Bengals vs Buccaneers: What to Watch for in Preseason Game No. 1

CINCINNATI — The Bengals kickoff the preseason in Tampa Bay against the Buccaneers on Saturday night.

After an offseason full of roster changes, Cincinnati gets to face the defending champs.

Guys like Joe Burrow, Trey Hopkins and Larry Ogunjobi won't play, but there will still be plenty of interesting matchups.

Here are six things I'll be watching closely on Saturday night.

Offensive Line

The three-way competition at right guard is the most important battle of the preseason. Can rookie Jackson Carman right the ship after a slow start in training camp? Will veteran Xavier Su'a-Filo seize the day and push for a starting job?

Both guys are listed behind Michael Jordan, who is the Bengals' first-team right guard going into Saturday's contest. He hasn't done anything special in camp, but clearly the coaching staff feels like he's the best of the three options [so far].

How this trio plays could go a long way in determining the ceiling of this Bengals' offense. If they have a hole at right guard all season, then it's going to make life much tougher on Burrow. They really need someone to emerge in that room.

The right guard battle isn't the only concerning spot. With Hopkins out, Billy Price will start at center. How will he play against Vita Vea? Has he improved following Frank Pollack's return to the offensive line room?

Rookie D'Ante Smith has impressed coaches in camp. Will that continue against a tough Bucs' defensive front?

Defensive Line

Trey Hendrickson might not play on Saturday night, but this defensive line has a lot of new faces.

How will DJ Reader look in his return to the field following a brutal quad injury? Can Josh Tupou and Mike Daniels make an impact against a quality Buccaneers' offensive line?

Rookies like Cam Sample, Tyler Shelvin and Joseph Ossai are going to get their first taste of life in the NFL.

Ossai should see significant playing time if Hendrickson is out. He's a big part of this revamped pass rush.

Will Shelvin or Sample flash their potential? Both guys could end up being part of the defensive line rotation this season.

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Wide Receivers

Ja'Marr Chase is making his NFL debut, but he hasn't worked out with Brandon Allen much during team periods, so it's hard to expect a lot out of the rookie.

Either way, it'll be good to see him on the field.

The back end of the wide receiver room is interesting. Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, Auden Tate and Chase are roster locks. Mike Thomas is making this team.

That means the first five spots are spoken for. How will Trent Taylor, Trenton Irwin and Stanley Morgan perform?

Can Taylor continue to flash in the slot or will Irwin look better in a live game? Morgan is a great special teamer, but can he do enough on offense to earn a spot?

Keep an eye on Scotty Washington, Reece Horn and Riley Lees. They've all made plays in camp, but need to make some big plays in all three preseason games if they're going to make the team.

Secondary

The Bengals' starting secondary isn't expected to play more than two series, but after performing well in training camp, how do they look against arguably the best collection of weapons in the NFL?

Tom Brady has Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, Scotty Miller and Tyler Johnson at wide receiver. He has Rob Gronkowski and OJ Howard at tight end. Throw in former Bengals running back Giovani Bernard and the Bucs' passing game should be one of the best in the league.

How will Chidobe Awuzie, Mike Hilton and Trae Waynes look against Evans, Godwin and Brown?

The starting secondary won't play long, but they have a chance to show us that they're going to be better than expected this season.

Running Backs

The Bengals have plenty of competition in the back end of their running back room. Everyone knows Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine are making this team, but who will emerge after them?

Rookie Chris Evans has flashed his potential in camp, but is he a capable pass blocker? Will Jacques Patrick play at a high level in his quest to make this team?

Trayveon Williams is another guy that needs to put together a quality preseason if he's going to make the final 53-man roster.

Special Teams

Evan McPherson is expected to win the kicking battle with Austin Seibert. He's the clear leader going into Saturday night, but how he performs in real games is the biggest factor in the competition.

"Me and Austin are just gonna rotate so I may have the opening kickoff, he’ll have the first field goal or PAT or kickoff. We’ll kinda rotate through that," McPherson said this week. "Competing with Austin it’s been a lot of fun. Really bringing the best out in both of us. It’s been going good."

The battle for the punt returner job is also up for grabs. Will Darius Phillips beat out Taylor?

Pooka Williams is also in the mix, but he's dealing with a minor injury and might not be able to play. Phillips and Taylor are the clear front-runners for that job.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. We'll have you covered with plenty of postgame observations.

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