Cincinnati Bengals vs Minnesota Vikings: NFL Preseason Week 1

FILM ROOM: Clarke, Hardison shine; Hunt fails

It's just one game and it is preseason, but some players are clearly on their way up and a couple of others are quickly on the verge of losing their job

Boyd feeling “real good” after preseason opener

In his first game action, Boyd looked on track to being ready to compete at the NFL level. And that’s a good thing as he’s sure to have a large role among the Bengals’ offense in 2016.

The Weekly Lineman: Vikings vs Bengals edition

Both lines of scrimmages had their fair share of bright spots and mishaps in the Bengals’ preseason debut. In the first edition of The Weekly Lineman, we break down a few of the good and bad moments from the past week’s line play.

Bengals’ D inconsistent in clutch situations vs Vikings

"It’s just understanding the situation," Guenther said of the defensive mistakes on Friday. "It’s not like we watched them or game-planned them in anyway. I really kept the coverages vanilla to let us execute."

Video analysis of McCarron's solid preseason debut

The Bengals' offense picked up where it left off, despite the losses of Marvin Jones, Mohamed Sanu and Hue Jackson in the preseason opener.

Bengals QBs pleased with development of young WRs

With the team’s first preseason game in the books, Andy Dalton and AJ McCarron have been happy with the team’s younger receiving weapons.

WR Mario Alford in walking boot on Monday

Even minor injuries are major ones when they involve players on the roster bubble. The more time Mario Alford misses, the further he’ll fall onto the wrong side of the bubble.

Guenther believes Geno is better than ever

It’s a scary thought for opposing offenses that Geno Atkins could be even better in 2016 than he was in 2015.

Which Bengals rookies shined against the Vikings?

In their first chance at playing time, the Bengals had some notable and little-known rookies take advantage of the opportunity presented to them.

Nominees for Bengals Play of the Week vs Vikings

Even though the Bengals came up short in the preseason opener against the Vikings, there were a number of big plays to instill confidence going forward. Which one gets your vote for the best of the week?

Bengals roster battles: Updated WR outlook

The Bengals entered training with a lot of questions at receiver, but several guys have stepped up and solidified their standing on the roster. Meanwhile, others are fading into the background.

Bengals Unsung Hero of the Week vs Vikings

We take a look at some of the individual performances of Bengals players that may have gone unnoticed in the team's 17-16 loss to the Vikings. Cast your vote and sound off on who you think the winner should be!

Will Clarke making case for bigger role

At 25-years-old, Will Clarke hasn't seen the field much in his first two NFL seasons. However, Friday's performance suggests he's ready to step up and make sure the Bengals can't keep him off the field in 2016.

Preseason Week 1: Bengals MVP vs Vikings

We take a look at some of the best individual performances from Bengals players in the preseason opener against the Vikings. Who gets your vote for this week’s Most Valuable Player?

Bengals' loss came down to inability to convert

It's hard to believe you can lose when you beat the other team in yards, number of plays, first downs, and nearly every other statistical category. However, the struggles that the Bengals had in scoring opportunities doomed them on Friday night.

Bengals vs Vikings Snap Count: Hardison leads team

We outline our takeaways from the Bengals' snap count on Friday night. During the season, this will be an interesting experiment for the starters, but as of now, we're looking at which backups saw significant time

Margus Hunt playing like he wants to be cut

Margus Hunt was easily the biggest disappointment of the Bengals' first preseason game. Was it enough that the team should finally cut ties with him?

Erickson went from unknown to fan-favorite in 1 night

Alex Erickson’s big night boosts his chance at the 53-man roster, but it doesn’t spell doom for Brandon Tate either.

Bengals starters shine against Vikings

While the bulk of the game was played by those fighting for their spot on the squad, I was impressed with what we saw from the Bengals starters on Friday night in the preseason opener.

Marvin Lewis pleased with Brandon Tate, disappointed in inability to convert

"I would like to see us convert. We missed a field goal, we had an opportunity for a touchdown; we got inside the five-yard line and got stopped on fourth down," Lewis said after the game.

Bengals vs Vikings: Winners and losers in preseason opener

Undrafted rookie free agent Alex Erickson scored two touchdowns, including an 80-yard punt return with 2:45 remaining that pulled the Bengals back into the game. That's more than enough to make our list of winners, but what about the losers?

Jeremy Hill is "A okay" after appearing to hurt his hand

Despite losing, Bengals look strong in preseason opener

The Bengals looked solid in their preseason opener against the Vikings. The defensive starters’ time on the field was short but sweet and Andy Dalton returned ready to go and looking sharp. But, the star of the night was undrafted rookie wide receiver Alex Erickson.

Tyler Boyd amazes with 40-yard catch

Geno Atkins gets his first sack of the preseason