Bengals' Vonn Bell credits hit on Smith-Schuester for fueling dominant defensive performance

Monday night, the Cincinnati Bengals pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the NFL this season, beating the heavily favored Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17. And the biggest factor in the Bengals' commanding win was the stellar play of the defense, which held Ben Roethlisberger to less than 200 yards passing and kept Pittsburgh from being able to mount a comeback. 

Cincinnati safety Vonn Bell said that the energy on defense came in the first quarter when he delivered a massive hit to Steelers' receiver JuJu Smith-Schuester, forcing him to fumble. Leading up to the game, Bell called out Smith-Schuester for dancing on opponents' mid-field logos before games, and the receiver doubled down by posting a video of himself dancing on the Cincinnati logo on Tik-Tok. But Bell and Cincinnati defense got their revenge when it mattered most.

"I seen 19," Bell said, referring to Smith-Schuester's jersey number. "I'm not a boastful guy, man. I just go out there and let my play do the talking. It just happened that it comes to that. I'm just playing football, man. Just going out there and trying to make a play."

Bengals' coach Zac Taylor credited his defense for playing with "a ton of energy," noting that limiting the Steelers' offense allowed Cincinnati to control the tempo of the game from the outset.

"They were getting guys on the ground, and I didn't see many missed tackles... Our guys controlled the energy," Taylor said.

Perhaps after receiving that hit, Smith-Schuester will reconsider his pregame ritual, as he may just be giving opponents extra motivation during the game.