Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals: Edge Rusher

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:37 p.m. ET

Sports Illustrated

Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther can be creative with some of his third-down pass-rushing packages. (For example: Whenever tackle Geno Atkins lines head-up on the center, be alert for a zone blitz.) More often, Guenther prefers to sit back in straight two-high zones and trust his men to execute, but that only works if the quarterback is forced to release the ball quickly. The Bengals, with their hit or miss four-man rush, don't generate enough pressure. The problem in 2016 was a lack of production on the edges. Left end Carlos Dunlap is talented but wildly inconsistent. Long and limber right end Michael Johnson looks the part but doesn't actually do anything. Watching film, you often forget he's even out there.