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Bengals vs Colts preseason Week 4: Winners and losers

We take a look at some of the best and worst performances from Bengals players in their final preseason game against the Colts.

By Anthony Cosenza
Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Following the Bengals' preseason finale against the Colts, here are our biggest winners and losers as an immediate reaction from watching the game.

Biggest Winners:

Cedric Peerman: Aside from some troubles up the middle of the line, Peerman had a productive night on the ground and as a receiver. Though he had just 12 rushing yards on seven carries, one carry was totally blown up by poor blocking to cause massive lost yardage. He also had 38 receiving yards on three catches.

Greg Little: Though Little has been long-criticized for his poor hands, he continued his solid preseason with a couple of nice first quarter catches. Little got the start at wideout with Brandon Tate, so you have to wonder what, if any, writing was on the wall there, in terms of roster finalization.

P.J. Dawson: The rookie linebacker was omnipresent once again, making tackles early to minimize damage and had a sack on a third down to force a punt. The first of two Dawson sacks on the night also saved the defense from looking silly after whiffing on a third quarter sack by chasing down the quarterback after he escaped pressure. Why isn't Dawson starting again?

Chris Lewis-Harris: The corner who has continued to hang around Cincinnati the past few years had a nice night on coverage. He didn't have an easy task in covering Donte Moncreif, but he wasn't allowing any of the few deep throws to receivers he was charged with covering. On one of few receptions he allowed, Lewis-Harris still tackled the receiver a yard short of the first down to force a punt. As if that wasn't enough, Lewis-Harris had an interception off of a tipped pass to help his offense out after a Tyler Kroft fumble.

Brandon Tate: Ready or not, here he comes! After a very slow start, Tate began to heat up, mostly thanks to a 48-yard reception from AJ McCarron which set up a field goal. He finished the first half with four catches for 77 yards.

Mike Nugent: The veteran kicker came in and didn't appear to miss a beat after rehabbing a hamstring injury. He hit his first two field goals on his first two attempts of the preseason, quelling fears about his injury and availability.

Mario Alford: The speedy rookie predictably took a back seat to veterans, but made an impression with his first two touches. He took a screen pass for 17 yards after breaking a tackle and then took an end-around for six yards. His speed is undeniable and will make the receiver roster battle difficult for the Bengals' coaching staff. If they need more convincing, Alford also added a 17-yard punt return.

Chris Carter: As a niche guy, Carter has been a stud this preseason; he had a pressure, a sack and a forced fumble that was recovered by Marcus Hardison. He's one of those flex players who makes things interesting for final cuts.

Biggest Losers:

Terrell Watson: In his first extended time of the year, Watson didn't have a great showing. After seeming to continually pick up big yardage throughout the preseason, Watson had two big gaffes: a dropped pass in the flat and a lost fumble. Perhaps nerves took over, but he should still be a guy they look to keep on the Practice Squad.

The Interior Offensive Line: Russell Bodine, Dan France and others combined for a rough night in a variety of ways. The running game was a bit inconsistent, but pressure that did occur often came from the middle and forced quarterbacks to scramble out of the pocket.

Tom Obarski: Not a good night for the small school guys, eh? After a pretty solid preseason while relieving the injured Nugent, Obarski missed a 30-yard chip shot. Obarski had a knack for hitting deep field goals in college, but missed two short tries this offseason. Geoff Hobson thinks he'll land on the practice squad though to develop over the year.

The Viewers: It was a game of five total field goals, six total turnovers and many missed opportunities. It is what it is when the fourth preseason game takes stage, but...yikes.

Margus Hunt: The big defensive end got constant pressure on the evening, but it never equated to anything. What's more, it seemed like there were times Hunt had an opportunity to make a play for a loss, but he either wasn't playing attention, or didn't give the effort.

Tyler Kroft: While it was nice to see Kroft get into the receiving action, it wasn't a good night for him--some of his own doing and some not. After catching a nice pass from McCarron, Kroft took the pass for a first down, but got popped and fumbled the football away. To add insult to injury (literally), Kroft was temporarily knocked out of the game with what was deemed a stinger. It was one of many Bengals fumbles throughout the night and cost the team definite points.

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