The Bengals had their preseason finale yesterday in a 27-14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, where we saw the backups fight for the last few roster spots available against the Colts starters, here are the main takeaways from it.
The Good
There were a lot of positives to take from the loss, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. While many key contributors like Joseph Ossai, Kris Jenkins, Dax Hill, and DJ Turner, were put to the sideline, the Bengals were deep into the depth chart early with guys fighting for a spot on the 53 man roster, the Practice Squad, or perhaps a spot on a different team. We saw the D-line depth step up, as UDFA rookie Justin Blazek had a strip sack fumble and 6th round rookie Cedric Johnson made plays, including a quick sack that was negated by a penalty in the secondary.
The depth on defense shined, as LBs Shaka Heyward with 8 tackles and Maema Njongmeta with 11 were all over the field. In the cornerback room, it was Josh Newton who excelled with a bounce back game, as he made a lot of big plays in coverage and in the run game. Overall it was Jordan Battle that showed what he can do for this defense this season, as he picked off Colts QB Anthony Richardson for a touchdown, and made a few hard hitting tackles in the run game.
On the offensive side, we saw great games from the center and right side of the o-line, as Matt Lee, Nate Gilliam, and Jaxson Kirkland showed a final push to potentially get a spot on the roster, specifically in the pass game. Besides that, there were plays where we saw TE Erick All shine in putting his body on the line for hard hitting blocks and setting up big plays for Trayveon Williams, who finished with 11 carries for 66 yards. The MVP on offense though has to be Jermaine Burton again, who caught 4 balls for 56 yards and a touchdown, as he showed again that the team could lean on him if they need this season.
The Bad
The Bengals were looking at many position battles and roster spots yesterday, but one that gave them more questions is Ryan Rehkow. Ryan had an opportunity to win the punter job as Brad Robbins is still resting his injury. There were some punts that would catch your eye, including two that were fair caught/touched inside the 10 where he would show his power and hang time in them. For every one you’d think he won the job there were punts that would be missed and go out of bounds for only 29 yards. His performance has put a question mark on whether or not the Bengals will go with him, Robbins, or potentially look in the waiver market for someone.
Logan Woodside was another player that needed a decent showing to earn his spot at QB3, but before his 21 yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Burton, he was 15/20 for 77 yards and threw an ugly pick that was overturned early in the game. His spot as the 3rd quarterback is now in jeopardy as the Bengals may look at different options to put on the practice squad.
The Ugly
This training camp/preseason was an opportunity for a lot of players to be given a chance and show enough to earn a spot on the 53 man roster. This is why watching Jackson Carman and Trey Hill have not been able to take anything with the opportunities given. With Carman, the Bengals have given the former 2nd round pick endless opportunities to earn a spot as a starter, as he has played all over the line competing in training camp battles and coming in off the bench, but has failed to show anything that you would want to see from a 2nd round draft pick. As for Trey Hill, the Bengals have also given him opportunities in getting the best out of him at guard and center, but the former 6th rounder has been the odd man out throughout, as he’s still shown whiffs and penalties that you’ve seen out of him as a rookie. It is likely that the Bengals will look back at the 2021 draft class and admit they made the wrong picks with their offensive lineman, as Carman has been released, D’ante Smith has landed on IR, and Trey Hill is expected to be released.
