Cincinnati Bengals
Hall bounces back
By Paul Dehner Jr., CNATI.com Posted December 27, 2009 6:11 PM ET
Cornerbacks are trained to have a short memory from play to play. Leon Hall used that strategy on Sunday and in the process sealed a win the Bengals won't forget for some time.
Hall put the worst game of his best season behind him and jumped in front of a Matt Cassell pass to intercept the Chiefs' game-winning drive in the final minute.
Considering he endured the week watching replays of allowing a touchdown to Vincent Jackson and the Philip Rivers pass the set up a game-winning field goal, this pick provided a welcome redemption.
"It's a good feeling," Hall said. "I came into this game with a little chip on my shoulder. I stayed disappointed in myself for my performance last week and just tried to forget about it and play well for my team this week.
"It was great to seal the deal at the end."
Even better because his sixth interception of the season came in a situation where the Bengals needed it most. If this team hopes to reach the goals it set before the season and earn two more hats to match its AFC North headgear, they will have to stop game-winning drives with turnovers.
Last week, Hall didn't. This week he rectified the errors.
"For the most part in the two-minute situation we have been doing pretty well," Hall said. "A couple of times this year defense hasn't done too well. But we always learn from it. We have the confidence we can stop anybody on offense in the two-minute situation."
Hall returned to form well before the final drive, though.
He led the team with four passes defensed, including a key knockdown on third down late in the third quarter.
But closing out the game is the one he will remember.
"Any time the ball's in the air, you want to either bat it down or, in that situation, catch the ball and seal the game," he said.
Categories: Cincinnati Bengals, Features
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