The NFL playoffs kicked off with the Cincinnati Bengals hosting the Las Vegas Raiders. The Bengals were the first team to reach the end zone, with quarterback Joe Burrow finding tight end C.J. Uzomah on Cincinnati’s opening possession to take a 7-3 lead.
Then the Bengals defense forced the first turnover of the game, and the playoffs, thanks to pass rusher Trey Hendrickson. The free agent from New Orleans, who led Cincinnati with 14 sacks this season, was able to get to Derek Carr to force the fumble:
TREY HENDRICKSON. Strip Sack. Bengals ball.#RuleTheJungle #SuperWildCard
📺: #LVvsCIN on NBC
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/Wbkm40SFDg— NFL (@NFL) January 15, 2022
Hendrickson uses a rip move to disengage from the blocker, before flattening his path and swatting the football away from the quarterback. The ball popped loose, to be recovered by the Bengals giving Burrow and the offense great field possession. Cincinnati would be held to a field goal, giving them a 10-3 lead.
Hendrickson was matched up against tight end Foster Moreau on the play, bringing into question the ideal of putting a tight end in pass protection alone on the Bengals’ most-productive pass rusher. That might be something the Raiders tweak as the game continues.
