The Cincinnati Bengals come off the bye this week, and it's a good thing they've had an extra week to prepare. They face a massive AFC North matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, as they look to get one over their division rivals and kickstart the rest of the season for a playoff push.
It will also be the first time that we see Trey Hendrickson return to Cincinnati since his offseason move to join the Ravens. Seeing as he left in controversial circumstances, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Bengals' crowd letting him know what they think.
Zac Taylor even did it, somewhat passive-aggressively, in his most recent press conference. He was asked about facing Trey on Sunday, to which he simply said: "He's a good player, you know." You would think that he'd have more to say about Hendrickson, considering that he was one of Cincy's best players for the past five years.
Trey Hendrickson could start opposite Amarius Mims
It's not been the hottest of starts for the former Bengal in Baltimore, but he has recorded two sacks so far. However, Ravens' defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver hasn't yet figured out the best way to deploy Hendrickson alongside Baltimore's other edge rusher Mike Green.
Green is a second-year player, and has impressed so far this season, especially in the Ravens' 30-23 overtime win against the Falcons in Week 5. During that game, Green lined up on the right side, which is Hendrickson's natural position, sparking questions over which player should be on that side.
This anecodote relayed by The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec via Ravens head coach Jesse Minter stands out re: Baltimore's Hendrickson-Green dilemma:
"Minter acknowledged that they have to find spots to move Hendrickson and Mike Green around to find matchups. Noted Hendrickson is a really good right-side rusher and team needs to find ways to make sure they're getting the best out of Green who flourished on right side w/Hendrickson's out."
Also, according to PFF, Green has actually been a better edge rusher than Hendrickson this season, as he has a 72.6 grade, compared with Hendrickson's 69.7 grade. With that in mind, the Ravens could opt to try Hendrickson out on the left side, which would mean he comes up against Amarius Mims.
I speak for every Bengals fan when I say that we would love to see Mims hold off Hendrickson for an entire game, and I do not doubt that the Bengals' star tackle would manage it. So far this season, Mims has the third-highest pass-blocking grade in the NFL this season, according to Pro Football Network, and he has shut down the likes of T.J. Watt and Will Anderson already.
It would, for one, boost the Bengals' chance of beating Baltimore if Mims were able to shut down Hendrickson, and secondly, wouldn't it feel sweet.
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