6 winners, 4 losers from Bengals preseason opener vs. Packers

While the Cincinnati Bengals lost 36-19 against the Green Bay Packers in their first preseason game, the score is not necessarily reflective of how the game actually went.

Green Bay rolled with their starters for a good chunk of the first quarter whereas Cincinnati bubble players were on the field all four quarters. The Bengals held their own for the majority of the game, but fresh running backs for the Packers ended up running rampant on an exhausted Bengals defensive front.

Although the Bengals lost to Cincinnati native Sean Clifford (who played a rollercoaster of a game in true Brett Favre fashion), let’s take a look at six winners and four losers from the defeat on Friday night.

All game stats courtesy of ESPN

Winners from Bengals preseason opener

Tycen Anderson

After missing the entirety of his rookie season due to a hamstring injury, the second-year safety’s role was unknown in a now-crowded safety room. Cincinnati brought in veteran Nick Scott and drafted Jordan Battle in the third round out of Alabama, threatening Anderson's spot on the roster. In a murky secondary, Anderson needed a strong preseason to solidify his role on the team as a rotational player.

When Anderson was on the field, he was electric, taking a Clifford pass to the house. Shortly after, he wrestled a ball from a Packers receiver, resulting in his second interception of the night. His 4.36 speed was on full display as he jumped into the ball both times, unseen by the Packers' signal caller. Anderson made under-the-radar plays for the remainder of the game as well, tripping up a Green Bay running back who was poised to score a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. 

After such a dominant first half alone, Anderson has no doubt secured himself a roster spot, and hopefully meaningful snaps come the regular season.