Bengals coach Zac Taylor indicated Wednesday “a high number of starters” won’t play because of the ability to give them a lot of reps against different competition in the joint practice. It was an intense session focused heavily on the first team offenses and defense, and there were a few minor dust-ups, but players and coaches felt they had a good day of work. On Friday, the second- and third-string players will get their turn.
Here are five things to know about the Bengals’ preseason opener:
1. Some starters might play
While Taylor said most starters won’t play, he did note that some of the younger guys the team will be counting on this season will play Friday because they “still need some of those reps.”
That could include someone like free safety Dax Hill, who is stepping into the starting role vacated by Jessie Bates’ departure. The cornerback spots also are up in the air a bit with Chidobe Awuzie still not getting reps in team drills, and rookie DJ Turner and newcomer Sydney Jones splitting opportunities in his place.
Taylor didn’t specify which players to expect on the field Friday, but some might benefit from some extra reps.
“Doesn’t mean that there’s going to be a high volume of reps, but they’ll still get some work,” Taylor said. “We think that’s needed.”
Wide receiver Tee Higgins didn’t participate in team drills Wednesday and Logan Wilson did not practice at all, but it’s unclear whether they were just getting extra rest.
2. Quarterback rotation
With Joe Burrow still out with a right calf strain, Trevor Siemian and Jake Browning split reps with the first-team offense on Wednesday and they have been rotating every two days in that role through regular practices.
Taylor did not name a starter but said those two will continue splitting reps. Reid Sinnett, who was signed July 30 after a private workout, has stepped in as the third-string quarterback, but Siemian and Browning are competing for the backup job.
“They’re battling,” Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said. “There’s been a lot of good. A lot of things they are getting better at every time they come out here. Trevor has a lot of experience, played a lot of football, and Jake has experience in our system. So, they battled, have up and down moments, but for the most part I’ve been pretty pleased with the competition. It will be ongoing. These games will be really important and so will these next two weeks worth of practices we have coming up.”
3. Other position battles of note
Jonah Williams seems to have a clear edge at right tackle, but the preseason games could be a good opportunity for Jackson Carman to assert himself more. Carman had a rough day against the Packers’ second-team defensive line Wednesday, and offensive line coach Frank Pollack has said he’s still looking for more consistency from the third-year player.
Williams and Carman had been splitting first-team reps by day.
With Alex Cappa out of practices this week because of a minor lower-body issue, Trey Hill and Cody Ford have been seeing reps at right guard. Hill has traditionally been the backup center, but the Bengals are testing out versatility for him and Max Scharping, who played right guard in Cappa’s absence to end the 2022 season but now is getting reps at second-team center. The competition for backup offensive line roles is much stronger this year, so the preseason games will be important for establishing that depth.
Other positions to watch Friday for competition purposes would include backup cornerback spots, rotational defensive line roles and special teams, especially in the returner spots where Charlie Jones is expected to be a strong option.
4. Players to watch
Rookie wide receiver Andrei Iosivas and rookie cornerback DJ Ivey have been battling against one another and both showing good things in practices. Now they will be put to the test against competition in a game atmosphere for the first time, so they could be players to keep an eye on Friday.
Turner also has looked solid in his first- and second-team reps at cornerback.
Fellow rookie Chase Brown is competing for a chance at the third-down running back role, where he likely will split reps with Chris Evans. Trayveon Williams had an edge prior to his ankle injury, so Brown is getting increased opportunities in his absence.
“He’s willing in pass pro, which is half the battle,” Callahan said of Brown. “He’s willing to be physical for a smaller stature guy. He’s been on top of who to block and when to block them. He can’t get enough of those reps for us right now. ... I’m very pleased with where he’s at now, but still has a lot of work to do get to where we need him to.”
5. Injury updates
Burrow is still on the “several weeks” timeline Taylor gave after his July 27 injury, but Cappa is expected back into practices Sunday.
Awuzie is still being eased back in with individual work but he did start doing some team drills when the receivers were running routes on air. He won’t be playing Friday, and Taylor still doesn’t want to put a timeline on his return to full activities.
Trayveon Williams has been considered “week-to-week” since his Aug. 2 ankle sprain but was expected to miss just a couple of weeks.
FRIDAY’S GAME
Packers at Bengals, 7 p.m., NFL Network, 1530, 102.7, 104.7
About the Author