4 takeaways from Monday’s training camp practice

The Bengals got back to the practice fields after Saturday’s preseason loss the the Chiefs.

The game was ugly in many respects, so Zac Taylor knows the Bengals have a lot of work to do in the short week before Thursday’s game against Washington.

Injury updates

There were a few injuries to the Bengals on Saturday night’s tussle in Kansas City. Some players were still held out of practice.

Clayton Fejedelem, backup safety and special teams ace, suffered an ankle injury and left the game. He started practice in a walking boot, but eventually took it off in favor of shoes.

There was some good news on the injury front. Veteran running back Giovani Bernard finally hit the practice fields after dealing with some hamstring issues. Rookie running back Trayveon Williams also returned after suffering a rib injury that took him out of Saturday’s game.

All told, the Bengals did pretty well in coming out of their first preseason game with no significant injuries. Let’s hope they keep it going for the next three games, as they need all hands on deck to win at Seattle in Week 1.

Offensive line

Another training camp, another day at observing the offensive line through a microscope.

Michael Jordan started at LG with the first team for the second time this year, even though he’s the third LG on the depth chart and he began the preseason on the second line.

In a surprise move, Billy Price played with the twos. Trey Hopkins took his spot with the first team.

Price didn’t play great against the Chiefs, but he wasn’t particularly bad either, so it’s hard to see him losing his job at this stage. Of course, Hopkins continuing to play well there could make things interesting if Price struggles moving forward.

Ryan Finley

After Ryan Finley’s monster game on Saturday, he got a chance to move up the roster and play with the twos.

Things are probably easier for young quarterbacks when they get to throw to targets like Tyler Eifert.

Seeing Finley already earn a bigger role with the offense is great news after he had a rough showing in offseason workouts. It now looks like he has a real shot at winning the backup job, which would make Jeff Driskel expendable as he enters the final year of his contract.

Tate keeps making plays

For the second straight year, Auden Tate has been the talk of training camp and the preseason. After making a highlight-reel grab that led to an opening-drive score vs. the Chiefs, Tate continued to make plays in today’s practice.

Tate looks well on his way to securing his spot on the 53-man roster, though he can’t let up with Damion Willis and Stanley Morgan also making a big push for those final receiver spots.

The Bengals’ last open practice of the season is tomorrow, Tuesday August 13th. Gates open a 2:30 and practice starts at 3:00.