The Bengals went head to head against the Washington Commanders in their second game of the preseason. Week 1 against Philly was the first opportunity for guys to step up in live game action. While several did, a number also fell short of expectations. This game was a second opportunity–for some to solidify their spot, and for others to gain redemption.
Winners:
WR, Mitchell Tinsley
Tinsley was the story of the game. In quick succession, he put 2 TD’s on the board, and they were both spectacular catches. The first required him to spin towards the ball, showing good body control in the air to secure it. His second one was an impressive toe tapper in the back of the end zone, while a defender contested the pass. In addition to the 2 TD’s, Tinsley totaled 73 yards on 5 catches, and likely secured his spot on the roster.
LB, Barrett Carter
Carter had bright moments in coverage as a college prospect, and he showed this on Monday. One of the defensive highlights, Carter read the QB’s eyes, and quickly came back downhill to jump an underneath route. His interception led to Tinsley’s second TD.
WR, Charlie Jones
Jones wasn’t quite as impactful as Tinsley, but his 4 receptions for 32 yards and a TD was enough to keep him relevant. He got some work with Burrow and the first team, and showed a decent connection with the star QB.
S, Tycen Anderson
Anderson had a sketchy opening drive, but settled in as the game went on. His highlight was an interception off Josh Johnson. It was a deep shot, but Anderson was able to read the QB’s eyes and get under the ball before the receiver. He also had a few tackles on the day.
QB, Jake Browning
Browning didn’t go crazy or anything, but looked a lot more settled than he did in the preseason openers. There were still a couple of misses, but he made most of the throws that he needed to on the shorter routes, and he showed good ball placement on the 2 TD passes to Tinsley.
LB, Shaka Heyward
Heyward showed some improvements in coverage, compared to the first preseason game. As well, he made some solid tackles, both on defence and on special teams. He was still battling for that last LB spot, and should have kept himself in the mix through week 2 of the preseason.
CB, Bralyn Lux
Lux played a heavy amount of snaps for the Bengals, and was noticeable on more than one occasion. He had a nice pass breakup and made a few solid tackles. For the amount of snaps he played, little was allowed in coverage.
WR, Kendric Pryor
In one sense, you could say he is a loser, given that Tinsley likely took hold of the final WR spot. That said, in a vacuum, I thought Pryor was solid. He was creating some separation, and was able to tally a respectable 3 receptions for 35 yards.
Losers:
First Team Defence
The first team defence for the Bengals was atrocious. That is the word I am choosing to use here, but I don’t know if there is any word that could truly describe just how bad they were. The Commanders’ ball carriers were gashing the defence for big run after big run, en route to 2 TD drives. Cincinnati’s defence showed virtually no resistance before exiting the game for the backups. Yes, a few starters were missing, but this performance was extremely concerning, especially after a similarly poor outing last week in Philly.
G, Lucas Patrick
Patrick got the start at RG and, like last week, left the fanbase concerned with the state of the position. It wasn’t quite as bad as in week 1, but he still allowed more pressure than you would like to see, and his anchor wasn’t where it needed to be. His performance resulted in the Bengals bringing Dalton Risner in for a visit. Although he left without a contract, the two sides will reportedly stay in touch.
C, Andrew Raym
Raym had a second straight rough week. To the eye, it seemed like he allowed the most pressure of any of the team’s offensive linemen. Injuries to Matt Lee and Seth McLaughlin have allowed Raym to see a heavy snap count. But at this point, you’d have to assume he is just a camp body.
RB, Kendall Milton
Milton was given 9 carries, but only turned them into 22 yards, good for 2.4 yards per carry. He is likely battling for a practice squad spot, but so far, has failed to separate himself from the competition.
LB, Demetrius Knight
The rookie LB has shown some flashes, but wasn’t at his best on Monday. He had issues against the run with the first team, and failed to generate push when engaged with a TE. This led to a big run for the Commanders. He was also on the ground pretty often, which was not a good look. Knight is battling for a starting spot, and will look to bounce back next week.
LB, Logan Wilson
Wilson wasn’t totally to blame on some of the big plays, but for much of the preseason, it has looked like he has lost a step. He has been a little off on a good chunk of plays, both in coverage and against the run. His starting spot is safe, but for the first time, some Bengals fans have been questioning if it should be safe.
S, Jordan Battle
Battle has had a good offseason, but his performance on Monday was the opposite. His 3 missed tackles contributed heavily to the big runs given up. Poor mistakes like the ones he made will need to be weeded out once the regular season starts.
