Preseason scouting report: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs open the preseason against the Cincinnati Bengals. What can fans expect from our first opponent?
At long last, Kansas City Chiefs fans have escaped from the hellish doldrums of the NFL offseason and have entered the purgatory of the preseason. It won’t be long now before our penance is paid and we can all bask in the glory of the regular season.
While the preseason is just a tease, it’s all we have for now. We’ll see some players who were household names on Saturdays, even if they never achieve that notoriety on Sundays. It’s by no means the entree, but it’s a great appetizer.
The first preseason game is traditionally highlighted by second-string and third-string players. Even so, what should Kansas City Chiefs fans know about the Cincinnati Bengals headed into this week’s contest?
Offseason changes
The Bengals haven’t exactly been a high profile team most of the last decade. This is in part due to their lack of consistent success on the field and in part because their head man of 16 seasons, Marvin Lewis, was as old school as it gets in the modern NFL. He was never one to give the media much to run with.
To the chagrin of some, but the happiness of most, Lewis is now a memory slowly fading into the black and orange background. In his place stands a much younger, seemingly more charismatic man more in line with the modern player and league.
Where Marvin Lewis was a former linebacker turned old school, defensive coach and cut from the cloth of coaches like Bill Cowher; Zach Taylor is a former quarterback turned new school, offensive coach and cut from the cloth of coaches like Bill Callahan and Sean McVay. Without question, this era of Bengals’ football will be different. How different and how long that difference will take to manifest itself is another question.
It’s already been reported that Taylor’s interactions with the media and players have stirred a good deal of positivity. Even standout wide receiver A.J. Green, who’s mostly known as a quiet leader, has publicly voiced strong support for the new head coach. For an organization that hasn’t won a playoff game since 1991, it’s important that the new coaching staff, players, and fans get off on the right foot.
Notable Offseason Additions:
- B.W. Webb, Cornerback – Former member of the New York Giants
Notable Offseason Departures:
- Vontaze Burfict, Linebacker – Now a member of the Oakland Raiders
*Important Note: This scouting report does not include the final pre-game injury report for either team. As such, some of these items are subject to change barring any updates on the players mentioned in the article.