Cincinnati Bengals: 3 Reasons for win vs. Colts in Week 8

2. Geno Dominates

Geno Atkins continues to prove he’s an elite defender, and his effort against Indianapolis is another in a laundry list of excellent games by the man. This was the 45th game of his career where Atkins came away with at least one sack. It was the  10th occasion where the defensive tackle managed at least four solo tackles, and the eighth where he did that while also picking up at least one sack.

This wasn’t just a few meaningless plays, either. Pro Football Focus went out of their way to specifically praise him as elite this week for a reason in their Refocused recap. His sack came on a third-and-2 on the opening Indianapolis drive, forcing the punt which was eventually blocked by his team. Twice, Indianapolis was starting deep inside Cincinnati territory; each time, Atkins was the first to make a play. He showed up on plenty of his 57 snaps without necessarily making a statistical impact as well, including on the final play of the game.

That play is a great example of how good he can truly be. There, he starts on the outside of the guard; once the ball is snapped, he immediately cuts inside. On his way in, he chips the guard and then rushes the center. While he does this, Chris Smith stunted around his back and has a clear shot at Colts QB Jacoby Brissett; he hits him, forcing the fourth-down incompletion to give Cincinnati the victory.

We must appreciate Geno while we can; as this season’s injury slate should remind us, even the best players aren’t guaranteed to be able to stay healthy enough to play with regularity. He’ll be gone before you know it, and this impact of his deserves recognition.