Bates has recorded 75 tackles, 13 passes defended and three interceptions, but Flores said there are other ways Bates impacts the game besides what show up on the stat sheet.
“I don’t know how many interceptions Jessie Bates has but this is a good player, I’ll tell you that right now,” Flores said Wednesday. “And I don’t really care how many interceptions he has. This is a (darn) good player. Some people, if those are the stats that you look at – I’m just a little different, I guess.”
When told what Flores said, Bates said that is “pretty cool” to be that well-respected by another head coach and he would be sure to go say “what’s up” to Flores on Sunday when the Bengals take the field to play the Dolphins (7-4), whose defense features the league’s interception leader with cornerback Xavien Howard picking off seven passes this season.
In terms of trying to earn recognition with a Pro Bowl nod, Bates said he’s just focused on trying to win games because if the Bengals are winning games, it means he and others are playing well. Fan voting continues on NFL.com/ProBowlVote until Dec. 17. NFL players and coaches will cast their votes on Dec. 18, and each group’s vote counts one-third toward determining the 88 All-Star players.
“It’s something that you always dream of growing up,” Bates said. “Every level of football, you kind of think about accolades and what you can do that comes along with winning is the biggest part that I want to talk about. … For me, it’s all about winning. I think that stuff comes with as you’re playing good ball. It’s very important. I think it’s really cool because you think about all the names, all the Pro Bowl names and all the All-Pro guys. That name holds some weight. It’s something that I’ve always dreamed of and I’m going to continue to work towards that.”
Bates, a second-round draft pick in 2018, stepped in right away as a starter and had a strong rookie campaign, producing 111 tackles, seven passes defended, three interceptions and one touchdown on a return.
Last year, he was solid in pass coverage again with three interceptions and nine passes defended, but lacked overall consistency and struggled in the run defense. He graded at a 61.2 in 2019 and now at a 90.9 grade by PFF, he is 10 points better than any other safety in the league.
“I just think the game is starting to slow down for him,” Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said. “He sees things, whether it be a formation, or an alert, or know where his help is gonna be, or where he needs to help quicker. All those things are now going through his mind, as opposed to, ‘Where do I lineup, what’s my assignment and what am I looking at first?’ He can now take the next progression. To any good defensive player is don’t worry about what your job is. Now you’re starting to process what the offense can do to you. Once you get to that level and you’re a talented player, the result is kind of the season that he’s having. He kind of got out of position a few times last week. But he’s done a great job and I would anticipate him doing a really good job the rest of the way. He’s another guy that’s really working hard during the week trying to get ready.”
Bates said he wants to be known as a ball hawk and a leader for the defensive backs, as he continues to learn from Vonn Bell in that regard.
In preparing for Miami, the focus is on defending the pass, as the Dolphins have struggled to get the running game going and they remain shorthanded in the running back room with Matt Breida sick Friday, Myles Gaskin still working back from an MCL sprain and backups Salvon Ahmed (shoulder) and DeAndre Wasington (hamstring) doubtful. They rank 30th in the league with just 95.3 rushing yards per game, one yard and one spot behind Cincinnati.
Miami will made its quarterback decision on Sunday, depending on if Tua Tagovailoa has shown enough in practice to indicate his thumb injury won’t be a factor. Otherwise, it’s veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick who will be trying to connect with receivers like DeVante Parker and Jakeem Grant and tight end Mike Gesicki.
SUNDAY’S GAME
Bengals at Dolphins, 1 p.m., CBS, 700, 1530, 102.7, 104.7
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