Steelers OL Has Another Tough Task vs. Underrated Bengals Star

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle Dan Moore Jr. will have another major task on Sunday when he goes up against Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who currently leads the NFL in sacks with 11.5  Hendrickson’s 24 quarterback hits also lead the league.

Hendrickson is often not mentioned in the same class as T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons, but Moore believes he’s one of the best in the NFL.

“Trey’s a really good player. If you ask guys who played him around the league, we don’t think he’s underrated,” Moore said. “Definitely by the media, though. Doesn’t get enough credit. Having a breakout year. I mean, I think last year he was up there in sacks, too. Trey (has) a really good get-off. Really good motor, really good with his hands. Savvy vet, he’s got a really good speed to power. He’s just really efficient in his rushes. He doesn’t really pop up on film and I think that’s why people just don’t see it from him. But, I mean, production, you can’t argue with that. And every year he’s got numbers. So, you definitely got to respect him and build a game plan around him.”

Pittsburgh Steelers tackle Dan Moore Jr. at training camp on Aug. 6, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

Moore will need to have a bounce-back performance after a poor outing against Garrett last Thursday night. Garrett had three sacks, four pressures and a forced fumble in the first half alone. He had three pressures and two sacks against left tackle Dan Moore Jr. In total, Garrett had a whopping eight quarterback pressures.

Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said not all of it was on Moore, however. They have to do a better job of giving him help on the edge with chip blocks.

“There was a couple plays where we obviously didn’t execute the plan. We didn’t leave him by himself. I think there was two quick gains where we did. Everything else, we had help,” Smith said. “All three of those plays, you got chip help over there. Was it clean? No. It’s not on Dan [Moore]. There was two of them where we’ve got to help him. We’ve got to be where we’re supposed to be.”

Earlier this week, Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. weighed in on Moore’s matchup against Hendrickson. He thinks Hendrickson’s relentless motor could give Moore fits.

“It’s a combination of things,” Brown said. “He has the ability to make all his rushes look and feel the same when you’re playing him. He’s always relentless. His fundamentals always seem to be on point, never lacking. Truly a special talent. His motor is unlike most. You notice he starts to wear a guy down in the fourth quarter. A lot of rushers these days in the NFL don’t necessarily do that. He’ll get the sacks on you early and late in a game.”

Moore knows it will be a 60-minute battle against Hendrickson.

“I tell people all the time, Trey’s probably one of the best rushers I’ve played year in and year out,” Moore said. “He continues to get better every year. You can tell he just loves football. His effort, his motor, that’s something you really can’t teach. Guy’s got love for the game. Obviously, he works hard. He’s had a lot of success in his career, so good for him.”

Alan Saunders provided reporting from Pittsburgh.