CINCINNATI -- Injuries affected much of what the Cincinnati Bengals could accomplish in 2014.
Still, they had to play around those who were hurt. As a result, several backups, even a couple of rookies, saw more playing time than they probably were expected to have. As we continue reviewing the season, we're spending the next few days briefly analyzing the snap-count percentages for individual players at specific positions.
Click here for analysis of other positions. We continue with the defensive linemen.
DE Carlos Dunlap (83.7 percent of the Bengals' offensive snaps)
DE Wallace Gilberry (73.7)
DT Geno Atkins (65.4)
DT Domata Peko (63.0)
DE Robert Geathers (51.9)
DT Devon Still (20.8)
DT Brandon Thompson (20.2)
DE Margus Hunt (16.6)
DE Will Clarke (5.5)
Source: ESPN Stats & Information
Unlike just about all of the other position groups, the defensive line got through this season without too many injury concerns. Backup Thompson was lost for five games with a knee issue, and backup end Hunt missed four games because of an ankle injury. Otherwise, that was it.
Thompson's absence was most notable in the area of run support. At the same time he was out, the Bengals also had multiple run-stopping linebackers nursing their own ailments. The gaps in run-stop personnel were primarily seen in the Week 5 blowout loss at New England when the eventual Super Bowl champions rushed for 220 yards, and in Week 7 when the Colts added another 171 in a 27-0 win. Later in the year when Thompson was healthier and linebacker Rey Maualuga -- in particular -- returned, Cincinnati was vastly improved against the run. Only once in the last seven games did a team rush for more than 100 yards on the Bengals.
As healthy as they were up front, and as well as they played versus the run late in the year, the Bengals had all kinds of problems establishing consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. They ranked last in sacks, and Pro Football Focus gave them the worst pass-rush grade in the league. A large part of the problem was that linemen weren't as effective finishing sacks as they had been in years past. Atkins was among the worst offenders, showcasing some of the worst pressure numbers of his career.
Atkins' 698 snaps came mere months after he underwent ACL surgery and rehab. Coaches and trainers hope that by having a full offseason this spring and summer where he doesn't have to worry about having to rehab his knee will help Atkins come back stronger in 2015. If he does, he ought to improve upon this recent three-sack campaign, and get closer to the 12.5-sack production he had in 2012, the previous season he completed. A stronger Atkins could mean a stronger overall pass rush.
Gilberry also had a down year from a sacks standpoint. The longtime backup played more of a primary role in 2014. His 786 snaps were nearly 300 more than he took in any other season of his seven-year career. Despite the extra playing time, though, he had the second-lowest sack total of his career. He pulled down opposing quarterbacks just 1.5 times. That's a jarring number considering that in more of a reserve role his first two seasons as a Bengal, Gilberry had 6.5 and 7.5 sacks, respectively.