The Cincinnati Bengals are on to the AFC title game and one removed from the Super Bowl in large part because of D.J. Reader’s dominant performance on Saturday night.
Reader, one of the most underrated players in the NFL outright, was his usual dominant self in the trenches against the Titans. That was a key x-factor to the game going into the divisional round considering Tennessee’s Derrick Henry is the best running back in football.
Henry’s final tally for the night in the 19-16 Bengals victory? Twenty carries, 62 yards and a score on a 3.1 per-carry average.
Reader let the world know after his team’s win:
Run at who??!?!
— Dj Reader (@Djread98) January 23, 2022
Now as a disclaimer, the Titans did run for 140 yards and a score on an average of 5.2 yards per carry.
But two things: That didn’t help the Titans win. And poor tackling by others explained some of the big numbers (D’Onta Foreman had four carries for 66 yards).
Reader has every right to be feeling himself after the big win and he’ll deservedly get some national love for his showing.
