As we do every week to get you ready for the upcoming game, our X-factor of the week. Sometimes, it’s a player, unit, concept, or scheme. Here’s our X-factor for Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
X-FACTOR: OT Dan Moore Jr.
Lot of options for X-Factor this week. But if there’s a player on that Cincinnati Bengals’ defense who could take over the game, it’s RDE Trey Hendrickson. The man tasked with preventing that will be Steelers’ LT Dan Moore Jr.
In Week 12, the Steelers were sacked just twice, but per our charting, one of them was charged to Moore. And here, it wasn’t even Hendrickson who got him. It was rookie Myles Murphy, who gave Moore and rookie RT Broderick Jones fits. Moore gave up the edge on this one, creating a third-and-long as Pittsburgh was on the red zone fringes.
While it was Murphy who got the sack, Hendrickson is their top threat. The Bengals’ leader with 15 sacks, he’s only one behind T.J. Watt. But Hendrickson’s name isn’t talked about much in national circles. He could end up leading the NFL in sacks, especially if Moore doesn’t do his job this weekend. If Hendrickson tops the league this year, he’ll become just the second Bengal ever next to Coy Bacon, whose 21 led the league in 1976 (before the stat was officially tracked and kept by the league).
But none of that really matters for this game. With a less-than-mobile Mason Rudolph at quarterback, Moore has to keep the pocket. He has to set the width of it and keep Hendrickson upfield. Rudolph can navigate within the pocket, but if Hendrickson is able to dip the edge, Rudolph is going to be in trouble. And speaking of stats, if you’re into PFF, they rank Moore as the third-worst pass protector of any offensive linemen this season (minimum 50 percent of his team’s snaps) and the worst of any tackle.
Beyond that, the Bengals’ third down pressure package is intense. Get into third and long, and Cincinnati will show Cover 0 looks, putting up to eight defenders at and along the line of scrimmage. Sorta like what Brian Flores does in Minnesota. They won’t always bring everyone, but they make life hell for an offense trying to figure out who is rushing and who isn’t. Everyone on Pittsburgh’s end will have to be on the same page, not just Moore. But he’ll certainly be part of knowing when to slide down and take away the inside B-gap or when he can take the RDE wide.
In the run game, Moore will play a part in trying to get Pittsburgh’s ground game on track. He’s a capable run blocker, better than he is in the passing game. He has to clear a lane whether they’re running to his side or if he’s pulling on crack/tosses and coming across on dart schemes that have been effective.
While every o-lineman has to do their job, the blindside protector for a pocket passer quarterback is critical. Moore has to be at his best.
