CINCINNATI – Despite their disappointing 3-5 record and an inability to secure a home victory in four attempts this season, the Cincinnati Bengals are feeling no pressure.
The bigger concern is that their opponents are also unfazed.
In their recent 37-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Bengals’ pass rush managed only three pressures, marking the first time since Week 2 of last season against Baltimore that they recorded fewer than two quarterback hits. This performance ranked as the second-lowest in the league this season, just behind Jacksonville’s single pressure in Week 5 against Indianapolis.
“He never got out of rhythm. He never felt uncomfortable; the pocket was clean for him all day,” said Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. He noted that the Eagles had balanced their game plan, with 15 throws and over 40 runs in their previous game, shifting to 20 throws and 39 runs against the Bengals. “We need to disrupt that kind of game plan,” he added.
Even when the Bengals attempted to blitz, the pressure often arrived late or failed to reach Jalen Hurts altogether. Once Philadelphia established a lead, they leaned more heavily on the run, further limiting the Bengals’ chances to apply pressure.
“We played into their hands by trying different rush strategies,” Anarumo admitted. “Once they had the lead, it became easier for them to run the ball and dictate the game.”
The Bengals have increasingly depended on Trey Hendrickson to generate pressure, but against the Eagles, he was effectively neutralized by former teammate Fred Johnson, finishing with just two pressures on 18 pass rush attempts.
For the season, the Bengals rank 19th with 92 pressures and a disappointing 29th with only 12 sacks.
“There are many things we’ve tried,” head coach Zac Taylor said. “It’s a challenge. When you blitz and don’t get home, it leaves the secondary exposed. If you rush three or four and still don’t get pressure, the back end has to hold up, so we constantly evaluate how to disrupt opposing offenses.”
The Bengals had hoped their pass rush issues would improve with the return of their full defensive line. Sheldon Rankins, who was signed to a two-year, $24.5 million deal to bolster the interior pass rush, missed three games due to a hamstring injury. B.J. Hill sat out two games, while Myles Murphy, their first-round pick in 2023, and rookie third-round pick McKinnley Jackson spent the first four weeks on IR. Additionally, second-round pick Kris Jenkins missed two games with a broken thumb.
Now that the entire unit is healthy, the pass rush remains underwhelming, aside from Hendrickson, who, despite a lackluster performance against the Eagles, ranks sixth in pressure percentage (10.6) and fifth in win percentage (21.2).
Rankins has recorded just four pressures and one sack through five games, placing him 100th out of 120 qualifying defensive tackles in pressure percentage (2.4) and 87th in win percentage (5.8). Murphy has notched eight pressures with no sacks in four games, ranking 62nd of 117 edge rushers in pressure percentage (5.8) and 108th in win percentage (4.3). Starting defensive end Sam Hubbard stands 94th in pressure percentage (4.2) and 98th in win rate (6.0).
Anarumo emphasized that the solution isn’t necessarily to blitz more but rather for their pass rushers to perform better. “If we rely on free runners, remember that offensive linemen are skilled too. We aim to create one-on-one situations and need our players to win those matchups,” he stated.
Of the limited pressures, only one resulted in a quarterback hit, when Joseph Ossai brought Hurts down following a six-yard completion on third and ten.