Bengals Matchup Of The Game Pits Jelling O-Line Vs. Relentless Titans Front

BENGALS RG ALEX CAPPA VS. TITANS DT JEFFERY SIMMONS

You can call Sunday’s Bengals game in Tennessee (1 p.m.-Cincinnati’s Local 12) a rematch, but it’s really not. The Bengals made sure of that in the first hours of free agency back in March when they began revamping the offensive line with deals for Cappa and Patriots guard-center Ted Karras.

They were two of the top names on the grease board of director of pro scouting Steven Radicevic even as the statisticians were crunching the numbers of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s postseason sacks.  Right tackle La’el Collins would appear later once he was released by Dallas while North Dakota State offensive lineman Cordell Volson was still emerging in their draft rankings.

But Cappa and Karras were available right away and they were on the board as the free-agent deadline struck and the Bengals could start talking to them. Now with the kickoff looming in Nashville against the rough-and-tumble AFC South leaders still trying to figure out how the Bengals ousted them from last season’s playoff despite sacking Burrow nine times, the numbers they’re crunching now show how that offseason blueprint has surfaced in this playoff push.

At the biggest pressure points for the offensive line, the Bengals are first in the NFL in converting red zone touchdowns, third in converting third downs and fourth in passing. Burrow, meanwhile, has bounced off the Nissan Stadium ropes in MVP fashion with the NFL’s second most touchdown passes, third most yards, and fourth highest completion percentage.

“Going back to a couple of years ago with Joe struggling, it’s hard when you’ve got guys coming up the middle. We needed to get bigger up the middle,” Radicevic says. “Really, Volson, Karras and Kappa have done a good job keeping it pretty clean for Joe in pass pro and the run.”

The interior chemistry has bubbled under old 49ers guard Frank Pollack, the Bengals offensive line coach who has watched his unit scratch back from allowing 13 sacks in the…