The Good, Bad, and Fugly; Preseason Game 1

[*rfaulk34*]

(Today, 01:15 AM)sandwedge Wrote: What is 63.6% 

Correct. 

And if i said, "what does 54 degrees mean to you?". What would your answer be?

[SladeX]

(Today, 01:25 AM)rfaulk34 Wrote: Correct. 

And if i said, "what does 54 degrees mean to you?". What would your answer be?

JAWS

[Timanky12]

Every year the same people say, it’s preseason, don’t worry.

And every year we start out 0-2 or 1-1, and give everyone a head start.

The defense can’t do basic stuff, plug a whole on the offensive line, cover wide open receivers, pressure the QB, stop the run. I don’t think D schemes have anything to do with coverage, tackling, basic stuff. These guys have been playing football their whole lives, but somehow, when they get here, they go brain dead and can’t function.

If Al Golden is holding anything back, he better show it next week. If we go into Cleveland without the defense ready, it could get ugly.

We can not afford to start out with a loss again.

[Sled21]

(Yesterday, 08:39 PM)jj22 Wrote: They should have sat Stewart at least this game. To give him a chance to get his feet under him. I get why they played him. If it to get him snaps. Ok. But they did him no favors throwing him out there with no spring and late for camp.

People are being harsh with him on this board, but the articles I'm reading online about his performance is mostly praise.

Cincinnati Bengals Stock Report: Who's Rising, Who's Falling After Preseason Opener vs. Eagles?

Quote:CINCINNATI – Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase looked like they time warped from January to Thursday night with an impressive two drives before things went south for the Cincinnati Bengals in their preseason-opening 34-27 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Those two are operating on a different grading scale, so it’s not even worth including them in this sock report.
They’re obviously already at ridiculous heights.

But for the rest of the team, here are the players whose stock stood out as either rising or falling after Thursday night’s performance.

Stock Rising

Dylan Fairchild
The Bengals need Fairchild to do more than just win the starting job at left guard, which they essentially bequeathed to him on draft night.
Fairchild had a strong debut against the Eagles. Yes, they weren’t playing their starters, but they are the Super Bowl champions who rode a deep and versatile defense to the title.
PFF gave Fairchild the Bengals’ top run-blocking grade (84.9) and No. 3 pass-blocking grade (81.2).
On draft night, offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said nastiness oozes out of Fairchild. He hasn’t stirred anything up in camp, which is smart for a rookie, but he was finishing blocks and mixing it up some with Eagles defenders after a few plays.

Shemar Stewart
Players like to talk about getting 1 percent better every day. Stewart appears to be blowing by that baseline.
He didn’t enter the game until the second quarter, but he was a disruptive factor during his 18 snaps with a tackle for loss and a pressure.
And the versatility that defensive coordinator Al Golden has been raving about was on display the instant Stewart entered the game, as his first rep came at defensive tackle on a third-and-5 play with the starting defense still in the game.
He certainly earned some more snaps with the first team in next week’s game at Washington, and with another solid week of practice, he might even warrant a chance to start against the Commanders.

Tahj Boyd
The numbers weren’t great – 26 yards on 10 carries and one catch for 3 yards – but Boyd’s physicality really stood out with how hard he ran and how willing he was to take on Philadelphia defenders.

Ultimately, the amount of playing time he gets a rookie could depend on how strong he is in pass protection.
Pro Football Focus gave Brooks the Bengals’ second-best pass blocking grade Thursday night behind Orlando Brown Jr.
Brooks only had four pass-blocking snaps, but making the most of opportunities carries a lot of weight for a rookie sixth-round pick.

Tanner Hudson
He became the first Bengals player in at least 10 years to score two offensive touchdowns in a preseason game when he caught a 12-yard pass from Burrow on the opening drive of the game and a 12-yarder from Desmond Ridder in the fourth quarter.
Both were impressive plays and showed off different skills as Hudson fought through contact and lunged for the goal line on the pass from Burrow, then made an athletic toe tap in the end zone on the ball from Ridder.
The signing of Noah Fant may not have put Hudson’s roster spot in jeopardy, but it certainly threatens to cut into his playing time. And he showed Thursday night he’s not giving up his reps without a fight.

Kris Jenkins
The second-year defensive tackle had five tackles and a pressure on just 14 snaps.
The Bengals are counting on last year’s second-round pick to make a leap this year after his rookie season was derailed by a slow start due to a broken hand.

Stock Falling

DJ Ivey
Ivey had a rough night in multiple facets, giving up a touchdown in coverage, missing a tackle on a running play and lining up offsides on a missed field goal attempt, with Eagles kicker Jake Elliott taking advantage of the penalty to make the re-kick from five yards closer.
Ivey has been one of the biggest surprises in camp, and his spot on the 53-man is still secure given his role as one of the gunners on punt coverage and everything else he brings to special teams.
But with Cam Taylor-Britt, Dax Hill and Marco Wilson not playing Thursday, Ivey had a chance to prove he should be CB4.
It wasn’t all bad for Ivey, who played the second-most snaps on defense and had one of the team’s three pass breakups. But it wasn’t the kind of showing the 2023 seventh-round pick wanted to have.

Isaiah Williams
Williams is trying to win one of the final receiver jobs and with it a spot as a kickoff and/or punt returner.
While his 16-yard punt return and 26.5-yard average on two kick returns were solid enough, Williams had a third-down pass from Browning go right through his hands and nearly resulted in an interception.
It was his only target of the night.

Jake Browning
Pitcher could not have been more emphatic with his “Jake is the backup” comment at the pre-camp luncheon when asked about the addition of Desmond Ridder.
And there’s no reason to believe anything has changed after one preseason game.
But there was a surprising dip in play by Browning from what we saw at the end of 2024 when he took over following Burrow’s wrist injury.
Browning completed just 6 of 14 passes for 62 yards and threw an interception that set up a short field that the Eagles turned into a touchdown.

Jalen Rivers
The rookie fifth-round pick is trying to win the swing tackle job, but his struggles with speed rushers in practice showed again when he gave up an easy sack late in the third quarter, only to be bailed out by a defensive holding call in the secondary.
Rivers also had a holding penalty that wiped out a 10-yard run for Brooks.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/bengals as Cincinnati Bengals Stock Report: Who's Rising, Who's Falling After Preseason Opener vs. Eagles? .

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/bengals-rookie-shemar-stewart-impresses-in-first-preseason-game/ar-AA1KaVTQ?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=68974a4fe5814bb586b7e14a615ed265&ei=8

Quote:With the contract impasse behind him, Cincinnati Bengals rookie edge rusher Shemar Stewart can focus on football. And he did a fine job of that Thursday in the Bengals' preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.


Stewart was in on a tackle for a loss in Thursday's 34-27 loss and also had a couple of hurries on Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee, who started the game. NFL analyst Brian Baldinger broke down some of Stewart's game and had plenty of praise for the 17th overall pick from April's draft.

On a night where the defense looked sluggish and allowed the Eagles' second team (with a couple of contributors mixed in) to easily drive the field on their first possession of the game, Stewart was a highlight and continued to build on what has been a very nice camp and preseason thus far, especially considering he started late because of the contract issues.

Stewart will continue to get needed reps throughout the preseason, but the early returns should at least have him very much in the pass-rush rotation, especially with Trey Hendrickson remaining out.

There are multiple others. So the question is, is this board being too hard on him, or are these fluff articles, because I don't usually see SI doing fluff pieces about the Bengals.

And BYW, those are monster numbers for Fairchild, being a rookie in his first game... 2nd string DL or not.

[*PhilHos*]

(Yesterday, 05:40 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: You are full of sh*t. 

And that's why my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandpappy invented the toilet.

[NUGDUKWE]

(6 hours ago)Sled21 Wrote: People are being harsh with him on this board, but the articles I'm reading online about his performance is mostly praise.

Cincinnati Bengals Stock Report: Who's Rising, Who's Falling After Preseason Opener vs. Eagles?
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/bengals-rookie-shemar-stewart-impresses-in-first-preseason-game/ar-AA1KaVTQ?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=68974a4fe5814bb586b7e14a615ed265&ei=8

There are multiple others. So the question is, is this board being too hard on him, or are these fluff articles, because I don't usually see SI doing fluff pieces about the Bengals.

And BYW, those are monster numbers for Fairchild, being a rookie in his first game... 2nd string DL or not.

Let’s watch Shemar Stewart’s debut! pic.twitter.com/EqBwomepje

— Parker Blake (@ParkerBlake60) August 8, 2025

 


I haven't seen anyone being unfairly critical of Stewart on here. To me it was kind of a ho hum first outing. Perhaps i was hoping for more but its his first game action and he kind of looked like his draft assessments needs refinement but has the athletic ability.

[NUGDUKWE]

After I posted that and watched the video again. Perhaps my optimistic view is that he had some close calls/pressures in his limited snaps. If he can be a disruptor early on and cause the offense to go outside of what they want to do a handful of times 3-5 times a game that could make a huge difference for a defense trying to get there footing.

[*PhilHos*]

(Yesterday, 06:12 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: Jessie Bates became an All Pro under Lou and although Hendrickson wasnt drafted by the Bengals, he flourished under Lou.  Likewise BJ Hill was not drafted by the Bengals and traded because he wasnt doing much in New York however under Lou BJ became a pretty good DT.  Its crazy to think Lou was able to take a secondary featuring Eli Apple and Chidobe Awuzie to the Super Bowl.  What did either of those guys do before they came to Cincinnati or after they left?  Dax Hill was having a really good season under Lou until the injury.  Yes they drafted him as a safety to take over from Bates and when Lou saw he was struggling at that position, he moved Dax to cornerback where he did much better.  That's coaching. Just because Lou couldnt make everyone into a good football player doesnt mean he wasnt a good coach.  

I meant guys drafted while Lou was the DC. And I'm also not saying he didn't coach ANYONE up. Just that we have all these draft picks on defense and you're telling me that MOST of them were bad draft picks? I don't think so.

Like I said earlier, I liked Lou and thought he was a good DC up until 2 seasons ago before we started relying more and more on draft picks instead of free agents like Reader or Awuzie (another thing to criticize the front office for, BTW). 

(Yesterday, 06:12 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: Like I have said before, If Lou really was a bad coach not able to get the most out of all this great young talent some of out fans claim we have drafted in the last 3-4 years, there should be no excuse for them this year now they have Golden to coach them up.   The defense should see major improvement.  

Yes, exactly. That's why a lot of us are expecting improvement from the defense.

[Nepa]

(6 hours ago)Sled21 Wrote: People are being harsh with him on this board, but the articles I'm reading online about his performance is mostly praise.

Cincinnati Bengals Stock Report: Who's Rising, Who's Falling After Preseason Opener vs. Eagles?
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/bengals-rookie-shemar-stewart-impresses-in-first-preseason-game/ar-AA1KaVTQ?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=68974a4fe5814bb586b7e14a615ed265&ei=8

There are multiple others. So the question is, is this board being too hard on him, or are these fluff articles, because I don't usually see SI doing fluff pieces about the Bengals.

And BYW, those are monster numbers for Fairchild, being a rookie in his first game... 2nd string DL or not.

Do journalists proofread their stuff anymore or just let AI do the proofreading. This MSN report on Tajh Brooks was so embarrassing it made it hard to trust the rest of the article:

Tahj Boyd

The numbers weren’t great – 26 yards on 10 carries and one catch for 3 yards – but Boyd’s physicality really stood out with how hard he ran and how willing he was to take on Philadelphia defenders.

Ultimately, the amount of playing time he gets a rookie could depend on how strong he is in pass protection.
Pro Football Focus gave Brooks the Bengals’ second-best pass blocking grade Thursday night behind Orlando Brown Jr.
Brooks only had four pass-blocking snaps, but making the most of opportunities carries a lot of weight for a rookie sixth-round pick.




There is a Tajh Boyd, a coach on Clemson. Maybe the writer is a Clemson fan.

[Clark W Griswold]

First off they need to get Trey signed ASAP. That game showed that they could be even worse than last year without Trey out there.

Shemar did OK - I think they need to let him rush from the edge vs the tackle instead of doing stunts with him. He seemed to have more success when he just lined up and let his athleticism shine on the outside.

The mistakes Patrick made are the ones I would have expected from the rookie Fairchild, not the veteran.

We better see huge improvements Monday from the defense and I hope Wash plays their starters so we can really get a good look at how these guys are playing.

[Luvnit2]

(4 hours ago)NUGDUKWE Wrote: After I posted that and watched the video again. Perhaps my optimistic view is that he had some close calls/pressures in his limited snaps. If he can be a disruptor early on and cause the offense to go outside of what they want to do a handful of times 3-5 times a game that could make a huge difference for a defense trying to get there footing.

I am interested to see how Golden uses Stewart on 3rd and long. Will he be outside or inside to rush the passer? My hunch is inside. I can see

Trey who I hope is back
Murphy
Stewart
Ossai

The key is getting teams into 3rd and 8 or more, but if so I can see this DL against the pass.

[NUGDUKWE]

(3 hours ago)Clark W Griswold Wrote: First off they need to get Trey signed ASAP. That game showed that they could be even worse than last year without Trey out there.

Shemar did OK - I think they need to let him rush from the edge vs the tackle instead of doing stunts with him. He seemed to have more success when he just lined up and let his athleticism shine on the outside.

The mistakes Patrick made are the ones I would have expected from the rookie Fairchild, not the veteran.

We better see huge improvements Monday from the defense and I hope Wash plays their starters so we can really get a good look at how these guys are playing.

Agree with all of this. Get Trey signed and hopefully have enough to address another position if needed. Im worried about Patrick but I guess we are in wait and see mode so hopefully he shows improvement next week.

[Luvnit2]

This is interesting for us who don't get PFF scores. Fairchild was great as we have said, but others memtioned like Burks and best LB against the pass was Harris-Giles, I know he had a pick and great run back called back, but best cover LB. Sample also got high marks. Safety Jules graded out well, someone I had not heard of honestly.

https://www.bengals.com/news/bengals-roster-look-joe-burrow-shemar-stewart-dylan-fairchild

[*rfaulk34*]

(9 hours ago)SladeX Wrote: JAWS

Really, reeeaaalllly love me some Callaway's. Been eyeballing them but i'm not ready for that price point yet. Been on the sidelines too long, older...i have to get my swing back and decide if i'm going +1 or staying standard before i start spending the money.

[*rfaulk34*]

(4 hours ago)PhilHos Wrote: And that's why my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandpappy invented the toilet.

You're about 4 "greats" short there, homie. 

[*rfaulk34*]

(4 hours ago)NUGDUKWE Wrote: After I posted that and watched the video again. Perhaps my optimistic view is that he had some close calls/pressures in his limited snaps. If he can be a disruptor early on and cause the offense to go outside of what they want to do a handful of times 3-5 times a game that could make a huge difference for a defense trying to get there footing.

I wouldn't be too harsh on that game because McKee was getting the ball out in 2.5 or less on every pass except the 2 boots and the 1 time he was sacked was when he held the balll +2.5 (on Shemar's snaps). 

[*Synric*]

(Yesterday, 04:40 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Too bad the OL had the penalty on the one Tahj run, I thought he was about to really get going. Glad you thought Kris Jenkins looked
solid, I saw one good run stop but that was it and thought he got owned a few times. True on Jalen Rivers, he struggled.

(Yesterday, 06:40 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: TY for the experts weighing in. It looks like we had comminication and other errors on the big run. The good news is this is fixable. I also saw Zac said they decided to play vanilla to not give up that they will be doing week 1. He said as a result he knew it would create 1 on 1 situations and our guys lost too many 1 on 1's.

I took that as Golden has a plan and is working on that plan in practice so hopefully that means week 1 the Browns have no idea what defense Golden will call on any given play.

As for Zac's comments it seemed the same guys were getting beat 1 on 1 and that was Turner and Ivey the worst, otheres as well. I was disappointed with the defense and backup offense overall, but it is a long year so may take time to see improvements.

I thought Jenkins played very well, other said no, what did I miss?

Kris Jenkins showed up as a gap control run defender. He also did get a pressure but he never really affected rhe QB because the OL recovered easily after an initial loss when Jenkins slanted. As a gap control run defender he controlled the point of attack, flowed down the line with good lateral agility when needed, discarded blocks, and got his hands on the ball carrier.

Kris Jenkins Jr. played 14 total snaps on Defense…he was impactful on 7 of them ? pic.twitter.com/6fl8mjNN8K

— Bengals & Brews (@BengalsBrews) August 9, 2025

 

[Bengalitis]

so does our Defense have any chance with newbie 3rd stringer QB, Sanders in Cleveland?

[Joelist]

Stewart was pretty good which was encouraging. Jenkins was also pretty good again encouraging. Fairchild was a beast VERY encouraging.

Remember Stewart is planned to take most of his snaps where Hubbard used to be - if he keeps improving his knowledge and is game ready having him on one end and Trey on the other will give us a fun DL to watch. Yes the defense got skunked a lot but also a lot of it was players going to the wrong spot (especially at LB) and mismatches in the secondary with us missing so many starters back there. As to Jalen Rivers move his butt inside; that was where scouts had their most upside for him. He has strong potential but as a Guard not a Tackle.

[RunKijanaRun]

I’ve been trying to talk myself out of thinking what I thought during and immediately after the game.

I haven’t been able to do it.

First team offense was exquisite. Evan kicked well. That’s it.

I’m suspending myself from any further analysis until the next game.

But they have to sign a guard and, obviously, get Trey done.