Week 7 Grades: How Did Cincinnati Bengals' Offensive Line Perform Against Cleveland Browns?

Parker Blake | Oct 23, 2024

Oct 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Shelby Harris (93) sacks Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) during the first quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Bengals beat the Cleveland Browns 21-14 in Week 7. As always, one of the biggest matchups in the game was the Browns' defensive front going against the Bengals' offensive line. How did the Bengals fare this time around?

Overall Grades

Even though he went down with an injury in the first half, Orlando Brown Jr. had an impressive showing against an elite edge player in Myles Garrett. He finished the game with a 78.95 overall grade. He was the top performer in every category this week and had arguably the toughest matchup while he was in the game. Ted Karras and Cordell Volson were the other two players that graded above a 60. As I've discussed before, the left side of this line has been impressive week in and week out. They are the rock of this group which is why the injury to Brown Jr. hurts even more.

Run Blocking Grades

Brown was the top run blocker of the group and graded out with a perfect 100 grade against the Browns. While this doesn't mean he didn't lose a single rep, it means he did enough outside his losses to make up for the lost points. Volson was next up with an 81.82 run blocking grade. He continues to be a steady force in the run game. I would like to see the right side of the line step up in this area more than any other. If the Bengals can get consistently solid run blocking from all five offensive linemen, the run game will be something they can lean on when needed. That will allow the play callers to feel more confident going to the run as well as increase conversion rates on late downs.

Pass Protection Grades

Brown had his fair share of struggles in pass protection. However, he was able to still post a final grade of 71.43. Outside of that, Amarius Mims stepped up and grabbed a 68.33 grade in protection this week. That is a great sign of progress for the rookie. They were giving him help more often than not, it's good to see that he may be starting to settle in. The interior offensive line struggled this week in passing situations and the Browns did a lot to force that. They used blitzes, stunts and anything else they could pull out where used early and often against this unit. I expect the group to bounce back next week and for this game to be an outlier when the season comes to an end.

Summary

Brown Jr. could miss some time. If he does, Cody Ford will make his first NFL start at left tackle on Sunday. He was the worst performer of the group in Week 7 as he filled in for Brown Jr., but not too much should be expected of a guy that has to come off the bench cold. I'd expect a better performance from him in Week 8, but getting Brown Jr. back in the near future is crucial for this unit.

2024 Week 7 Bengals OL Grades

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