Nik Bonitto is the one opponent who could wreck the Bengals in Week 4

The Cincinnati Bengals’ offensive line is under a microscope. Regardless of who you think is ultimately responsible, the problem does not appear to be improving anytime soon. And that is awful news, as they must face Nik Bonitto and the Denver Broncos defense on Monday Night Football.

The Bengals are struggling to run the ball and pass protect. That is the worst combination imaginable when discussing an offensive line facing one of the best pass-rushing units in the league. 

Former Bengals defensive backs coach and now Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has his sights set on a struggling Bengals offense. And like last week, when his unit harassed Justin Herbert, he is ready to unleash a hellish pass rush against his opponent’s quarterback. And Bonitto is the tip of that particular spear. 

Breakout pass-rusher awaits questionable pass protection 

Last week against the San Diego Chargers, Bonitto recorded four tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, and an additional five QB hits. The Chargers could not keep Benito out of Herbert's kitchen for the entire game.

The silver lining for the Bengals is that despite Benitto's relentless pressure and play-making ability, Herbert still managed to throw for 300 yards and a touchdown. The bad news is that the Chargers’ protection is better than Cincinnati’s at this point.

Nevertheless, in his third year in the league after Denver selected him in the second round of the 2022 draft, Bonitto is doing what we had hoped Myles Murphy would, which is to hit his stride, along with opposing quarterbacks.

Nik Bonitto doesn’t have to go at it alone

As Bengals fans, we are used to seeing our star pass rusher carrying the pressure of providing pressure on his own shoulders. That is not the case for Bonitto.

Yes, Bonitto is the one player who could single-handedly wreck Cincinnati's offensive game plan. His going one-on-one against Orlando Brown after his disappointing outing against Minnesota feels like a frightening proposition. And after his performance so far this season, some fans are already envisioning a possible future without Brown in stripes, suggesting he could be a salary cap casualty.

However, Bonitto won’t show up by himself. That is because, like Joe Cocker, he has a little help from his friends.

As a team against the Chargers, they recorded five sacks, 14 QB hits, seven tackles for loss, and seven passes defended. For perspective, the Vikings recorded four sacks, seven tackles for loss, and nine QB hits. 

Johnathan Cooper, John Franklin-Myers, and DJ Jones each added a sack of their own. By focusing on Bonitto, as they should, the Bengals risk allowing their other defensive playmakers to have an impact on the game.

Nik Bonitto’s pressure could help suddenly suspect secondary 

Look for Joseph to allow his defensive backfield to play sticky coverage against the Bengals’ receivers. The Broncos should expect to be able to generate pressure on Jake Browning with only four rushers. Rushing with only four will allow Denver to play with two high safeties, thereby reducing the potential for a big play over the top while allowing the corners to sit on shorter routes.

According to Sharp Football Analysis, the Broncos are second in man-to-man coverage rate at 42.6.  And while they might not want to change up their defensive philosophy, they might not want a repeat of last year when Tee Higgins was left one-on-one with their corners.

In their Week 17 matchup, Higgins had 11 receptions, 131 yards, and three touchdowns. The final touchdown was a game-winner in overtime.

However, knowing the type of season Bonito is having and the kind of game that he is coming off of versus the Chargers, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is likely to let him and his comrades up front do much of the heavy lifting so as not to allow Higgins a repeat performance of last season.

Furthermore, while Patrick Surtain's reputation precedes him, he has not performed up to his earned status as the best cornerback in the NFL in the first three weeks of the season.

Can Bengals slow Nik Bonitto and Denver’s pass rush?

The Bengals must devise a plan to counter when the Broncos play with two high safeties. And Denver would be foolish not to. 

One of the easiest ways to do this would be to run the ball. However, that has been far from Cincinnati’s calling card this season. 

Another solution would be to allow Browning more time to scan the field and the receivers to get open and in the middle of the field, allowing him to complete passes deep over the middle. 

The only problem with that is he doesn't have much time to scan the field, and the receivers only have about two seconds to get down the field. That will be more difficult with the cornerbacks playing press coverage, sitting on the shorter routes.

Let's hope that Joseph's defense operates with a certain amount of hubris, leaving Ja'Marr Chase and Higgins one-on-one with their cornerbacks. Cincinnati should have the advantage in those situations.

But before we can even think about explosive plays down the field to Higgins and Chase, Cincinnati must have a plan in place to limit Bonitto’s impact. If Zac Taylor’s game plan and the offensive line can buy Browning more time, the Bengals' receivers should have a productive evening. If not, Bonitto and Denver’s pass rush could be the story of the game.

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