3 reasons why the Bengals can lead the NFL in sacks in 2022

The Cincinnati Bengals conquered the AFC North last season. But, of course, that does not mean there is no room for improvement.

One area the Cincinnati Bengals can continue to improve upon is getting to the quarterback, which is a statistic that the Steelers have dominated the past three seasons. Pittsburgh amassed a league-leading 55, 56, and 54 sacks in the 2021, 2020, and 2019 seasons, respectively.

In 2020, the Bengals had a league-low 17 sacks. However, they improved significantly on that number last season with 42 sacks, which tied the team at 11th on the list. That is quite the improvement.

But can the Bengals challenge the Steelers for the league lead in sacks this upcoming season?

Yes! Yes, they can. There are several reasons for that.

All stats and rankings courtesy of NFL.com

3. Trey Hendrickson

Trey Hendrickson’s addition to the team was a big part of why the team catapulted from the cellar to the top 11 in taking down opposing quarterbacks. In addition, he proved that his 2020 campaign with the Saints was no fluke as he finished fifth in the NFL with 14 sacks.

Expect Hendrickson to equal or even surpass those totals. And why not? There seems to be nothing in his makeup that indicates that he will be satisfied with what he has accomplished thus far.

Also, he is going to have some help.

2. Rookie Class

Dax Hill, Cam Taylor-Britt, and Tycen Anderson each ran a 4.3 40 on their way to being drafted by the Bengals. That speed will come in handy while covering receivers, of course. However, look for that speed to also cause havoc in offensive backfields.

Last year, NFL quarterbacks averaged 2.78 seconds to release the ball. The three secondary players who Cincinnati selected in the draft only need, in theory, around 2.15 seconds to get to the QB. Hill, in particular, is already very adept at blitzing from the slot. His addition should unlock Mike Hilton to do more of what he excelled at as a Steeler, which is blitzing from the secondary.

Look for Hill, Anderson, and Taylor-Britt to apply pressure from their respective safety and cornerback spots.

An undrafted rookie to keep an eye on in this area is Brenden “Bookie” Radley-Hiles. The Bengals plan on using him as a slot corner-safety hybrid. A solid tackler and hard hitter, he is also very good at crashing down on run plays and providing pressure from the slot against the pass.

Radley-Hiles is yet another versatile addition to the defense that will seek to get after the quarterback in potentially unconventional ways. And in an improved defensive backfield, this could set him apart from the rest of the pack in what will surely be a highly contested camp battle.

Furthermore, look for third-round pick Zachary Carter to provide pressure from the defensive tackle position. The former Florida Gator defensive end is making a move to the interior of the defensive line. The Bengals are counting on him to use his athleticism and quickness to beat guards quickly off the snap and chase down quarterbacks in passing situations.

Carson Wells and Clarence Hicks are pass-rushing linebackers who showed a propensity for getting to the quarterback in college. Each would be an excellent complement to the all-around backers in Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt. Like Radley-Hiles, their ability to sack the quarterback could be the difference in one of them making the final 53.

1. Lou Anarumo

Bring on the incursion: apologies, spoiler alert. Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is the Doctor Strange of this particular Multiverse of Madness. He has three different crazy worlds to play within. Look for him to wield all three levels of the defense against the opposing offenses in his not-so-Secret Invasion in an attempt to get to the quarterback more often this year.

Anarumo has versatile secondary players like Hilton, Anderson, Taylor-Britt, and Hall, who can pressure quarterbacks from the secondary. In addition, he will look to get the most out of pass-rushing linebackers like Wells and Hicks.

Also, hopefully, last year’s draft picks, Joseph Ossai and Wyatt Hubert, can return healthy and show at the NFL level what they were able to do at the college level so well. That is, taking down the opposing quarterback.

Anarumo is going to have a lot of fast and versatile players working in cohesion to do one thing, which is attacking the quarterback.

And like a musical virtuoso masterfully orchestrating each note, Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator will be able to attack quarterbacks in the same way as our 616 Doctor Strange did against Sinister Strange.

So this season, be sure to expect more of this…

Yes, the Bengals can challenge the Steelers for the league lead in sacks this season. However, it will not happen on the back of one player like T.J. Watt in Pittsburgh. Instead, it will be a team effort.

Wouldn’t it be great to win the AFC North while simultaneously wrestling away the hated rivals’ grip on the NFL sack title?

Who Dey?!