The roster battles continued on Saturday, with the Bengals taking on the Buccaneers in their preseason opener. There were many bright spots, especially from several of the rookies from this year’s draft class, and even an undrafted rookie. Certain questions seem like they are on their way to being answered. However, other issues seem to be persisting, especially when it comes to parts of the trenches.
Winners:
First Team Offence & Defence
The starters played the first drive on both sides of the ball and, overall, things were positive. Joe Burrow looked good off of his injury, finding Tee Higgins a couple of times, including for a 10 yard TD. Although Ja’Marr Chase didn’t play, Andrei Iosivas and Trenton Irwin both stepped in to make a play. The OL, meanwhile, protected Burrow nicely. As for the first team defence, they were able to force a three and out, albeit against backups.
OT, Amarius Mims
Mims was part of that first unit OL, with Trent Brown not playing. The rookie 1st rounder looked great. He was comfortable in his first NFL action, and the size, strength, and athleticism that he possesses was on full display.
C, Matt Lee
Mims wasn’t the only rookie OL to impress. And with Lee being a rookie 7th rounder, it is even more impressive. He looked fluid in his movements, and his redirections were smooth. As well, Lee did well to create push on some plays. He wasn’t always there getting in stalemates. Lee is battling for the backup C job, and might have (should have) taken the lead.
WR, Jermaine Burton
The string of impressive rookies continues with Jermaine Burton. It took him a while to get into the game. Zac Taylor didn’t have him playing until pretty late, but even in a limited amount of time, he made his presence known. His plays were flashy on tape, and his 82 yards on only 3 catches backs that up. His best play came on a stutter and go, late in the 4th quarter. Logan Woodside dropped it in the bucket down the sideline, and Burton hauled it in for his first preseason TD.
CB, Josh Newton
Yet another rookie makes this list. Josh Newton looked pretty solid in coverage. It wasn’t perfect all of the time, but his level of comfort for being a mid round rookie was quite good. His highlight was a leaping interception
CB, Daxton Hill
Daxton Hill is battling for the CB2 job with DJ Turner, and he had a good outing on Saturday. He did give up a downfield pass, but even on that one, he was in good position and was just a tad late getting his head turned. Hill’s athleticism makes him dangerous as a boundary defender, and on several occasions, he was able to put himself in position to breakup passes.
LB, Maema Njongmeta
Maema Njongmeta might have been the biggest shock of the day. Shock being positive, in this instance. He got a lot of playing time, and seemed to always be buzzing around the ball, at least to the eye test. Well, the stats agreed, too. He finished with a staggering 10 tackles, with 7 of them being solo. A great showing for someone who is battling for one of the last roster spots.
DE, Cedric Johnson
Cedric Johnson, another rookie, had himself a solid day rushing off the edge. He threatened with speed and bend, and was able to make a few plays. Johnson racked up 4 tackles, a sack, and a tackle for a loss. Not bad for your first preseason game.
QB, Logan Woodside
There did not figure to be a QB2 battle going on, but should we start having that conversation now? Maybe it’s a tad premature after what Browning did last season, but in this one, Woodside was far more impressive. He was decisive in the pocket, and made some nice passes down the field. The veteran finished 8/12 for 149 yards, and a highlight deep shot TD to Jermaine Burton.
TE, Tanner McLachlan
McLaurin is another rookie to make it on here. He only made 1 catch, but piled on the yards after the catch for what amounted to a 23 yard gain. McLaurin is trying to stand out in a crowded TE room, and this glimpse of his play making ability can’t hurt.
Losers:
The Running Game
The starters looked good, overall, but the run game left a lot to be desired. Chase Brown looked lacklustre, getting all of the first team snaps, with Zack Moss out with an illness. But in fairness to Brown, the run blocking wasn’t all that good either. This continued even as the lineup rotated. The Bengals never really were able to run the ball with much efficiency or success.
OT, Jackson Carman
Carman might be the biggest loser of the game. We have been waiting for the former 2nd round pick to show something positive. He did have one good game, which was in the playoffs against the Bills a couple of seasons ago. But before that and after, he has been poor. He got beat often in this one, largely facing lesser competition. As well, he took 3 holding penalties and a false start. Not good at all. For him, the team’s lack of depth works in his favour, just in terms of his chances to make the roster. But if this continues, the Bengals had better be scouring the waiver wire.
C, Trey Hill
Rookie C Matt Lee looked very impressive, while Hill had another bad game, to pile on top of all his other preseason games. Hill, surprisingly, has been kept around for a few years now, but has never shown anything positive. Now that the Bengals seem to have a legit option to challenge him, Hill’s clock might be ticking.
DT’s, Zach Carter & Kris Jenkins
Zach Carter and Kris Jenkins were among the worst defensive performers for the Bengals in this game. Carter was especially bad, which is consistent with most of his performances last season. He missed a couple of tackles and was pushed around quite a bit. Jenkins is a rookie 2nd rounder, and there has been a lot of optimism surrounding him. I don’t want to be too hard on him after his first NFL action, but he was also getting moved too easily. We’ll see how things are when McKinnley Jackson and Jay Tufele return, but at the moment, iDL depth still seems to be a question mark.
QB, Jake Browning
Browning had a poor showing, coming off a string of impressive performances last season. He was missing some throws, and threw a pick on a pass intended for Lassiter. Browning completed 10/18 passes for a measly 52 yards. Woodside outperformed him by quite a lot in this one. I don’t know if it will lead to Zac Taylor making the number 2 job a competition. But in any event, he’ll need to be better.
P, Brad Robbins
While Ryan Rehkow averaged 56 yards per punt, Robbins still averaged a good 50, and had a long of 60. The problem is that he also had a shank, which we saw often last season. The positive, maybe, for Robbins, is that Rehkow boomed one which resulted in a touchback. But if he is going to keep shanking punts, Robbins might end up losing his spot.
CB, Lance Robinson
It wasn’t a good day for the rookie undrafted free agent. Robinson was getting picked on, and allowed a reception on all 6 of his targets. The Bengals CB room is deep, and a showing like this has made his uphill climb even steeper.
Modified Featured Image Via: Maize & Blue Nation (CC)