The Cincinnati Bengals were able to escape Houston with their first road win of the season, defeating the Texans 20-6.
While it wasn’t the best day for the offense, there were still some quality performances on that side of the ball.
However, there were also some causes for concern going forward.
Orlando Brown Jr.
One of those things to be concerned about is Orlando Brown Jr. I have written about his mediocre performance during last season, but I thought he played pretty well during the Bengals’ Week 1 victory.
I cannot
say the same about his performance this week against the Texans.
Brown was credited with allowing four pressures, with three of those turning into sacks on quarterback Joe Burrow. He was also whistled for two penalties during the game. He graded out with a 35.6 PFF pass blocking grade for the game, and I cannot really argue with that. Anytime that you are getting your quarterback hit four times, it just isn’t anywhere near good enough.
Of course, there is credit to go to Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. Those guys are arguably the best pass-rushing duo at defensive end in the entire league.
But if the Bengals want to get back to the playoffs and beyond, they are going to need a better performance from their left tackle. Brown really struggles with speed rushers. He was never the most athletic player, but now he is on the wrong side of 30 years old.
The Bengals coaching staff will need to recognize when Brown is facing a mismatch, and give more help in his direction with tight ends and running backs. There isn’t a solution on the roster if he continues to struggle, so the coaches will have to be cognizant of how to plan around his deficiencies going forward.
Amarius Mims
On the opposite side of Brown, Amarius Mims continued looking like a player that is destined for a potential All-Pro at the end of the year. His athleticism, power, and size were on display again as he faced off against two talented pass rushers for Houston.
Mims was credited with allowing one pressure during the game against the Texans. This comes a week after allowing 0 pressures against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The only offensive tackle who has played 50% or more of his team’s snaps and has fewer than one penalty is Garrett Bolles in Denver. After that, it is Mims, Lane Johnson, and DJ Glaze as the only three offensive tackles that have allowed just one pressure this season.
His 57.3 pass-blocking grade from PFF is not nearly indicative of just how huge he was for the Bengals on Sunday. Facing off against two of the best pass rushers in the league, Mims was incredible. He is so quick out of his stance, has fantastic recovery athleticism, and will absolutely shut things down when he is able to get those giant hands on the defenders.
