The Cincinnati Bengals, coming into Week 8 with a 3-4 record, will face the winless New York Jets at Paycor Stadium on Sunday, with their defensive unit set to welcome back their star pass rusher, Trey Hendrickson. Hendrickson, who missed last week’s 33-31 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers with a hip injury, is officially “good to go,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The 30-year-old took part in limited practice this week, and the team listed him as questionable on the final injury report.
Hendrickson has been a major contributor to the Bengals’ pass rush. In six starts this season, he has recorded four sacks and three tackles for loss. Last year, he led the NFL with 17.5 sacks and has compiled 81 sacks across 116 career games. This season, Cincinnati ranks 27th in sacks with 11 through seven games. Outside of Hendrickson, Joseph Ossai is the only other Bengal with at least two sacks this year.
Cincinnati is looking for back-to-back wins and holds a 2-1 record against New York in their last three matchups. The Jets have been outscored by 28 points in those contests, and the Bengals will hope to continue that trend. Cincinnati's defense has faced challenges this season, allowing 257.1 passing yards per game (ranked 30th) and 30.6 points per game (31st).
The running defense has also struggled, giving up 137.3 yards per game on the ground (27th). Prominent contributors include Jordan Battle with 50 tackles and three interceptions, Demetrius Knight II with 50 tackles and one interception, Geno Stone with 42 tackles, two TFLs, one sack, and one interception, and Daxton Hill with 43 tackles and one interception.
Offensively, the Bengals rely heavily on Ja’Marr Chase, who leads the NFL with 58 receptions for 629 yards and five touchdowns on 80 targets. Tee Higgins has added 316 receiving yards and three touchdowns, while Chase Brown averages 3.6 yards per carry with 310 total rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Quarterback Joe Flacco has passed for 1,376 yards, seven touchdowns, and six interceptions, completing 60.7% of his throws.
Kickoff at Paycor Stadium will take place at 1 p.m. ET.
