Cincinnati Bengals Desperately Need Geno Atkins to Return to Superstar Form

September 5, 2015   ·   Cian Fahey   ·   Jump to comments

The Cincinnati Bengals had the fewest sacks of any NFL team last season.
A big reason for that was Geno Atkins. Atkins had suffered a torn ACL injury the previous year, and even though he returned in time for his second season, his performances weren't like before. The defensive tackle was still regaining his disruptiveness as the season progressed.
Atkins lodged just three sacks in 16 games after six in nine during the previous season.
Compounding Atkins' sluggish return from injury was Michael Johnson's departure. Johnson wasn't a stellar pass-rusher, but his absence wasn't filled by a younger player or an outside free agent. Without Johnson, the team's other defensive ends were overextended in their roles.
With Johnson and Atkins on the field in 2013, even while only getting nine games from the defensive tackle, the Bengals ranked 10th in sacks, with 43. For the Bengals to have an effective defense, they don't desperately need to rank that high in sack production...

Read Complete Article at Bleacher Report - NFL
Article is property of BleacherReport.com