Numerous players took multiple approaches to sidestep the question before Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton stepped in front of the cameras and microphones to provide the answer everyone wanted to know.
Yes, the Bengals starters will play Friday night in Atlanta. At least the defensive ones.
Why It’s Important for the Starters To Get Preseason Reps
“We’re gonna get about a series,” Hilton said. “Just crack the pads a little bit and go against another team. Hopefully, it’s a quick series — a three-and-out or a turnover, but we’ll see. No matter how many reps, we’re gonna make them competitive.”
It wasn’t so much the declaration that he and his teammates would be playing that was notable, but rather the reason for it.
There was a lot of speculation outside the organization about the 0-2 start to the 2022 regular season being linked to the starters not playing at all in the preseason. But Hilton pointed directly to the correlation after practice Wednesday.
“I feel like the way we started last year definitely had something to do with not getting any preseason reps,” Hilton said. “So I feel like that will be good for us on the defensive end and should help us early in the season.”
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said last month he was open to playing the starters, although he never attributed the season-opening losses to the Steelers and Cowboys to the lack of preseason work for a team with four new starters, including a rookie, on the offensive line.
“If you’re not playing the quarterback, are you going to play the linemen?” Taylor said, referring to Joe Burrow missing time due to an appendectomy. “It snowballs from there.”
Linebacker Logan Wilson wouldn’t confirm that he would playing, even though he knows the answer.
“I do know whether or not I’m playing, but I don’t know if I’m supposed to share,” he said.
Wilson did say he was preparing to play.
Does that mean he’s expecting to?
“Maybe. I might be,” he said with a smile.
Wilson agreed with Hilton that there is value for defensive players to get into a preseason game for a series or two.
“The biggest thing is just full tackling, live tackling,” he said. “Because we don’t ever really do that in practice. You just thud up and then let them go. If they’re running along the sidelines, you’re just tagging them. So that would be the biggest.”
In 2021, Wilson and Hilton each played the opening season in the preseason opener at Tampa Bay. The following week at Washington, Wilson played 14 snaps (19%) and Hilton eight.
Last year it was zero.
“It’ll be big for us,” Hilton said. “It’s been a while since I played in a preseason game, but I’m excited to get out there and compete. Especially back home (in Atlanta). It’s where I’m from. I’ve got a lot of family coming. Even though it might be a series or two, I’m excited to get out there.”
No one on the offensive side of the ball was spilling the secrets the way Hilton was, but the expectation is that some of the starters not named Joe Burrow will play, even if center Ted Karras didn’t want to say.
“I don’t know,” he said. “That’s the luxury of being a player — you play when you’re told to play.”
Orlando Brown Jr., the only new member of the offensive line this year, took the same tact.
“I’m just here to do my part,” he said. “That question’s above me. I’m just here to do my job. If they want me to play, I’m gonna play. If not, I’m gonna be out there coaching.
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