losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Kansas City Chiefs, Scott played 18 combined snaps between the two games.

“My year has been up-and-down, just like our defense and just like the season,” Scott said. “I learned a lot about myself. The person I’ve always been is I’ll do whatever I can to help the team win. If that’s playing special teams, it’s playing special teams. If that’s starting on Sunday, that’s starting on Sunday. I’ll never let my pride hurt the team. I’ll always do what I can to support the guys in my position group.”

Despite high expectations, Bengals safety Nick Scott has been a bench piece on the defense down the stretch.
Despite high expectations, Bengals safety Nick Scott has been a bench piece on the defense down the stretch.

Expectations vs. reality in first year with Bengals

The Bengals signed Scott to prevent their secondary from feeling like a young secondary. But he only lasted four games as a full-time starter.

When the Bengals signed Scott, the idea was that he’d be a long-term starter at safety next to Dax Hill. Then in the third round of the NFL draft, the Bengals saw one of their favorite prospects on the board in safety Jordan Battle.

Battle had one of the best pre-draft interviews the Bengals’ coaching staff had seen. He had played in big games at the University of Alabama, and he was a college captain who brought the intangibles for which the Bengals look.

The Bengals started giving Battle a shot over Scott in Week 5. They decided they’d be willing to live with the learning curve Battle went through because of the potential he brought to the table.

“Nick is a guy that we continue to be optimistic about,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “We had safeties that we think have a lot of talent as well. There are three guys in the mix there who all bring traits and qualities that we like. With the two young safeties, they’ve gotten a lot of valuable experience this year. Some of it is that you'll learn from that experience, good and bad.”

Bengals safety Nick Scott's tackling has been a big reason for his reduced role on the defense.
Bengals safety Nick Scott's tackling has been a big reason for his reduced role on the defense.

Missed tackles reduce opportunities for Scott

Even more snaps slipped away from Scott in the middle of the season because of his inconsistent tackling. Against the Buffalo Bills, he leapt at a pump fake from quarterback Josh Allen, who taunted Scott by pointing at him as he jogged into the end zone. Two weeks later, Scott whiffed on a tackle in the red zone against Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews.

Scott started the game in Baltimore, but he got benched after that missed tackle. He played 11 snaps early in the game but didn’t see the field after that.

“I don’t have any problem hitting people,” Scott said. “But it’s a different game five yards away from the line of scrimmage than it is 15. I’ve got an opportunity to play in the back end these last couple weeks, which is what I do best. Then week in and week out, I’ve got to get better as a strong safety.”

While Nick Scott's snaps have diminished, the Cincinnati Bengals have kept him in the mix in a limited role on their defense.
While Nick Scott's snaps have diminished, the Cincinnati Bengals have kept him in the mix in a limited role on their defense.

What the future holds for Scott and Battle

Following the Ravens game, Battle supplanted Scott in the starting lineup, and Scott went back to playing special teams. Scott hasn’t played more than 20% of the Bengals’ defensive snaps since that game, but he has held onto a role in third down subpackages.

In some matchups, Scott has replaced Battle on third downs and defended the deep half of the field when he entered the game. In other matchups, Scott has replaced linebacker Germaine Pratt on the field on third downs and been a part of three safety looks.

“I know who I am as a football player, which is why this year could be a little frustrating,” Scott said. “I never doubt what I can do. I’m still in there on third downs. If anyone has seen anything about the type of player I am, it’s that I’ve made my money in this league on the back end covering deep balls and everything like that.”

Even though the development of Hill and Battle led to a reduction in Scott’s snaps, he said he has been excited to see them grow on the field this year.

Scott said the entire defense feeds off of Battle’s energy, and Battle’s toughness over the middle of the field can lead to a bright future. Scott sees Hill as a rare style of safety because he can defend tight ends and receivers in man coverage.

“We’d all like to be a lot more consistent,” Scott said. “We’ve shown flashes. We just have to put it together. When we struggle, we’re always looking for the offense to pick us up. When the offense struggles, they need us to pick them up. I don’t think we’ve done that as well as we need to really all year. But what I like about our defense is we’re good at responding. That’s something you’ve got to do. We’ve got the right guys in our unit.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Bengals safety Nick Scott 2023 NFL season review