The Cincinnati Bengals haven’t been known to spend a lot of money in free agency. But they invested a $24 million deal into former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Mike Hilton this past offseason.
On Saturday, one play might have been worth every dollar Hilton got.
Hilton made a phenomenal play at a crucial moment in the Bengals’ divisional round playoff game against the Tennessee Titans. The Bengals controlled the game 16-6 in the third quarter, but the Titans got to Cincinnati’s 9-yard line. It seemed momentum was changing.
Hilton brought it back to the Bengals’ side. On a slot blitz, Ryan Tannehill threw to Hilton’s direction. Hilton jumped, batted the ball in the air and intercepted it. He might have returned it for a touchdown, but Tannehill reacted quickly and ran him down.
It was still a massive play.
The Bengals haven’t been in the playoffs very often in recent seasons. Hilton’s play was one of the team’s biggest postseason highlights in a long time.
