The Cincinnati Bengals won their first preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it wasn’t pretty. It was a hard-fought victory for the Bengals side, and while many write off preseason games as meaningless, we still think these players’ performances count for something.
Cincinnati’s starters took the field for a few drives before giving the younger talent and the roster hopefuls a chance to impress. With only a handful of veterans playing, it was the rookies’ time to shine, and shine they did.
These are some quick takeaways from last night’s game:
3. Chris Evans
Few saw this coming.
Cincinnati’s sixth-round pick from Michigan, rookie Chris Evans, may have earned a roster spot after his performance on Saturday. Evans finished the game with 12 carries for 25 yards and a touchdown while also recording four catches for 33 yards.
He easily outshone his competition: starter Joe Mixon managed just one carry, and the projected backup, Samaje Perine, got three carries for only five yards.
Chris Evans ends the first half with seven carries for 17 yards, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Made something out of nothing twice and punches that one in-between the tackles for the 1-yard TD. A nice debut for him thus far.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) August 15, 2021
Evans’ speed, shiftiness, and sure hands caught the eyes of spectators and coaches alike, and he definitely has a leg up in taking that No. 3 running back position when season rolls around. Of course, he’ll have to continue performing at the same level, and there’s lots of opportunities for others to shine as well, but Evans looked terrific last game. His future is bright.
2. Joseph Ossai
Evans isn’t the only rookie who stood out last night: third-round pick Joseph Ossai also came prepared and could be set for a breakout season. He recorded one sack, five hurries, and a tackle for loss against the Bucs. In the third quarter, Ossai appeared to hurt his wrist causing a pressure on a play and ultimately left the game.
Joseph Ossai, having a massive debut, looked to hurt himself causing a pressure on that last play. He's getting looked at by trainers. Looking at his hand which appeared to smack Darius Hodge as they met at the QB.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) August 15, 2021
What he showed on the field prior to his injury, though, should make Bengals fans very, very optimistic.
Joseph Ossai vs. Buccaneers:
— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 15, 2021
🔸 22 pass-rush snaps
🔸 5 total pressures
1st among all rookies in preseason WK1 pic.twitter.com/HICcn2Ja8T
Lined up with Trey Hendrickson, Ossai got his first career sack against none other than Tom Brady. He’s still very much an unrefined rookie and will gain much-needed experience the more he plays, but sacking the GOAT in your first game? That’s not too shabby at all.
Ossai will mainly compete with fellow rookie Darius Hodge for the pass-rushing position in the rotation. Both looked good yesterday, but Ossai gets the nod for now.
1. Evan McPherson and Austin Seibert
We wrote about the dramatic kicker battle going on in the Bengals’ training camp, and neither Evan McPherson nor Austin Seibert disappointed last night.
That’s good.
McPherson made a 40-yard attempt in the third quarter to give his team a 10-6 lead and ended the game going 2-of-2. Seibert was 1-of-1.
Here's the @McPherson_Evan content you've been asking for ⤵
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) August 15, 2021
WATCH: https://t.co/LNk37pUiFR pic.twitter.com/P58JQcefGv
Cincinnati’s special teams unit looks to be on track for a solid season, despite not picking a starting kicker yet. Darrin Simmons had previously spoken out about the kicker competition, believing that both players “deserve to be kicking in the league.”
Watching the rookie and the veteran duel it out isn’t the most exciting part of football, but it’s an important position battle to keep an eye on.
Preseason may not count for much, but for us football fans at least, it’s wildly entertaining. We look forward to see which players impress next game.