If the NFL gave “a sixth man of the year” award for the best player who came off the bench, Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither would have been the team’s leading candidate after the first half of the season.
Every week, Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo had Davis-Gaither fill different roles in third down packages. Davis-Gaither was the team’s best linebacker in one-on-one pass coverage against tight ends, tackled well in the middle of the field and blitzed off the edge. Against the Baltimore Ravens, Davis-Gaither was at the center of a new defensive scheme that kept one of the best offenses in the AFC in check.