Bengals reserves struggle in 41-14 loss to Indianapolis in the season finale

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Backup quarterback Jake Browning showed enough in the second preseason game to earn a break, and Desmond Ridder struggled mightily as the starter Saturday.

Colts safety Daniel Scott picked him off at the Cincinnati 35-yard line and returned it for a touchdown with about two minutes left in the first quarter to give the visitors a 10-0 lead. Ridder bounced back to get the Bengals on the board the next drive on a keeper from the 1-yard line on fourth down, but it was Kendall Milton’s 41-yard run that set that up.

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

The Bengals offense managed just two first downs the rest of the time Ridder played, netting negative yardage on three of his eight drives, while Indianapolis put together four straight touchdown drives, followed by a turnover and a field goal drive with 6:01 left in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.

The lone stop in that stretch didn’t even result in the offense getting possession. Isaiah Thomas tipped a pass and Howard Cross picked it off, but Cross fumbled the return to set up the field goal drive for the Colts.

Ridder was replaced by rookie college free agent Payton Thorne late in the third quarter, and Ridder finished with just 75 yards on 8-of-20 passing with one interception and no touchdowns through the air. He had a 30.2 passer rating for the game, and his chance to be the practice squad quarterback might be in jeopardy.

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Teams do everything they can to protect contributors from injury in their preseason finales, but Cincinnati wasn’t about to come out unscathed. Wide receiver Jermaine Burton hobbled off with an injury after a punt return early in the second quarter and never returned, and safety Daijhan Anthony came off shortly after that with an apparent right hamstring injury.

Burton’s spot on the roster likely is secure, but Anthony is battling for the last safety spot.

Cincinnati finishes the preseason 1-2 and now turns its attention to Week 1 at Cleveland. Final roster cuts will be made by 4 p.m. Tuesday, as teams whittle down to 53 players.