The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t shocked at all about the breakout game from Sam Hubbard.
Hubbard got the nod as starter in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks and made the most of it, working in various looks while playing 81 percent of the snaps and recording two sacks.
Head coach Zac Taylor made it clear while speaking with the media he wasn’t surprised at all with the breakout:
“Sam’s ‘breakout game,’ if you want to call it that, is one of the least-surprising things that I’ve ever seen. He’s been consistent day to day. He’s exactly the type of player you love to coach and you love to be around. You’re combining talent with a relentless effort, and that usually pays off. Some of the (defensive) fronts we presented yesterday put (our linemen) in some good one-on-one situations in the pass rush, and they were sound fundamentally in the run game. Sam just capitalized on a lot of the opportunities.”
It has been clear for a while Hubbard was ready for a breakout after the new coaching staff signaled he was a big part of the plan instead of bringing on a veteran to challenge his spot.
Makes sense, as Hubbard flashed as a rookie with six sacks and was versatile when called upon.
As one might have predicted before the season, Hubbard is a big part of the reason the defensive pass rush is once again a big strength for the overall unit.
