So far this season, the Cincinnati Bengals offense has been dominant in a way that leads many to believe that this team should be a Super Bowl contender. Unfortunately, the defense has simply been unable to keep up, which has left this unit in a position where any mistakes on the offensive side of the ball may cost them the entire game. If Cincinnati is to have any chance against a mediocre Cleveland Browns roster in Week 7, they will need to play mistake-free football on the offensive side of the ball.
Cincinnati Bengals Offensive Tackles Will Need to Step Up Against Elite Competition
In the first seven weeks of the season, the Bengals have been a completely different team on the offensive line. That being said, this group has yet to face an elite talent off the edge so they are yet to be tested to the fullest. That changes in Week 7 when All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett will face off against left tackle Orlando Brown in one of the highest-profile matchups of the season.
Garrett has been excellent so far this season as the Texas A&M product has amassed four sacks and two forced fumbles in just six games so far this season. Although those numbers may not seem like much for a perennial defensive player of the year candidate, to amass four sacks in six games on a team that has played from behind most weeks is a fairly impressive statistic.
With those stats, Garrett has earned himself a Pro Football Focus (PFF) overall grade of 91.1, good enough for fourth best in the NFL amongst edge defenders. Garrett has also won 25 of his 80 pass rush attempts, giving him a pass rush win rate of 31%, good enough for second-best in the NFL.
On the other hand, Brown has also been spectacular this season at the left tackle position with 120 pass block wins out of 125 pass block attempts, giving him a league-leading pass block win rate of 96% (or 98% according to PFF). Brown has been able to hold off average talent fairly well at the defensive end position and has become the anchor on the left end of the line of scrimmage, giving quarterback Joe Burrow plenty of time to find his targets so far this season. With that time, Burrow has gone on the exhibit a league-leading quarterback rating of 110.3.
Even though a matchup between two of the best linemen in the National Football League is certainly enticing, there are moves that Cleveland can make to alleviate the difficulty for their elite pass rusher. While Brown will be locked in on the left side, Garrett could switch over to the right side and face off against rookie Amarius Mims. Mims has impressed many so far this season after filling in for the injured Trent Brown but consistently facing off against one of the best pass rushers in the NFL will be a stark challenge for the Georgia product.
The improved efficiency of the offensive unit can almost entirely be attributed to the offensive line in the early part of 2024. Burrow has remained on his feet for the most part this season but against an elite pass rusher, the entire game may ultimately be decided by the offensive tackles in Week 7.
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