BALTIMORE − After the Cincinnati Bengals stormed to a 35-13 comeback win against the Baltimore Ravens, Orlando Brown Jr. was asked about his performance in the game. His response was short but telling.
"I'm excited to watch the tape," Brown said.
Brown had every right to eagerly anticipate savoring his effort in the Oct. 25 victory at M&T Bank Stadium, which was one of his best performances of the year.
After Cincinnati's clear and convincing Week 2 victory over the Houston Texans, Brown was singled out for the sacks and hits to which quarterback Joe Burrow was subjected. But in the month since that Sept. 20 game, Burrow said, he's been happy with Brown's play.
That was especially true after Brown's efforts in rendering former Bengals NFL sack champion
Trey Hendrickson a near-non factor in the win against the Ravens.
"Yes, Orlando is who he is, week in and week out," Burrow said. "We talked about what happened in the one game (at Houston), but really, I think he's been lights-out all year and continues to work really hard to keep getting better and, like you said, I think he played great today."
Hendrickson not only didn't sack Burrow but also didn't record a single tackle. Brown and Hendrickson were matched up head-to-head the entire game.
Brown played 53 snaps and, according to Pro Football Focus, was the highest-graded Bengals offensive lineman with a 71.9 valuation.
Hendrickson's only counting stats in his first game against the Bengals since leaving the organization were quarterback hits, and he had two.
Hendrickson might not be in his prime at age 31, plus the Oct. 25 game was his first since missing two games for surgery on his right hand. On the other hand, Hendrickson remains potent. He has two sacks so far in 2026 after the Ravens signed him this past offseason to a four-year, $112 million contract. He also missed 10 games for the Bengals last season due to injury, but his four sacks in 2025 made him one of the team's top pass rushers.
"I've got a lot of respect for how (Hendrickson) plays, how he executes," Brown said. "He's one of the best in the world at what he does. We had a great plan as a team and an offense. We were able to go out here and play physical and violent."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Orlando Brown Jr. silenced Trey Hendrickson. What that means for Bengals
