It’s no secret that the Cincinnati Bengals defensive line is the Achilles’ Heel of the team. Normally, that honor would be bestown upon the offensive line. In 2024, the offensive line has been, dare we say it, good. Against the Carolina Panthers, the Bengals kept Joe Burrow upright and did not allow a sack for the first time since September 26, 2021. That was 1,104 days ago. That was 51 regular season and seven playoff games ago.
Now, the offensive line is competent and the defensive line is rough.
Help Could be on the Way for the Cincinnati Bengals Defensive Line
Through four games, the Bengals defense has struggled. Cincinnati has the fifth-worst scoring defense and eighth-worst rushing defense. The pass defense is technically one of the best in the NFL thanks to facing Jacoby Brissett in Week 1. Plus, Lou Anarumo’s defense has had Patrick Mahomes‘ number and kept him to his worst total in his career.
However, over the last two weeks, the defense has been one of, if not the worst in the NFL. The Washington Commanders did not punt in the Week 3 game. The Panthers gashed the Bengals for a season-high total of yards allowed in Week 4.
There was a visible drop-off from Week 2 to Week 3 and that was due to the injuries to B.J. Hill and Sheldon Rankins. Considering the Bengals entered the year with rookies Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson on the shelf, that unit got thin quickly. Hill and Rankins were not world-beaters as D.J. Reader was/is, they were better than what the Bengals have had to throw out there.
Getting Healthier
Thankfully, Trey Hendrickson‘s departure from the Week 4 win was not nearly as serious as initially thought. Tests indicated that he did not sustain any nerve damage in his neck. As of Tuesday leading up to the Week 5 bout with the Baltimore Ravens, Hendrickson is not ruled out. Zac Taylor said that they will take it as the week goes on.
Hill is about the same as of now. He was in pregame warm-ups prior to the Panthers game but was inactive. Both he and Rankins were lost due to hamstring injuries and Taylor has mentioned a handful of times that Hill is further along than Rankins to this point. There is certainly a chance he suits up and even though his strength is in the pass rush, he is a better run defender than the bottom-of-the-depth-chart guys they’ve been using to this point. Both Hill and Hendrickson participated in practice on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, the Bengals returned Jackson from the IR and cleared Myles Murphy to return to practice. In terms of run defense, Jackson will be a massive help. Our Connor Deitrich profiled the massive former Texas A&M defensive tackle prior to the draft:
With clear positives and negatives to his game, McKinnley Jackson is a prospect with some upside. He will enter the NFL as a serviceable run defender, but he will need to refine his pass-rushing if he wants to become an every-down player. His lack of arm length or strong hands could give him problems. He is partially able to overcome those limitations with quickness out of his stance and respectable strength.
Ideally, an NFL team will not utilize Jackson as a true nose tackle. He is better suited to line up in the A gap. There, he will either be able to utilize his quickness to get into the backfield, or take on double teams and open up rushing lanes for the linebackers behind him. What makes McKinnley an interesting prospect is the fact that he has high upside but he isn’t a complete project. Even if he doesn’t develop much further, he will still be a productive depth piece. But with the right development, he could become a starting defensive tackle with the ability to have a big impact.
Need to Step Up
Getting Murphy back will be a boost to the pass rush but the other defensive ends need to step up. Even if the Ravens are a run-first team, Lamar Jackson can still throw the ball, despite what detractors may say. To this point, Hendrickson has been the Bengals’ pass rush…and that’s it.
They don’t have enough playmakers https://t.co/nkbo7rwjVd
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) October 3, 2024
Sam Hubbard is non-existent as a pass rusher. Joseph Ossai has been nowhere close to the second-round talent the Bengals have expected out of him. There’s a decent argument to be made that sixth-round rookie Cedric Johnson is the Bengals’ second-best pass rusher to this point.
Injuries are not just to blame for the Bengals’ woes. The Bengals defensive line has underperformed. Yes, losing Reader hurts but even losing a player of his caliber should not kill any and everything the team wants to do.
Against the Ravens, the defensive line will need to play its best game. Jackson and Derrick Henry are not going to go down easily. If the Bengals defense line – and defense as a whole – decide to forget how to tackle as it did in Week 1, it’s going to get ugly. The return of Murphy and the debut of Jackson should provide the Bengals with a jolt.
Will it be enough? That’s the question.
Main Image: Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
