It’s virtually right here! Are you able to imagine it?

The final time the Cincinnati Bengals took the sphere, it was within the AFC Championship, and that was approach again in late January. It might as properly have been 20 years in the past. A lot has occurred since then. Now we have a brand new tight finish and a brand new left sort out on offense. The protection has new faces within the secondary. And we get to see all of it on Friday evening.

Nicely, not all of it.

Right here are some things to maintain an eye fixed out for on Friday evening towards the Inexperienced Bay Packers.

Chase Brown and Chris Evans

Joe Mixon is RB1. That’s not in query, and whereas I anticipate Mixon to play on Friday evening, I wouldn’t be shocked if he solely performed a collection or presumably in no way. With Trayveon Williams coping with an ankle difficulty, we’re going to get a whole lot of rookie working again Chase Brown and a man named Chris Evans.

Brown, chosen within the fifth spherical out of Illinois, is hoping to fill the sneakers of Samaje Perine, who left in free company to signal with the Denver Broncos. Perine was the workforce’s third-down again, however his function within the offense grew as he was a greater go blocker than Mixon. Rookie working backs usually battle with go blocking, so it will likely be attention-grabbing to see what Brown can do in his first NFL recreation motion.

So far as Evans goes, I don’t anticipate him to make the workforce. I feel the Bengals maintain Mixon, Brown, and Williams. Evans hasn’t been capable of get constant enjoying time, regardless of having some standout performs in large conditions. I don’t anticipate the Bengals to waste a roster spot on him when the ultimate rosters are introduced, however I’m nonetheless excited to see him on the sphere on Friday.

Andrei Iosivas

We all know Joe Burrow isn’t going to play on Friday. Whereas the large three receivers, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd, may play, they’ll play sparingly. This implies a few of the different receivers are going to get a whole lot of enjoying time. I’d have included fellow rookie receiver Charlie Jones, however he’s coping with a shoulder difficulty which will maintain him on the sidelines though he practiced Monday.

This implies we should always get a big dose of Iosivas, one of many workforce’s sixth-round choices out of Princeton. He’s bought track-star velocity, he’s 6-3, and weighs in at just below 215 kilos. He has proven flashes at camp, and whereas it might be tough for a sixth-round choose to make a workforce so loaded at vast receiver, he has actually made a robust case and will actually safe his spot if he seems good Friday evening. Control him.

Backup Quarterback

The Bengals aren’t going to have Joe Burrow anyplace close to the enjoying area on Friday evening as he offers with a pressure. Whereas I don’t suppose there’s any actual worry that he’ll miss the primary recreation of the common season, I’d be a bit shocked if Burrow performed in any respect within the preseason. This implies we’re going to a full dose of the workforce’s backup quarterback on Friday towards the Packers.

The Bengals might want to select a quarterback between Trevor Siemian, Jake Browning, and Reid Sinnett to again up Burrow when the season begins.

The workforce signed Siemian this offseason after Brandon Allen signed with the 49ers, and he’ll doubtless get the beginning, however Browning has performed properly throughout camp. After which there’s former XFL quarterback Reid Sinnett, who was simply signed after Burrow strained his calf. May he play properly sufficient to make the ultimate 53? We’ll see.

The backups on the line of defense

We all know who’s going to be beginning on the line of defense. It’ll be Trey Hendrickson, D.J. Reader, B.J. Hill, and Sam Hubbard. Whereas I really like to look at them play, I’m not focused on seeing them play as a result of I do know what they will do. I wish to see the fellows who again them up. I’m excited to see rookie Myles Murphy, Joseph Ossai, Zach Carter, and Josh Tupou, in addition to Jay Tufele and Jeff Gunter.

The Bengals have an ideal group of go rushers, however there’s not a ton of depth on the inside line of defense. The workforce is clearly hoping Carter can step up as an inside go rusher, and hopefully, he can fill the void that was left unfilled since Larry Ogunjobi was injured after which signed elsewhere. It’ll even be attention-grabbing to see if Murphy or different outdoors go rushers transfer inside throughout apparent passing conditions.

Listed here are another issues to maintain an eye fixed out for

• With the extensions for Bengals linebackers Germaine Pratt and Logan Wilson, fellow 2020 draft choose Akeem Davis-Gaither, who will completely make the workforce, is probably going coming into the final 12 months with the Bengals. He’s a proficient linebacker who may very well be beginning for an additional protection. The duo of Pratt and Wilson gained’t play a lot on Friday, and I’d wish to see ADG on the sphere extra usually in 2023. It’ll be attention-grabbing to see if the Bengals discover a new approach of utilizing him.
• The Bengals are changing the protection tandem of Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell with Nick Scott and Dax Hill. Friday evening would be the first time we get to see them in motion. It’ll even be the primary recreation expertise for rookie Jordan Battle.
• This would be the first time we get to see the new-look offensive line with Orlando Brown Jr. at left sort out and Jonah Williams at proper sort out. They might not play very a lot, if in any respect, however seeing them collectively on the sphere in a recreation will likely be thrilling.
• Earlier than the offseason, contemplating the damage to Chidobe Awuzie and the dearth of depth on the place, cornerback was wanting skinny. Nevertheless, with the signing of Sidney Jones IV and the collection of DJ Turner and DJ Ivey within the draft, it’s one of many deepest positions on the roster. I don’t know the way a lot Awuzie, Cam Taylor-Britt, or Mike Hilton, the starters, will play, however I’m excited to see Turner, Ivey, and Jones in motion towards one other workforce.
• Rookie punter Brad Robbins will get his first recreation motion. Hopefully, he’s not wanted fairly often, but it surely’ll be cool to see him punt in addition to act as a holder for Evan McPherson.
• When the beginning line comes out, in the event that they even play, keep watch over the place the backups line up. Guys like Jackson Carman, Hakeem Adeniji, and Cody Ford have lined up in a number of spots on the road, so it’ll be attention-grabbing and telling to see the place they line up.

What are you wanting ahead to seeing on Friday evening?

Who Dey!