Bengals Preseason: Who’s Impressed You the Most?

Aug 17, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Giovani Bernard (25) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter of a preseason game against the Tennessee Titans at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

The Bengals preseason is drawing to a close, as tonight’s game against the Indianapolis Colts will act as Cincinnati’s final dress rehearsal for the opener against Chicago. It’s been great for the first-team offense to get some time to gel during the last four weeks, but it’s also been interesting to see the second and third stringers. Therein lay the real battles, of course.

Multitudes of important positional battle are taking place throughout preseason, and for many players, their performance during the preseason decides what chance they have of making the final roster.

In this article, Stripe Hype got some fan perspective on the preseason. Fans were asked to name who impressed them the most during the preseason and explain why.

Here are a few of their answers.

“The backups are doing great. They’re making it tough on the people that thought they had a position locked up. Dane Sanzenbacher is stepping up, and Tate is playing lights out. Marvin Jones has been a little discounting. Maualuga is all over the field; whatever has gotten into him, I hope it stays in him.

I’m extremely impressed with the QB’s. They are producing no matter what team they play with.

Finally Boom [Herron], he is stepping up, making not only us but the rest of the league notice him. If he goes on the wire, someone snatches him up.”

–Sam Crum

“Giovani Bernard because he is very quick and tough… I think he will be a very good addition to the team.”

–Heather Oliver

“I’ve got to say Gio….he was under the gun with the concerns of his size and being able to be consistent. So far, I’m impressed.”

–Charles Mast

“I was most impressed by Giovani Bernard. He had good hype but he looks like a better version of Darren Sproles for us.”

–Joseph Kidder

The pattern is undeniable, even from just a few quotes. Giovani Bernard may not have been the most explosive player during the preseason up until this point. Indeed, even more importantly, he has been exactly what fans thought they were getting when the Bengals selected him as the first running back in the draft: A speedy, durable runner who can give the team a change of pace when they need it.

What do you think of the Bengals so far? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook or on Twitter @StripeHype