The Bengals wrapped up their first undefeated preseason of the Zac Taylor era on Friday night against the Philadelphia Eagles with a decisive 30-13 victory. This was the final opportunity for players on the roster bubble to make their case for why they should make it past cutdown day.
Let’s take a look at five winners and four losers following the conclusion of the Bengals’ preseason.
Winner: Dohnte Meyers
Meyers capped an impressive offseason with another impressive performance, catching 3 targets for 51 yards. He single handedly led the offense downfield into field goal range where Evan McPherson put the first points of the game on the board. He was pulled from the game for the remainder of the night afterwards.
After signing a futures contract with the Bengals in January, Meyers looked like little more than a camp body. Now he has earned his way onto the final roster and, against all odds, set himself up to play a major role immediately in the regular season.
Loser: Wide Receivers Seven and Eight
Mitchell Tinsley, Charlie Jones, and Ke’Shawn Williams had solid outings in Friday’s preseason finale. Tinsley made a solid grab on his lone reception of the night for 31 yards. Jones meanwhile secured two catches for 36 yards, and Williams had four catches for 39 yards and a touchdown.
Only one of the three will make the final roster as wide receiver six, meaning that the other two will unfortunately not survive cutdown day despite playing well. Whoever does not make the final roster for the Bengals receiving group should easily land elsewhere in the league.
Winner: Tacario Davis
Davis showed why the Bengals used a top pick on him in the draft. He snagged his first NFL interception on Friday night on a pass intended for first-round pick Makai Lemon. Davis also finished the night with two pass break-ups including one-on-one against Lemon, he also had a TFL.
He will be a vital piece to the Bengals depth in the cornerback room this season.
Loser: McKinnley Jackson
Jackson has failed to establish himself as worthy competition to both Robinson and Kris Jenkins Jr. as defensive tackle depth through the offseason.
He has placed himself in the coaching staff’s doghouse during his time in Cincinnati. After another disappointing performance on Friday night, Jackson will now look to the next chapter of his career and try to catch on elsewhere in the league.
Winner: Landon Robinson
As with Meyers, Robinson continued to flash once more and got pressure Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee on the first drive of the game that led to a Davis PBU. Robinson has shown off his ability as a pass rusher all offseason and finishes the preseason with two sacks over two games, seven pressures, and a batted pass.
He has proven to be more effective and has a higher upside than Jackson at this point. Now he will look to continue his growth as a pro in a loaded Bengals defensive tackle room.
Loser: Tackle Depth
On a night when all eyes were on the Bengals’ depth at offensive tackle, there still fails to be a clear reliable option at swing tackle. Neither of Jalen Rivers or Javon Foster performed well enough to feel comfortable with the position following the preseason finale.
Zac Taylor and the coaching staff must look to those released as part of roster cuts across the league or free agency for a capable option at swing tackle.
Winner: Interior Offensive Line Depth
Outside of two false start penalties on Connor Lew and Jacob Bayer, the depth along the interior of the offensive line had a great game once again.
Brian Parker II, Lew, and Bayer all looked comfortable and held up strong against the Eagles defensive line. While both of Lew and Parker are locks for the final roster, the team must find a way to keep Bayer as well or trade him for a capable swing tackle.
Loser: Running Back Depth
Putting the ball on the ground three times is abysmal when it comes to any running back unit. What makes this worse is the fact that all three fumbles happened separately between Tahj Brooks, Gary Brightwell, and Kentrell Bullock.
Jamal Haynes did break a beautiful 39-yard touchdown run, however, he has only touched the ball twice before having only five carries on Friday night against third and fourth-string players.
It is difficult to say that Brooks has done enough to make the Bengals final roster. With his performance this preseason, the team could very well look for his replacement among waivers after final cuts occur.
Winners: Ryan Rehkow and Evan McPherson
Money Mac is the same elite kicker he has always been. He has recovered from his rough 2024 season, and has clear chemistry with Ryan Rehkow as a holder. McPherson has been perfect on all of his field goal attempts this preseason.
Rehkow secured a high snap from William Wagner on McPhersons third field goal of the game, and managed to ensure the operation remained clean.
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