Through four weeks of the NFL season, it seems like the Cincinnati Bengals’ years-long attempt to strengthen the offensive line might be actually working this year.
So far this season, the Bengals have the third-best rate in the NFL when it comes to pressure allowed on the quarterback on true drop-back passes, according to Brett Kollmann of Underdog Fantasy. They are allowing pressures on just 26.4 percent of opportunities, behind just the Carolina Panthers (16.5) and the Indianapolis Colts (20.5).
The goal ever since Joe Burrow was drafted in 2020 was to find players on the line who could protect him well and allow him to work in the passing game without much pressure. With already two season-ending injuries in his career, the Bengals became even more serious about that this offseason, signing veteran right tackle Trent Brown.
But Brown suffered a torn patellar tendon in the Week 3 loss to the Washington Commanders, forcing Cincinnati to put first-round draft pick Amarius Mims to the test earlier than they would have hoped.
Mims was in contention for the starting job before the season but was sidelined by a pec injury that cost him the first two games of the season.
In the Week 4 win over the Carolina Panthers and former longtime Bengal Andy Dalton, Mims graded out at 75.7 from Pro Football Focus, which was fifth of all Cincinnati offensive players for the week. While there are tougher tests coming than the Panthers, Mims held up the strong play in his first start, and he could get even better the more experience he gets.
Whether the line will be able to keep up its elite early play is yet to be seen, but being so highly rated in the first four weeks of the season is a great sign for the offense going forward.
