Bengals Vs. Eagles: 5 Things To Watch as Joe Burrow Gets Most Extensive Preseason Action of Career

CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Bengals open the preseason Thursday night at Philadelphia against the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles.

But unlike Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor, Philadelphia’s Nick Siriani is expected to have most of his starters watching from the sidelines.

The chance to see Joe Burrow in his most extended preseason action of his career is one of several storylines that could make this one of the most interesting Augusts of the Taylor era.

Here are 5 things to watch Thursday night.

It All Starts With the Starters

Taylor said Burrow and the offensive starters will play about a quarter, but what will that set of plays look like?

Will there be a lot of quick passes to limit Burrow’s exposure to a pass rush, or will Taylor be looking for more than just shaking off rust by calling plays similar to what we might see in a regular-season game.

Will Burrow spread the ball around and try to get touches for as many different receivers as possible?

And maybe most important of all will be how guards Lucas Patrick and rookie Dylan Fairchild look.

It will be the first NFL action for Fairchild, the team’s third-round pick out of Georgia. And it will be the first live reps with the team for Patrick after signing a free-agent deal in March.

If Burrow is holding the ball longer than two seconds on any plays, there will be a lot of pressure on the offensive line, and the guards in particular, to not allow any Philadelphia pass rushers to get close enough to him to cause breaths to be held.

Sizing Up Stewart

An evergreen entry into any preseason watch list is the performance of the first-round pick, and it’s especially relevant for the Bengals this year with Shemar Stewart having just seven practices under his belt after holding out for all of OTAs and the start of training camp.

Stewart appears to be catching up quickly, making plays in various ways while lining up all across the defensive line.

He’s still working his way into football shape, so the Bengals will be smart with the number of snaps they give him.

But don’t be surprised if he takes some reps with the first-team defense and sticks around for a series or two with the twos.

McPherson’s Makeover

Coming off the worst season of his young career – and first after signing a three-year, $16.5 million extension – Evan McPherson has reverted back to the kicking technique that made him a fifth-round pick and a Bengals hero during the Super Bowl run in 2021.

While undrafted rookie William Wagner will get some chances to long snap, McPherson and special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons are banking on the continuity of the operation for a second year with long snapper Cal Adomitis and holder/punter Ryan Rehkow after various chances following the retirement of mainstays Kevin Huber and Clark Harris.

While the pressure in the preseason doesn’t come close to a real game, McPherson can stave off some of the questions about his decline with a solid performance.

And any time the Bengals play the Eagles, the kicking game always will be a focus with Bengals’ 2017 fifth-round pick Jake Elliott entering his ninth season with two Super Bowl rings to his credit.

Burton’s Bounce Back

It was Week 8 against the Eagles last year when Burton’s immaturity came to a head with some missed practices and meetings when the Bengals had planned to make him a big part of the gameplan due to Tee Higgins’ hamstring injury.

Burton has talked about being in a better head space this year and has been dynamic in practices, expanding his route-running ability beyond just chasing go balls.

Like Stewart, look for Burton to get some reps with the first team as well as action with the twos. Perhaps quite a bit more for Burton.

He also is in the mix to return kicks and punts along with Charlie Jones and Isaiah Williams.

Preseason games are more valuable to returners than any other position because the drills in practice don’t come close to replicating live action the way offensive and defensive plays do.

Cornerback Corral

Taylor said Tuesday that projected starters Cam Taylor-Britt and Dax Hill will not play against the Eagles, along with backup Marco Wilson. That will create added opportunities for almost everybody else at that crowded position.

Look for DJ Turner II and Josh Newton to start on the outside and Jalen Davis in the slot. But it will be interesting to see if new defensive coordinator Al Golden works other corners into the mix with the ones – notably DJ Ivey, who is having a strong camp – in an effort to slide Newton and possibly Turner into the slot for some plays.

Also keep an eye on undrafted rookie Bralyn Lux, who has had a good camp and is making a spirited bid for one of what should be six cornerback spots on the 53-man roster.