Giants at Bengals: Cincinnati’s Play of the Week

It was an improved performance by the Bengals this week against the Giants, which was a great sign of optimism going forward into the regular season. In the close loss, there were a number of big plays by Cincinnati players to help the cause of a near-win.

Cast your vote and sound off on your winner for the Bengals’ preseason Week 3 Play of the Week versus the Giants!

C.J. Uzomah’s 26-yard touchdown reception: Uzomah signed a well-deserved, lucrative deal this offseason and should be stepping into a big role in 2019. He’s had a good camp, but his performance against the Redskins left a lot to be desired.

That changed the following week against the Giants, though. One play that exemplified the turnaround was a beauty of a pitch and catch by Uzomah from Andy Dalton to put the Bengals up 7-3 early in the contest.

Carl Lawson’s sack-fumble on Daniel Jones: Cincinnati witnessed the return of a handful of important players against New York—most of which had big impacts on the game. Lawson was one of those impactful players, who walloped the Giants’ rookie quarterback in the second quarter on a sack.

The play didn’t result in a turnover, nor did it stall the Giants’ drive, but it was a big statement play by the Bengals’ defense.

Damion Willis’ 33-yard reception: This kid is doing everything possible to make the Bengals’ roster. He had a big night against the Giants, wrangling in three catches for 55 yards. On one play, 33 of those yards were gained, as Willis came back to an under-thrown ball by Ryan Finley. It didn’t lead to points, but was a highlight reel play, to be sure.

Rodney Anderson’s 18-yard reception: This catch was another example of an exciting play that did not lead to points, but there was a deeper symbolism to it. Rodney Anderson hadn’t played in an actual football game for a year, but had a handful of “wow” plays against the Giants. This one was perhaps his best when it came at the midway point of the third quarter.

Damion Willis’ three-yard touchdown reception: This catch didn’t require as much effort as his previous 33-yard grab, but it was a play that gave the Bengals the lead in the fourth quarter. Jake Dolegala floated a nice fade route on a third-and-goal to cap off a great night for the undrafted rookie.

Josh Malone’s two-yard touchdown catch: Dolegala wasn’t done after the Willis score and nearly had the Bengals mount yet another comeback in the game. The other undrafted rookie floated another fade to Malone on the other side of the end zone, and the third-year wideout made a nice over-the-shoulder (or head?) grab.