The Bengals’ right tackle problem has gone from annual headache to legitimate strength, and Amarius Mims is the reason why.
Cincinnati spent the Joe Burrow era cycling through stopgaps at the spot - one-year fixes, patchwork answers, and plenty of uneven play. Mims arrived as the next attempt to stabilize things, and after being pushed into action sooner than expected as a rookie, he has only built from there.
Now in his third season, Mims is turning the kind of All Pro upside the Bengals hoped for into something far more tangible. Week after week, he’s putting elite work on tape.
He has matched up with Ruben Bain Jr., Will Anderson, Daniele Hunter and T.J. Watt and hasn’t allowed a single pressure on Burrow.
That production has shown up in the numbers, too. In PFF’s overall ranking among right and left tackles, Mims is the sixth-best pass blocker on a star-studded list of Denver’s Garrett Bolles, Tampa Bay’s Tristan Wirfs, Johnson, the Dolphins’ Patrick Paul, and the Raiders’ Kolton Miller.
While Mims has been giving Burrow clean pockets, the rest of the offense has had to absorb some injury-related hits. The Bengals still put up 27 points and moved the ball well through the air without Iosivas or Young, with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Mike Gesicki continuing to shoulder the bulk of the passing game. But the margin is shrinking.
“The Bengals put up 27 points and had a productive day through the air without Iosivas or Young. Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Mike Gesicki can still share the main targets, but the unit can’t afford to suffer many more injuries without a major impact to follow.”
On the defensive side, Shemar Stewart’s absence against the Steelers drew attention, and Zac Taylor said the rookie simply wasn’t there yet in terms of workload.
““We’ve got a really good defensive end group, you know, and all four of those guys played,” Taylor said. “I thought they played well.
There’s going to be moments we get Shemar more involved. Yesterday just didn’t work out that way.
You know, he’s still nine practices in, really. Started practicing three weeks ago.
Happy with him. He’s got a great effort, great attitude.”
The loss to Pittsburgh also brought Burrow’s performance back into focus. He completed 28-of-37 passes for 281 yards and three touchdowns, but the Bengals couldn’t overcome the mistakes that piled up around him.
“Joe Burrow Sends Blunt Message After Cincinnati Bengals’ Costly Loss to Pittsburgh Steelers
“For as strong of a game Burrow had with completing 28-of-37 passes for 281 yards and three touchdowns, the mistakes from everyone on the team were too costly for them to overcome when it mattered most.””
And heading into Jacksonville, one question sits near the top of the list: can the secondary hold up?
Cincinnati gave up 292 passing yards and three touchdowns to Aaron Rodgers, and several of those scores came after coverage breakdowns. On a 23-yard touchdown to Ben Skowronek, Jordan Battle bit on an inside-out double move and opened the middle of the field.
“Biggest Question for the Bengals Before Jacksonville Is Whether the Secondary Holds Up
“Cincinnati gave up 292 passing yards and three touchdowns to Aaron Rodgers. Several of those TDs came after coverage mistakes. On a 23-yard touchdown pass to Ben Skowronek, Jordan Battle bit on an inside-out double move and left the middle of the field open.””
In Other News...
Bengals Legend Blames One Reckless Decision For Steelers Loss
The Bengals loss to the Steelers has been picked apart from plenty of angles, but T.J. Houshmandzadeh zeroed in on one third-quarter sequence he changed the feel of the game. Speaking on the Speakeasy podcast, the former Cincinnati receiver blamed the decision to try to block a punt, a gamble that instead produced a roughing the kicker penalty and handed Pittsburgh a fresh break in a tight spot.
Houshmandzadeh called the call reckless, arguing that the odds of successfully blocking a punt in the NFL are so slim that the risk rarely justifies the reward. That backdrop matters because blocked punts remain one of the leagues rarest plays, with only 59 since 2020, which only sharpens the scrutiny on a decision that left the Bengals paying for a mistake rather than cashing in on one. [Read more 🡒]
Dalton Risner Saw One Bengals Positive Even In That Final Chaos
The Bengals had one last chance to steal the game from Pittsburgh, and it ended in the kind of scramble that leaves an offensive lineman replaying every second. Joe Burrow was sacked and fumbled on Cincinnatis final offensive snap, with the Steelers coming away with the recovery to close out the game in chaos.
Even in that finish, Dalton Risner found a silver lining for Cincinnati. The right guard pointed to tight end Erick All for the way he kept fighting for the loose ball after the official recovery, a small detail in a messy ending that at least showed the Bengals were still playing hard to the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Face A Stretch That Could Change Everything Before Madrid
The Bengals Week 3 loss to the Steelers only sharpened the focus on what comes next, because the road before the trip to Madrid looks like the kind of stretch that can define a season. Cincinnati is staring at a run of games against the Jaguars, Dolphins, Ravens and Titans, a mix that tests everything from pass rush and coverage to the ability to stay steady while injuries and coaching decisions continue to shape the week-to-week outlook.
Jacksonville and Miami bring their own challenges, while Baltimore always raises the stakes for Cincinnati in a division race that leaves little margin for error. Tennessee can be a different kind of test, but the bigger question is whether the Bengals can use this stretch to reset their footing before the spotlight shifts overseas, or whether the issues that surfaced against Pittsburgh keep following them into October. [Read more 🡒]