After several miserable years of mediocrity on the offensive line, the Cincinnati Bengals have actually played fairly well so far this season on the offensive front. So far this season, Cincinnati has managed to hold its own as quarterback Joe Burrow has managed to play fairly well behind an improved offensive line. Unfortunately, the easiest way to derail positive offensive line play is injuries and it looks like attrition may be starting to take its toll.
Cincinnati Bengals Starting Right Tackle Suffers Severe Injury
The narrative on the offensive line play may rapidly be rewritten after starting right tackle Trent Brown suffered an injury to his left knee as he was preparing to brace for impact against right end Dorrance Armstrong. Brown immediately went down in a heap and it was apparent that the injury was extremely serious as Brown needed to be helped up by his replacement at offensive tackle Amarius Mims.
#Bengals Trent Brown knee injury and he is carted off the field #NFL pic.twitter.com/FoOJfHg3mx
— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhifer) September 24, 2024
After Mims was carted off with what will be presumed to be a season-ending knee injury, Mims will take over at the right tackle position far earlier than expected. Mims was drafted with the 18th overall pick out of the University of Georgia this offseason and looked like he was going to be a rising superstar during the preseason. After Brown was carted off the field, Burrow pounded MIms’ chest with his fist in a move to provide confidence to a rookie being thrown into his first game unexpectedly.
Cincinnati will need to preserve the health of their offensive tackle from now on after losing both Brown and third-string offensive tackle D’Ante Smith earlier this offseason. If either left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. or Mims goes down with an injury, the offense would likely need to shift backup guard Cody Ford to offensive tackle in a truly desperate move.
Without true backup offensive tackles, Cincinnati trails the Washington Commanders 21-13 at halftime and will need to come out and play effectively in the second half. Look for Mims to be targeted by the Washington front during pass protection in the second half as a rookie playing in his first NFL game.
Follow me on Twitter at @Super_Squatch76. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in college and NFL news, click here! If there is a topic you’d like me to cover or a question you’d like to ask, feel free to contact me at my email timothy.mcbride76@gmail.com.
