The Bengals wrap up their preseason slate on Saturday when they take on the Washington Commanders at FedExField. Cincinnati is looking to close the preseason on a winning note, after suffering a 36-19 defeat vs. Green Bay on Aug. 11 before tying Atlanta 13-13 last Friday. The game against the Falcons provided more takeaways than the final score, however, as the Bengals trotted out their first-team defense for the opening series then continued evaluations on several depth pieces.
The defensive starters had to come up with answers quickly, as Atlanta received the opening kick and marched 78 yards on 16 plays to set up a goal-togo opportunity. The Falcons moved the ball effectively despite having the drive sidetracked by four pre-snap penalties, and were ready to score before QB Desmond Ridder's pass intended for WR Scott Miller was broken up by CB Mike Hilton and intercepted by DE Joseph Ossai. Ossai returned the pick 17 yards, ending the scoring threat and putting on display an opportunistic Bengals defense that ranked in the top 10 leaguewide in red zone defense in 2022.
"It was great experience for them to have to sustain a long drive and find a way out of it, which is what they did," said head coach Zac Taylor after the game. "It's what they tend to do. I think it was good for them to feel game-like conditions against a starting offense and have their back against the wall a little bit and find a way to make a play."
Much of the storyline offensively continues to revolve around the competition for second-string QB. With Pro Bowler Joe Burrow sidelined due to a calf strain, ninth-year veteran Trevor Siemian and first-year pro Jake Browning have shared equal reps in practices as well as the two preseason games. While the Cincinnati offense remained stagnant at times in Atlanta, it put together two drives — one at the end of each half — that resulted in crucial points for the Bengals. Following a turnover on downs at the Cincinnati 47-yard line, Siemian had just 29 seconds to work with in the second quarter and completed passes of 11 and 10 yards to land K Evan McPherson in FG range. The third-year kicker proceeded to nail a 50-yarder as time in the half expired, giving the Bengals their first points of the night and knotting the game 3-3.
In the fourth quarter, the Bengals got the ball back at their own 20 with 3:15 remaining and down 10-6. Browning went four of four on the ensuing drive — completing passes to four different rookies — while scrambling out of the pocket for a first down on back-to-back plays. An 18-yard completion down the left sideline to WR Andrei Iosivas set Cincinnati up with a first-and-goal at the Falcons' five, and two plays later HB Chase Brown plunged into the end zone for the team's first offensive TD of the preseason.
Though the offense still aims to find more consistency heading into this week's game at Washington, Taylor was pleased with both QBs' ability to steer a scoring drive in a hurry-up situation.
We got points on our last drive of each half, which is critical for momentum there," Taylor said. "Trevor did a good job in a tight situation, putting us in field goal range. He made an audible during the drive, did a great job managing and stepped up in the pocket. Then at the end of the game, Jake obviously had the big drive that took us down and scored a touchdown. He had to make some plays with his legs and had to scramble. I thought he saw the field really well. So, I thought there were some positives to build on for both those guys."
While nearly all the offensive starters did not suit up, fifth-year pro Jonah Williams made his first start at right tackle, playing the opening series. Williams, who started 42 games at left tackle over his first four seasons, made the transition across the line during the offseason while also working his way back from a left knee injury sustained in last year's Wild Card Playoff. And though he saw action on just 11 snaps at Atlanta, Williams' performance in camp has impressed the Bengals coaching staff.
"He's made a pretty seamless transition, truthfully," said offensive coordinator Brian Callahan. "Probably better than a lot of guys might have. I think he deserves a lot of credit for that, for his approach, for how well he's played in training camp and in the preseason game. I'm very excited about where he's at and very appreciative of how he's handled that transition."
Check out the best photos from the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
HB Chase Brown looks to the field before kickoff of the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
WR Charlie Jones leads a pack of players before kickoff of the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
CB DJ Turner II looks to the field before kickoff of the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
HB Chris Evans runs onto the field before kickoff of the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
CB Mike Hilton fist-bumps Assitant Linebacker Coach Derek Frazier before kickoff of the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
S Jordan Battle stands in a huddle before kickoff of the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
Former Bengals S Jessie Bates III (left) talks with CB Mike Hilton before kickoff of the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
QB Trevor Siemian before kickoff of the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
DE Sam Hubbard during warm-ups before kickoff of the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
WR Ja'Marr Chase stands during warm-ups before kickoff of the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
WR Tee Higgins shows off his grill before kickoff of the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
S Michael Thomas warms up before kickoff of the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
OT Orlando Brown Jr. during warm-ups before kickoff of the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
DE Cam Sample (left) and TE Drew Sample during the coin toss before kickoff of the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
QB Trevor Siemian runs the ball during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
CB Mike Hilton takes down RB KhaDarel Hodge during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
Bengals Defense takes down RB Bijan Robinson during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
CB Cam Taylor-Britt takes on Rb Bijan Robinson during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
DC Lou Anarumo watches from the sidelines during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
P Brad Robbins kicks the ball during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
DE Joseph Ossai takes down QB Taylor Heineke during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
S Jordan Battle runs during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
S Tycen Anderson on the line during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
CB Jalen Davis celebrates during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
S Michael Thomas (left) and DE Joseph Ossai celebrates during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
S Jordan Battle talks to LB Markus Bailey during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
S Michael Thomas during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
CB DJ Turner II during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
Head Coach Zac Taylor during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
DE Jeff Gunter (left) and DE Raymond Johnson III celebrate during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
HB Chris Evans runs the ball during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
DE Jeff Gunter on the line during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
Bengals offense breaks the huddle during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
P Drue Chrisman punts the ball during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
C Trey Hill points during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
K Evan McPherson kicks the ball for a field goal during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
QB Jake Browning runs the ball during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
LB Shaka Heyward before the snap during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
TE Christian Trahan catches the ball during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
DE Owen Carney takes down QB Logan Woodside during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
HB Chase Brown (left) celebrates a touchdown with OT D'Ante Smith during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
DE Owen Carney (right) celebrates during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
G Jaxson Kirkland celebrates during the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
S Jessie Bates III (left) greets LB Germaine Pratt after the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
CB Tre Flowers greets S Michael Thomas after the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
WR Trenton Irwin greets S Jessie Bates III after the Bengals-Falcons game in week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
Saturday's matchup serves as a final audition for numerous Bengals players as they aim to crack the 53-man roster. Cincinnati will cut down from 90 to 53 players on Tuesday, Aug. 29, which is 12 days away from the regular-season opener at Cleveland on Sunday, Sept. 10.
