Posted by ESPN.com’s James Walker
With Antwan Odom, the Cincinnati Bengals were third in the league with 16 sacks through six games.
Without Odom, the Bengals would be ranked No. 28 in the NFL with eight sacks, one behind the lowly Kansas City Chiefs (nine).
That’s how much Cincinnati's starting defensive end means to the first-place Bengals (4-2).
Odom, who is out for the season with a torn Achilles, is tied for the league lead and accounted for half of the Bengals’ sacks this year with eight. His five-sack performance against the Green Bay Packers boosted his total. But Odom's ability to consistently win one-on-one matchups allowed Cincinnati the flexibility to not rely on blitzing extra defenders to get pressure.
That may have to change in the coming weeks if the Bengals want to remain atop the AFC North.
Rookie third-round pick Michael Johnson is expected to fill in for Odom. Johnson started well in training camp but hasn’t made much of an impact during the regular season. He has 11 tackles and zero sacks in six games. Fellow defensive end Robert Geathers is coming off microfracture knee surgery and has yet to register a sack. Defensive lineman Jonathan Fanene is second on the team behind Odom with three sacks.
Expect to see more blitzing by the Bengals to make up for the loss of Odom. On a Cincinnati defense filled with solid players, he's the defender who’s the most difficult to replace.
With Antwan Odom, the Cincinnati Bengals were third in the league with 16 sacks through six games.
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That’s how much Cincinnati's starting defensive end means to the first-place Bengals (4-2).
Odom, who is out for the season with a torn Achilles, is tied for the league lead and accounted for half of the Bengals’ sacks this year with eight. His five-sack performance against the Green Bay Packers boosted his total. But Odom's ability to consistently win one-on-one matchups allowed Cincinnati the flexibility to not rely on blitzing extra defenders to get pressure.
That may have to change in the coming weeks if the Bengals want to remain atop the AFC North.
Rookie third-round pick Michael Johnson is expected to fill in for Odom. Johnson started well in training camp but hasn’t made much of an impact during the regular season. He has 11 tackles and zero sacks in six games. Fellow defensive end Robert Geathers is coming off microfracture knee surgery and has yet to register a sack. Defensive lineman Jonathan Fanene is second on the team behind Odom with three sacks.
Expect to see more blitzing by the Bengals to make up for the loss of Odom. On a Cincinnati defense filled with solid players, he's the defender who’s the most difficult to replace.
James Walker | email
NFL- ESPN AFC East Blogger
- Joined ESPN in 2008
- A Temple graduate and Hyattsville, Md. native who lives in Miami
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Jamison Hensley
Hensley joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun for 11 years. A graduate of the University of Maryland, he lives in the Baltimore area with his wife.
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