Charlie Goldsmith, Cincinnati Enquirer
Tue, Jan 2, 2024, 9:09 PM CST·7 min read
If the Cincinnati Bengals ended up beating the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, then Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson’s strip sack would have been the signature moment of a historic season.
Hendrickson forced a fumble early in the second quarter that gave the Bengals all of the game’s momentum. It set up a short field and a touchdown drive that put the Bengals up by 10 points.
It also gave Hendrickson his 17th sack of the season, which is tied for the most in the NFL. Hendrickson’s 17 sacks are the most in a single Bengals’ season since the NFL officially recognized sacks as a stat in 1982.
But after his sack in Kansas City, the Bengals’ defensive line didn’t record another sack for the rest of the game. The Bengals finished the game with five quarterback hits, and the Chiefs had 14. Kansas City’s pass rush closed out the win for the Chiefs, and Cincinnati’s pass rush hasn’t done enough of that all season.
The Bengals’ pass rush has still just been average, despite Hendrickson's incredible 2023 performance.
'A lot of missed opportunities': Bengals DE Sam Hubbard
“Trey has done an unbelievable job,” defensive end Sam Hubbard said. “The rest of us, we’d like some more production. A lot of missed opportunities. We had a good stretch there (in the middle of the season) where we were playing with some leads and closed out a bunch of games and played really well. But as a group, we’ve got a lot to work on. We’ll address that and get better this offseason.”
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes had plenty of room in the pocket in the Bengals' loss to the Chiefs
The Bengals currently rank 16th in the NFL in sack percentage, 16th in pressures per dropback and 27th in quarterback hurries per dropback. According to ESPN analytics, the Bengals rank 24th in the NFL in pass rush win rate, which measures how often a pass-rusher is able to beat his block within 2.5 seconds.
Cincinnati's expensive defensive line hasn't panned out
According to Spotrac, the Bengals have the second-most expensive defensive line in the NFL. They also have a first-round pick, two third-round picks and a fourth-round pick on rookie contracts. The defensive line was supposed to be the strength of the defense this season, but it hasn’t panned out for the Bengals.
“We've got guys who played a lot of snaps in that room, (like) BJ and Sam, and some young guys that will continue to come on as well,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “That's an area we will continue to improve, and that's something we'll need to do.”
Heading into the season, the Bengals saw the potential to assemble one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. Hendrickson, Hubbard and defensive tackle BJ Hill were coming off of career years, and defensive tackle DJ Reader had proven to be one of the best nose tackles in football.
But the biggest source of optimism was the depth. Hubbard and Hill played a greater share of the snaps than anyone expected in 2022. With rookie Myles Murphy in the fold and with the Bengals projected leaps forward by defensive end Joseph Ossai and defensive tackle Zach Carter, the Bengals saw a more well-rounded group forming.
“Every great defensive line has depth,” Hubbard said during training camp. “They have waves. When you look at the Eagles and the 49ers, that depth is so important. You get beat up and worn down. You’re tired at the end of a game after 20 weeks.”
After a great first eight weeks, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard had a quieter end of the season as he battled injuries
That plan looked like it was working through eight weeks. During that stretch, Hubbard had four sacks and eight quarterback hits. Then he missed two games with an ankle injury. Over the next six games, Hubbard recorded just one sack and three quarterback hits. Hubbard needs to have surgery in the offseason, and he says getting healthy could be a first step that leads to a stronger 2024.
Hill had a similar season. Through eight games, he had four sacks and 13 quarterback hits. Over the next eight games, he has no sacks and seven quarterback hits. He’s having a career year as a pass rusher, but the depth behind Hubbard and Hill hasn’t picked the group up as much as the Bengals anticipated.
During training camp, Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. said defensive end Joseph Ossai had the potential to take over games in 2023. It turned out that Ossai barely even got an opportunity to show what he could do.
He suffered an ankle injury in the preseason finale and missed the start of the year. When he returned, the Bengals had developed a new rotation that had Reader on the field on third downs.
There weren’t snaps available in pass rush downs, so Ossai didn’t get a chance to show his biggest strength. When the Bengals needed a run stopper, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo turned to Murphy or Cam Sample.
“You’ve got to understand that life isn’t going to be a straight path,” Ossai said. “It’s a rollercoaster.
You’ve got to make sure you’re as positive when you’re at your highest as you are when you’re at your lowest. When you feel like you’ve hit rock bottom, you’ve got to keep the same mentality. You know my injury history. If anything, that’s what it’s taught me. Past football, it will help me in life.”
Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai hasn't lived up to expectations for his third year in the NFL.
Ossai is playing nearly half as many snaps this season as he did last season, and he only has one sack after a 3.5 sack season in 2022. Anarumo said, “I’m not down on him. It's just a matter of opportunities.”
The Bengals had to adjust their defensive line rotation when Hubbard was out with an ankle injury and again when Reader suffered a season-ending quad injury. Choosing between Ossai and Murphy, Anarumo gave more snaps to the first-round pick.
“I want to continue to impact the team in a positive way,” Ossai said. “I obviously want to get stats for some selfish reasons. But if I can get a TFL here and there that leads to a punt, that can help us win. I want to impact the game to give us a victory. That’s enough for me.”
As some players develop, free agency awaits others
The Bengals always anticipated a learning curve for Murphy, a 21-year-old rookie with elite athleticism for his position. Over the last two months, he has been putting the pieces together and started making more splash plays.
But he’s still just a rookie, and he only has three sacks and five pressures. He’s getting a chance to rush up the middle on third downs, but his improvement hasn’t been enough to turn around the Bengals’ entire pass rush.
“I’m adding onto my game with what my teammates have been coaching me up to do,” Murphy said.
“I’ve been learning as much as I can. Whether it comes to playing the run, pass rushing, knowing the backfield set, where they’re slotting to. In college, it’s ‘Here’s the man you’re rushing.’ Now, there’s so much more that goes into it. It’s all about where my eyes are.”
Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Myles Murphy's improvement will be a critical component of the defense's success in 2024.
The Bengals were counting on more from Carter this season. He played defensive end in college, and the Bengals saw a chance to develop him into a defensive tackle with a knack for rushing the quarterback.
But this season, he has mostly played against the run. And defenses are attacking him in the run game and calling plays that go right at him. Despite playing 45% of the defensive snaps, Carter has no sacks, two quarterback hits and three pressures this year.
Reader is set to hit free agency, and nose tackle Josh Tupou is the only other defensive lineman set to hit free agency. Even with nine returning defensive linemen, adding to the pass rush will be one of the Bengals’ biggest priorities this offseason.
It’s just as important that the Bengals get more from the pass rushers that they already have on the roster.
“We’ll have to go in there, study the film and do our end of season analysis,” Hubbard said. “I’ll go through my own film study and see what I want to improve. First and foremost, just get healthy.”
https://sports.yahoo.com/bengals-more-development-depth-firepower-030916680.html
Ja’Marr Chase confirms he will play this week By Charean Williams Published January 4, 2024 03:50 PM Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase confirms he will play Sunday, Jeremy Rauch of Fox19 reports. He has a shoulder injury that kept him out Week 16 but returned to play 54 snaps Sunday. Chase said he is better than last Sunday but estimated he’s only “73 percent.” Why play? "I want to show the guys I put my body on the line for those guys. I love football. You never know when it is really going to be your last game." The Pro Bowler had a limited practice Wednesday and likely the same Thursday, though the Bengals have not released their report yet. Chase has a career-best 96 receptions for 1,197 yards and seven touchdowns, with hopes of catching 100 passes this season. https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/jamarr-chase-confirms-he-will-play-this-week
