Week 2 of the preseason is in the books. If the Cincinnati Bengals’ Week 1 16-14 win over the Lions got you excited, then their 27-9 win over the Bears this past Saturday really got your blood pumping. It’s easy to look too far into preseason games, on both positive and negative performances, but here are some quick takeaways from Saturday:
- The Bengals did not play their starters, and the Bears did (very briefly).
- The Bengals’ defense kept the Bears out of the end zone for the entire game.
- Both Josh Johnson and Sean Clifford moved the ball well.
- Landon Robinson had a game, and the Bengals’ defensive tackle rotation is going to be deep.
- Evan McPherson has been money all preseason, and was good from 58 and 25 yards on Saturday.
- The Bengals not only have the best wide receiver duo in the league (and it’s not close), but they have the best overall wide receiver room in the NFL (and it’s not close).
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows.
The backup offensive line and overall offensive line depth are not good. Cody Ford was so bad on Saturday night (0.0 pass-blocking
score on 30 reps) that the Bengals released him on Monday, a week before final cuts need to be made.
So there are things that need some work.
With one preseason game left before the 53-man roster needs to be finalized, here are three things IN ORDER the Bengals need to do:
1. Find a new swing tackle
Ford has played every position other than center for the Bengals, and a big reason he hung around here as long as he did was because of his versatility. He’s been the team’s swing tackle, the backup that can play left or right tackle should a starter go down, but on Saturday night he started at right guard, and he was bad.
The Bengals started Javon Foster at left tackle, and Brian Parker II at right tackle, and neither inspired confidence that they could be relied upon should an injury occur.
So the Bengals need to find a tackle they can trust.
Both Orlando Brown Jr and Amarius Mims are big guys, and they’ve both dealt with injuries in the past. With only 17 games in a season, the Bengals don’t have the luxury of rolling the dice that they won’t need a backup tackle.
The options in free agency are limited at this point, but all 32 teams will need to make cuts to get their rosters down to 53—there will be guys available.
Should they wait, though?
They could make a trade. They are going to cut a defensive lineman who could be in a solid rotation elsewhere. They’re going to cut someone’s future WR3. They could trade someone now if they were really wanting to blow everyone’s mind with two trades in one offseason.
Or they could sign Jonah Williams.
2. Cornerback
The Bengals didn’t do much at the position this offseason. They did sign Ja’Sir Taylor in free agency to a one-year deal, and they selected Tacario Davis in the third round. They’re heading into the season with Dax Hill, DJ Turner, and Jalen Davis penciled in as the starters, and they have Taylor and DJ Ivey to call upon.
They could really use another veteran cornerback in the room. They don’t even need someone to push for starting time, but just someone to be there if the worst were to happen. Hill is working his way back from a training camp injury, and he’s expected to be ready for the beginning of the year, but some injuries can be nagging.
Being too prepared is not a bad thing.
3. Linebacker
A couple of weeks ago, this would have been at the top of the list, but I’m so encouraged by what I’ve seen from the defensive front that this is now a lower priority. There will be a trickle-down effect from an offensive line so overwhelmed with the four men in front of them that they can’t focus on the two or three trying to diagnose the play.
Do you remember how good Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt were when DJ Reader was soaking up blockers in front of them? There was a reason their play declined when he left. A linebacker’s ability to diagnose a play and get himself in position quickly can be aided by a mountain of a nose tackle keeping the center and guard focused on him.
Having said that, Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. were the worst starting linebacker duo in the league last year. They’ll have a year of experience under their belt, and they now have a vastly improved defensive line in front of them, but they could benefit from a veteran in the room.
They have Joe Giles-Harris and Oren Burks, but their backups could use an upgrade.
In my opinion, if the Bengals were definitely going to do just ONE of these things, it has to be signing an offensive tackle. They’ve done such a good job at swinging for the fences this offseason, and they cannot get it undone by an offensive tackle injury that, in turn, could lead to a quarterback injury.
The defense is much improved, but Joe Burrow is, has been, and will be the key. If he’s healthy, they have a chance. If the Bengals can’t protect him, they risk everything.
What do you think?
What are your top three needs, in order, as the Bengals prepare to visit the Eagles in the City of Brotherly Love on Friday night? Sound off!
Then we get a week off, and then the real deal begins.
Who Dey!
Relevant Song Lyrics:
I won’t let you bury it
I won’t let you smother it
I won’t let you murder it
Our time is running out
Our time is running out
