How the Bengals' offensive line has gone from liability to strength

Believe it or not, thanks to much-improved play and an underrated assistant coach, the offensive line for the Cincinnati Bengals ranked in the top-5 in the NFL according to one NFL analytics service. 

According to The 33rd Team, the Bengals’ offensive line was fourth in their Week 13 pass protection rankings. 

Coming into the season, the Bengals' biggest concern was the offensive line's ability to protect Joe Burrow.

After the beginning of the season, in which the answer to the question of whether the team could protect was no, things are looking up for the once much-maligned unit.

Real reason Bengals keep starting slow

While everyone, the loudest of whom was Stephen A. Smith, wondered why the Bengals notoriously get off to slow starts, we may have inadvertently found the answer. 

There is a correlation with how well the offensive line plays and wins. At least, that has been the case for Cincinnati over the past few seasons. However, there is just as much evidence that they learned to find ways to win despite poor line performance.

Nevertheless, the Bengals’ offensive line was at its best towards the end of last season, which is why they were able to win five consecutive games and nearly make the playoffs after another slow start. 

This year, like last season, the offensive line has jelled, and the blocking scheme has come together at the right time. 

Bengals’ o-line breakout was always coming

The Bengals’ improved offensive line play was inevitable. That might sound as wild as the Mad Titan’s plan to eliminate half of the universe, but we predicted it as only a strange doctor could. 

We previously noted that head coach Zac Taylor seemed on his way to figuring out and overcoming the struggling o-line, as he has in past years. 

Early in the season, Cincinnati was regularly near the bottom of the rankings. But as the season progressed, they were matriculating up the rankings. 

And while a 12th- or 13th-best ranking was a stark improvement, we still held out hope that we would one day see a top-10 performance. In Week 13, like an early, unexpected Christmas gift, we got an even better result. 

Two rookies helped jump-start Bengals’ 2025 o-line revival

While this season has proved to be a referendum against Duke Tobin’s ability to select capable defensive players in the draft, two rookies may have just saved his job.

Rookie guard Jalen Rivers, whom the coaches threw into the starting lineup, developed with on-the-job training and settled into the right guard spot. He even made the top-5 list for the least amount of pressures allowed in Week 8.  Even after Dalton Risner has gotten the nod over him of late, there's at least a foundation to build on for Rivers' continued development.

But the most significant revelation has been third-round pick Dylan Fairchild. He has been fantastic for the Bengals this season, appearing several times on the 33rd team’s best pass-blocking rookie performance. 

Fairchild’s hard work and development culminated in his best game against Baltimore, where he had a 0.0% pressure rate according to the 33rd Team. 

Fairchild, along with the unit's overall improvement, helped them to their fourth-best ranking and the team to a win over the rival Ravens. 

Why Bengals need half a season to cure offensive line ills

Criticisms of slow starts were not greatly exaggerated. As in previous years, the team's biggest perceived issue early this season was the offensive line. 

But once coach Taylor and company resolved that issue, the team looked a lot better overall—even the defense. Sound familiar?

We do not have a reason why it takes the unit so long to look like a top-5 unit. No matter the reason or combination thereof, we appreciate it happening. 

We hope it’s not too late.

Can Bengals OL continue their top-5 play?

If Joe Burrow can continue getting that type of pass protection over the next five weeks, it is not inconceivable that he could throw them into the playoff chase.

Their first opportunity to trot out their top five unit will be against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. 

Cincinnati and Joe Burrow will need all the time they can get, as the Bills rank first in passing yards per game allowed. 

The good news, ironically, is that the bills have a substandard pass rush.

In his weekly hit on the Dan Le Batard show with Stugotz, fantasy football expert Matthew Berry said that we should be all in on Joe Burrow this weekend.

“In Joe Burrow's first game back from injury last week, the Bengals were fifth in pass rate over expectation. And over the last four weeks, no team in the NFL has a lower pressure rate than the Buffalo Bills … So you’re telling me that Joe Burrow gets Ja’Marr Chase back and he’s going to have a clean pocket in the game, he's got to go back-and-forth with Josh Allen? I'm in on Joe Burrow this week.”

Now that every game has turned into a must-win for Cincinnati, let's cross our fingers that the offensive line is truly one of the best units in ways that will prove, and continue proving, the metrics and the front office correct.

If the offensive line can play to that standard, the Bengals’ drive to 6-0 in their last six games becomes that much more believable.  

Tis the season for believing.

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