The Cincinnati Bengals started the preseason with a win over the Detroit Lions.
There, Joe Burrow and the offense got on the field early but struggled while going under center. Despite the talking points sure to spawn from that, the first half, especially, was a pretty strong showing.
Here’s a quick look at some notes from the game.
Bengals preseason Week 1 vs. Lions notes, takeaways
- Bengals players who didn’t suit up included Dax Hill, Bryan Cook and Erick All, to name a few.
- Cam Grandy got some notable work with the first team in 12-personnel with All out.
- Heavy under-center work for Joe Burrow early, but despite a big gain to Ja’Marr Chase, an ugly sack showed the struggles they’re still trying to fix.
- Popular rookie Landon Robinson got on the field early in five-lineman packages when Dexter Lawrence went out and had a nice couple of plays later.
- Orlando Brown Jr. had a really bad-looking rep on the offense's second drive and Burrow got sacked.
- Rookie guard Brian Parker really stood out with the second team.
- Cashius Howell registered a pressure and a fumble recovery in the first half, looking like an instant-impact rotational guy.
- Rookie tight end Jack Endries caught a touchdown, amplifying his case for the final roster at a tough spot.
- Almost as expected at this point, Dohnte Meyers looked great out there against backups. He’s basically a lock for the final roster.
The big takeaway: It’s early. We’ll see if the under-center work for the first-team offense gets any better over the next week or so. If not, expect some changes. Regardless, there were some fun bright spots for the Bengals with younger players that hint the depth at core areas is really starting to improve.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Instant analysis, notes from Bengals’ preseason opener vs. Lions