Finley showed he can lead the Cincinnati Bengals in 23-13 win
By Steve Rivera
The Cincinnati Bengals found a backup quarterback in their 23-13 win against the Washington Redskins in Week 2 of the Exhibition season.
Preseason football games can be overrated as easily as they can be underrated. While no one should go out and say all is good with the Cincinnati Bengals, you can make a fair argument that the glass isn’t half empty as much as it is half full.
The Bengals won a meaningless preseason game 23-13 that WAS important. Along the way, they found what could be a good backup quarterback, gave running back Joe Mixon a little work, and discovered that without A.J. Green, the receivers in Cincinnati are pretty good.
Bottom line, the improvement was noticeable. Heading into Week 3 of the exhibition season, the Bengals look like a football team who could make some noise in a very good and much-improved AFC North.
Andy Dalton receiver some extra work, playing three offensive series. His night was steady by every definition, throwing five completions on nine attempts for 39 yards. The one hiccup being an interception on a tipped pass that resulted in a Washington Redskins touchdown. It was a decent night of work for the veteran. Nothing special, but no mistakes either.
What fans should be excited about is the rookie who looks to be the smart pick as Dalton’s backup. Ryan Finley was all business against the Redskins, completing 20 of 26 for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Best of all is that he avoided any turnovers and showed he’s the best candidate for the second spot on the QB depth chart.
As for Jeff Driskel, the best that can be said is he had statistically a better night than Dalton, but in a mop-up performance, 5 of 8 for 57 yards isn’t much to get excited about.
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Fans in Cincinnati got a good look at a Bengals team improving. While it’s worth noting they beat the team likely to finish last in the NFC East, a win is a win. In a preseason where you’re looking for answers, Zac Taylor had a football team who provided them. Most importantly they beat a team they are clearly better than, and found a good backup quarterback in the process.