Will Taylor play his starters in Bengals’ 2nd preseason game?

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is considering playing his starters in the second preseason game Friday night against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The only starter who started and played in the Bengals’ first exhibition game against the Green Bay Packers was safety Dax Hill.

“We’ll see…We haven’t nailed it all down yet,” Taylor said on Monday when asked if starters will play.

Did resting players lead to Bengals’ slow start in 2022?

In recent years, Taylor has opted not to play his starters in the preseason. When the Bengals started 0-2 last season, Taylor’s decision to rest his players was called into question. Several teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs, have played their starting quarterback for a series or two thus far.

It’s unclear if the slow start last year will be a factor in his decision this year. Quarterback Joe Burrow admitted prior to suffering the calf strain that he wanted to play in the preseason. Based off his response and how Taylor answered the same question, if he were healthy, he would likely have played a series or two in a preseason game.

“Yeah, I would,” Burrow said on July 26.

“I haven’t had a chance to do that yet I think a series or two would be beneficial.”

Here’s Taylor’s response to the same question:

“Do I see Joe getting starting quarterback reps in the preseason game? I’ve got an idea in my head of how we’ll use the starters,” Taylor said on the same day. “I won’t make any announcement. It can change from week to week, depending on where this team is at. Like I’ve said before, every year will be different. Just because in years past guys haven’t played or because in years past guys have played, that won’t dictate what we’re going to do this year.”

So, with Burrow unable to play, does Taylor still feel the same way about potentially giving starters a chance to play?

Are reps needed for Jonah Williams at right tackle?

Cincinnati’s head coach was asked if he needs to see right tackle Jonah Williams play at his new position to feel comfortable putting him out there on Sept. 10 when the Bengals take on the Cleveland Browns.

Taylor said he doesn’t necessarily need to see Williams play in a preseason game but kept the window open.

“We’ll keep considering what we want to do with all of our guys,” Taylor said.

Falcons head coach Arthur Smith confirmed he will play his starters on Friday giving the Bengals an opportunity to see their starters versus Atlanta’s depending on Taylor’s decision.

KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor observes play in the third quarter during a preseason game between the Green Bay Packers and the Bengals on Friday in Cincinnati.