The first preseason game for the Cincinnati Bengals was a chance for fringe would-be starters to get a better grip on jobs and roster long-shots to make some plays that give coaches pause on cut-down days.
The fact the Bengals lost to the Green Bay Packers isn’t a major ordeal. Especially not when, for example, two younger safeties break out in a big way right after the team lost Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell.
Sprinkle in some other winners and a few losers and the stock market for the Bengals just changed pretty notably.