The Cincinnati Bengals closed the preseason on Thursday night with a 27-14 loss against the Indianapolis Colts.
There, the Bengals backups struggled in spurts against Colts starters, but also scored a defensive touchdown to keep things interesting on the scoreboard.
The real intrigue, though, came in the form of final roster battles.
Quick Thoughts
- The Bengals didn’t play starters, which seems to say it all about the Dax Hill vs. DJ Turner battle for the No. 2 corner spot. That was really the only question mark and Hill seems to have won with ease.
- Charlie Jones is back and perhaps we should forget about seeing Jermaine Burton on returns again. Jones again looked like one of the league’s most dangerous returners, taking his first back nearly 50 yards.
- Late-round rookie breakout Daijahn Anthony got beat for a touchdown early. But keep in mind the Colts were rolling with all of their starters.
- Along those same lines, Jordan Battle took a pick of Anthony Richardson back to the house for a touchdown. Those are good reps for him and isn’t a sign that he won’t see significant usage next season.
- Rookie end Cedric Johnson picked up a sack, further cementing his case for the final roster in the wake of the Myles Murphy injury.
- Rookie Jermaine Burton lit up the field late in the game, just like in the opener, even scoring a touchdown.
Key Stat
4 for 56 and 1 TD: This is big one fans will want to know — Jermaine Burton’s statline over the course of just five targets on the night. Not a bad showing, all things considered.
Game Balls
LB Maema Njongmeta: Guess who led the team in tackles for a third straight preseason game? Say hello to the final roster.
WR Charlie Jones: That huge return on special teams was a brutally important reminder of Jones’ importance in winning the field position battle next season.
Top Takeaway
By the books: It doesn’t really feel like final cuts should be all that surprising for the Bengals this year. Perhaps most interesting will be whether they look to the waiver wire or free agency for help after the injury update on Myles Murphy.
