'Dangerously thin': The Bengals linebacker plan a work in progress with players on injured reserve

If the NFL gave “a sixth man of the year” award for the best player who came off the bench, Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither would have been the team’s leading candidate after the first half of the season.

Every week, Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo had Davis-Gaither fill different roles in third down packages. Davis-Gaither was the team’s best linebacker in one-on-one pass coverage against tight ends, tackled well in the middle of the field and blitzed off the edge. Against the Baltimore Ravens, Davis-Gaither was at the center of a new defensive scheme that kept one of the best offenses in the AFC in check.

So even though Davis-Gaither wasn’t a starter, it was a…