PITTSBURGH – When the Cincinnati Bengals drafted offensive lineman Jackson Carman in the second round of this year’s draft, the expectation was he would start immediately.
The assumption by many was the Bengals got two starters in the first two rounds with Ja'Marr Chase, the No. 5 overall pick, and Carman, the No. 46 overall pick.
After spending two seasons protecting Trevor Lawrence’s blindside at Clemson where he was very successful in his role, the transition to the NFL started a little slower than many imagined. That changed on Sunday when the Bengals defeated the Steelers 24-10 in Pittsburgh.
Doc:Beating the Steelers validates Zac Taylor's way of doing things, for now
Analysis:What we learned from the Bengals' Week 3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers
Ja'Marr Chase:Bengals rookie already looks the part of a No. 1 wide receiver
The Bengals thrust Carman into a starting role at right guard after veteran Xavier Su’a-Filo suffered an injury in Cincinnati’s Week 2 loss to the Bears. Getting your first start, let alone first snap in a regular-season game, in the NFL on the road against one of the best pass rush units in football is a tough feat.
The Fairfield native passed his first test. Carman didn’t allow a hit or sack on quarterback Joe Burrow on 19 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
“I thought he played well,” Burrow said of Carman’s NFL debut. “We’ll have to watch the film, but I didn’t feel anything from his side so that’s all you can say about that. He’s gonna be a great player for us. It’s exciting that he went in there for a first start and played that way.”
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor and offensive coordinator Brian Callahan repeatedly said they wanted to see more consistency from Carman throughout the preseason. That’s what they got on Sunday and depending on the severity of Su’a-Filo’s injury, Carman might win the job the Bengals hoped he would have from the start.
Cincinnati didn’t allow a hit or sack on Burrow in their Week 3 win. The pass protection and run blocking vastly improved from the Week 2 loss to the Bears where Burrow suffered four sacks and was hit nine times.
Not only did the Bengals protect Burrow well, they also got running back Joe Mixon involved early and often throughout the game. Mixon rushed for 90 yards on 18 carries. Carman played a significant role in helping get the Bengals run going on Sunday.
“There were a couple of things early that got him coming right out of the gate and then he just calmed down,” Taylor said. “That’s not to be unexpected when you’re on the road in a big divisional game. From my eye, he calmed down and did a great job. And we ran the ball to the right a lot and he was right there in the mix on that stuff. It was really good to see.”
The Bengals have a short turnaround this week as they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars Thursday at Paul Brown Stadium. Depending on Su’a-Filo’s status, Carman could be in line to make his second start and if he plays like he did at Heinz Field, he could become the permanent starter.
Source link
