The Cincinnati Bengals fell to the Chicago Bears, 27-3, on Saturday at Soldier Field. Like most preseason final scores, it wasn’t indicative of much.
The Bengals actually showed quite well where it matters, with the second-team defense and offense performing notably well against Chicago’s starters through most of the first half.
After that, the game went off the rails for Cincinnati. There were many valuable snaps taken by young players fighting for roster spots, and the team is running out of time to make any more evaluations.
They have a joint practice and final preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts on deck next week before decisions are made about the 53-man roster.
Here is a list of five players who helped themselves, three who didn’t, and one who made me think a little more.
Helped themselves
C Matt Lee and OL Jaxson Kirkland
The Bengals made a statement with who they deployed on the offensive line Saturday. Specifically, seventh-round pick Matt Lee took over at center and played the entire game after not entering until last week’s fourth quarter. He’s in a battle for the backup center job with Trey Hill (who played next to him at guard).
Meanwhile, 2023 undrafted free agent Jaxson Kirkland took over at left tackle and played the first three quarters. The Bengals are looking for depth answers at both spots, with D’Ante Smith out for the year and Jackson Carman playing poorly.
Merely earning the opportunity is big news for both players’ hopes of making the team, but they also showed well. Offensive line coach Frank Pollack will be able to better assess the intricacies of their play, but to the naked eye, these weren’t egregious performances where they appeared to not belong. They largely gave Logan Woodside time, specifically when going against the Bears’ first-string defensive front. Kirkland offers position flexibility since he’s been working inside at guard, but smoothly transitioned back outside to tackle where he played at the Unviersity of Washington.
They both appear on the correct side of the cutline right now.
LB Maema Njongmeta
Speaking of the right side of the cutline, for a second straight game, you came away talking about Maema Njongmeta. The Bengals have an opening for a fifth linebacker spot, and the undrafted rookie out of Wisconsin is filling it with the same ferocity he did the running lanes in Chicago.
He had a big hit early in the game in the backfield and led the team with seven tackles. He’s not the fastest, but boy, is he instinctive and aggressive.
Director of player personnel Duke Tobin noted how impressive he is driving downhill while dropping in on the team’s broadcast, “He is not afraid to hit and that is what you have got to be as a linebacker.”
More importantly, what you have to be as a fifth linebacker is excellent on special teams. He proved to be just that. Njongmeta made one loud special teams tackle and played a significant role in throwing Dante Pettis for a loss in another return. Those plays could play a larger role in him making the roster than anything he did on defense.
He wasn’t perfect, missing a tackle to let a running play get out the backside and losing a footrace on an outside run on another, but there is a ton to like from the UDFA through two games.
DT Kris Jenkins
After a rookie debut that could have gone much better, Jenkins enjoyed the biggest flash of his professional career. Jenkins put a slick spin move on Chicago veteran guard Nate Davis (65 starts) for a sack of Caleb Williams. Due to his unique strength and leverage, Jenkins can rush with power, but to show off that type of move for a sack was a great play to stick in the head of the coaches.
There is still evaluation to be done about his value in stopping the run, but that type of rush can carve out a niche in the defensive tackle rotation.
.@KrisJenkinsJr1 aka THE MUTANT.
📺: FOX19 | @nflnetwork or #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/RpBz29hGQu
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) August 17, 2024
Edge Cedric Johnson
The rookie sixth-rounder is fighting for the scarce final few spots on the roster, and he made an impression on Saturday. Beyond one pass rush where he split a double team to blow up a play (that should have drawn a flag for a block in the back), he looked like a real asset on special teams.
The 21-year-old has so much speed, he covers ground on punts like a linebacker or safety at 6-foot-3, 260 pounds. He made plays, twice showing up for tackles or forcing the returner to re-route on punt returns.
That could be enough to buy him time as the team’s fifth edge rusher and potentially be active on gameday playing teams.
Didn’t help themselves
OL Jackson Carman
This feels a bit like beating a dead horse at this point. After an abysmal preseason opener last week, the 2021 second-round pick was relegated to the third team and didn’t enter until midway through the fourth quarter.
With the rise and versatility of Kirkland and Cody Ford to play both tackle and guard, the journey looks close to over for Carman in Cincinnati.
P Ryan Rehkow
The hip flexor injury to punter Brad Robbins left the door wide open for Rehkow to seize the job as an early-camp addition to the roster.
Unfortunately for Rehkow, there was far too much inconsistency to say he pushed himself ahead for the gig.
His first two punts were poor, the first only going 42 yards in the air with minimal hangtime (3.51 seconds, via TruMedia). The second ended up a 56-yard punt, but only by the box score because it hit way short with just 3.49 seconds of hang time, although with a favorable roll. He also hit a 43-yarder on a line later in the game. It got returned 17 yards, thanks to how quickly it got on the returner (3.35 seconds).
There were a few that resembled the booming leg we’ve seen from Rehkow in camp and he did pin Chicago at the 10 with an attempt from midfield, but this didn’t live up to the opportunity presented. Robbins, despite his injury, is still very much alive for this job.
Can we get an Amen?! 🙌
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/fI60Acfobt
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 17, 2024
QB Logan Woodside
This isn’t fair in some ways because Woodside enjoyed a number of impressive moments. He converted a couple third-and-longs, showed a nice arm in the pocket and enjoyed moments of moving the offense.
Penalties didn’t help him, but specifically, not having a feel for where the blitz is coming from and making the same mistake repeatedly will be the biggest takeaway from his day.
“The same nickel pressure … four times in a row, four times they got us,” Taylor said afterward. “That cannot happen.”
That certainly falls on the lap of the offensive line, but setting the proper protection, having a feel for where the pressure could come, and knowing when you are hot and need to get the ball out are critical components of QB play. Nobody is worried about Joe Burrow or even Jake Browning making those mistakes.
The first time led to a de-cleating sack. The second got Woodside hit while throwing a pass in the red zone that was intercepted, his biggest mistake of the game. Making mistakes is expected for a third-string quarterback with no career starts. Making the same mistake over and over won’t sit well. With what Woodside did last week and the opportunity at hand today, there was a chance he could play his way into a tradeable piece behind Burrow and Browning. Or he could be someone they’d be comfortable considering as a backup down the line.
Hard to say that after today’s game.
.@tysbagent hits @dmainy_13 for 6 🙌
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/tHwpNM1imK
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 17, 2024
Player who gave you something to think about
CB Josh Newton
Whether in practice or games, Newton continues to make an impression.
In one of the most notable reps of camp for any rookie, he was locked up one-on-one with DJ Moore in press coverage on third down early in the game. He blanketed the slant route and got a PBU against the veteran who just received a $110M contract extension this month. That’s a big-boy snap, right there.
The only problem was Newton followed it up by yanking on the pads of Tyler Scott when beat deep for a long defensive pass interference. Later in the game, he got caught standing flat-footed against Dante Pettis for an easy touchdown pass to the back corner. Either he got juked or was late understanding the play call. Either way, it was an ugly moment for the rookie.
In the end, the Bengals don’t need Newton to play immediately. He’ll sit as the fifth corner on the depth chart with plenty of time to get the rookie mistakes out of his system in practice. He’s shown enough to think that he won’t be a fifth corner for long and there’s a chance we see him counted on at some point in this long season. He’s earned that right.
(Photo: Quinn Harris / Getty Images)
