Biggest Bengals Storylines to Monitor in Preseason Opener Against Packers

Cincinnati hosts Green Bay in their first game of the preseason.

Author:
James Rapien
Publish date:
Aug 11, 2023 8:38 AM EDT

In this story:

CINCINNATI — The Bengals host the Packers in the preseason opener on Friday night at Paycor Stadium.

Most of Cincinnati's starters won't play, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of storylines to monitor. Here are five to watch during Friday's game:

Quarterback Battle

Trevor Siemian and Jake Browning are battling to be Joe Burrow's backup.

Siemian appears to have a slight edge going into Friday's preseason opener, but the competition is far from over.

"They're battling. There's been a lot of good. A lot of things they are getting better at every time they come out here," Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said on Wednesday. "Trevor has a lot of experience, played a lot of football, and Jake has experience in our system. So, they battled, have up and down moments, but for the most part I've been pretty pleased with the competition. It will be ongoing. These games will be really important and so will these next two weeks worth of practices."

It'll be interesting to see how Zac Taylor decides to use Siemian and Browning. Will one start this week and the other next week? Will they alternate quarters?

Cincinnati is only going to keep two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, so Friday night's game is crucial in the battle behind Burrow.

Offensive Line

Jackson Carman, D'Ante Smith — © Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Bengals aren't expected to play any of their starters on offense, which includes right tackle Jonah Williams, but there will be plenty of eyes on the trenches.

Will third-year lineman Jackson Carman show that he deserves to be the first offensive tackle off the bench? Will Trey Hill or Max Scharping emerge as the best option behind Ted Karras at center?

D'Ante Smith, Cody Ford, Hakeem Adeniji, Jaxson Kirkland and Ben Brown are all fighting to make the team.

The guys that play well tonight will boost their chances of making the 53-man roster.

Rookie Wide Receivers

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Charlie Jones (15) catches a pass as Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Jalen Davis (35) guards him at the Cincinnati Bengals NFL training camp practice in Cincinnati on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023. — © Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Charlie Jones and Andrei Iosivas have impressed in training camp practices. Will their success translate to real games?

Jones is dealing with a little bit of a shoulder issue, but is expected to play on Friday night. If he does, it'll be his first chance to show Darrin Simmons and the rest of the coaching staff what he can do as a punt returner.

That's Jones' fastest path to playing time. He's also expected to get plenty of snaps at receiver against Green Bay.

The same thing goes for Iosivas. The 23-year-old has a chance to show the coaches that he's ready to contribute on special teams and at receiver this season. He's made some nice catches throughout camp.

Both guys are a big part of the future of the Bengals' offense, but Friday night is about seeing if they're ready to contribute right away.

Young Secondary

DJ Turner II, Practice — © Carter Skaggs/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Bengals' secondary has showed flashes of dominance during training camp.

From second-year guys like Dax Hill and Cam Taylor-Britt to DJ Turner II and DJ Ivey, the young defensive backs have made their presence felt.

Will that trend continue?

One thing we'll get to see on Friday is how they tackle. Turner isn't the biggest guy in the world. Is he a willing tackler? Will Hill play? What about Nick Scott or Taylor-Britt? If so, for how long?

It's also worth monitoring veteran cornerback Sidney Jones IV. With young guys like Turner and Ivey emerging, Jones needs to show that he's clearly the best option behind Chidobe Awuzie, Mike Hilton and Taylor-Britt.

Myles Murphy and D-Line Rotation

Jul 28, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Myles Murphy (99) jogs between drills during training camp at the practice fields next to Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kareem Elgazzar/The Cincinnati Enquirer-USA TODAY Sports — Kareem Elgazzar/The Cincinnati Enquirer-USA TODAY Sports

Murphy has flashed his potential over the past week, playing both defensive end and tackle.

He's getting reps with the first-team defense and should be on the field for plenty of snaps on Friday night. Will he make a few big plays like Joseph Ossai did in his preseason debut?

Speaking of Ossai, will he play? We know the starting front four will be held out.

That could mean plenty of snaps for Murphy, Cam Sample and even second-year defensive tackle Zach Carter.

The Bengals are hoping Carter can take a big step forward at 3-tech this season. If he can bolster their pass rush on the interior of the line, then it would give them a major boost.

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