The Bengals were at hope in week 2 of the preseason, taking on the Bears. It was a continuation of the battles that have been taking place during training camp and in the first one. In fact, we already saw one domino fall, with Cody Ford being released. I think it goes without saying that he would have ended up in the loser section of this article, but given that his release has already happened, I won’t get into that further. Instead, we’ll look at some of the guys who are still around to fight for their spot.
Winners:
DT, Landon Robinson
Robinson continues to show some tremendous flashes as a pass rusher. His athleticism and leverage is visible, despite being undersized. He was able to put up a decent amount of pressure, and got home for a sack and a half.
DE, Cedric Johnson
Johnson has also had a tremendous offseason. No sacks for him in this one, but he once again was very noticeable coming off the edge, and is looking like he can be an effective rotational pass rusher.
LB, Liam Anderson
Swayze Bozeman put his name on the radar last week, and had another solid game this week. But Liam Anderson was the big standout at LB in week 2. It was his instinctiveness on some plays that caught my eye. He was able to horizontally track runs before showing good technique as a tackler. His coverage was also solid.
CB, Ja’Sir Taylor
The battle at the bottom of the Bengals CB depth chart is heating up. I didn’t think Taylor was all that good last week, but his play was stronger in week 2 of the preseason. He broke up a pass on his only target, and looked tight in coverage.
DE, Isaiah Foskey
With all the depth at DE, Foskey is kind of getting lost. But he quietly has had a solid camp, and had a good performance against the Bears. He put up half a sack, and was able to pressure the QB a handful of times. The Bengals also used him in coverage. Tackling blips showed up, but overall, his impact was positive.
WR, Ke’Shawn Williams
Ever since joining the Bengals, Williams has impressed as a returner. Now, he made an impact in the passing game. On 3 catches, he put up 42 yards.
WR, Dohnte Meyers
Meyers also continues to impress. His short area quickness and ability to work out of the slot provide a unique skillset that it will be difficult for the Bengals coaching staff to leave off the roster. For him, it was 41 yards on 5 catches, and his quick playmaking ability stood out.
TE, Tanner Hudson
Despite the depth at TE, Hudson seems to still be strongly in the mix. He is a reliable target in the passing game. We have seen it before, and in the preseason now, he is still showing it. In a goal to go situation, Josh Johnson was able to connect with him for a TD.
C, Jacob Bayer
Bayer has been one of the revelations of the offseason. Entering, he was thought to be, at best, challenging for a practice squad spot. But with Connor Lew returning from injury and working in slowly, Bayer has taken advantage of his extra reps. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing, especially when it comes to run blocking. However, his pass protection has been quite steady. He can play G too, and with Cody Ford being cut, maybe he can grab a depth spot on the roster.
QB, Josh Johnson
Johnson’s outing in the preseason opener was a poor one, but he looked better in this game, and is on his way to getting the QB3 spot (which would still be on the practice squad). His poise was a lot better, and he was working the quick game well. He was also able to use his legs more to escape pressure. Johnson went 15/23 for 156 yards and 2 TD’s through the air, as well as another 7 yards on the ground.
QB, Sean Clifford
After Johnson bounced back, it didn’t seem like there was much Clifford could do. And there probably still isn’t. But when he got his chance, he did enough to at least stay relevant and showcase, either for the Bengals or another team. He did throw a pick, but his overall performance was solid enough. He went 10/15 for 126 yards and a TD, in addition to the interception.
WR’s, Colbie Young & Noah Thomas
Young only hauled in 3 of 8 targets, but was again able to show downfield playmaking ability. He put up 48 yards and caught one of Johnson’s TD passes.
His former college teammate, Noah Thomas, also caught a TD. His was from Clifford. A 20 yarder on his only catch of the day. Although the flashy yard statistics haven’t been there for Thomas, I think his play and ability to separate has been worth noting. In another offseason without so much depth at the position, he might be challenging for a roster spot. It is hard to see him not making the practice squad.
K, Evan McPherson
I try to keep the preseason stuff about the depth guys battling for a spot. McPherson isn’t in that position, but 2/2 on field goals with a long of 58, and 3/3 on extra points, deserves a quick shoutout.
Losers:
CB, Josh Newton
It was a tough outing for Newton, who got beat for a big play a couple of times. I question whether he has the speed/twitch to consistently match up. Even against depth guys, he has his down moments.
G, Jalen Rivers
Rivers continues to struggle. I don’t at all think he should be playing OT, but with the lack of depth, especially with Ford ending up on the outside, he has been getting a lot of reps there. It feels safe to say that experiment isn’t working out. Even in his reps at G, while improved, he still needs to show more. It is hard to feel good about the state of the o-line if he is first off the bench at any position.
OT, Andrew Coker
Coker followed up an abysmal preseason week 1 performance with one that was less abysmal, but still bad. His snap count was much lower than Rivers, but when he was on the field, he still had his share of negative plays.
WR, Charlie Jones
Jones got behind the defence for a big play on what was sort of a busted coverage. As a result, the statline looks alright at 2 catches for 35 yards. But with Williams and Meyers both continuing to impress, and both having ability in the return game, you have to wonder if Jones is being squeezed out of his roster spot.
DT, Jordan Jefferson
Jefferson wasn’t able to make an impact, whether as a pass rusher or run defender. With other depth guys at the position standing out, he is running out of chances to show he deserves to stick around. His practice squad spot is in jeopardy.
