Five Things to Watch For in Bengals' Preseason Matchup With Falcons

Cincinnati is in Atlanta for their second game of the preseason on Friday night.

CINCINNATI — The Bengals are in Atlanta to play the Falcons on Friday night. There are plenty of roster battles and questions ahead of the preseason matchup. 

Here are five things to watch for in tonight's contest:

Quarterback Battle

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The battle for the backup quarterback job has been a struggle throughout training camp.

Jake Browning is firmly in the mix and has flashed his potential, but he's far too inconsistent to be considered the favorite. 

Trevor Siemian will get the start on Friday night. He's not expected to have the first-team offense out there with him, but it's a chance for him to show his teammates and coaches that he's the reliable veteran they thought he was when the Bengals signed him in May. 

If Siemian and Browning struggle again, then the Bengals may have to look elsewhere for their backup quarterback. 

Expect rookies Andrei Iosivas and Charlie Jones to get plenty of playing time alongside both signal-callers. 

Siemian is expected to play the entire first half and Browning is scheduled to play the entire second half. 

First-Team Secondary

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The Bengals' first-team defense will take the field for one series on Friday night. 

It'll give safeties Dax Hill and Nick Scott some time to get comfortable with each other on the back end. It should also be a good test for DJ Turner II, who will likely start with Chidobe Awuzie (ACL) still working his way back from knee reconstruction surgery. 

How will he matchup with Drake London? The 6-4, 214 pound receiver was a breakout player for the Falcons last season and is expected to be even better this year. 

London should also be an interesting matchup for Cam Taylor-Britt. The second-year cornerback has had a stellar camp, but is five inches shorter and roughly 10 pounds lighter than the Falcons wide-out. 

Tight end Kyle Pitts is also a tough matchup. Will Hill guard him most of the time? How will Lou Anarumo use Jordan Battle with the first-team defense? 

These are all questions that we could get the answer to on Friday night in Atlanta. 

Chris Evans and Chase Brown

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Trayveon Williams is still working his way back from a right ankle sprain, which means Chris Evans will start at running back on Friday. 

Evans has shown the ability to be a quality pass blocker in practice, but can he do it consistently in games? 

That's a question that we'll continue to get the answer to against the Falcons. 

Chase Brown struggled as a pass blocker last week. Can the rookie show improvement in that area? His quickness and explosiveness as a runner is easy to see, but his pass blocking ability is the easiest way for him to earn a role with the first-team offense. 

Both Evans and Brown have a chance to surpass Williams, who was considered the favorite to be the Bengals' third down back behind Joe Mixon going into the start of training camp.

Williams is expected to resume practicing next week. 

Jackson Carman and Other Offensive Linemen

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Carman has a lot on the line on Friday night. He needs to show everyone that what he did in the first half of last week's game against the Packers is the real him. 

He had a solid start to that game, but struggled when the Bengals put him back in the matchup in the fourth quarter. Carman gave up multiple pressures, was called for a penalty and appeared to lose focus. 

He isn't the only lineman that has something to prove. Trey Hill, Max Scharping and Ben Brown are battling for the backup center role. Cody Ford is hoping to secure a roster spot. 

D'Ante Smith has had a solid camp, but could use another quality outing to make the team. Hakeem Adeniji is the most proven of the backup tackles. What does he have to do to earn a spot in a crowded room? 

There are 14 offensive lineman on the roster, not including La'el Collins (ACL), who is still on the PUP list. Nine will likely make the final 53-man roster, which means there are multiple guys in the offensive line room playing for their jobs on Friday night. 

Defensive Line Rotation

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Friday is a big night for rookie defensive lineman Myles Murphy. He'll likely get reps at end and tackle, but how he fits in a room that has plenty of quality options remains to be seen. 

Young guys like Joseph Ossai and Cam Sample continue to impress the coaches. How much will they play against the Falcons? 

Jay Tufele was dominant last week. Will his stellar play continue? If so, he'll likely be a roster lock. Domenique Davis was a pleasant surprise against the Packers. He'll have to continue to dominate to give himself a chance at making the team. 

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