Cincinnati Bengals new-look interior OL has been dominant
The Cincinnati Bengals went to work this offseason to ensure that their offensive line wouldn't cost them another Super Bowl. While it took a bit for the newcomers to gel in their new city, the interior offensive line, which consists of three new starters, have settled in and played well.
To recap, the Bengals signed Alex Cappa and Ted Karras and those two are starting at right guard and at center respectively. Cappa came over from Tampa Bay and Karras played at New England, so both guys were used to protecting Tom Brady during their careers and now had the honor of protecting Joe Burrow, who gets a lot of Brady comparisons for whatever reason.
The other newcomer to the interior offensive line is Cordell Volson, who was drafted in the fourth round and wasn't supposed to be the starting left guard. Volson worked hard this summer though, and that, paired with Jackson Carman crapping the bed, led to him winning the starting gig. He started off rough but has settled in over the past few weeks.
Thru week 5, the Bengals offensive line has a top-10 graded interior trio in pass pro and a bottom 5 graded tackle duo.
— Andrew Russell (@Andrew_Russell7) October 11, 2022
They really need LC and Jonah to step their game up.
Bengals are getting what they expected from interior o-line
Not everyone on the new-look offensive line is living up to expectations though.
As Andrew Russell noted in the tweet above, the interior unit is grading out in the top 10 in pass pro but the tackles are letting the team down. Jonah Williams and La'el Collins have struggled immensely through five games with Williams surrendering four sacks and Collins allowing two.
Fans were really excited about the decision to sign Collins this offseason but we're starting to see why he was let go by the Cowboys. He's grading out at a measly 53.2 on PFF while Williams also has a poor score of 58.9. This cannot continue if this offense wants to dig itself out of the hole it finds itself in.
For now though, the fact that the interior unit is playing well is a great sign moving forward, especially considering that this time last year, Volson was starting at North Dakota State, Karras was in New England, and Cappa was in Tampa Bay. The Bengals just need the tackles to elevate their play.