The Bengals took on the New York Giants in week 2 of the preseason. We got to see last week how the battles were progressing, and who was getting ahead and falling behind. This week was the chance for the depth players to either build on what they did well last week, or improve their stock after a poor performance. Let’s take a look at this week’s winners and losers.
Winners:
– LB, Clay Johnston
Johnston was all over the field against the Giants. He delivered some earth shattering hits, but also was very sure when wrapping up as a tackler. Johnston racked up a whopping 20 total tackles in the game, as well as a sack. He came into the preseason battling for his spot. With Joe Bachie, arguably his biggest competition, out injured, Johnston seems bound to earn a place on the roster.
– CB, Allan George
George struggled in last week’s preseason opener, but he was able to parlay a bounce back week of practice into a bounce back game. George made a number of nice plays in coverage, and seemed to blanket a lot better. He wasn’t perfect by any means, but for a rookie UDFA, improvement like this is what you want to see. There is still a preseason game to go, but George seems close to locking up a spot on the practice squad. A roster spot isn’t out of the question yet, either.
– S, Daxton Hill
The 1st round rookie ends up in the winners column again. Early in the game, he showed off his burst and speed to make an impressive tackle. It stopped the ball carrier from picking up the 1st down, and the Giants ended up turning it over on downs. Later on, Hill was able to lay out for a tipped ball, and come away with the interception.
– WR’s, Kwamie Lassiter & Kendric Pryor
Pryor started to separate himself from the bunch of UDFA wideouts signed by the Bengals. But after some good practices, Lassiter was able to translate it into game success. Lassiter hauled in 7 grabs for 91 yards. He showed the ability to quickly extend out his arms and snatch the ball out of the air. There was the bad drop on the 2 point conversion attempt, but it isn’t something that seems to be a consistent issue.
Pryor, meanwhile, didn’t put up the same flashy statline as last week. That said, he made some nice catches that were quite contested. He continues to make a strong push for the roster.
– G, Cordell Volson
His PFF grade doesn’t look good at first glance, but his performance on film provides a more optimistic outlook than PFF would suggest. Volson started against the Giants starters and largely held his own. His biggest mistake led to a sack, but it seemed to be a result of miscommunication, rather than him just getting beat cleanly. His play dropped a bit in the 2nd half, but fatigue seemed to be setting in. There is certainly work to be done, but I would say that Volson has taken another positive step towards earning the starting job.
– S, Michael Thomas
For someone like Thomas, special teams is the key to his roster spot. He wasn’t featured in last week’s article, but probably could have been. After another good performance on special teams, this time he does make it in. Thomas has been quick to get down the field in his kick coverage. Against the Giants, he was also able to force a fumble, which the Bengals did recover.
– RB, Chris Evans
Evans makes this list for a second straight week, but this time, it is for his kick returning rather than his rushing. Evans took his only return for 73 yards, which set the Bengals up with good field position.
– RB, Jacques Patrick
Patrick also makes it in for a second straight week, but he does make it in for his rushing. He was only given 4 attempts, but made the most of them. He rushed for 17 yards on one play, and totaled 28 yards altogether. One of them was also a goal line TD run. Beyond the statline, Patrick once again ran hard and with a purpose. It is a tough situation for him, because Mixon and Evans clearly aren’t going anywhere. Additionally, Perine’s lack of usage in the preseason suggests his spot is safe. Patrick definitely looks like a player deserving of a rooster spot, but do the Bengals keep 4 on the roster?
– P, Drue Chrisman
Chrisman was in for all three of the punts, and he impressed. He showed off his strong leg, booming one for 56 yards, while averaging 48.3 yards per punt. On one of them, he was able to pin the Giants inside the 20. It will be interesting to see if he can supplant the veteran of over a decade, Kevin Huber. The holding duties on field goals should also factor into the decision.
Losers:
– CB, Delonte Hood
It wasn’t a good day for Hood. The rookie UDFA was picked on often in this one, both on shorter passes and down the field. He gave up too much separation in coverage, limiting his ability to recover. With Jalen Davis having a solid preseason, and Allan George turning in a bounce back performance, Hood is losing significant ground, even in a bid for a practice squad spot.
– OT, D’Ante Smith
Smith made his 2022 preseason debut against the Giants, as he returns from injury. The rust was evident. Smith gave up a lot more pressure than you would like to see. As well, penalties were a big problem early on. The holding calls really started to pile up.
– TE, Thaddeus Moss
Moss got a lot of negative attention for blocking low on Giants first round pick, Kayvon Thibodeaux. The block was a legal one, however, making it hard to fault Moss. But you do hate to see players go down hurt, regardless of the legality of the play. Even with the hit being legal, the negative attention may not be the best thing for Moss, as he continues to fight for a roster spot. Further, he has done very little to show that he deserves a spot on the team. At this point, it seems as though Wilcox still has the clear edge for the TE3 position on the depth chart.
– Late Game Defence
The Bengals defence performed decently well overall, given the circumstances. However, as the Bengals offence provided them with two 4th quarter leads late, the defence failed to hold it on both occasions, instead allowing Davis Webb to lead 2 TD drives. There was little pressure on the two drives, and there was also too much space allowed in coverage.
Homescreen Image Via: All-Pro Reels (CC)