There were signs of life for the Cincinnati offense in the second half versus the Green Bay Packers. Can that carry over into the game this Thursday versus Pittsburgh?
If it isn’t going to, the Bengals will need the offensive line to have their best game of the season. So far this year, it feels like one side of the line performs at a solid level each week, while the other side struggles. This past week, it was the right side that had some issues.
Specifically, rookie right guard Jalen Rivers had his worst game of the season. It wasn’t just his 6.6 pass blocking grade from PFF. While he didn’t play that poorly in my opinion, the Packers did keep finding ways to get him matched up with Micah Parsons. They identified the weakest link for the game, and they attacked it.
It will be interesting to monitor if the Bengals will activate Lucas Patrick before the game this week. If they do, I can see them inserting him back into that starting right guard spot. This feels like a must-win if the Bengals have any chance to keep a glimmer of hope for the playoffs this season.
Dalton Risner could draw the start at left guard again this week. Fairchild is the left guard of the future, but there is no reason to rush him back from injury. Risner recorded an 85.7 pass blocking grade this week. He wasn’t credited with allowing a single pressure. He also had one of the best efforts I have seen all season from a lineman on the two-point conversion in the second half.
Risner and Orlando Brown Jr. played well off of each other against the Packers. Orlando Brown Jr. had a 67.8 pass blocking grade. He allowed the only sack of the game to Lukas Van Ness. Overall, it was still one of the better games for Brown on the season.
Whoever ends up starting at the guard spots will have their hands full with the likes of Derrick Harmon, Cam Heyward, and Keeanu Benton. The line will also have to worry about TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, and the emerging Nick Herbig. Herbig was a terror against the Cleveland Browns. The line must protect Flacco to give him time to get the ball in the hands of Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase.
In a must-win game, the Bengals’ offensive line versus the Steelers’ defensive line could determine how the rest of this season will go.
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