BJ Hill had a special homecoming

Hill’s dominant performance spurred a defensive renaissance for Cincinnati.

They say you can never go home again. Cincinnati Bengals’ defensive tackle BJ Hill knows better.

“It definitely was a little emotional,” Hill said in an interview with Sports Illustrated after leading a defensive charge that resulted in a 17-7 win over the New York Giants Sunday night. “I had to keep my poise at the beginning of the game. I didn’t want to get too hyped. They did a lot for me for my first three years here. They gave me a chance. And the rest is history.”

Hill was a third-round selection of the Giants in the 2018 NFL Draft and spent the first three years of his career in New York. The Bengals got Hill in a trade for center Billy Price just before the start of the 2021 season and never looked back.

Hill’s interception of Patrick Mahomes in the AFC Championship game propelled Cincinnati to the Super Bowl at the end of that season, and he continued that dominance Sunday. His seven tackles were one shy of his career high, as were his two quarterback hits. His two passes defended set a new mark.

On New York’s second possession of the game, Hill hit quarterback Daniel Jones in the act of passing, which led to an interception by teammate and best friend Germaine Pratt.

“I just wanted to come out and be dominant today and help lead this defense to a great defensive game, and that’s what we did,” Hill said. “We came out, played physical. We gave up some big plays, but at the end of the day we did our job very well.”

While that interception did not lead to any Cincinnati points, it did stop a nine-play, 53-yard Giants drive that had moved all the way to the Bengals’ 14-yard line.

Cincinnati’s defense held New York scoreless until 5:48 remained in the third quarter, authored a pair of fourth-down stops, and forced two fourth-quarter missed field goals in putting together its best performance in five years.

Hill, for one, is confident that Sunday night’s performance was only the beginning.

“I’m ready to get this thing rolling the right way,” Hill said. “It was a big win for us. We have to keep on going. I’m excited for what’s next.”

Follow our Twitter page and ‘like’ our Facebook page for more Cincinnati Bengals stuff. Who Dey!