The Bengals’ offensive line walked into Sunday’s 33-27 win over Tampa Bay and handled the kind of test that usually tells you plenty about a team’s ceiling.
On paper, the Buccaneers brought a strong defensive front. On the field, Cincinnati’s protection held up far better than the matchup suggested.
SumerSports said Tampa blitzed on almost half of Joe Burrow’s dropbacks but still produced only a 29.7% pressure rate. Pro Football Focus had Burrow as the least-pressured quarterback in Week 1 so far.
By the numbers, the Bengals gave up pressure on 19% of Burrow’s dropbacks, seven in all.
The breakdown was uneven in spots, but the overall result was clear. A pair of those pressures came on under-center snaps, with Burrow going under center just five times. The other five came from shotgun looks, where the pressure rate settled at 15.6%.
Amarius Mims was the standout. Trevor Sikkema reported that the Bengals tackle allowed just two pressures across 37 dropbacks and erased first-round rookie Rueben Bain from the game.
Bain never became a factor, and Mims’ work was the kind that can change how people talk about a young tackle. He entered the season with breakout buzz, and Sunday hinted at something bigger.
Dylan Fairchild was the only Bengals lineman to finish with a pressure rate above 8.1%, and most of his work came against Calijah Kancey, who has already shown he can rush the passer at a high level in his young career. Kancey had the best day of any Tampa Bay rusher, but even that didn’t tilt the trench battle.
There was also a moment late in the first half that said plenty about the tone up front. Burrow scrambled for a 12-yard first down, then took a shot after sliding by Buccaneers safety Tykee Smith. Dalton Risner and Mims immediately went after Smith, with the officials stepping in and throwing a flag for a late bump.
Burrow has absorbed those kinds of cheap shots before, and in the past there have been plenty of times when the reaction from his linemen was minimal. That wasn’t the case Sunday. This group made it clear it was going to protect its quarterback, and it did so with force and urgency.
For Cincinnati, that matters. As long as Burrow stays upright, the Bengals can go toe-to-toe with anybody, and this offensive line looked ready to make that a weekly standard.
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