Cincinnati Bengals safety Jordan Battle called his shot this week, revealing he’d found a tell on Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis, and then he went out and snagged two huge interceptions against Willis in Sunday’s 31-24 win. This wasn’t some quiet locker room chatter either, Battle went viral talking about it before the game. Talk about putting your money where your mouth is!
That “Little Slight Tap” Is Real, Y’all
Last Thursday, Battle dropped a bombshell that got everyone buzzing. He flat out said he saw a tell on Willis during film study. “He has a little slight little tap before every throw,” Battle told reporters, adding that Willis “likes to tap the ball before he throws it, or he takes his hand off.” He was confident it could be a key to breaking on the ball and making plays. Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley wasn’t sweating it on Friday, saying it’s pretty common for QBs. But come Sunday, Battle made it crystal clear that this wasn’t just some common practice his team could ignore.
Back-to-Back Blows From Battle
Battle’s film study paid off big time. He picked Willis on back-to-back drives in the second quarter, completely flipping the script and helping Cincinnati snap their two-game skid. The Bengals desperately needed that win, moving them to 3-2 on the season. The first interception happened when Willis’s arm got hit making a throw, but the second one? Battle perfectly jumped a pass intended for receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. After the game, Battle played it cool, saying, “You study players and see things, but it’s just trusting the game plan and putting me in position to make plays.” Willis, for his part, claimed he didn’t even tap the ball before either pick and chalked the second one up to a scramble-drill mishap where two of his receivers went in the same direction. Yeah, okay, Malik. The tape doesn’t lie, and neither does the scoreboard.
What an absolutely wild turn of events. Battle called it, then delivered, helping his team get a massive win and break a two-game slide. For Willis, this is one of those moments that’s gonna stick, whether he wants it to or not. You gotta wonder if teams are gonna be hitting the film hard this week looking for those ‘little slight taps’ now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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