CINCINNATI -- Cincinnati Bengals defensive linemen BJ Hill and Sam Hubbard knew exactly what to do in a big moment at the end of the first half in Sunday's 24-18 win over the Buffalo Bills.
Hill, a defensive tackle, twisted left and attacked the edge of the offensive formation to pressure Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Hubbard worked from the edge inside. The plan worked and resulted in a sack.
What to do next was a bit trickier.
Unsure of who would get credit for the play, Hill and Hubbard each hit their signature sack celebrations -- Hubbard with his arms raised and biceps flexed, Hill swinging his arms as if he was rocking a baby to sleep. The box score would show Hill with the sack. But the play was a byproduct of a rehearsed, tandem attack.
"It's like practicing a rush move," Hill said. "And when it finally works, it feels amazing because you've been working so hard at it."
Cincinnati's lone sack in the Week 9 win over the Bills was a prime example of why the Bengals' defensive line has been more disruptive in 2023 than years' past. Entering Sunday's game against the Houston Texans (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Cincinnati is tied for 13th in the league in sacks per game (2.75), up from 29th in the same category a year ago.
That pressure is produced from a collective effort.
"It can be a different guy at each moment," coach Zac Taylor said on Monday. "They're all getting hits on the quarterback, and they're all affecting them. Whether they get credit for sacks or not, you can feel all those guys."
Since 2020, the Bengals have invested in their defensive line. This year's cap value for the group is a league-high $60.4 million, according to Roster Management System.
Trey Hendrickson, who signed a four-year, $60 million contract in 2021, is the most expensive. In July, he signed a one-year extension that netted $8 million in guaranteed money.
It was a wise investment. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Hendrickson has 34 impact rushes -- plays that either created a sack, incompletion or an interception -- this season. That total is second behind only Dallas Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons, who has 35.
His impact is also greater than his numbers. Within Cincinnati's defensive line is a sub-fraternity called "Swipe Life." Third-year player Cam Sample coined the phrase as a tribute to Hendrickson, the founding father whose swipe move has produced numerous sacks. The initiation ceremony is fairly simple -- use arms like windshield wipers when engaged with an offensive lineman en route to a sack.
"You gotta hit it clean in the game to get into it," Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai said. "And once you're in it, you're in it for life."
While the young players such as Sample and Ossai have had solid moments, the veterans have created the most havoc.
Hill, Hubbard and Hendrickson all have at least 10 quarterback hits, per ESPN data. Defensive tackle DJ Reader, who is primarily known as a run stopper in the middle of the defense, has five.
Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has dubbed that group the "Core Four" -- a tribute to the quartet of New York Yankees stars who helped the franchise to five World Series titles between 1996 and 2009.
That core group was gassed late in a tight Week 6 game with the Seattle Seahawks. But Anarumo said if Cincinnati was going to make one last stand, they were going to lead the charge.
"I said, 'I'm not putting anybody else out there but you four and I want you four to go win the game for us,'" Anarumo recalled on Oct. 16. "They just put their helmets on and said, 'Let's go.' And that's what they did. They wrecked the game."
In fact, the rush strategy Hill and Hubbard used for the sack against Buffalo was the same one used two weeks earlier against Seattle. In that instance, they both hit Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith on fourth-and-8 at Cincinnati's 9-yard line to force an incompletion and seal a 17-13 win.
The communication from players to each other and to the coaching staff has been integral to the unit's overall success. Many of the linemen credit assistant coach Marion Hobby for not only developing rush strategies but consistently providing feedback on what is and isn't working.
When asked about a point of emphasis heading into this season, Reader said "not being scared" was a big aspect. Being determined to not allow quarterbacks to have open rushing lanes, while a good thing, sometimes worked as a detriment when it came to pressuring them.
This year, Reader said there's a greater knowledge of what to do in certain situations, and the strategy is much less black and white.
"It's a good football gray," Reader said. "Like, don't be a freaking robot out there and be a player."
This year, players have been plenty animated with sacks, hits and pressures that have helped the Bengals during a four-game winning streak. Taylor, the fifth-year coach, knows the importance of a disruptive defensive line as Cincinnati pushes for a third straight AFC North title.
"All those guys have had their moments," Taylor said. "You have to have that as the season goes on."