Cincinnati Bengals Winners and Losers From Final Preseason Game Vs. the Commanders

After scoring their first touchdown on their 22nd drive of the preseason late last week at Atlanta, the Cincinnati Bengals converted their opening march Saturday at Washington. But Jake Browning’s 7-yard pass to rookie Andrei Iosivas marked the last time either of the two quarterbacks vying to be Joe Burrow’s backup would get the team in the end zone.

Fourth-stringer Reid Sinnett replaced Trevor Siemian in the fourth quarter and threw a 34-yard touchdown to Shedrick Jackson, but the two-point conversion failed and the Bengals fell 21-19.

Reid Sinnett to Shed Jackson for 6‼️#CINatWAS | 📺 @paramountplus, Local 12 pic.twitter.com/xjFOIpslpG

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) August 27, 2023

The loss wrapped the Cincinnati preseason at 0-2-1 following a 36-19 loss to the Packers and a 13-13 tie at Atlanta, marking just the third winless preseason in team history (0-4 in 1983 and 0-4 in 1999).

Here are the winners and losers from Saturday’s game as cutdown day looms Tuesday.

Winners and Losers From Bengals vs. Commanders

Winner | Jake Browning

He followed up his game-ending touchdown in Atlanta with a game-opening TD march against the Commanders. Browning drove the Bengals 61 yards in 10 plays while converting a third down with a 25-yard, back-shoulder throw to Iosivas before going back to the rookie for the touchdown.

Browning finished 6-of-6 for 42 yards and should be locked in as the backup to Joe Burrow.

Winner | Andrei Iosivas

His spot on the 53-man roster already was secure, but the rookie from Princeton snared a back-shoulder catch to covert a third down on the opening drive, then he finished the possession with a leaping 7-yard touchdown for his first NFL score.

That ball spin and griddy 😮‍💨 #CINatWAS | 📺 @paramountplus, Local 1 pic.twitter.com/Si51hoCCWX

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) August 26, 2023

Iosivas finished with three catches for 35 yards in the game and 12 receptions for 129 yards on 26 targets in the preseason.

Winner | Tanner Hudson

After missing the Atlanta game with a concussion, Hudson picked up where he left off in the preseason opener when he had four catches in less than 30 minutes of action before slamming his head on the turf after hurdling a pair of defenders.

Hudson had four catches for 42 yards and also had a 27-yarder wiped out on a facemask penalty by guard Trey Hill.

Winner | Chase Brown

Brown has shown his explosiveness since arriving, but Saturday was the toughest he’s looked running inside and breaking tackles.

“He’s developing before our eyes,” director of player personnel Duke Tobin said on TV broadcast.

Brown finished with 39 yards on 11 carries and also caught a pair of passes.

Winner | Raymond Johnson III

In addition to continuing to get pressure on the quarterbacks and sacking Jake Fromm on third down to give the Bengals a chance to win the game with a final drive, Johnson batted a third-down pass that nearly led to an interception by rookie safety Jordan Battle.

MORE: Bengals WR Tyler Boyd Lays Out Timeframe To Get Back Up To Speed With Joe Burrow

Perhaps most impressive of all was the play he made in the third quarter, dropping into coverage in the flat on a third down deep in Washington territory. Johnson tackled Derrick Gore for a 1-yard gain on third-and-3, forcing the Commanders to punt.

Winner | Evan McPherson

For the second year in a row, McPherson hit a 58-yard field goal. He added a 35-yarder early in the fourth quarter to get the Bengals within 14-13 and finished the preseason 8-of-8 on field goals.

Loser | Joseph Ossai

The most important position player who dressed in Washington, Ossai’s night lasted just a couple of plays. He suffered a right ankle injury when he got stepped on while rushing Jacoby Brissett on the Commanders’ opening drive.

Ossai went to the locker room and was ruled out. While the severity of the injury is unknown, it’s a tough break for the 2021 third-round pick, who lost his entire rookie season to a preseason injury.

Loser | Trey Hill

Already teetering on the bubble, the third-year offensive lineman drew a 15-yard facemask penalty in the second quarter that wiped out a 19-yard reception by tight end Tanner Hudson that would have converted a third down and moved the offense into Washington territory.

Loser | Trevor Siemian

He had two drives in the first half and looked as good as he has all preseason, taking intermediate and deep shots after compiling just 4.4 yards per attempt in the first two games. But he forced a throw into coverage at the goal line and Washington’s Jace Whittaker intercepted it with 16 seconds left before halftime to spoil Siemian’s outing.

Siemian’s first two second-half drives netted just 26 yards and included a third-down checkdown short of the sticks on the second possession. His third drive resulted in a field goal, but that was a red-zone trip and the ball slipped out of his hand on a third-down attempt. Siemian finished 14-of-23 for 133 yards and an interception.

Loser | Drue Chrisman

Backed up at his own 17-yard line, Chrisman’s first punt was only 38 yards. His second attempt was much better, a 57-yarder that nearly tuned into first and goal for the Bengals when Washington returner Kazmeir Allen muffed it.

But it always was going to be an uphill battle after Chrisman suffered a medical emergency on the first day of camp that cost him a couple of weeks he couldn’t afford to lose.