On Sunday, the Green Bay Packers host the Cincinnati Bengals at Lambeau Field. This Bengals team comes in with a 2-3 record, but they rank among the worst teams in the NFL in every major stat, ranking bottom-5 in points scored and points allowed.
One matchup in particular should have the Packers — and in particular their new-look pass rush — drooling. That is the matchup with the Bengals offensive line, which is one of if not the worst pass-blocking lines in the NFL. No, the Bengals do not rank last
in sacks per dropback (they are 9th-worst), but they are significantly worse than average and every advanced metric that tries to evaluate pass protection has them among the most atrocious lines in the NFL.
Here’s Ben Baldwin of RBSDM.com breaking it down:
Using Baldwin’s methodology, the Bengals’ line is the worst in the NFL, ranking in the bottom 20% in each of the three evaluation methods he incorporates. According to ESPN’s pass block win rate, they are dead last, suggesting that not only should the Packers be able to get steady pressure on the quarterback, but also that they should be able to do so quickly.
And let’s face it: new Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco is not the kind of player who will be able to evade pressure. Yes, it is worth acknowledging that the Packers recorded only two sacks on Flacco three weeks go when he started against them for the Cleveland Browns, and yes, that team ranks second-last on Baldwin’s rankings — ahead of only the Bengals. However, the Packers had an impressive 8 other hits on Flacco in that game, and their ten hits plus sacks ranked among the best single games in the NFL this season.
Now Flacco is with a new team and will be starting after spending just four full days in Cincinnati. (Lucky for him it’s a short drive down Interstate 71 to get to his new digs!) And that Bengals line is simply atrocious.
Yes, they have two massive tackles, with Orlando Brown, Jr. and Amarius Mims each standing 6-foot-8. But Brown has allowed four sacks this season already, according to Pro Football Focus, ranking him 106th among 112 qualifying tackles. Mims has allowed a pair. Penalties have been a massive issue as well, with center Ted Karras being flagged four times (43rd of 48 centers), left guard Dylan Fairchild drawing three (91st of 105 guards), and Mims with three as well (80th of 112 tackles).
Combined with Flacco’s statuesque presence in the backfield, the numbers for this Bengals line suggest that the Packers should be able to get to him early and often. Last season, the team feasted on bad offensive lines with sack-prone quarterbacks, while struggling to generate consistent pressure against better teams. So far this season the pass rush has been more consistent, and anything less than four or five sacks and a few holding penalties should go down as a disappointment for Jeff Hafley’s unit.
