When the Cowboys in the Bengals squared-off in a critical Week 14 matchup last season with playoff implicati..."/> When the Cowboys in the Bengals squared-off in a critical Week 14 matchup last season with playoff implicati..."/> When the Cowboys in the Bengals squared-off in a critical Week 14 matchup last season with playoff implicati..."/>
Fansided

Breakout NFL star: Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam Jones

By Jason Marcum

Jul 25, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam Jones (24) during training camp at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 25, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam Jones (24) during training camp at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports /
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PFF went as far this offseason as to tab Jones as one of their Secret Superstars:

"Things turned for the better for Jones and the Bengals as their season turned for home over the second half of the season. In the Bengals’ Week 10 game at home against the Giants, Jones was targeted a season-high 10 times. He gave up only six completions at fewer than 10 yards per completion (53), with only five of those yards coming after the catch. In that game, Jones also got his hands on half as many passes as the receivers he was covering, coming up with three pass defenses. Jones’ 2012 season was a story of real success grading among our top ten corners in terms of coverage grade (+9.9, including playoffs). He rated highly in terms of coverage metrics (Top 20 in yards per coverage snap, 0.97; top 25 in coverage snaps per reception allowed, 11.5) and added his first sack since 2006 in a game against the Chiefs in Week 11. If you want consistency in a sub-package corner, Jones provided precisely that. He graded below -1.0 in coverage only once all season in the Bengals’ home loss to the Steelers in Week 7."

Jones has quietly become one of the best nickel-corners in the game, and going against the likes of Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco twice, along with Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Andrew Luck in 2013, having a healthy Jones will be key into slowing them down enough for the Bengals to win those games.

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