Bengals: 4 snap count observations in Week 1 overtime win

2. Cincinnati’s plan for rotating the defensive line

The defense had a total of 83 snaps, the snap share on the defensive line revealed a lot.

Sam Hubbard had the top snap total on the defensive line with 72 snaps or 87% of snaps. Opposite of Hubbard, Trey Hendrickson, at defensive end, got 68 snaps. The next defensive end in line was Cam Sample with 29 snaps, 35% of snaps. The newly acquired defensive end Wyatt Ray received 12 snaps, and the rookie Darius Hodge had one snap.

How the rotation panned out at defensive end was very telling. In short, Hubbard and Hendrickson have little depth behind them and will need to play many snaps at a time this season. Hubbard’s 72 snaps and Hendrickson’s 68 to Sample’s 29 snaps is a huge drop-off.

Besides Sample, there were no consistent snaps for defensive ends rotating in. The defensive end rotation looks small, as expected. Hubbard and Hendrickson will have little time to rest throughout the season.

In the interior of the defensive line, there was a lot of rotating. Larry Ogunjobi was the lead man in his dominant performance with 59 snaps. D.J. Reader had 48 snaps, Josh Topou had 28 snaps, and  B.J. Hill was on the field for 24 snaps. With both Topou and Hill getting substantial snaps, this could mean Reader and Ogunjobi will have good depth behind them.

However, the Bengals did deploy a five-man front on several occasions to stop Minnesota’s run. This definitely caused both Topou and Hill’s snap share to increase. The interior defensive line terrorized the Vikings all game long, all four players performed at a high level.