If Mims had anything to prove, he’s doing it. After mentor Trent Brown suffered a season-ending injury in the Week 3 loss to Washington, Mims stepped in full time, and he’s done so well that even at 6-foot-8, 350-pound, he has somehow managed to blend in because he’s not making noticeable mistakes.
“I’m kind of harder on myself than a lot of other people, just because I know the level I can play up to, and I know, like, where I want to be and where I want my game to go,” Mims said. “... So I’m just trying to ... just be the best version of me, man. Just try to get better every game. Keep taking that step forward. And honestly, like I said, just being the best teammate possible and trying to play fast and physical. So, we got three weeks left to do that for sure, and you know, I’m just trying to get better each week.”
Mims has gone up against some of the best edge rushers in the league, including Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, who will be coming to Paycor Stadium on Sunday for the final “Battle of Ohio” matchup of the season.
During the first matchup, a Week 7 win at Cleveland, Mims allowed just one pressure and no sacks, and he’s gradually looked even better and better against top competition. On Sunday, in the win at Tennessee, he didn’t allow any pressures and recorded a season-high 74.4 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. His only noticeable mistake was a penalty.
In 12 games with 11 starts, Mims has allowed just four sacks and five hits in 31 pressures and four penalties.
“You don’t notice him during games,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “He’s playing really good football over there and you don’t notice it. You can feel that during the game. I told him to come off the field against Dallas and he doesn’t understand the wave of rushers he’s had to face this year. It’s tops in the league in terms of who he’s had to go against, and he’s done a great job. It doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement over his time. He’s just a rookie. He got no training camp. He’s been really consistent and there’s a lot to like there and it hasn’t been too big for him that’s for sure.”
Mims suffered a strained pectoral muscle during the preseason opener and missed the bulk of training camp allowing it to heal. He was disappointed to lose those reps, but fortunately, he had a good foundation built in the offseason when Brown was away for personal reasons and Mims was able to get a lot of first-team reps.
That helped him in the transition to starting. Now in his first season, Mims is just one snap away from matching his college snap total from his three years at Georgia, where he came in behind veteran tackles and got his first big experience in the playoffs en route to a national championship in 2022.
Injury impacted his final season, and he ended up making just eight college starts with 803 snaps. Taylor said the limited film the Bengals saw of Mims in college was “really good stuff” but he credited the scouts and personnel department that watched him practice as well and “stood on a table for him.”
The Bengals are reaping the benefits of that, but Taylor said it’s especially impressive to see how Mims has handled both the mental and physical aspects of blocking in the NFL as a rookie.
“It’s physical conditioning and mental conditioning, you know, to just get yourself ready, because every play can be the one that matters the most, especially when you’re playing all the guys, (Myles) Garrett, TJ Watt, and all the guys we face, Micah Parsons, Maxx Crosby, everybody,” Taylor said. “Every play can be the difference. We throw the ball a lot, so if you let your guard down for one snap and allow a guy to get around an edge and sack fumble, and they pick it up and go, that can be the difference in the game. That can be the difference the season. So, from a mental standpoint, just locking in on every single play, making sure you’re doing your job, and it’s as much as anything, as the physical part.”
Mims said edge rushers in the NFL just don’t stop, but his goal every week is to make them want to. He’s done that some already.
“Honestly, just being a relentless blocker, a relentless player, period,” Mims said. “Man, me and Coach (Frank) Pollack talk about it all the time, just being relentless and just make people hate you. Make people not want to line up against you man, make them want to go to the other side and, you know, I’m just trying to build that in my game, whether that’s like pass pro or run game, and just trying to mix that in.”
SUNDAY’S GAME
Browns at Bengals, 1 p.m., CBS, 700, 1290, 95.7, 102.7, 104.7
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