5 Bengals who upped their stock in preseason opener vs Packers

Football is finally back! Not exactly the most meaningful football, but it's good to see the Cincinnati Bengals back on the field after a long off-season nonetheless. Their first game of the preseason was a matchup with the Green Bay Packers, which came with a fair bit of drama as, during their joint practice a few days prior, the players got into a scuffle, notable Bengals nose tackle D.J. Reader and Packers offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins.

The game itself, however, was surprisingly clean with only one more flare-up after a Sean Clifford run that wasn't caught on camera (at least not on the channel I was watching). The Packers would win 36-19, so it wasn't the most riveting game, but that's not to say there weren't several players for Cincy who impressed as they make their push for those final roster spots.

So, without further ado, here are five Bengals who raised their stocks in the preseason opener vs. the Packers.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference.

Tycen Anderson

Tycen Anderson, the Bengals' 2021 fifth-round pick, had the best performance of any Bengal in the preseason opener, grabbing not one but two interceptions, both in the first half.

It's refreshing to see Mr. Toledo do so well, given that he spent his entire rookie season sidelined with a hamstring injury. Despite that, Anderson didn't look rusty whatsoever and had easily the most impressive performance in a Bengals defeat.

In a game where both quarterbacks the Bengals put out there struggled and the offense as a whole simply couldn't find the end zone, Anderson took it upon himself to get Cincinnati on the board after intercepting Sean Clifford on 3rd down in the middle of the second quarter, taking it all the way to the house for a pick-six.

That alone would be enough for him to have a spot in this article, but he wasn't done. Later, right before half, Anderson would snatch his second interception of the day, wrestling it right out of the receiver's arms.

The Bengals' safety battle that's currently going on is arguably the most interesting position battle for Cincy, and Tycen Anderson just made it all the more interesting with this stellar performance.

Speaking of safeties....