[jwplayer LOn90xPc-ThvAeFxT]
The Cincinnati Bengals have had some truly superstar players over the past 10 years.
Fans know the typical list. A.J. Green. Geno Atkins. Andrew Whitworth. Carlos Dunlap.
It just so happens those four show up on PFF’s All-Decade Top 101 in the following spots:
21. T ANDREW WHITWORTH
31. DI GENO ATKINS
38. WR A.J. GREEN
89. EDGE CARLOS DUNLAP
All the explanations for the slottings make for great reads.
But the one about Atkins is especially worth a look:
No interior defender notched more total pressures over the past decade than Geno Atkins, who pressured the quarterback 577 times across 10 seasons. In fact, he finished the decade with 68 more pressures than any other interior pass-rusher, which, as a figure in itself, would have ranked second only to Aaron Donald in 2019. Atkins also owns one of the best single seasons we have ever seen from a defensive tackle, back when he posted a grade of 93.9 in 2012. Atkins graded above 90.0 three times in the decade and has been a consistently dominant force as a pass-rusher.
It just goes to show how special of a player Atkins has been over the years and how much he improves an entire unit around him.
We could always nitpick a list like this by pointing out an omission or arguing a certain player should be higher. But this one nails down the definitive building blocks of the Bengals franchise over the last decade pretty well and taking up four of 101 slots with 32 teams offering up names is solid.
The Zac Taylor era would hope about a decade from now names like Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins, D.J. Reader, Jonah Williams and a host of rookie linebackers contend for such a list.
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