In the first month of NFL action in 2024, the Cincinnati Bengals have endured remarkably mediocre play on the defensive side of the ball. Even though this team played against weak competition that included the New England Patriots, the Washington Commanders, and the Carolina Panthers, the defense simply couldn’t hold up for sixty minutes. Chief amongst the struggling squad was a defensive line that could neither stop the ground game or even stay healthy throughout the first four weeks of the season. For this defense to figure out a solution, the defensive line needs a complete overhaul heading into Week 5 against Baltimore.
Former Cincinnati Bengals Defender Waived Amid Heavy Reinforcement
This defensive line has struggled with health as the first four defensive tackles on this depth chart have already missed time this season with injuries. Starting defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins is still listed as doubtful for the Week 5 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens while starting defensive tackle B.J. Hill and reserve nose tackle McKinnley Jackson are both expected to be ready and able. On top of that push on the defensive interior, 2023 first-round draft pick defensive end Myles Murphy has officially returned from his preseason knee injury and will be available to this defense on Sunday.
While the reintroduction of Murphy and Jackson to the roster following their four-game stint on injured reserve is a huge lift for this defensive front, their addition to the roster will require some minor shuffling along the fringe of the depth chart. Specifically, defensive tackle Zach Carter has been waived from the team and will likely be joining the practice squad. In the first four games of the season, Carter was on the field for 151 total snaps which equated to a healthy 59% of total defensive snaps for Cincinnati in that period.
Carter managed to play adequately even with an overall Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade of 44.3 this season, his effort on the defensive interior amidst the beleaguered nature of the defensive front kept Cincinnati in games early this season. Although he played with high effort, Carter’s biggest weakness is that the University of Florida product weighs in at a slim 290 pounds, making him an awkward defensive end-tackle hybrid. While versatility is generally a good trait, Carter’s lack of size simply made him a liability for a team that has struggled to stop the rushing attack so far this season.
With greatly improved depth and capability on the defensive front, Cincinnati is in a much better position now than they were a week ago for a divisional clash with the elite offense of Baltimore. The Ravens have the number one offense in the NFL so far this season with a staggering 429.5 yards per game including 220.3 rushing yards per game. Cincinnati will need to figure out a way to at least slow down the lethal combination of running back Derrick Henry and quarterback Lamar Jackson if they want a chance to take down their divisional foe.
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