Cincinnati Bengals: Rookies had an impressive game vs. Steelers
By Riley Thomas
Cam Sample had himself a career day vs. the Steelers
Outside of Chase at receiver, the only other rookie in the first two games to get decent playing time was the rookie defensive lineman Cam Sample. Sample has been the first defensive end off the bench to back up the duo Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard.
So far, Sample has played well this season, which continued against the Steelers. He came away with his first career sack, contributing to Cincinnati’s four-sack total. The Bengals generated pressure on Roethlisberger quite consistently, and it seemed to visibly rattle him.
Sample was in for 31 snaps, which was 37% of the defensive snaps. Sample’s snap share has been roughly the same throughout the season. As he develops and improves, Cincinnati’s defensive line is only going to improve. Adding depth at defensive end is only going to cause even more headaches for opposing offensive lines.
Evan McPherson did everything asked of him
One of the most impressive rookies for the Bengals has been kicker Evan McPherson. He’s yet to miss a field goal, knocking through another one in Pittsburgh and going 3-for-3 on extra-point attempts. He’s been a tremendous addition to this roster.
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Cincinnati needs rookies to play well this season if they are going to win more often this year. After Week 3, rookies are beginning to carve out their role on the Bengals roster. This presents Cincinnati with the opportunity to only improve as the season goes on. Of course, rookies in their 12th game of the year are probably going to learn a lot and be better compared to early in the season.
The Bengals’ 2022 NFL Draft class is beginning to truly grow into their own. This is only making Cincinnati’s season even more exciting. Rookies are contributed in a big way in Week 3, this should continue into Thursday night’s game versus the Jaguars.