Bengals showcase dominant pass rush from every angle against Seahawks
The Cincinnati Bengals have invested heavily in their defensive line for days like Sunday. The Bengals recorded four timely sacks and plenty more pressures on Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks in a gritty 17-13 victory. Most importantly, it didn't just come from one source. According to Next Gen Stats, the Bengals' starting front four […]
The Cincinnati Bengals have invested heavily in their defensive line for days like Sunday. The Bengals recorded four timely sacks and plenty more pressures on Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks in a gritty 17-13 victory.
Most importantly, it didn't just come from one source. According to Next Gen Stats, the Bengals' starting front four all recorded six pressures or more against the Seahawks. It's the fourth time since 2020 a defense has achieved this feat.
An inept final three quarters from the Bengals' offense put the entire weight of the Ohio River on the backs of the defense, and they did not disappoint. Smith and the Seahawks were conducting a top-10 offense by pretty much every metric heading into this week. They put up 13 points and scored once in five red zone trips.
They also couldn't have done so with just Trey Hendrickson carrying the load. Hendrickson has been having another Pro Bowl-caliber season and continued that pace on Sunday, but it was the presence of Sam Hubbard, B.J. Hill, and DJ Reader next to him that led to such a dominant outing. Each of them had their best pass-rushing games of the season.
The rotation behind Cincy's starting four has also been lacking during their hot-n-cold start to the year. Cam Sample did his best to eradicate that narrative with three crucial pressures and a sack of his own, primarily coming from inside at defensive tackle.
It's not a groundbreaking revelation to realize rushing the passer at home is considerably easier than it is on the road. The Bengals have totaled 10 sacks in their last two home games combined. Hubbard noted the obvious, yet helpful, advantage he and his teammates had.
"I think that the home crowd did a great job making them go on the silent count," Hubbard said of the 65,000+ bringing the noise at Paycor Stadium. "[They] let us get a good job on a snap."
Six of the Bengals' 11 remaining games are at home, and their defense is living and dying by the pass rush. It's as clear a formula for success as any.
Five Winners from Bengals’ 17-13 victory over Seahawks
Hats off to the Bengals defense for a clutch outing.
