Bengals @ Commanders
Final Score: Commanders 21, Bengals 19
Writer: Steve Bradshaw (@SteveBradshawFF)
The Commanders continued their perfect record in the preseason by narrowly defeating the Bengals 21-19. The end result doesn’t really matter, but both teams showed a ton of promise. The battle for the Bengals backup job continues to be a big storyline with Joe Burrow’s injury. However, not only did Jake Browning have a great showing, but Jake Fromm also looked great.
Three Up
- Jake Browning – 6/6 on the day with a touchdown. Two great throws to Andrei Iosivas.
- Andrei Iosivas – Finished the day with a 3-35-1 statline. Showed great hands and was able to command six targets.
- Chris Rodriguez – Showed he could fight through contact and make quick cuts in space. Finished the game with 7.4 YPC.
Two Down
- Trevor Siemian – Nothing spectacular, and he threw a few questionable balls. Browning had a great game and looks to be the QB2 at the moment.
- Jacob Saylors – Saylors didn’t impress, and Chase Brown looked more involved. Although Saylors didn’t look horrible, he didn’t do enough to jump up on the depth chart.
Cincinnati Bengals
| Preseason Week 1 | Preseason Week 2 |
Quarterback
Trevor Siemian: 14/23, 133 Yards, INT
There wasn’t much to write home about with Trevor Siemian. It’s never a good sign when you have more interceptions than touchdowns. Jake Browning continued to gain ground in this game.
Notes
- Good throw to Charlie Jones with under a minute less in the first half.
Missed Opportunities
- Forced the ball into an area with 4 Commanders defenders.
Jake Browning: 6/6, 42 Yards, TD
Great game from Browning. Browning made the most of his opportunities, and the offense ran very well with him in the game.
Notes
- Fantastic fade throw to Andrei Iosivas. Good job finishing off his scoring drive.
Missed Opportunities
- Nothing. Browning didn’t miss a pass.
Running Back
Chase Brown: 11 Carries, 39 Yards | 2 Target, 2 Reception, -1 Yard
With no Chris Evans in the mix, Chase Brown was the starter for this contest. Brown didn’t have a spectacular game, but he showed flashes at times.
Notes
- Great 9-yard run earlier in the game. Although he didn’t do anything with them, Brown showed he’s able to catch the ball out of the backfield.
Missed Opportunities
- He wasn’t consistent with his touches. 3.9 YPC isn’t great.
Jacob Saylors: 9 Carries, 27 Yards
Saylors had a disappointing game. He was clearly a step behind Chase Brown.
Notes
- Poor game from Saylors. He averaged a meager 3 YPC, and besides one nice six-yard run, was non-existent.
Missed Opportunities
- It’s not about what Saylors did; it’s what he didn’t do. Saylors failed to capitalize on his nine carries tonight.
Calvin Tyler Jr: 4 Carries, 16 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 1 Yard
Calvin Tyler wasn’t given many opportunities this game, so there isn’t too much to break down. That said, he looked solid when he was out there.
Notes
- In four carries, Tyler Jr. broke out a nice eight-yard run. Showed a solid feel for the game overall.
Missed Opportunities
- Wasn’t able to generate much on the ground outside his eight-yard run.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Malachi Carter: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 37 Yards
Carter looked solid all around. He did a nice job creating space and hauling in the passes thrown to him.
Notes
- Good job getting open down the field and making the most of those opportunities.
Missed Opportunities
- Wasn’t able to haul in a pass, but it wasn’t all his fault.
Charlie Jones: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 32 Yards
Jones did a good job getting open down the field, which didn’t go unnoticed. Nice game by Jones.
Notes
- Jones was able to generate a big 20-yard gain. He also showed good hands.
Missed Opportunities
- Could have done a better job getting open and drawing more than three targets.
Andrei Iosivas: 6 Targets, 3 Receptions, 35 Yards, TD
Winner of the day. Great job drawing targets and hauling in two catches on the first drive.
Notes
- Fantastic catch in traffic on the first drive. Was able to go up and get his touchdown pass as well.
Missed Opportunities
- You wish he could haul in a few more passes, but not all of the incompletions were his fault.
Kwamie Lassiter: 3 Targets, 1 Receptions, 6 Yards
Kwamie Lassiter didn’t have a great game out there. He couldn’t create much separation and failed to haul in two passes thrown his way.
Notes
- Solid route on his six-yard catch.
Missed Opportunities
- Struggled to create for himself and bring passes in.
Tanner Hudson: 7 Targets, 4 Receptions, 42 Yards
We haven’t seen much from Tanner Hudson, but today, he led the team in targets and catches.
Notes
- Showed good hands and big play ability. Nice 20-yard gain.
Missed Opportunities
- There’s not much else he could have done besides catch an extra pass.
Washington Commanders
| Preseason Week 1 | Preseason Week 2 |
Quarterback
Jacoby Brissett: 10/15, 96 Yards, TD
Not a bad game from Jacoby Brissett, but again, it was not starter-worthy. He ripped a few nice passes in there, but nothing showing he should be the guy.
Notes
- He did a good job getting out of the pocket and making a nice throw on his first touchdown pass.
Missed Opportunities
- A few poor reads lead to unnecessary incompletions
Jake Fromm: 13/18, 144 Yards, 2 TD
I thought Jake Fromm looked great in this game. Fromm had a few nice passes right on the money and capitalized with two touchdowns.
Notes
- Good job fitting the ball between two defenders on his touchdown midway through the third quarter
Missed Opportunities
- Not many. There were a few balls that weren’t on target, but otherwise, Fromm had a great game.
Running Back
Chris Rodriguez Jr: 7 Carries, 52 Yards
Good game from Chris Rodriguez tonight, as he finished the game with an efficient 7.4 YPC. The rookie is showing why he deserves to be in the mix during the season.
Notes
- Most of his yards came from a draw before halftime, but he looked good nonetheless. Showed his ability to run through people and make quick cuts.
Missed Opportunities
- It was a good game overall, but you’d like to see Rodriguez hit the holes faster.
Jaret Patterson: 8 Carries, 51 Yards
Patterson had a solid game and was efficient in the tackles with his runs. Nothing too crazy, but it was a good game overall.
Notes
- He did a great job hitting the open hole on his 19-yard run. He was very efficient as he ended with 6.4 YPC.
Missed Opportunities
- Would have liked to see him get some receiving work.
Derrick Gore: 8 Carries, 51 Yards | 3 Target, 3 Receptions, 23 Yards
Gore was the best pass catcher of the group on the day. He did a very good job turning dump-offs into big gains.
Notes
- He did a solid job running and showed he can be a reliable pass catcher who can make things happen after the catch.
Missed Opportunities
- Didn’t show great explosiveness even in open space
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Mitchell Tinsley: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 89 Yards, TD
Great game from Tinsley. He led the team in yards by a wide margin due to his 39-yard touchdown catch.
Notes
- Tinsley did a good job finding the soft spot, which turned into a 39-yard touchdown. When his number was called, Tinsley stepped up and made some big plays tonight.
Missed Opportunities
- Would like to see Tinsley become more polished as a route runner.
Brycen Tremayne: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 26 Yards, TD
It’s always a good day when you find the endzone, and Brycen Tremayne did just that. Tremayne was more than a one-hit wonder, as he also caught three passes.
Notes
- Good job creating on his 16-yard touchdown grab.
Missed Opportunities
- Besides his touchdown, he didn’t gain many yards on his other two catches.
Brandon Dillon: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 23 Yards, TD
The last touchdown of the receiving corp belongs to Brandon Dillon. He had one great 16-yard touchdown catch, but to be fair, he was targeted two times.
Notes
- Dillon made the most of his two targets, turning one into a 16-yard touchdown.
Missed Opportunities
- Would like to see Dillon create more space and draw more targets.
Cole Turner: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 20 Yards
Turner had another solid game, continuing his impressive preseason. He didn’t do anything crazy, but he showed he can be a possession receiver.
Notes
- Turner has shown he can be a reliable possession receiver. He did a great job being able to sit down and take what the defense gave him.
Missed Opportunities
- Explosiveness would take Turner’s game to the next level. It showed this game, with his longest catch being five yards.
Byron Pringle: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 10 Yards
Byron Pringle is who we thought he was. An explosive receiver that can make a chunk play once in a while.
Notes
- Showed explosiveness on his 10-yard gain.
Missed Opportunities
- Besides his 10-yard gain, Pringle didn’t do much else.