Cincinnati Bengals: 3 storylines for Week 2 exhibition play against the Redskins
By Steve Rivera
Expect Bengals head coach Zac Taylor to do what his former boss Sean McVay does in Los Angeles, and that is to keep his star players out of preseason action. While Dalton saw some snaps against the Chiefs, don’t expect to see running back Joe Mixon get any against the Redskins.
Par for the course, AND reasonable. There is not a lot of reason for Mixon to get any carries in the preseason. Sure, in a new offense, timing is everything. But in today’s NFL, practice is where reps are available, not in the exhibition season. For Mixon, Dalton, and the Cincinnati offense, Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks is likely to be the first time the predicted first team plays.
What’s interesting about Mixon is his potential in a Taylor offense. Already he’s predicted the kind of fireworks seen in Los Angeles and the parallels to Rams running back Todd Gurley. That might be wishful thinking, but Mixon is all upside in an offense that is likely to have some similarities to what fans see in LA.
How does all that translate to Thursday night in Washington? Expect Taylor to keep his best offensive weapon in bubble wrap until September when he really needs him. Having Mixon 100 percent is far more important in September than a meaningless game in August.