Like they did final Saturday towards the Bears Ones, the Bengals’ backups gave the Colts’ beginning offense matches earlier than they fell to Indianapolis, 27-14, in Thursday night time’s preseason finale at Paycor Stadium.
The Bengals’ offensive spotlight got here with 4:07 left within the recreation when rookie extensive receiver Jermaine Burton leaped for his second landing of the preseason on the proper entrance pylon, climbing over Colts cornerback Clay Fields III for a 21-yard seize on a throw from quarterback Logan Woodside.
Burton, the third-rounder from Alabama, continues to indicate off his bountiful bodily attributes. He got here in averaging 25.3 yards per his 4 catches earlier than racking up 4 extra catches for 56 yards Thursday.
That lower it to 20-14, however the Colts completed off a 183-yard dashing day on Demitric Felton’s 40-yard landing within the final two minutes.
Probably the most strenuous factor any Bengals starter did Thursday was quarterback Joe Burrow in road garments chatting with outdated pal Andrew Whitworth earlier than the Prime Video telecast, and now all that is left is to chop the roster to 53 by 4 p.m. subsequent Tuesday.
There was extra to chart on the defensive facet of the ball. After permitting a gap drive landing, the Bengals shut down quarterback Anthony Richardson on his final 4 drives with security Jordan Battle’s pick-six, two three-and-outs and a sack.
They made life depressing for the backups, too, on the finish of the primary half. The Bengals compelled three straight Sam Ehlinger incompletions from their very own 3 on what amounted to the final three performs of the primary half to maintain it 7-7.
The final two got here courtesy of huge rushes off the sting. On third down, rookie free-agent finish Justin Blazek, who had a sack of Richardson, additionally bought a success on Ehlinger. On fourth down, rookie Cedric Johnson got here from the opposite edge, and compelled a hurried throw with the assistance of blitzing linebacker Devin Harper.
With Cam Pattern (Achilles) out for the 12 months and Myles Murphy (knee) out for some time, Johnson, the sixth-rounder from Ole Miss, all however wrapped up a roster spot on the sting with one other large outing. He added three tackles and had a sack was worn out by Ole Miss teammate Daijahn Anthony’s unlawful contact penalty on the security spot.
It was the one penalty of the night time for the Bengals after they dedicated 11 in final Saturday’s recreation in Chicago.
Additionally zeroing in on a roster spot, Wisconsin free-agent rookie linebacker Maema Njongmeta added to his NFL preseason main tackles complete with 9. Harper led the Bengals with 11 on Thursday.
Richardson, flummoxed by the Bengals Ones in Tuesday’s joint follow, hit his first six passes because the Colts took a 7-0 lead on a 12-play, 80-yard drive on their first possession of the sport.
After tight finish Kylen Granson let one go off his fingers ultimately zone, the Bengals blitzed rookie slot cornerback Josh Newton, and Richardson hit second-round extensive receiver Adonai Mitchell on a crossing route towards Anthony for a nine-yard landing go.
However Richardson, who completed eight of 14 for 86 yards, accomplished just one extra go the remainder of the way in which.
He threw inside when Granson went outdoors and security Jordan Battle, sitting inside, broke on the ball and picked it off for a 14-yard pick-six that tied at seven with 3:01 left within the first quarter.
Then on the following sequence, the Bengals coated properly sufficient that extensive receiver Michael Pittman Jr. dropped a diving catch over the center on second down, and on third down Richardson overthrew second-round rookie extensive receiver Adonai Mitchell to pressure a punt.
They compelled one other punt on the following drive with all of the Colts starters in however at operating again. Defensive sort out Carlos Davis, working towards an offensive line boasting Professional Bowl left guard Quenton Nelson and Professional Bowl heart Ryan Kelly, stuffed a run for a two-yard loss on second down. On third and lengthy, Newton had Mitchell coated within the slot in the course of the sphere on Richardson’s low throw.
They’d Richarson scrambling on back-to-back snaps on the following drive and practically got here up with a turnover when Blazek knocked the ball out of his hand for a sack-strip, however Nelson recovered it.
Bengals extensive receiver Charlie Jones, seeing his first motion of the preseason, popped the sport’s opening kickoff for 48 yards. He additionally returned two punts for 12 yards with one going for 9.
Bengals rookie punter Ryan Rehkow had a combined night time. He had a touchback and a 29-yard punt, however he additionally put one inside the ten and one contained in the 20.
Jaxson Kirkland shot into the roster image early in coaching camp together with his bodily play at left guard, heightened his profile when he began at left sort out for final Saturday’s recreation in Chicago, and doubtless solidified a spot Thursday when he began at proper sort out for the primary time in his life. That is two new positions within the execs in 5 days.
Kirkland bought the beginning after working at proper sort out for the primary time with the Bengals throughout Monday’s follow and Tuesday’s joint follow when he went right into a rotation with starter Trent Brown and tackle-guard Cody Ford. They’re managing Brown (again), whereas rookie Amarius Mims, the starter earlier than he bought damage, continues to be out with a strained shoulder.
Kirkland, a 2023 undrafted free agent who spent all final season on the follow squad, is used to transferring round. He performed all 49 video games in 5 years at Washington at in every single place however heart. He truly performed proper sort out in final 12 months’s Bengals preseason finale.
Cornerbacks Dax Hill and DJ Turner did not play, however though Hill has been operating with the Ones, the coaches are hesitant to anoint him the Opening Day starter with two weeks left of follow.