The Cincinnati Bengals came out of the loss to the Green Bay Packers in the first week of the preseason with some notable takeaways across different positions.
Some of this is reflected in the Pro Football Focus grades for the game.
There, some expected names had some really strong showings in the grades department. Others expected to typically grade well didn’t turn in the best numbers.
These are grain-of-salt details, of course, considering Week 1 of the preseason always turns out some weird results (especially for rookies) and the fact grades are just one part of a puzzle when it comes to analysis.
Still, it’s very interesting to look at, so here are the notable Bengals PFF grades from Week 1.
Top 5 offense
WR Trenton Irwin — 84.9
RB Chris Evans — 78.4
TE Tanner Hudson — 71.9
WR Andrei Iosivas — 70.6
OL Hakeem Adeniji — 68.4
Safe to say Irwin was never going anywhere and this showing wasn’t all that surprising at all. But it was shocking to see Evans play so well in all respects, hinting that he’s turning a corner in his development. Hudson had a nice day before getting injured and Adeniji helped his chances of sticking. Iosivas, getting 10 targets, was the star of the show and effectively guaranteed his 53 spot.
Bottom 5 offense
QB Trevor Siemian — 41.4
QB Jake Browing — 40.0
TE Devin Asiasi — 39.7
OL Jaxson Kirkland — 31.8
WR Stanley Morgan — 31.2
Not a banner day for Bengals quarterbacks, though a lot goes into it. Browning might have the lead now. Morgan might have hurt his chances at the same time other rookie receivers looked good. And Kirkland, a really popular undrafted free agent this year, played too upright and stiff.
Top 5 defense
S Tycen Anderson — 97.3
DE Raymond Johnson — 90.0
S Dax Hill — 79.5
CB DJ Turner — 79.1
LB Tyler Murray — 75.4
The future of that Bengals secondary is great, clearly. Anderson erupted for two interceptions, showing he’s developing great despite missing his rookie year. Hill displayed some Bates-styled range again and the rookie second-rounder Turner was sticky in coverage. And Johnson just made the lives of coaches much more difficult on cut-down day along an already-strong defensive line.
Bottom 5 defense
LB Joe Bachie — 40.9
DE Jeff Gunter — 39.8
CB Marvell Tell — 34.9
DE Owen Carney — 31.4
LB Akeem Davis-Gaither — 28.5
Two big notables. Gunter made the roster last year as a late-rounder and appears to have some major upside, so this is a step back he’ll need to regain. The showing from Davis-Gaither isn’t enough to put him in danger or anything, but he is a free agent after the season and the team just extended the two biggest names on the roster at the position.
Others notables
CB DJ Ivey — 63.5
S Jordan Battle — 56.2
DE Myles Murphy — 65.8
DT Zach Carter — 67.7
G Jackson Carman — 67.5
OL D’Ante Smith — 58.2
RB Chase Brown — 53.5
That’s a top-10 defensive grade for the late-rounder Ivey. Other rookies didn’t fare too terribly, all things considered. Zach Carter continues to look like he’ll break out, while Jackson Carman continues to fade. Smith and Brown at the bottom there are notable grades that seem a little too low given the strong weeks they’ve had and they’re still otherwise on the rise.
