Bengals' defensive line rotation going strong

There may be no official wagers – at least none anyone can talk about – but there is a friendly competition among each member of the Cincinnati Bengals' defensive line.

But it’s not necessarily what you may think.

Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins may be on their way to career-high sack totals based on their production through eight games, but - to them - they’re just part of a group that compete with one another in reaching the backfield first – sack or not.

Michael Johnson looks up at the scoreboard for the replay after each down. Did he do his job? Did his teammates?

“It’s not really about who gets the most numbers at the end of the season, it’s about who gets there first on the play,” Dunlap said. “That’s how we compete.”

The unit has gotten to the quarterback however, contributing 21.5 sacks to the team total of 23, a number that is tied for fifth best in the NFL.

A year ago, the team had 20 sacks total, with the defensive line contributing 16.5.

“It’s very refreshing because we’re playing great as a defensive unit,” Dunlap said. “We see how key it is to have the d-line playing the way they are. That’s why they give us the big bucks to do our job. The combination of our coverage (too), like I said, they’re giving us time. They’re not all just great pass rushes. Some of them are coverage sacks.”

The Bengals carried 10 defensive linemen on their 53-man roster this year, but only rookie Marcus Hardison has yet to see game action. Due to the relative health of the top end of that depth chart, Margus Hunt saw his first action of the year on Thursday against Cleveland.

Here is how the snap count has shaken out through eight games for the defensive line (not including Chris Carter, who is listed as a linebacker):

Carlos Dunlap: 431

Michael Johnson: 402

Geno Atkins: 384

Wallace Gilberry: 305

Domata Peko: 271

Pat Sims: 89

Will Clarke: 83

Brandon Thompson: 69

Margus Hunt: 2

Sims, Thompson and Hunt are the only three to have taken turns on the inactive list through eight games.

“Attitude and effort reflects a lot of the playing time and what not but it kind of just works itself out, man,” Gilberry said of the snap count. “There’s no rhyme or reason to it. It just works itself out. They feel these guys are prepared for the task and those are the guys they roll with. You don’t question, you just put your head down and go to work. And, if you’re not up, you still stay in the playbook and get the mental reps and maybe your number will be called next week.”

Dunlap has said the group’s preparation has been better this season, but all admit that their familiarity with one another also helps in success on the field – whether it’s knowing that the man next to you sees the same thing, or being familiar with how he executes his assignment and how he’ll move off the ball.

“We’re all used to playing together,” said Clarke, a second-year defensive end and the youngest player in that group. “So there will be times when it’s Carlos and Mike, or Carlos and myself, or Mike and Wallace and now Margus Hunt as well. We all gel well together as a group. Even with the defensive tackles. We all gel really well, just from practicing together. The game experience is the best experience, so that’s helped us as well.”

Added Gilberry: “We’re a close knit group, man. I must say that. We’re a close-knit group and we have a lot of self-respect for each other, first and foremost. It allows us to play the way we play. It allows us to come in, no matter who’s beside you, I trust him.”