Why Mike Hilton Dominates Bengals’ Slot With A Gritty Joy

Maybe the Queen is the most versatile chess piece, but not in Hilton’s orderly world. He may be Anarumo’s Swiss Army Knife, but he was raised by a U.S. Navy first class petty officer. “My Queen,” in his phone is wife Chassidy, the girl he’s been with pretty much since she introduced herself on the first day of seventh grade at Flat Rock Middle School.

And, she wasn’t surprised either as she watched last Sunday back in Cincinnati with their children, three-year-old Mikali and Mike Hilton III, eight months.

“The way Mike is on the field, that’s how he is at home,” Chassidy says. “He radiates how he really feels. He always gives it his all. That’s just how he is every day. My children could eat him up.”

There were no spectacular interceptions Sunday. Just a riveting clinic on how to play slot cornerback in the 21st century NFL as the clock ticked under a dozen minutes left in a game the ever dangerous quarterback Josh Allen dared think he could bring the Bills back from 27-10.

He started the drive throwing a 32-yard pass to tight end Dawson Knox, but before the butterflies could begin with a gnawing sense of a comeback, here came Hilton blitzing out of the slot on the next play and there was Allen forced to throw it away when he was unable to get out of the pocket.

Then, in rapid succession, Hilton:

_On second down, he knocked down wide receiver Cole Beasley just as he caught it at the first-down sticks.

_On first down, he dropped back as if he were going to cover, but at the snap came sprinting at Allen’s right side. No one reacted until it was too late and he threw himself into Allen as he released the ball for what could have been a fumble but was called an incomplete pass.

_On second down, he pressured again, backed out to keep Allen inside and then trailed a scramble to help tackle him before the sticks.

_On third down, he lined up on the other side and hid behind edge Trey Hendrickson on another blitz, forcing Allen to unload it for the short first down.

_On first down…