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'He Was On a Mission' - Bengals Teammates Speak for Trey Hendrickson After Four-Sack Destruction of Raiders

Jay Morrison

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) sacks Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Desmond Ridder (10) in the third quarter of the NFL Week 9 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Las Vegas Raiders at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. The Bengals collected their first win at home with a 41-24 victory over the Raiders.
Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) sacks Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Desmond Ridder (10) in the third quarter of the NFL Week 9 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Las Vegas Raiders at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. The Bengals collected their first win at home with a 41-24 victory over the Raiders. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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CINCINNATI – Trey Hendrickson always plays angry.

But this week the Cincinnati Bengals defensive end practiced angry. He watched film angry. He probably at his breakfast, tied his shoes and went to sleep angry, too.

And the Las Vegas Raiders felt the brunt on it.

Hendrickson set a career high with four sacks, which was one shy of Antwan Odom’s franchise record, while recording 10 pressures, seven quarterback hits and a forced fumble to help the Bengals dominate the Raiders in a 41-24 victory at Paycor Stadium.

Arguably one of the best games of Hendrickson’s career came seven days after one of his worst in the 37-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

How much did last week’s performance play into today’s destruction?

“It gets flushed just like this will get flushed,” Hendrickson said. “Don’t let the highs get too high. Don’t let the lows get too low.”

Balderdash, Hendrickson’s teammates said.

“This week he was on a mission,” defensive end Sam Hubbard said. “The way he worked and went about his week after the loss last week, it's no accident that that happened, his performance today.”

Hubbard said the defense as a whole was pissed off after the loss to the Eagles.

“We all were. We got our ass kicked,” he said. “Not just (Hendrickson), myself, everybody. But I know his laser-like focus on improving his game and his dedication to his craft is unmatched. He deserves that type of game he had today.”

Hendrickson’s first sack came on second and 12 with the Raiders at the Cincinnati 28-yard line in the second quarter, forcing them to eventually settle for a 46-yard field goal that tied the game 10-10.

His second sack came on third and 10 on the first play of the fourth quarter.

The third came with the Raiders again at the Cincinnati 28-yard line on a third-and-4 play.

And the fourth came 90 seconds later on first and 10, with Hendrickson jarring the ball loose and enabling linebacker Logan Wilson to record his second fumble recovery of the game.

“He was disappointed in the way he played last week, and I knew he was gonna come in with a different mindset this week, and it showed,” Wilson said. “Seven quarterback hits and four sacks. He was a menace out there.”

The seven hits are tied for the most by a Cincinnati player since the league began tracking the stat in 2000, joining Odom in his five-sack game and Michael Johnson, who did it in 2012 at Washington.

The four sacks give Hendrickson 11 for the year and sole possession of the NFL lead heading into the Sunday night game.

“You know, if they gave out midseason awards, that would be something you could get excited about,” he said. “But they don’t, so it’s on to the next challenge, and that’s the Ravens.”

In addition to Odom, Alfred Williams is the only other Cincinnati player to record four sacks in a game, doing so in 1994 against the Steelers.

Hendrickson is the first player in Bengals history to have 11 sacks through the first nine games since the stat became official in 1982.

Eddie Edwards had 10 through nine games in 1983, when he finished with 13.

Myles Garrett had 11 through nine games last year on his way to winning Defensive Player of the Year.

“I’m blessed to rush the passer,” Hendrickson said. “It’s something I love to do. This team that believes me. This week I give a lot of credit to those guys. It’s not a single-man show. It’s a team spot. Credit to them in helping me do what I love to do.”

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Jay Morrison
JAY MORRISON

Jay Morrison covers the Cincinnati Bengals for Bengals On SI. He has been writing about the NFL for nearly three decades. Combining a passion for stats and storytelling, Jay takes readers beyond the field for a unique look at the game and the people who play it. Prior to joining Bengals on SI, Jay covered the Cincinnati Bengals beat for The Athletic, the Dayton Daily News and Pro Football Network.