Bengals Star Trey Hendrickson Could Have Big Day With Lions Star Dealing With Injury

CINCINNATI — The Lions downgraded star left tackle Taylor Decker to doubtful ahead of Sunday's game against the Bengals due to a shoulder injury according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Giovanni Manu is listed as Decker's backup on the depth chart. Manu is a second-year player that the Lions took in the fourth round (126th overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Penei Sewell has played 680 snaps at left tackle, but only lined up on the left side for two plays last season and the majority of his left tackle snaps came during his rookie campaign in 2021 (536).

If Manu starts for the Lions, then it gives the Bengals' defense a clear matchup edge that they have to win.

Reigning NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson would need to dominate his matchup with Manu. Hendrickson spends 86% of his snaps lining up over the left tackle. While the Lions will certainly help Manu out and send another guy to help block Hendrickson, he'll need to win that matchup and be a game wrecker for the Bengals to have a realistic shot of upsetting the Lions on Sunday at Paycor Stadium.

Score Points

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning (6) reacts to a false start on guard Dylan Fairchild (63) in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 4 Monday Night Football game between the Denver Broncos and the Cincinnati Bengals at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. The Bengals fell to 2-2 with a 28-3 loss to the Broncos. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Bengals know they need to force more turnovers on defense than they've forced (1) over the past two games. They also know they have to score early and often to have a shot at beating Detroit on Sunday.

"We have our job to do. We know what good offensive football looks like," Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said this week. "We have played it here in the past. We are not playing it now. It’s our job to get there. How others view us through that process is their prerogative. The day you start letting that influence, dominate your thought process, affect who you are and how you do your job on a day-to-day basis, you got very little chance. We just got to do our jobs, put your heads down and go to work.

The Bengals have been outscored 76-13 over the past two weeks. If Hendrickson is dominant on defense and the offense can wake up, maybe they'll have a shot at beating the Lions.

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