May 14, 2021; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive line coach Marion Hobby directs defensive end Cam Sample (96) during NFL minicamp at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports — Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive Line Transformation Crucial to Cincinnati's Success as Bengals Prepare for Chiefs

Marion Hobby has pushed all the right buttons in his first season as Bengals' defensive line coach.

Author:
Elise Jesse
Publish date:
Jan 29, 2022 9:31 AM EST

When the Bengals hired Marion Hobby to be their defensive line coach last year, he told All Bengals that he liked the direction that the team was headed in, but that additional help on the edge was needed.

“Mr. Brown said he feels like Zac (Taylor) is leading them in the right direction,” Hobby said. “There are some pieces to the puzzle that he could definitely add to it, but I feel like we’ve got good leadership in place.”

Less than two months later the Bengals signed Trey Hendrickson to a four-year $60 million contract. Hendrickson had 13.5 sacks and 25 quarterback hits for the Saints last season. He's proven to be an even more productive player in Cincinnati, tallying 14 sacks and 27 quarterback hits to his name. Hobby says the players in his position room hold each other accountable.

“Watching last week with D.J. (Reader) having such a good game, you hear Trey (Hendrickson) on the opposite side of the room saying, ‘man, nice job DJ’ and he’ll (DJ) say ‘that’s a good rush right here, Trey,'" Hobby said. "You hear them reward each other on stuff and they get on each other when they don’t do so well. You see a guy get put on his back they’ll give each other a little reminder of that. Nothing slides.”

Reader’s dominance in Nashville was a big reason why the Bengals were able to hold Derrick Henry to 62 rushing yards on 20 carries. Last season there were doubts about whether he’d return and be able to perform at a high level after suffering a season-ending quad injury. He's used to overcoming adversity.

“Been doubted my whole life,” Reader said following Cincinnati’s win over Tennessee. “I spent seven, eight years old running around in a trash bag trying to make pee wee football weight limits. People don't grind like me. That's what I care about.”

Hobby has known Reader for more than a decade. He liked what he saw when it came to Reader's dedication and work ethic heading into the 2021 season.

“An athlete never thinks they’re ever going to get hurt, that’s just kind of the mindset,'' Hobby said. “But talking with him and hearing how much he missed it, not playing and not knowing if he’ll ever be able to play at the level he played at before he got hurt. To see him put the work in, he comes back and his body is different. At first he was a little tentative on it, you could tell when he was around traffic, but as a coach you keep pushing. Don’t be crazy, but you let him get his confidence back and he did that.”

“I tore my quad tendon last year,” Reader said. “I'm back in the playoffs. This is great. I don't look at myself as an underdog. I'm overcoming everything.”

Cincinnati’s roster is healthier than it has been in years, an important factor late in the season. Hobby says head coach Zac Taylor has been diligent about making sure the players are getting adequate time to heal after games, but he’s making sure they’re bouncing back mentally as well by not allowing anybody on the team to dwell on the good or bad plays put on film week after week.

“He’s done a great job of taking care of the players all year and dealing with the captains,” Hobby said. “From day one, even in team meetings if a group did, well coach would recognize them and if a group didn’t do so well he would say it, but he also is a big part of saying "'let’s move on from the good and the bad because there are other opportunities.'"

The next opportunity for Cincinnati’s defensive line includes pressuring Patrick Mahomes and slowing down Tyreek Hill in the AFC Championship game on Sunday.

Slowing down Mahomes' passing attack is much easier said than done.

“You can’t shake him, he’s special,” Hobby said. That’s the story on Patrick Mahomes; he's special. He’s got a supporting cast that’s really special too. He’s got an offensive line, he’s got tight ends, he’s got backs, he’s got receivers, and they’re clicking on a high level. Coach (Eric) Bieniemy does a great job and coach (Andy) Reid to put playmakers in a position to make plays. It’s a chess match every time the ball is snapped. As a coach your hands are tied. He’s a D-line coach’s nightmare.”

Another nightmare that every team faces revolves around injuries and not having players available late into the season.

The Bengals will be without defensive end Cam Sample on Sunday, but injuries aren't as big of a deal to Hobby. Injuries do not discriminate. They effect all 32 NFL teams.

“That’s why you work everybody all year whether it’s guys on the practice squad, you find time to make sure they get work," Hobby said. "I always tell the guys, when one guy got hurt I said, ‘you all do the same drills, correct?’ They said ‘yes sir’ and I said, ‘good then everybody should know what to do.'"

If the Bengals' defense can slow down the Chiefs' offense, which features Mahomes, Hill, and Travis Kelce, then they’ll have the chance to compete in Super Bowl LVI, a dream come true for every coach and player in the building.

“Everybody comes into playing football as a young child saying they want to win the championship,” Hobby said. “You want to win one in junior high, then you want to win one in high school, then you want one in college, then the one that’s bigger than all of them is in the National football league. So it would just be a dream come true for everybody because these kinds of opportunities are few, far, and in between."

Most of the attention goes to Joe Burrow and his receivers and rightfully so, but the elevation of the Bengals' defensive line is a massive reason why the they're competing in the AFC Championship game for the first time in 33 years.

"An opportunity lost is never regained so you’ve got to take the chance on the opportunities that you have," Hobby said.

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