Bengals Week 17 PFF Recap: 3 Stats to know

Every week, win or lose, we'll dive into the premium stats from Pro Football Focus and identify three stats to know from the previous Cincinnati Bengals game.

Much like the previous six weeks after Joe Burrow went out for good, the Bengals kept things interesting for longer than expected against the Kansas City Chiefs. Forcing six field goals is only a recipe for victory when your own offense is putting up points to match. The Bengals learned this reality the hard way when they watched their playoff chances fade away. 

Let's see what the advanced stats had to say about the Bengals' Week 17 performance.

ED Trey Hendrickson: Four pressures against eight true pass sets

When you're elite at your position, you show up no matter what. Hendrickson's greatness is very much independent of Cincinnati's futilities on the defensive side of the ball.

Kansas City's offense made enough changes to keep Patrick Mahomes clean in the pocket outside of the minimal true chances Hendrickson had to rush him. Four pressures and a strip sack while going up against eight true pass sets all game is solid work indeed. 

Hendrickson officially has 17 sacks through 17 weeks, though PFF has him at 19 since they count half sacks as full ones. He's tied with Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro T.J. Watt for the NFL lead and if he tops Watt next week, he'll be the first in franchise history to officially lead the league in sacks. Coy Bacon's 22 QB takedowns from 1976 still count in our hearts despite happening before the stat was officially recognized. 

WR Trenton Irwin: 0.2 yards per route run on 20 routes

Ja'Marr Chase played a full game but was not 100%. Tee Higgins missed a good chunk of action. Injuries to both of the Bengals' star wideouts had Irwin on the field more often, and no one would blame you if you didn't notice him. Irwin ran 20 routes for Cincinnati and caught one pass for four yards. There's efficiency, and then there's that.

If this sounds familiar, you're on to something. Irwin got in plenty of cardio the last time these teams faced off in Arrowhead Stadium with his one catch for six yards in last year's AFC Championship game.

Irwin has earned his roster spot for the past two seasons, but he simply cannot be this much of a non-factor when he's out there for extended periods of time. His presence should not deter the Bengals from continuing to get more explosive at wide receiver.

PR Charlie Jones: One punt return for one yard

On the subject of needing more, has Jones showed enough to be uncontested as the team's punt returner going forward? Outside of his 81 yard return for a touchdown all the way back in September, he's got 140 yards on 19 returns for an average of 7.37. That average took a slight dip when his lone return against the Chiefs went for three feet. 

With no muffs on the season and that Week 2 highlight to boot, Jones will at least be in the conversation at the position in 2024, but you'd have expected more flashes for someone who's clearly capable of providing them in big moments.