Culture change: Mike Hilton brings new idea to Bengals secondary that’s helping already
Much was written and said about what a steal the Cincinnati Bengals got in free agency this offseason when signing former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Mike Hilton.
What didn’t get touched on much? His potential impact on the culture.
According to players like Jessie Bates, Hilton brought over the idea of charting good and bad plays by secondary members during practices.
Bates says they’re running with it and benefiting, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:
“We’re tracking missed assignments, bad techniques and loafs. We’ve got a nice little pot going already. That’s something that we didn’t do years before. And I think Mike Hilton kind of came up with that. I think we’re going to switch on and off, who evaluates who has the most loafs and stuff like that. And we’ll put a chart together, put a put a little bucket of money together, and hopefully, whoever has the most interceptions gets the pot.”
The revelation comes a day after Bates and Hilton’s defense bullied the first-team offense, shutting down weapons like Tee Higgins and holding Joe Burrow without a touchdown pass.
Summer training camp days won’t always be that good — not against an offense as stacked as this — but the system in place from Hilton should only help the entire defense.
Finding true locker room leaders and stressing accountability has been a priority of the Zac Taylor era. From the sounds of it, Hilton is paying off in more ways than merely on the field.
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