"The Cincinnati Bengals' defensive game plan followed nearly every progression. Stop Carolina's running game. Check. Blitz, and hopefully confuse rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen, making his first NFL start. Create turnovers . Get field position in your favor. Check, check and check, and huge factors in the Bengals' 20-7 road win against the Panthers on Sunday. Cincinnati's defenders shared the wealth, too. Safety Roy Williams, defensive end Robert Geathers, and cornerback Morgan Trent had fumble recoveries, and cornerback Leon Hall's diving interception killed a Carolina drive at the Bengals' 5-yard line. It was his second straight game with an interception. Linebacker Rey Maualuga had a team-high six tackles, and Dhani Jones, Keith Rivers and Hall had five tackles apiece. "Our defense is flying around, and actually we're just out there having fun," Williams said. "We're out there not worrying about messing up. Basically, we're just playing football like we've been doing since we were little kids." The Bengals limited Carolina (0-3) to one pass completion and 50 total yards in the first half. It hadn't turned into a rout, but Cincinnati's 10-0 halftime lead seemed safe. "We ran a lot of coverages and gave him a lot of different looks," said Hall, referring to quarterback Clausen. "We put some disguise calls in there, which were great, and threw some pressures at the end of the game, which ended up pretty well." The defense was vital on a rain-soaked field that also hampered Cincinnati's offense. With the Bengals leading 13-7 early in the fourth quarter, Jones forced a fumble by Carolina running back Jonathan Stewart. Geathers scooped the ball and returned it 5 yards to the Carolina 37." http://news.cincinnati.com/article/...T/Bengals-defense-shines-in-win-over-Carolina
