Head coach Zac Taylor said Amarius Mims would not only start at right tackle, he'd play longer than the rest of the starters on offense for the Cincinnati Bengals.
He didn't say how much longer he'd play. The answer ended up being one drive longer.
Two drives of mistake-free play were enough.
Joe Burrow got his wish by scoring a touchdown and leaving the field after one drive. The touchdown went to Tee Higgins, who translated a dominant training camp to an impressive first series under the franchise tag.
There were big names out there, but the biggest dude of them all was gonna be the story to follow.
Mims, who got the start at a position that's all-too important for the success of the team, played 15 snaps on two drives. Neither Joe Burrow nor Jake Browning got hit in the pocket, only once were they under some pressure.
No false starts. No missed assignments. All good news that backs up the promise from the past two weeks.
Mims, the Bengals' first-round pick, has looked the part in every training camp practice this summer . He needs the reps after only starting eight games in his college career, and he's gotten all of them with Trent Brown missing the first two weeks of practice.
All of that can be lost by giving up a sack or losing badly to players less talented than him. Putting up a clean sheet in his first game is a big step in the right direction.
Cincinnati hasn't started a rookie tackle in Week 1 in over 40 years, and that was future Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz.
It will be a tall task no matter how the remainder of the preseason goes, but Mims can hang his helmet on getting through the first week as clean as possible.
Other notes and observations
- Chase Brown took all the snaps at running back with the first team. Veteran free agent signing Zack Moss didn't see the field.
- With wide receivers Trenton Irwin and Andrei Iosivas lined up with Tee Higgins and the starters, Shedrick Jackson, Kwamie Lassiter II, and Kendric Pryor soon followed with the second-string over third-round pick Jermaine Burton. Burton did have his moment in the second half with a 37-yard touchdown reception that was soon followed with a 38-yard contested grab. He led all players in the game with 82 receiving yards.
- Speaking of Higgins, Burrow's longest pass of the opening drive went to his star wideout but was dropped in the end zone as multiple Buccaneers broke up the pass. Higgins did get his touchdown a few plays later after drawing a pass interference.
- Jackson Carman came into the game as the backup left tackle and was penalized four times. The plays he didn't blow up with infractions weren't that much better, either. Carman is entering the last year of his rookie contract, and tonight's performance will not support a decision to keep him for his last year.
- Cornerback Dax Hill dropped an interception, but got his hands on multiple passes in his first game at cornerback. Fifth-round pick Josh Newton , running with the second team, did haul in an interception a drive after he looked to be injured after taking a big hit.
- Sixth-round pick Cedric Johnson got plenty of run at edge defender and came away with one of the Bengals' three sacks on the night. With Cam Sample out for the year, Johnson has a real shot of making the 53-man roster.
- Undrafted rookie linebacker Maema Njongmeta led all defenders with 10 total tackles.
Related: Bengals Roster Breakdown: Maema Njonmeta brings smarts and strength where both are needed at linebacker
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