NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

Cincinnati Bengals: 3 Players to watch in Preseason Week 3

By Kenn Korb

CINCINNATI, OH - AUGUST 09: Jeff Driskel #6 of the Cincinnati Bengals throws a pass in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Chicago Bears at Paul Brown Stadium on August 9, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - AUGUST 09: Jeff Driskel #6 of the Cincinnati Bengals throws a pass in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Chicago Bears at Paul Brown Stadium on August 9, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 3
Next
WACO, TX – SEPTEMBER 26: Driphus Jackson #6 of the Rice Owls carries the ball against Andrew Billings #75 of the Baylor Bears in the first quarter at McLane Stadium on September 26, 2015 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
WACO, TX – SEPTEMBER 26: Driphus Jackson #6 of the Rice Owls carries the ball against Andrew Billings #75 of the Baylor Bears in the first quarter at McLane Stadium on September 26, 2015 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

***DT Andrew Billings

Billings was supposed to be the player who could team alongside Geno Atkins and be the run-stuffing behemoth who eats up space in the middle of the line, but to this point in his career he’s done little of that with consistency. Don’t hold it against him, however. He missed his rookie season due to tearing up his knee, and then spent last year slowly working through the recovery and trying to be the player he was supposed to be.

It has taken awhile, but this year may finally be that time. Billings is playing that role alongside Atkins as expected. In 20 snaps against Dallas, he blew up three plays for tackles and grabbed one for loss. Cincy Jungle did a great job encapsulating just how good his entire outing was.

There is room for improvement, of course. Even without their main offensive line starters for much of the time first-team offenses were out there, this group did still allow Cowboys runner Rod Smith to penetrate them for 49 yards early. Also, as great as Billings was against Dallas, he was equally replaceable against Chicago (no counting stats in 10 snaps).

Billings has the most exciting and impactful upside among the defensive linemen fighting for not only a spot on the roster but for the spot alongside Atkins with the starters, but there are others here making a case for time as well. Ryan Glasgow was nearly as good as Billings against Dallas, and should be the main competition for that starting role.

Guys like Chris Okoye and Eddy Wilson could challenge for depth spots, and Michael Johnson (should he survive roster cuts himself) will likely take some third-down snaps, but nobody besides Glasgow should give Billings a true challenge for the spot alongside Atkins.

Next. NFL Preseason: Bold predictions for Week 3. dark

This game against Buffalo will likely be the defining outing for the position. Billings seems primed to begin with the starters, but Glasgow will surely get a decent amount of action as well. The one who makes a better impression in their opportunities during this matchup will likely be the eventual starter for the regular season. While Glasgow shouldn’t be counted out, Billings should be considered the front-runner based on everything shown through the preseason so far — and if his game versus Dallas is any indication, he’ll secure this competition handily.

Home/Cincinnati Bengals