CINCINNATI – The Mega Millions jackpot stands at $740 million for tonight’s drawing, and Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher might consider spending a few dollars.
This is based on his conversation with reporters Monday afternoon, when he wondered if rookie first-round pick Amarius Mims already had more NFL snaps under his belt than he did at ‘university.
WLWT’s Charlie Clifford looked it up as Pitcher echoed the praise head coach Zac Taylor gave Mims a few minutes later.
Mims had 803 snaps in college and 802 in the NFL.
The majority of those 802 snaps in pinstripes were positive in the eyes of Taylor and Pitcher.
“You don’t notice it during games,” Taylor said. “He plays very good football there. This is felt during the match.
“I told him coming off the field against Dallas that he didn’t understand the wave of rushers he had to face this year,” Taylor continued. “He’s one of the best in the league in terms of the opponents he’s had to face, and he’s done a great job.” That’s not to say there isn’t room for improvement over time. He’s just a beginner. But he’s been very consistent, and there’s a lot to like there and it hasn’t been too big for him, that’s for sure.
Focus on professional football Mims is ranked in the bottom tier of the league — 50th out of 61 tackles with at least 300 true passes — but the improvement Taylor mentioned has been evident in the PFF rankings.
Mims received his second-best pass blocking grade of the season in Sunday’s 37-27 win over the Tennessee Titans with a score of 74.4.
That’s slightly below the 74.9 he received three weeks ago against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“I would say Amarius has been very consistent, especially lately,” Pitcher said. “It’s easy to lose track of Amarius. He goes much of the match unnoticed in a good way.
A 6-foot-8, 350-pound human going unnoticed is a feat.
Next up for Mims is round two with Cleveland’s Myles Garrett — the reigning Defensive Player of the Year — on Sunday.
In Cincinnati’s 21-14 road win in Week 7, Mims allowed just one pressure for a 98.2 percent efficiency rating from PFF. It was his second-highest score of the season before posting a 100 percent perfect Sunday against the Titans.
What wall of recruits?
“I’m just trying to play the best football I can for the rest of the three weeks that I have,” Mims said. “Just try to make the most of the opportunities I have every day. I just try to improve every day in practice and play as error-free as possible. I’m just trying to play faster and with more confidence. This will come with reps.
As good as Mims has been physically, Taylor was quick to point out the mental aspect of his game and how impressive he has been.
“You have to prepare physically and mentally, because every play can be the one that matters the most, especially when you’re playing all the guys we’re playing – Garrett, TJ Watt, Micah Parsons, Maxx Crosby, everyone.
“We throw the ball a lot, so if you let your guard down for a moment and allow yourself to get around an edge and fumble, and they get it and go, that can be the difference in the game,” Taylor continued . . “So from a mental standpoint, focusing on every play and making sure you do your job is as important as the physical part.”
Cincinnati scouts were pounding the table for the team to draft Mims with the No. 18 pick last spring.
His physical tools were evident.
But Mims’ mental prowess was more of a wild card because that’s always the hardest part to spot, but especially when a guy has as little tape as Mims had in Georgia.
“It’s impossible to know,” Taylor said. “Our scouts really liked him and what he was doing because they had the best evaluation. They have to go to practice. They were able to see who he was training against. We had seven games to go, which was a good thing, but it’s probably the least information you’ve ever had on a prospect, especially when you’re placing a first-round pick.
“So yeah, as coaches we certainly loved him, but I will tell you it was our scouts that got up on the table for him and said, ‘Hey, I know you don’t have the chance to see everything that happens.’ we see, but I tell you, this guy is made of good things, and he is going to be an excellent choice for us.
Pitcher also highlighted the mental part of playing the position as a highlight of Mims’ development.
“Things go way beyond just one-on-one protection matchups,” Pitcher said. “It’s ‘OK, how do I play in tandem with my guard?’ How do we pass twists and turns? All the different pressure front structures we see on third down and “What are the different rules I have to be ready for every week?”
“It’s more than just a pass, blocking the guy in front of me,” he added. “We’re almost done with his first season in the NFL, and he’s adjusted really well to it all.”
Mims said being a good teammate is one of the most important things to him.
The same goes for being an opponent’s heel.
“Me and (offensive line coach Frank Pollack) talk about it all the time, about making people hate you, about making people not want to line up against you,” Mims said. “Make them want to go to the other side.” I just try to incorporate that into my game, whether it’s a professional passing game or a running game.
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