The Cincinnati Bengals will be without one of their best defensive players on Saturday in Nashville as the team has placed Larry Ogunjobi on injured reserve.
Ogunjobi suffered a foot injury in the Bengals’ wild-card win over the Raiders and didn’t return to the game. Following the game, Ogunjobi was spotted on a scooter in front of the locker room greeting his teammates as they walked off the field.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said on Monday the team would know more about Ogunjobi’s status in the coming days and the result is not one that benefits the Bengals in the slightest. Ogunjobi has recorded seven sacks and 16 quarterback hits in his first season with the Bengals. Cincinnati’s consistent play up front is a big reason the team is in the position they are today.
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Not only are the Bengals going to be without Ogunjobi against one of the league’s best rushing attacks in the NFL, they also will likely be without Ogunjobi’s backup. Defensive tackle Mike Daniels suffered a groin injury on Saturday and Taylor said it’s unlikely he’ll be available against the Titans. Look for B.J. Hill to play a bigger role next to defensive tackle D.J. Reader inside for the Bengals and Tyler Shelvin is likely to be active in the upcoming matchup for depth reasons. If Cincinnati is able to get Josh Tupou back following a knee injury, it would significantly help as Tupou started nine games this season.
Tennessee is expected to have Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry for this game and Cincinnati will have to have a plan for how to prevent Henry from wrecking the game. Henry missed the second half of the season with a foot injury. In the eight games he did play, he led the NFL in rushing with 937 yards and 10 touchdowns on 219 carries.
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