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The Cincinnati Bengals dominated in their second preseason game of the year. Cincinnati defeated Washington 31-17 in a game that featured plenty of fireworks. One Bengals rookie was the star of the show, hauling in two touchdowns and leading the team in receiving yards.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor heaped praise on rookie UDFA Mitchell Tinsley after his big game.
“Baller,” Taylor said of Tinsley after the game, per NFL.com’s Kevin Patra. “Yeah, he just works hard. He’s become a guy that everybody really respects in the locker room. I don’t know that I’ve ever heard him speak. Maybe someone can get him tonight. He just goes out there and just works, and we respect that. And again, he created the opportunities for himself. He’s done enough in practice to where we wanted to put him in positions to be at the point of attack when he was in the game there, and he rewarded himself with touchdowns and catches and extending drives and someone that’s reliable for the quarterbacks in August. So just proud of him. This is the last team he was with, if I’m not mistaken, so probably a neat situation for him to come back on this field and do what he just did.”
Tinsley finished the game with five receptions for 73 yards and two touchdowns.
He had more receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns than anyone else in the game.
Now the question becomes whether his strong performance was enough to earn a final roster spot.
Tinsley acknowledged that he had a good game. But he is not letting the roster decision cloud his judgment.
“It’s a step in the right direction, but for me, I try not to focus on all that,” Tinsley said after the game. “For me, I know I put a lot of work in in the offseason and I put a lot of work into my craft. Really, it all just came down to me coming out here and executing.”
Tinsley faces an uphill battle if he wants to make Cincinnati’s initial 53-man roster.
Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are guaranteed to make the final roster. Andrei Iosivas and Jermaine Burton also feel like their jobs are safe. That puts Tinsley in competition with Charlie Jones, Isaiah Williams, and a host of other receivers.
Tinsley will give himself a chance with another strong performance.
Next up for the Bengals is their preseason finale against the Colts on August 23rd.
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