Over the season’s first two weeks, the Cincinnati Bengals have struggled to put together a cohesive offensive effort. In Week 1 against the New England Patriots, quarterback Joe Burrow and his offensive unit couldn’t manage anything against a disciplined defensive front. In Week 2, including the tight end room into the offense allowed Cincinnati to generate more of a consistent push but they still came up short against the Kansas City Chiefs. While this team is missing critical offensive pieces all over the place, it is difficult to tell exactly what is causing the struggles moving the football.
Cincinnati Bengals Offensive Line Improved but Not Perfect
Part of the struggle has been the inconsistency of the offensive line. In Week 1, the left side of the offensive line flourished while the right side was disastrous, and in Week 2, the opposite rang true as this offense is consistently giving up pressure somewhere on the offensive front. In just two games, Burrow has been sacked a staggering six times after the failure upfront cost him the end of last season due to a torn ligament in his wrist.
If you look at the statistics, the worst player on the offensive line is newcomer Trent Brown at the offensive tackle position. In two games, Brown has given up five pressures including one sack on Burrow against a relatively weak pair of defensive ends. Against edge rushers like Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett or Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt, it might be catastrophic if this team can’t figure out a better option on the right end of the line of scrimmage.
An Alternative to Brown Emerges
Finally, after two weeks into the regular season, rookie offensive tackle Amarius Mims is available to play. Mims looked terrific to start the preseason but after suffering a pectoral injury in the team’s first preseason game against the Chicago Bears, head coach Zac Taylor announced that Brown would be awarded the starting job, even though Brown neglected to attend training camp or any optional team activities all offseason. Even then, Taylor chose the bureaucratic route and named Brown the starter before Mims’ injury designation was announced.
It is still highly likely that Brown will start against the Commanders tonight but the biggest difference is that he no longer has a cushion between him and the next best option. If Brown plays another poor game, Cincinnati has another option who may actually be better and certainly has more potential that the 6’8″ 380-pound Brown. If Brown gives up a sack and the fans finally lose patience with the former Patriots star, the coaching staff may have no choice but to test the rookie out early.
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