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CINCINNATI — Twice on 11-on-11, high-red zone drives Joe Burrow found himself needing a play to keep the drive alive for the first-team offense. Twice he targeted Dax Hill.
Both times, the converted defense frustrated the franchise quarterback.
The first play occurred on third and four, when Burrow looked for Trenton Irwin one-on-one on the sideline against Hill. The ball came away from the target, but Hill pinned Irwin completely out of bounds step-by-step, leaving little time for a completion. This forced Evan McPherson to kick a field goal.
On the next drive for Burrow, he faced fourth and inches. As he backed off and faded in the pocket to buy time, he tried to get Charlie Jones to take him on a long drag route across the field. Hill quickly closed the gap, undercut it, knocked the ball out of bounds and sent the defense into celebratory mood.
Monday brought fresh evidence that Hill deserves to win the outside cornerback spot over DJ Turner.
“I feel like everything has slowed down since I’ve been on the field,” Hill said. “I’m calmer, my technique has slowed down, I’m able to play faster.”
Hill has been running with the first team since his impressive preseason debut against Tampa Bay, where he had three pass breakups and a near interception. Despite his first camp at a new position and competing with Turner, Hill has distanced himself from the competition.
Head coach Zac Taylor has not commented on where the battle stands, but Tuesday’s joint practice with the Colts will provide Hill with a unique opportunity to shine once again and potentially close the door on a contest.
If he does that and transitions to a position, and then moves into a starting role, it would be a unique success story for a first-round pick who has struggled to find a spot on defense during his first two years.
The idea of him taking over as the starter might surprise some around the building, but Hill won’t be one of them.
“That’s my standard,” he said. “It’s not even a goal, it’s something I can do. Something I expect from myself. I have high standards for myself. Time will tell, right now I’m just trying to control what I can.”