Bengals DB gives Chiefs rookie WR Xavier Worthy bulletin-board material with bold claim
The Bengals gave Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy bulletin-board material on Thursday.
Ahead of the teams’ Week 2 game at Arrowhead Stadium (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, CBS), Bengals defensive back Cam Taylor-Britt downplayed the Chiefs’ 2024 first-round draft pick’s impact.
“Speed… He can run straight,” Taylor-Britt told reporters (h/t ESPN). “He can’t do too much else, so that’s about it.”
The third-year cornerback shared Cincinnati’s blueprint in corralling Worthy, adding, “If you put hands on him, you’re going to stop his speed. So basically get your hands on him.”
Taylor-Britt’s dismissive tone could come back to haunt him.
It’s never a good idea to give an opponent extra motivation to perform well, but that’s exactly what he did.
At 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds, Worthy isn’t physically imposing. But as he showed against the Ravens, he isn’t as easy to stop as Taylor-Britt thinks.Â
In Week 1, Worthy scored two touchdowns in Kansas City’s 27-20 win over Baltimore.
His first came on a 21-yard end-around and Worthy followed it with a 35-yard touchdown reception.
On his first score, Ravens defenders could barely get a hand on him, even on a condensed field.
A busted coverage contributed to Worthy’s second touchdown, but he didn’t miss a beat as corner Marlon Humphrey jammed him at the line.
In March, the former Texas wideout set the NFL scouting combine record in the 40-yard dash, completing the sprint in an official 4.21 seconds.
â NFL (@NFL) March 2, 2024
It might be tougher slowing down Worthy than Taylor-Britt claimed, particularly for a Bengals defense that missed 13 tackles in a 16-10 Week 1 loss to the Patriots. (h/t Pro Football Talk)
Taylor-Britt just gave the rookie wideout more fuel for his high-speed motor. After Worthy’s sensational debut, that probably wasn’t the Bengals DB’s wisest move.
