Jackson Carman’s Bengals breakout featured no pressures or sacks allowed

Cincinnati Bengals second-round rookie Jackson Carman played a key role in his team’s upset of the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3.

It happened to be Carman’s first pro start, too, as he got called into action after Xavier Su’a-Filo was unable to go due to an injury.

And it’s hard to imagine Carman ever lets anyone start there again.

According to Pro Football Focus, Carman didn’t let up a sack or pressure all game long over the course of his 19 pass-blocking snaps. Considering how poorly the interior offensive line played over the season’s first two weeks, it was a shocking turnaround at the position.

No word on Carman’s overall grade yet, but only one or two mistakes in the running game and a penalty flag stick out. It’s enough to think Carman’s in the driver’s seat as the full-time starter now.

That’s exactly what the Bengals want to get out of a premium second-round pick. Carman started much slower than the team anticipated this summer and didn’t earn a starting job right away. But what bigger platform to announce you’re ready for the job than by a strong performance during a win in Pittsburgh, right?

Jackson Carman’s first #NFL start vs Pittsburgh
19 pass-blocking snaps
0 QB pressures allowed
0 sacks@ClemsonFB pic.twitter.com/GCNqxAQ7OF

— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 26, 2021