Steelers-Bengals matchups to watch: Dan Moore Jr. vs Trey Hendrickson

Dan Moore Jr. faces Trey Hendrickson in Week 13 as the Steelers prepare to battle the Bengals in a crucial AFC North showdown.

With Week 12 officially in the record books, the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers can now turn their preparation and focus solely on the Cincinnati Bengals. One key matchup in this AFC North divisional battle will be LT Dan Moore Jr. versus DE Trey Hendrickson, and here is how both players have performed through 11 games this season.

Moore’s performance in the first nine games of the season was solid, allowing only 2 sacks, 15 pressures, and 2 QB hits. However, in the Steelers’ last two games against the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns, Moore allowed a staggering 4 sacks and 8 pressures.

Hendrickson has played outstanding football through 11 games, leading all NFL defenders with 11.5 sacks, along with 32 pressures and 12 QB hits. Moore faces a tough test in Week 13 and may need additional help with chips or double teams to prevent Hendrickson from taking down QB Russell Wilson.

Moore will look to get back on track against one of the best edge rushers 2024 has to offer in Cincinnati’s Hendrickson. This Week 13 matchup could very well decide the outcome of the contest between the Steelers and Bengals on December 1st at 1:00 PM EST.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Trey Hendrickson details run-in with Zac Taylor on Bengals sideline

What happened with Trey Hendrickson and Bengals head coach Zac Taylor?

As the Cincinnati Bengals went down hard at the hands of the Los Angeles Chargers, Germaine Pratt wasn’t the only player involved in a sideline outburst.

At one point during the loss, star defensive end Trey Hendrickson ran off the field and exchanged words with Zac Taylor, even swatting away the head coach’s arm.

After the game, Hendrickson opened up about it.

“You play with an edge,” Hendrickson said, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. “Everybody should. I love Zac. He’s a great head coach. He’s done a lot for me as a person. I love him. He plays with the same intensity and fire as me.”

The altercation happened near a roughing-the-passer flag on Hendrickson that even the NBC broadcast agreed shouldn’t have been called.

Meaning, it was probably nothing more than typical adrenaline-filled sideline stuff that happens in the pros all the time.

But at the same time, it’s clear tensions are high in Cincinnati for obvious reasons.

Yet, Ja’Marr Chase bringing up Taylor’s name after the game speaks volumes about where things are at right now, too.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]

Is Trey Hendrickson playing today? Injury updates for Bengals DE

Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson is dealing with an injury. Here are the latest updates for Week 11.

Cincinnati Bengals superstar defender Trey Hendrickson is off to an 11-sack start this season, yet became a huge question mark for his team’s Week 11 game.

In fact, Hendrickson didn’t initially travel with the team to Los Angeles for the Sunday Night Football showdown with the Chargers, making the trip later.

Here’s the latest.

 

Trey Hendrickson injury update

 

How long will Trey Hendrickson be out?

Hendrickson sounds on track to play. But a listed neck injury and the vagueness around his week call into question just how many snaps he will take, never mind the chance for setbacks.

 

Bengals DE depth chart

Sam Hubbard, Myles Murphy, Joseph Ossai, Cedric Johnson

Quality pass-rushing depth behind Hendrickson has been a major problem this year. So much so that coaches had to explain why first-rounder Myles Murphy isn’t getting more work. If Hendrickson is limited in some way, Murphy and Ossai will need big days to slow Justin Herbert.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]

Trey Hendrickson, Orlando Brown injury status updated for Bengals vs. Chargers

Some key updates on injured Bengals players before the Week 11 game vs. Chargers.

The Cincinnati Bengals had several big names on the injury report before the Week 11 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Tops among those was wideout Tee Higgins, but his latest update is good news. More concerning, instead, are the statuses of offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and defensive end Trey Hendrickson.

On the final injury report before Sunday night, both guys are officially listed as questionable.

Brown attempted to play through a leg injury recently, then sat out in favor of Cody Ford while he heals. He was a limited participant on Thursday, then didn’t work on Friday.

Hendrickson is more complicated. He had limited practice on Wednesday, then missed the next two days. The team initially listed his reason as a neck injury, but later tacked on “rest and personal” reasons to the report.

According to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, Hendrickson won’t travel with the team to Los Angeles on Friday — but will travel the next day and is still expected to play on Sunday.

Hendrickson’s actual snap counts will be interesting to watch, all things considered. Brown is a trickier subject and a true 50-50 chance at this point.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]

Bengals’ Joe Burrow, Trey Hendrickson get injury report updates

Joe Burrow and Trey Hendrickson are on the Bengals injury report with new details.

The Cincinnati Bengals added some interesting things to the injury report before the team’s Week 11 meeting with the Los Angeles Chargers.

There, the Bengals added a new injury to the weekly listing for Joe Burrow. While he practiced in full, the “right wrist” destination was joined by a “left biceps” designation, too.

The team also added Trey Hendrickson to the report and he was “limited” on Wednesday with a neck injury.

For Hendrickson, that’s the first time he’s been on the report since roughly Week 4.

As for Burrow, the biceps designation stems from that unflagged late hit he suffered during last week’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

While both updates to the standard stuff aren’t concerning, they are something to watch throughout the week alongside the injury sagas to Orlando Brown Jr. and Tee Higgins.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]

We have yet another Player of the Week come out of matchup with Raiders

Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson is the latest to earn Player of the Week honors from teeing off on the Raiders.

It seems like an almost weekly occurrence now. Player who face the Raiders this season having their best games and being named Player of the Week because of it. The latest is this week’s AFC Defensive Player of the Week Trey Hendrickson.

Hendrickson put up a career-high four sacks along with a pass breakup and forced fumble in the Bengals’ 41-24 win over the Raiders on Sunday. He took full advantage of the Raiders’ injury issues at left tackle, getting his first sack while facing primary backup Andrus Peat and the other three while lining up across from third stringer Thayer Munford.

A couple of Hendrickson’s rushes again Munford made the rounds on social media. One in which he was run around flat footed and the other where he was knocked onto his back.

This is the third time in the past five weeks a Player of the Week came out of a matchup with the Raiders.

The first time was Week 5 AFC Defensive Player of the Week CB Patrick Surtain who had two interceptions, including a pick six in the Broncos’ 34-18 win over the Raiders.

The other time was  Week 7 NFC Defensive Player of the Week Cobie Durant who had and interception, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble that was returned for a touchdown in a 20-15 win over the Raiders.

This is getting to be a real theme for the Raiders this season. They’ve often been called the cure for what ails you, but lately they’ve been the gift that keeps on giving.

Bengals trade idea sends Trey Hendrickson to NFC contender

The Bengals aren’t trading Trey Hendrickson. But if they did, this NFC contender would likely pay a huge price.

The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t a team that sells at the deadline pretty much ever.

In fact, the last time the Bengals got rid of a player at the deadline, it was after things got toxic in the building around Carlos Dunlap and the team shipped him out.

Still, it’s fun to speculate about deals the Bengals could make. And from a national perspective, that includes having them act as logical sellers.

Case in point, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin suggesting the Bengals send Trey Hendrickson to the Detroit Lions:

The three-time Pro Bowler is a sack machine for an otherwise struggling Cincinnati Bengals defense, and yet he flirted with a trade request this offseason. Joe Burrow and Co. still have playoff aspirations at 3-5, but with guys like Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins still without long-term deals, it might be time to sell high. The Detroit Lions may well be buyers. They look like the class of the NFC, but their defensive front could use added reinforcements with star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson sidelined.

The Bengals won’t trade Hendrickson, of course, seeing as he’s their only viable pass-rusher. But it comes up because he demanded a trade this past offseason roughly one year after signing an extension.

Two things are true — Hendrickson would cost another team a ton to acquire and indeed, that contract spat is going to come up against next offseason.

The Bengals won’t move Hendrickson because of those things, but it’s worth speculating about. Were it a team other than the Bengals, who knows?

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]

Bengals need to get Trey Hendrickson help at NFL trade deadline

There’s one area the Bengals should address at the NFL trade deadline.

The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t likely to be buyers at the NFL trade deadline for all the obvious reasons that come with such a statement each year.

But breaking out of the normal routine to help defensive end Trey Hendrickson would be a smart move.

The general eye test has said Hendrickson could use some help for years. But some interesting numbers this season make it perhaps clearer than ever, as explained by Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:

“Hendrickson has an interesting matchup Sunday. According to Next Gen Stas, he has 31.8% of the Bengals’ pressures this season, the highest pressure share among NFL pass rushers.”

Hendrickson is up to five sacks over six games this year already and played 64 percent of the snaps (264). He’s hovering in his typical range in this regard, but as fans know, he’s also the guy who has consistently had to fight through injuries like nagging back issues over the years.

If the Bengals are serious about keeping Hendrickson healthy and actually having another pass-rusher who can hit home in the rotation, the trade deadline is probably the only move now.

There was hope that the return of Myles Murphy could help in this regard, but the results haven’t been there yet and simply standing around and hoping that happens is a recipe for Hendrickson to deal with over usage and injury while the defense as a whole suffers. The team can’t reliably get Joseph Ossai on the field because offenses will just run right at him.

What’s frustrating from an outsider’s perspective is that the Bengals have done the exact opposite this year. They lost one promising upside pass-rusher off the practice squad earlier this month, then just let another get stolen last week.

Given how obvious the entire defense has been on only Hendrickson hitting home, one would think a pass rusher would top the team’s trade deadline shopping list — even if it’s a value, low-risk move on a guy who can join the rotation right away.

If the Bengals keep winning and turning things around, maybe a B.J. Hill-like deal comes together.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]

Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson hit with surprise NFL fine

Bengals star Trey Hendrickson got a fine letter from the NFL, too.

When it comes to NFL fines, the Cincinnati Bengals just can’t stay out of the news.

The latest fined Bengals star is defensive end Trey Hendrickson.

Hendrickson received a $16,883 fine from the NFL for roughing the passer due to a hit and keeping his body weight on Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackosn last week.

On the play, Hendrickson hit Jackson quickly after the quarterback’s throw, then followed through onto the ground. Fans might remember it as the play in which Jackson refused Hendrickson’s help getting up off the turf.

It looks like a bang-bang play, but the league wants defenders to roll or find another way to avoid putting all of their weight on a passer going to the ground, for better or worse.

Hendrickson will likely appeal, but he also likely doesn’t have a great shot at winning it.

The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer provided a look at the play:

Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase also got hit with a fine letter from that game, with the mystery fine apparently being related to a “violent gesture” he made during a touchdown celebration. This week, Chase also lost an appeal over the massive fine he received from earlier this season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]

Ravens vs. Bengals: Top photos from Baltimore’s 41-38 win in overtime at Paycor Stadium

We’re looking at the top photos from the Baltimore Ravens 41-38 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime at Paycor Stadium in Week 5

Lamar Jackson and company rallied from a late fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime with a 56-yard field goal from Justin Tucker. In overtime, the Bengals recovered a Jackson fumble but could not win it after Evan McPherson missed a 56-yard field goal of his win.

At one point in the fourth quarter, Joe Burrow was 27-for-34 for 353 yards and five touchdown passes, while former college teammate Ja’Marr Chase had nine catches for 174 yards and two scores.

Burrow finished 30-39 passing for 392 yards, five touchdowns, and one costly interception. His MVP counterpart, Lamar Jackson, was 26-42 passing for 348 yards and four touchdowns. Jackson also had 12 carries for 56 yards on the day.

***