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INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- One touchdown was one big play too many for Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt on Sunday night against the Los Angeles Chargers. In the second quarter, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert circled the pocket and found Quentin Johnston for a 26-yard score. On the play, Taylor-Britt followed a receiver crossing over the middle, while the other cornerback, DJ Turner II, dropped back into zone coverage. That was the final straw in what turned into a 34-27 loss. For the ensuing series, Taylor-Britt was benched in favor of rookie Josh Newton and only returned after Turner left the game in the third quarter with a collarbone injury. It was the most definitive moment of Taylor-Britt's rocky season. After starting the year with Pro Bowl aspirations and being the top cornerback on the roster, he was removed in place of a fifth-round pick. Coach Zac Taylor said Taylor-Britt was benched for a lack of consistency, which has plagued the third-year player throughout the season. With Turner out for an extended period of time with his injury, according to a team source, the Bengals' best option is to stick with Taylor-Britt, who was taken in the second round (60th overall) in 2022. And the next six games will be crucial for Taylor-Britt and the Bengals for both this season and beyond. As Cincinnati (4-7) tries to overcome its grim playoff probabilities (14.2% chance per ESPN Analytics), it also needs to see if Taylor-Britt can be a young player who can be part of its core in the future. Even after the benching, Taylor gave Taylor-Britt a vote of confidence. "He's working on it," Taylor said of the cornerback's search for consistency. "We talk about it a lot. We still have high expectations for him." At the beginning of the season, Taylor-Britt showed flashes of having a big season. In Week 2, he had a stunning one-handed interception against Kansas City on a ball intended for wide receiver Xavier Worthy. That came on the heels of Taylor-Britt having a critical assessment of the rookie wideout's skills in interviews leading into the game, comments that were perceived as trash talk. A few days later, Taylor-Britt said the Washington Commanders had a "college offense" ahead of a Week 3 showdown on "Monday Night Football." Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels proceeded to complete 91% of his passes in a 38-33 win and Taylor-Britt's comments became much more muted. If anyone knows what he's going through, it's former teammate Eli Apple. Apple, a former first-round pick in 2016, was a polarizing player who signed with the Bengals in free agency in 2021. Apple ended up starting 30 games for Cincinnati over the next two seasons. In his second year, the Bengals drafted Taylor-Britt in the second round.  The two struck up a friendship that lasted even after Apple left the team after his contract expired ahead of the 2023 season. Apple is now on the Chargers' practice squad and was elevated to the active roster to face the Bengals. The two were able to catch up after the game, Apple told ESPN. And in that exchange, Apple had a few directives for his old teammate -- to never forget the type of player he is, to stay confident in himself and to continue to work as hard as he can. "Nobody's ever going to be perfect, but if you continue to work and continue to be consistent in the way you approach the game, everything's going to be fine for him," Apple said. "He got too much talent for him not to be on the field." There is perhaps nobody better qualified to give advice than Apple. In addition to being former teammates with Taylor-Britt, he also played for Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, both in Cincinnati and with the New York Giants. He understands that in Anarumo's defense, a lot is expected of cornerbacks and they will have to win one-on-one matchups on a consistent basis. It's also tough to play press coverage, then go cover a deep portion of the field and line up to do it again on the next play. Apple, who keeps tabs on his old club, noted the importance for Taylor-Britt to pace himself over the course of a game. And as someone who has been through it, he knows how much belief plays a big role. "It's all mental, honestly," Apple said after the game. "Just understanding the situation and understanding when to be aggressive, when not to be aggressive and just staying true to your technique." Over the final six games of the regular season, the Bengals are trying to avoid missing the postseason for the second straight year and spoiling career years from Burrow and wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase. But seeing how Taylor-Britt, who will enter the final year of his rookie deal in 2025, fits into a secondary filled with young cornerbacks is crucial for the team's future. Taylor-Britt hasn't said as much to reporters in recent weeks. But the advice he's gotten from Apple could help him revive his season and his future with the Bengals.
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