Shockingly, the Bengals rank near bottom of the NFL in protecting QB

There are a lot of challenges facing Joe Burrow this season. None of which is more impactful than the amount of pressure the Bengals offensive line is giving up.

It’s hard enough to start in Week 1 after having no preseason and limited practices in the offseason. But the Bengals have allowed the third-most pressures in the NFL through Week 2, according to Pro Football focus.

It’s a miracle that Burrow has numbers as good as he does. In his first two games, he has completed 61.9 percent of his passes, he has 509 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He has also been sacked six times.

Burrow has 97 passing attempts, six sacks, and has scrambled eight times. That means out of 111 drop backs, he has been pressured on 52 of them.

It’s also important to note that Burrow leads the NFL in passing attempts. Daniel Jones, who has been pressured four more times than Burrow, only has 81 attempts. While Burrow has faced the third-most pressures in the league, he’s actually suffered a lower rate of pressure per drop back than this list would indicate.

Granted, it’s still a problem to be that close to the bottom of the league. The Bengals need to do everything they can to make sure the pressure is eased. From making personnel adjustments to scheme changes, the Bengals should try to get the pressure off Burrow so he can live up to his full potential.