Bengals O-Line Set for Massive Test Off the Jump in Protecting Joe Burrow from Blitz-Heavy Buccaneers

The dawning of an NFL season brings plenty of excitement, and a little uncertainty.

That’s especially true for the Cincinnati Bengals offensive linemen tasked with protecting quarterback Joe Burrow and, along with him, the franchise’s Super Bowl aspirations.

Add to the equation the fact that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one of the most aggressive defensive play callers in the league in head coach Todd Bowles, and the stress level spikes even more walking into an uncertain situation in Week 1.

“It’s not like they’re inventing an entirely new defense you’ve never seen before, but you have to be on your Ps and Qs because you don’t have that bank of precedent,” center Ted Karras said.

“So there’s always that little tingle in your ass.”

Buccanners' Blitz-Heavy D Will Test Bengals in Opener

Nov 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Amarius Mims (71) gets in position to block Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) during the second half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But for the Karras and Bengals, the question marks could be neutralized somewhat by peripheral familiarity.

For the first time in 16 years, Cincinnati will start the same five offensive linemen in a season opener who also started the previous season finale.

It was Andrew Whitworth, Nate Livings, Kyle Cook, Bobbie Williams and Dennis Roland in 2010.

It will be Orlando Brown Jr., Dylan Fairchild, Karras, Dalton Risner and Amarius Mims on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“We have a lot of reps with each other and great relationships, but it only means as much as how we perform," Karras said.

Not only do they know each other, but they also know Buccaneers head coach and defensive play caller Todd Bowles, who has established himself as one of the most aggressive coaches in the league.

The Buccaneers have ranked in the top five in blitz percentage in six of Bowles’ seven seasons calling the defense.

“Todd’s got a lot of respect for the pressure they put on you,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “He’s been doing it 15 years in this league, calling defenses. He’s fine turned exactly how he wants it.

“Your work is cut out for you whenever you are preparing for it,” Taylor continued. “He gets those guys to play violent and give a lot of different looks. They do a good job rushing the passer. They try to knock out the run game. They have our respect and our attention, and we have to have a great plan for them.”

The only time a Bowles’ Tampa Bay defense hasn’t finished in the top five in blitz percentage was his first year after being promoted from coordinator to head coach, when the Buccaneers ranked 10th.

Here are Bowles’ rankings in his other years as head coach from 2023-25, and as defensive coordinator from 2019-21.

Head Coach

2025 – 31.2 percent, fourth

2024 – 35.5 percent, third

2023 – 41.1 percent, third

Coordinator

2021 – 42.8 percent, first

2020 – 40.2 percent, fifth

2019 – 44.4 percent, second

Bowles acquired more pass-rushing weapons in the offseason with the first-round selection of edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., and free-agent signings of linebacker Alex Anzalone and defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson.

Those pieces will allow Bowles to be even more complex with his pressure packages.

“They do a lot of different things up front schematically,” left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. said. “The positive thing is Todd Bowles has been doing it for a long time, and you know to expect it. ,But the negative thing is just the lack of film. And with personnel changes year to year, philosophies can somewhat change year to year as well.”

The overwhelming philosophy when facing the Bengals offense and Joe Burrow is blitz at your own peril.

Burrow’s recognition and processing skills have made him elite against the blitz since his rookie season.

And opponents have reacted accordingly.

The Bengals faced blitzes 31.4 percent of the time (15th most) during Burrow’s rookie year.

Since then:

2021 – 21.9 percent, 28th

2022 – 17.4 percent, 31st

2023 – 25.4 percent, 25th

2024 – 24 percent, 20th

2025 – 18.9 percent, 28th

When Bowles faced Burrow and the Bengals in 2022 off the Super Bowl run, he blitzed 26.8 percent of the time, which was right in line with his season average of 29.6 percent in his first year as head coach.

So it’s fair to expect Bowles to bring plenty of pressure in Sunday’s opener.

One, because it’s what the Buccaneers do. And two, because the Bengals are leaning heavily into going under center more than they ever have.

And with Burrow turning his back to the defense more often, could that invite teams to test him with more blitzes?

“I don't know. We’ll see,” Burrow said. “I think it depends on how effective you are at what you're doing. If we're getting under center and ripping the run game, we ‘ll probably get more run-stopping blitzes than in the past.

“But if we’re dicing them up in quick game and throwing the ball down the field, we probably won't,” he continued. “I think it's just going to depend on the game, depend on the coordinator, and depend on how we’re playing.”

Because the Bengals have used under center so infrequently, the sample sizes are small. But the difference is stark, nonetheless.

Last year, Burrow ran 82 plays under center, 20 of which were dropbacks. Teams blitzed him on eight of those (40 percent).

Burrow had 265 dropbacks from shotgun. He faced blitzes only 48 times (18 percent).

In 2024 when Burrow played the full season, the splits were similar.

He had 39 dropbacks from under center and saw 15 blitzes (38.5 percent).

From shotgun, he dropped back 682 times and was blitzed just 134 times (19 percent).

So the Bengals figuring out what the Bowles and the Buccaneers will be only part of the puzzle Sunday afternoon.

“In addition to figuring out what the opponent is trying to do in Week 1, another thing to consider is every team doesn’t really know who they are themselves yet,” Karras said. “That’s what September football is, finding out what you are and what you’re trying to be.”

That answer to that for the Bengals is whatever is needed.

“I think we can do a lot of different things,” Burrow said. “We’re going to be multiple in our formations, in our looks and our play calls as well. And we can go and execute any way that we need to to get the job done.”

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