Cincy Jungle
Not like there was much doubt, but the Cincinnati Bengals’ offense should be at least as good as it was last year, judging by how sharp the starters looked in the first quarter of their preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Joe Burrow was 9 for 10 for 122 yards and two touchdowns on two drives.
Ja’Marr Chase had four receptions on four targets for 77 yards and a score.
Fourth-string tight end Tanner Hudson bullied his way past multiple defenders for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, starting running back Chase Brown ran for 24 yards on just five carries while catching three balls for 25 yards. The recent comparison to Austin Ekeler looked very accurate tonight.
Sure, it was the preseason, and the Eagles didn’t have their starting unit out there. But the Bengals were decisive, and they made it look easy, even overcoming a questionable penalty on Amarius Mims that overturned a touchdown to come back and score two plays later.
Of course, the Eagles’ backup offense had a similarly hot start against Cincinnati’s starters. But let’s not go there right now.
After years of seeing no Burrow in the preseason for various reasons, this is exactly what Bengals fans wanted to see. Here’s to hoping this helps lead to a faster start in the regular season.
