Last season, the Cincinnati Bengals were able to compile a very good team, but, for a variety of reasons, they as a defense were not overly successful in getting after the quarterback. This year, in just six games, they are looking even better on both sides of the ball, and have already outdone their sack total from 2014.
The catalyst for this change? No, it’s not the re-acquisition of Michael Johnson, nor a resurgence in the career of Carlos Dunlap, who leads the team with 6.5 sacks. The bread and butter of this pass rush is defensive tackle Geno Atkins, who is finally back healthy and looking like his Defensive Player of the Year-caliber self from a couple of years back.