One preseason game down, two to go for the Cincinnati Bengals before the regular season gets underway. The final two exhibitions will mainly be about determining which players will make the final roster and which won't, as well as ironing out the depth chart.
Cincinnati's second preseason contest will come in Chicago against the Bears on Saturday, Aug. 17. Here's a look at three players who desperately need to perform well in that game after subpar performances in the preseason opener.
3 Bengals players who need to perform in Chicago
Jackson Carman, Offensive tackle
To say that Jackson Carman played poorly in Cincinnati's first preseason game would be an understatement. The fourth-year offensive lineman got beat off the line time and again, and that led to him picking up some costly penalties. Carman was flagged for holding not once, not twice, but three times in the game! That's crazy. He also got called for a false start, which is usually just a matter of discipline.
The fact that Carman is entering his fourth season with the franchise makes his mistakes especially egregious. It's not like he has the excuse of being a rookie to fall back on. The guy has appeared in 22 regular season games, incuding six starts. He simply shouldn't be making so many miscues in a single game at this point in his career, preseason or not.
Carman needs to play better in the team's second preseason game. If he can't, then his spot on the roster could come into question.
Brad Robbins, Punter*
Brad Robbins' punting play was largely underwhelming last season, and he was out-punted by Ryan Rehkow in the preseason opener. Both punters had three attempts in the contest, and Rehkow's three kicks went for 168 total yards while Robbins' went for 150.
At the end of the day, the Bengals are probably only going to keep one punter on the roster, and the next two preseason games could determine if Robbins or Rehkow ends up being the last man standing. As a result, Robbins really needs a solid performance against the Bears.
*Robbins suffered a hip injury during practice this week, and his status for the game against the Bears is uncertain at this point.
Zach Carter, Defensive tackle
Zach Carter is fighting for position on Cincinnati's depth chart, and he likely didn't do himself any favors in the preseason opener. Stripe Hype's Christopher Kokaliares included Carter on his list of losers from the first preseason game, writing, "Carter showed some flash in his rookie season, however as his role has expanded, he has hardly made a good impression on the Bengals faithful, and Saturday night was no exception."
There's a good chance Carter will make the final roster, but if he doesn't perform better in the remaining preseason games, he's likely to be buried on the depth chart. There's definitely pressure on him heading into the game against the Bears.