Getting BJ Hill from the Giants is “one of the best trades in Bengals history”

With the New York Giants set to face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6, we turned to SB Nation's Cincy Jungle for this week's “5 Questions” segment. Anthony Cosenza answered our questions.

Ed: The preseason over/under for the Bengals was 10.5 wins. They were expected to be a playoff team. Still, they are 1-4. How shocking is this and what is the explanation?

Anthony: Starting 1-4 is definitely shocking. Yes, Zac Taylor's Bengals have had slow starts like 1-1 or 0-2 seasons over the last three years, but they've never dug this deep. Even in Joe Burrow's rookie year of 2020, the struggling Bengals started 1-3-1 through their first five contests and the big surprise this year was that there were some very winnable games on the schedule in September.

The short and simple explanation is the performance of the defense or lack thereof. Lou Anarumo has been praised for his unit's performances against elite passers (e.g. Patrick Mahomes), but the truth is that his unit has always been a unit that can be “bent but not broken” and in an extremely timely manner Losses the ball. Sacks and stops on fourth down attempts. These are not occurring this year, the tackling issues that surfaced last year are re-emerging and injuries along the defensive line are being felt.

However, every loss they suffered was by just one possession, and the offense was at a high level. They need to recapture the magic of 2021-2022, when the ball bounced their way and they engineered some of their own good fortune. Reaching mid-season is not an easy task.

Ed: The Giants obviously undervalued BJ Hill and traded him to the Bengals for Billy Price. What has Hill meant to Cincinnati's defense over the past few seasons?

Anthony: Not to rub salt in the wound, Hill was honestly one of the best trades in Bengals history. The best we saw from Hill was when he rotated snaps in 2021 and worked with Larry Ogunjobi. But even after Ogunjobi's departure, Hill made great strides and developed plays against the pass and run. including an absolutely unforgettable interception against the Vikings last year. He signed a fairly substantial three-year extension in the spring of 2022, but it expires after this season. It will be interesting to see what the Bengals do with him in the future.

Ed: If you could cut one player from the Giants' roster and add him to Cincinnati's roster, who would it be? Why? Oh, and taking Malik Nabers isn't fair because the Bengals already have receivers.

Anthony: I was a big Kayvon Thibodeaux guy because I watched him a lot during his college days at Oregon, but I think given the Bengals' current needs, Dexter Lawrence is the clear answer. In the AFC North, having a highly effective nose tackle who can also rush the passer is a valuable commodity, and most agree that the Bengals have been missing DJ Reader this year.

Ed: Tell us about a few lesser-known players we should know about on Sunday.

Anthony: On defense, look for guys like Kris Jenkins, Jr., a freshman center back. He has been injured since the start of the season, but we would like to see more consistency from him. DJ Turner steps in at the other starting corner for the injured Dax Hill – both Jenkins and Turner are former second-round picks in the last two classes (Hill was a first-rounder the year before), so expectations are high.

On offense, keep an eye on rookie tight end Erick All, Jr. He was injured early in the draft process (torn knee ligaments), but recovered like a beast and was ready for training camp. He looks like the next great player from “TE U,” aka Iowa, and has been a solid all-around player on offense, whether it be catching everything thrown his way and/or opening up running lanes.

Ed: The Giants win this game if what happens? The Bengals win if what happens?

Anthony: The Giants win when Daniel Jones plays clean football and the New York offense shows the ability to both run and pass. New York will also need to use its vaunted pass rush and capable defensive line to upset Joe Burrow, which hasn't been nearly as easy compared to previous years as Cincinnati's offensive line is playing well and Burrow continues to take advantage his typical escape ability.

The Bengals win when they attack and get back to the basic fundamentals of defense. One of the team's leaders, veteran cornerback Mike Hilton, helped lead a “players-only meeting” for the defensive unit this week and said they couldn't allow Burrow's MVP-like campaign to be wasted any more. We'll see how this goes down.

– See Cincy Jungle for more Bengals perspective on Sunday's game.