The Bengals again turn to that bountiful rookie class when their defensive line reinforcements didn't materialize in Friday's injury report that indicated starting defensive tackles Sheldon Rankins and B.J. Hill won't play for a second straight week Sunday (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Fox 19) in Carolina.
Rankins has been declared out and head coach Zac Taylor has slim hopes for B.J. Hill after he categorized him as doubtful. Neither has practiced since injuring his hamstring two weeks ago in Kansas City
That means rookie defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. gets at least the 25 snaps he got in last week's NFL debut. It's also a trip home, where his father Kris Jenkins Sr. went to three Pro Bowls as a member of the Panthers.
"I lived there until I was seven. It's going to be fun going back there and playing," Jenkins said this week.
It also may mean that rookie edge Cedric Johnson gets more than the ten snaps he got in his promising debut on Monday night as the Bengals try to generate a more consistent pass rush.
Pro Bowl sacker Trey Hendrickson is on pace with three sacks and a win-rate hovering in the upper reaches of the league, but he's the Bengals' only edger with a sack. Johnson didn't get a pressure on six Pro Football Focus pass rushes Monday night, but his tackling in space gave the Bengals something they needed against the Commanders.
On his first snap, Johnson replaced left end Sam Hubbard on the first series for a second-and-three and patiently read quarterback Jayden Daniels before moving to the middle and dropping running back Brian Robinson for a two-yard gain.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Johnson went to Hendrickson's right edge, dropped in coverage, and then tracked down Daniels before he could get going for a five-yard gain.
"He did a good job on the zone read, did a good job getting him to the ground," Taylor said after Friday's practice. "The one he dropped in coverage he was able to get the quarterback down before the sticks. Those are tough tackles. You saw a lot of people maybe not be able to do all that. To see a rookie get good players on the ground is a step in the right direction."
Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo wasn't happy with the overall tackling (he counted 11 misses for 70 yards), but both he and Taylor felt good about the interior play against the run.
"If you tell me that coming in that Robinson was going to be 2.1 yards per attempt, I would have been pleased with that," Anarumo said. "They got themselves into the quick passing game, moving the ball to create those third-and-2s, third-and-1s, fourth-and-1s. First down and second down efficiency, overall, not just in the running game. In the passing game, as well, has to be tighter coverage."
Taylor is emphasizing tackling in space because, "The run game was good. People don't want to say that, but it was good. The pressure from the four-man front wasn't what it needed to be and tackling on the perimeter … It wasn't good enough, but I have a lot of confidence we'll improve."
Hubbard's plan to generate more pass rush is what it's always been; "First we've got to stop the run. We've got to put ourselves in third-and-long situations where we get an opportunity to pin our ears back. Once we get that and get a lead, then we get to tee off. That's the formula for rushing the passer."
VARIETY SPICE: The first three games with Dan Pitcher as offensive coordinator have seen three of the five biggest usages of double tight end personnel in the 85 games of Taylor's tenure. The Bengals used it 25% of the time Monday night, their lowest of this season. But they're still using it 30% of the time in 2024, nearly double Taylor's six-season average of 16%.
The percentages of quarterback Joe Burrow under center are also rising as the running game hits 4.6 yards per attempt, which would be the highest under Taylor.
"Our vision is to be multiple. Our vision is to be difficult to defend. Our vision is to be able to do whatever the game situation and our opponent (shows) and how we match up with them," Pitcher said this week. "We want to be able to do whatever it is we feel like we need to do. and I think we're showing that we can do that. We're going down that road.
"Some games that might mean, 'Yeah, we've got to be under center a lot.' Sometimes we've got to sprinkle it, some games we might not need to be in it much or the game situation might dictate that we can't be in it much, but it has to be a part of what we can do, and I think we're showing that, yeah, we can do that."
A big reason is the three tight ends they use. The vet receiver Mike Gesicki and the vet blocker Drew Sample can do just enough of the other to threaten run or pass. Plus, rookie Erick All Jr. is an emerging star as a two-way threat.
All has been monstrous in run blocking during his first three games. Even when he's doing something for the first time. He says his hellacious cut block spotlighted by the national TV cameras Monday night is the first he's tried.
"The thing with Erick is he's equally impactful in both phases and that makes life hard on the defense," Pitcher said. "He's showing early in his career what we envisioned as we studied him in February and March and what a guy like that, what that skillset could bring to our offense."
INJURY REPORT: Hendrickson, who missed the first two days of practice this week because he was sick, went full Friday and Taylor says he expects him 100% Sunday.
Rookie safety Daijahn Anthony went limited with an illness Friday and is questionable. Tight end Tanner Hudson practiced for the first time in a couple of weeks Friday and was listed as questionable after going limited.
SLANTS AND SCREENS: After two games he missed an extra point in Kansas City and a 48-yard field goal try Monday night at Paycor Stadium that was his first miss shorter than 50 yards in more than a year, kicker Evan McPherson isn't concerned.
"I actually feel really good where we're at," McPherson said this week. "Just keep on going. I think we get that first win, I think a lot of things turn around.
The extra point was against an Arrowhead Stadium crosswind in the third quarter, which is why the Bengals chose to go the other way in the fourth quarter. But McPherson, who drilled a 53-yarder in the fourth to give the Bengals the lead, just shook his head this week.
"Still, McPherson said. "It's an extra point. I have to make that."
The 48-yard miss was an uncharacteristic hook as McPherson kept leaning left in disbelief on his follow through.
"I don't usually miss left. It was kind of weird to see that ball start left and go left," said McPherson, who emphasized some things in practice this week. "I just made sure I'm hitting the ball well. Not pulling it across as much. Working on kicker terms: Pushing the heel through and not wrapping it around." ….
No time for a players-only meeting yet, according to one of their leading players.
"We're not a slump. We're not getting beat 30-oh," said three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase this week." There's no need to sit down with the team and have a meeting. It's always one play, one possession. It's just locking in when we're tired." …
