Cincinnati Bengals: Week Five Grades vs. Seahawks

Oct 11, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Giovani Bernard (25) runs the ball against the Seattle Seahawks in overtime at Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati defeated Seattle 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive Line: C+

The grade may seem harsh, but in reality, the line played far worse than it usually performs. Andy Dalton was sacked four times on Sunday–that’s twice as many times as he’d been sacked in the past three games! On perhaps the biggest lapse of the game, the O-line allowed Michael Bennett unaccounted for on a sweep play; the defense promptly stripped Rex Burkhead, and Bobby Wagner returned the fumble for a touchdown. The line’s saving grace was the absolute lockdown it put on the Seahawks defense in the fourth quarter and overtime, protecting Dalton, opening running lanes for Bernard and giving the offense a fighting chance.

A rare holding call on Andrew Whitworth cost the Bengals a long touchdown pass to A.J. Green, which could have made the outcome and performance a little different with a 14-7 lead in the first half. Russell Bodine still doesn’t look comfortable at center but made up for it with a huge lead block on the Dalton touchdown run. The offensive line can’t afford lapses like these when it goes up against dangerous defenses like those in Buffalo and Denver.

Next: Safety