Joe Burrow plays 2 Series In Bengals Preseason Opener

The Cincinnati Bengals opened their preseason with a 16-14 victory, but perhaps the biggest win of the night was getting through the game without any significant injuries to key players.

With Joe Burrow under center, Cincinnati showed a slightly different offensive approach. Instead of relying heavily on pushing the ball downfield, the Bengals focused more on handing the football off and taking what the defense gave them with shorter throws and checkdowns.

While preseason play-calling doesn’t necessarily indicate what Cincinnati will do once the regular season begins, getting Burrow and the offense quality reps while keeping everyone healthy was an important part of the night.

Defensively, the Bengals appeared to show better communication and cohesion as a unit. There were still some concerns, however, as Cincinnati surrendered a few big plays that the defense will want to clean up before the games begin to count.

The quarterback room behind Burrow was also worth watching.

Veteran Joe Flacco showed that he still has plenty of life in his arm and continues to look like the favorite to serve as Burrow’s primary backup. Josh Johnson, meanwhile, had an opportunity to strengthen his case for a roster spot but struggled to separate himself.

Based on the early preseason performances, it appears Cincinnati could enter the regular season with Burrow and Flacco as the two quarterbacks on the final roster.

There is still plenty of preseason football left before final roster decisions are made, but the Bengals accomplished one of their biggest goals in the opener: get some work in, get the win and get out healthy.