After his career-high four sacks in Sunday's 41-24 victory over the Raiders at Paycor Stadium, Bengals Pro Bowl right end Trey Hendrickson is suddenly on pace to challenge the NFL record of 22.5 sacks in a season held by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt.
Hendrickson leads the league with 11 and is averaging enough to get 21 in 17 games.
"If they hand out midseason awards, that would be something to get excited about. But they don't," Hendrickson said. "On to the next great challenge with Ravens."
He won't have to wait long since that's a Thursday nighter (8:15-Amazon Prime) in Baltimore. Until then, Hendrickson gets ready for Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley while giving a nod to Bengals backup tackle Devin Cochran.
Elevated from the practice squad, Cochran got his first NFL snap at right tackle Sunday on quarterback Joe Burrow’s two-yard touchdown pass to tight end Drew Sample that jacked the lead to 24-10 on the first series of the second half. He also got a shoutout from Hendrickson.
"The tackle I went against all week, Devin Cochran, we talked about the game plan, what the sets were going to be, so credit to him," Hendrickson said. "Iron sharpens iron. I was very blessed to have that kind of insight. Also coming up with a plan, Coach (defensive line coach Marion) Hobby and credit (defensive coordinator Lou (Anarumo) for putting me in the right place."
It was the most prolific sack game in Bengals history since Antwan Odom got Aaron Rodgers five times during a 2009 win in Green Bay to tie Eddie Edwards' team record. On Sunday in just his 57th Bengals game, Hendrickson now has 50.5 as Ross Browner looms with 59 and fifth place on the franchise all-time list.
It was Hendrickson's biggest sack day since his junior year at Florida Atlantic with four sacks at Old Dominion nine years ago.
"He's a hell of a player. He approaches each day and every practice like that," said rookie defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. on a day he got his first NFL sack. "The passion he has for perfecting his craft. Even after games like this, he's still looking to get better. That's why he's one of the best players there is."
Hendrickson, who has now moved past Myles Garrett with 64 sacks in the decade and is only 4.5 behind Watt, is known for being able to bend the edge. But on Sunday he was able to use sheer power against backup left tackles Andrus Peat and Thayer Munford Jr. after starter Kolton Miller left early with an injury.
He bull-rushed Peat for his first sack with help from rookie defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson. And then when Peat left soon after with an injury, Hendrickson got a hat trick on a transplanted right tackle, Munford, a Cincinnati native who played some of his high school ball at LaSalle before the Raiders took him in the seventh round out of Ohio State in the 2022 draft.
Hendrickson simply ran over Munford on the first two sacks and then on his last one of the day, he deked ever so slightly inside and then swam outside to strip Raiders backup quarterback Desmond Ridder and force linebacker Logan Wilson’s second fumble recovery of the day to set up the final points.
At that point, the defense surrounded the always animated Hendrickson in the end zone as he appeared to be giving an emotional speech.
"We were just feeding off each other's energy. I don't even know what he said," said left end Sam Hubbard. "It was a fun moment."
What wasn't fun was last Sunday's loss to the Eagles when Hendrickson got only one hit on quarterback Jalen Hurts working against backup left tackle Fred Johnson. Yes, Hubbard said, Hendrickson was not pleased.
"I think we all were. We got our ass kicked, not just him. Myself. Everybody," Hubbard said. "It's his laser focus and improving his game. His dedication to his craft is unmatched. He deserves the type of game he had today."
AGE OF AMARIUS
It was first-round pick Amarius Mims' sixth NFL start, but it may have very well have been the dawning of the Age of Amarius. Primarily matched up against the Raiders' Maxx Crosby, one of the NFL's most prolific sackers and tacklers zeroing in on 60 sacks in less than 100 career games, Mims helped blank Crosby with no sacks while the Bengals limited him to three tackles.
He did get three hits on quarterback Joe Burrow, but like Mims said, "I'm just glad he didn't take the game."
"Massive credit to the rookie Amarius Mims," said center Ted Karras. "To come in here and shut out a premier guy. As a 22-year-old, he's the real deal. We knew that pretty early. Since he got here. Nine games into the season, he's a big part of why our offense is successful and will be a cornerstone for a long time for this franchise."
Mims looked at his preparation.
"He's one of the best defensive players in the NFL. Nothing surprised me," Mims said. "I watched a lot of film on this man. I studied his game. I watched all the nuances. He didn't do anything out of the ordinary. I know he's a great player. Very active."
Mims got some help from his backs and tight ends, but it didn't seem to be as much as in the past. Running back Zack Moss, their best protector in the backfield, was out with a neck injury. One of their best blocking tight ends, rookie Erick All Jr., went down with a knee injury in the second quarter.
Moss' injury is apparently still being evaluated. They fear All's injury could end the season of one of their best rookies. On Sunday, the depth stepped up.
"They had lot of zany looks. But we had good communication," Karras said. "(Tight end) Drew Sample is always ready to go in that role."
Crosby had his moments. He knocked down Burrow's pass to end his career-best 15 straight completions to open a game. But those were few and far between.
Sample actually kept Crosby at bay on Burrow's fifth touchdown pass, a 47-yarder to tight end Mike Gesicki. And do did Cochran in his first NFL game on what appeared to be his first scrimmage snap when he was at right tackle on Burrow's two-yard touchdown pass to Sample that made it 24-10.
Cochran is in his third season with the Bengals and has been on injured reserve or the practice squad until Saturday's elevation. He had to go in because on the previous play, Mims was eligible and ran a route in the end zone that got blown up, and had to come off for a play.
"There were some mental lapses there in the third quarter that we have to get cleaned up," Burrow said. "But I think we handled them for the most part all day. If somebody lost, they didn't give up on the play. And I was able to slide and move in the pocket to find some space. So, I think for the most part, we were good today."
Did he ever. That's like saying Aaron Judge hit a few flies this season. Burrow was at his crazy-legs best in the pocket. He wasn't going to hang around in there, and he told Crosby so early in the game: "The ball's coming out quick today, Maxx."
"With Maxx Crosby over there, you have to play the game quickly and process quickly and get the ball out," Burrow said. "And so, I was happy with how I did that today. I got sacked (once)… I think, for the most part, I read and reacted to the defense very efficiently today."
Take the 11-yard touchdown pass to Gesicki that put them up 31-10 in the middle of the third quarter. Crosby worked a stunt that shook him free of Mims inside and Burrow, drifting to his right, suddenly screeched left, climbed the pocket, and fired a low pill to Gesicki in the deep left corner.
"I feel like you've got to give Joe a ton of credit for what he does with his feet," Gesicki said. "I feel like he doesn't get that a lot. The recognition he should for the way he keeps plays alive."
Or, as Mims said, "Joe was there being Joe. It's a testament to Joe and how he trusts us."
MORE GESICKI
With wide receivers Tee Higgins (quad) and Jermaine Burton (Coach's Decision) out again and Charlie Jones (groin) unavailable, Gesicki had his second straight monster game. Last week it was seven catches and four third-down conversions. This Sunday it was his first 100-yard game (100 even) in three years and his first multiple touchdown game in four years.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity," Gesicki. "It's been a while. A lot of long years between this one and the last one."
After he went low to grab his first Bengals touchdown, he went looking for wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase to do "The Griddy," with him and he did.
"Oh yeah. I needed him. That's my first one here," said Gesicki, still looking for a grade from Chase.
Gesicki recognized wide receiver Trenton Irwin for coming to him two hours before the game and asking him if he had a touchdown celebration ready.
"Bro, you're getting in the end zone today," Irwin told him.
"If you're looking for numbers for the lottery, go to Trent Irwin," Gesicki said.
He did it again after he caught his 47-yard touchdown sailing down the seam by himself. Courtesy of Chase, covered in the flat by two Raiders, as he was all day.
"I told everybody I just feel like I'm living right because that happened. My wife could have probably scored on that play," Gesicki said. "A lot of credit goes to Ja'Marr because of how much attention he gets. It was just a fake screen, pump the screen to Ja'Marr and Joe put it out there."
SLANTS AND SCREENS
The Bengals running game is back as running back Chase Brown hit career highs of 120 yards on 27 carries for the biggest rushing day by a Bengals back in nearly two years.
With Moss out, Brown knew he'd get the bulk of the carries. But tied for the fourth most attempts in a game quarterbacked by Joe Burrow and the most since the 2022 opener?
"I didn't think it'd be 27 times," Brown said. "But it felt good. We were going downhill. That was a point of emphasis. Those guys up front were moving people. I don't need much."
The 120 yards were the most since Joe Mixon went for 153 yards nearly two years to the day, Nov. 6, 2022, against the Panthers in a Paycor game the Bengals nearly won by the same score, 42-21 …
Reports said Burton was inactive Sunday because he missed Saturday's walkthrough, a period in which the Bengals went through a game plan that had several plays designed for him.
Head coach Zac Taylor didn't get into specifics, but addressed the challenges of his prized rookie receiver.
"Jermaine was a big part of the plan, and as the week unfolded there were a lot of positive things people were saying about him. It was all true, and then late in the week we've just got to handle all of our business the right way," Taylor said.
"I can sit here and say it was a difficult decision to make him inactive, but it was absolutely the right decision with all the information we had. He's a guy who's going to have, I think, a really good career here, and we're going to support him. He wants to help us win and do things the right way. Today was just a necessary step we had to make, but we're going to get him back in the fold and keep him moving along and becoming a pro. There's a lot of things to love about Jermaine, so his best days are in front of him and we're going to make sure he achieves that."
Burrow also offered support.
"Jermaine is going to be a great player. You just have to do the little things right. He's a guy that has a demeanor that you like. You like his energy. He practices hard. He has a chance," Burrow said.
"We'll have discussions. And just like any young player, you're going to try to help him in any way that you can. And, as he gets older, he'll understand things in a different way. He's a young guy right now."
