Trey Hendrickson faced the Cincinnati Bengals for the first time since signing with the Baltimore Ravens. What came about was Orlando Brown Jr. keeping him at bay, and his former team proving stronger without him.
Trey Hendrickson
played against the Cincinnati Bengals for the first time since leaving in free agency to sign with the Baltimore Ravens. You would be forgiven if you forgot that by the time Cincinnati concluded its 180 degree turnaround of a victory in Baltimore
.
Hendrickson went up against Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. over 20 times as a pass rusher. Hendrickson finished with a hurry and a hit on quarterback Joe Burrow, and he left the game without adding to his sack total for the year.
He didn't just play a forgettable game against his former team despite strong expectations from his new teammates
. The Bengals looked quite alright without him, and that makes a significant win even sweeter for Cincinnati.
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Orlando Brown Jr. answers the bell against Trey Hendrickson
According to Pro Football Focus' initial charting, Brown allowed just one hurry to Hendrickson on the day. He nearly posted a clean sheet against one of the league's most productive pass rushers.
That is a welcome result for Brown, who's drawn plenty of criticism through the start of the 2026 season. Brown had a rough outing in Week 2 against the Houston Texans, and entered the week with a league average Pass Blocking Efficiency of 96.3.
This game was circled on the calendar for obvious reasons, and Hendrickson was no slouch of an opponent beyond the emotions of playing against his former team. He averaged five pressures per game and boasted a top-20 pass rush win rate (15.5%) among starter EDGEs heading into the matchup.
Brown rose to the occasion against his former teammate. He had help throughout, as expected, but the plan with him was successful. He's also allowed just one pressure in each of his last two games, and he hasn't been charged with a sack allowed since Week 2.
I still think Brown remains the same player he's always been. He is capable of losing often against unfavorable matchups, but more often than not, he produces solid play at the left tackle position. Sunday was the version of Brown that Cincinnati needs.
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Bengals defensive line shines without Hendrickson
Brown taking care of business wasn't the only reason the Bengals can feel vindicated after Sunday.
The decision to let Hendrickson walk opened the door for new investments along Cincinnati's defensive line. Those investments became Jonathan Allen, Dexter Lawrence II, and Boye Mafe. All three players made an impact against the Ravens.
Mafe led the way with five pressures and 1.5 sacks. He posted a pass rush win rate of 23.1% on 27 pass rushes. Allen chipped in with four pressures of his own and a 14.3% win rate. Lawrence capped things off with a fourth-quarter sack to go along with three pressures and a 13% win rate. All of his pressures came against true pass sets, and his win rate jumped to 27.3% in those situations.
It was one thing to keep Hendrickson from causing negative plays. The cherry on top was seeing yet another week of the unit born out of his departure show out. That was a message to him in itself.
Everything ended up going right for Cincinnati by the time Sunday's game wrapped. Hendrickson becoming an afterthought while the Bengals defensive line shined was a satisfying win baked inside a confident victory.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Bengals send a harsh message to Trey Hendrickson after keeping him contained during win over Ravens
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