Look around and it won’t be difficult to find Lewis Cine criticism. Applause, on the other hand, could be in short supply.
On Saturday, Cine put together an excellent effort against the Browns. He played a ton and produced a ton, piling up 10 tackles, 1 interception, 1 sack, and (at least) 2 QB hits. Cine, in short, was tremendously active in the game, showing ample potential as someone who could be a menace as a hard-hitting safety with a quick trigger from the deep area of the field.
Lewis Cine Deserves the Applause, But Roster Still a Mystery
Trying to find some highlight plays won’t be difficult. Again, Cine was all over the place on Saturday.
One that inspired no shortage of attention was the helmet-popping hit from the 3rd quarter. No doubt, it’s a violent moment, but the replay showed that Cine put his shoulder into the quarterback’s chest, which is precisely where a defender is supposed to hit.
Of course, the third-year safety did plenty more in the game. The defender was all over the place, doing everything from snagging an interception to picking up a sack. Consider the plays:
And then the sack:
Safe to say things haven’t gone well for Mr. Cine since being drafted.
To be sure, there were high hopes about what he’d be able to accomplish given the excellent athleticism and physicality. As a rookie, though, there was the broken leg just as he was starting to get some opportunity in the Ed Donatell defense.
Cine’s sophomore season went better from a health perspective, but he only got onto the field for 8 meaningless snaps. Otherwise, he played some special teams but maybe the most notable part of his season rested in being inactive ten times.
Minnesota’s safety room isn’t any less impressive than it was in 2023. All of last year’s excellent players are back. Making things a bit more crowded is the presence of veteran Bobby McCain. The silver lining is that Flores loves safeties, especially ones capable of moving all over the place.
