After Bengals all-time right tackle Willie Anderson saw his No. 71 placed in the club’s Ring of Honor earlier this season, he watched one of his technique disciples, La’el Collins, wear it in his position and help lead the offensive line in a surge that has been a big part of the best Cincinnati stretch run in more than 50 years.
“It’s sweet to watch. We always say when you’ve got big guys on both sides of the ball who are dominating, that’s when you start to win,” Anderson says. “This offensive line should get a lot of credit … Just being tough, physical guys. In this winning streak that’s been a huge deal for them. Running the football. Being physical. Aggressiveness.”
So when the Grinch stole Christmas on Sunday and the Bengals dealt with the news that Collins tore his ACL and is out for the year, Anderson, one of social media’s respected offensive line gurus, talked Bengaldom through the positive with Hakeem Adeniji, in his third battle-tested season, stepping into January as the right tackle for the AFC’s hottest team.
Anderson aches for Collins, but he also sees Adeniji as a good athlete more naturally suited to tackle than the guard spot, where he started the last 13 games of last season and the playoffs. He also knows Adeniji has filled in on the occasions Collins has been out during brief stretches of games and played fine.
Like those 64 plays last Saturday in New England after the injury, which represented 77 percent of a game Pro Football Focus graded Adeniji on his 19 run plays as their best run blocker of all but Collins. He gave up no sacks and hits, the website said. Throughout the season Adeniji has also been their extra tackle in big formations and took close to 100 snaps in that role.
The 11-4 Bengals appear to be turning to in-house options to replace Collins with two games left and the AFC’s No. 1 seed at stake in Paycor Stadium games against the Bills Monday night and Jan. 8 against Baltimore. Adeniji is clearly the first man up with his…
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