A look at the Bengals' roster after Monday night's 31-17 preseason road win over the Commanders.

QUARTERBACKS (4)

Joe Burrow (6), Desmond Ridder (4), Jake Browning (3), Payton Thorne (R)

Hard to believe head coach Zac Taylor could have scripted Burrow's preseason any better. Here's a guy who wanted to simulate in August how it feels even getting on and off the plane as the starter. You've got to remember, in his five previous seasons, he had a total of 16 preseason snaps.

This year, Taylor got Burrow 44 preseason plays after Monday's career-high game of 28, quenching Burrow's desire for replicating the feel of a game before the opener.

He's generated four touchdowns on five drives while completing 75% of his passes and throwing three touchdowns to three different receivers. He wanted to feel the heat in the pocket? OK, he took a 17-yard sack while also drawing a horse-collar penalty, plays that helped get him back in the delicate swing of deciding when and when not to kill a play.

And there was drawing the vet Frankie Luvu offsides on fourth down, which you can't get off an iPad.

As Burrow said himself exiting stage right while Monday began turning into Tuesday, "This is the time to make those mistakes and learn from them, and the game doesn't count towards the record."

Browning was triple-digit-passer-rating good Monday. Maybe it's because there were pictures of the great Washington Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen perched all over the facility, but Browning has that old school bulldog style of gutty gunslinger worthy of Jurgensen's single-bar helmet.

Of course, Burrow has the same style, not to mention Jurgensen's No. 9. The single-bar helmet guys had a productive night.

WIDE RECEIVERS (12)

Tee Higgins (6), Ja’Marr Chase (5), Andrei Iosivas (3), Charlie Jones (3), Jermaine Burton (2), Kendric Pryor (2), Mitchell Tinsley (2), Isaiah Williams (2), Cole Burgess (1), Jamoi Mayes (R), Jordan Moore (R), Rashod Owens (R)

One benefit of Burrow wanting to work with the second team for the first time in any of his preseasons is that now we know the pecking order.

Tinsley has lined up with Iosivas, Jones and Burrow in some practices. When he did it on the third drive Monday night, that was the tell that he's the leading candidate to be the sixth receiver. Then, when Tinsley caught two contested touchdowns from Browning, the tell went to told.

Jones, who caught a touchdown from Burrow Monday night, is the primary kick and punt returner. That's the way he was used Monday, which reflected Taylor's thoughts last week:

"There's plenty of opportunity there to do whatever he can to impact the team. He has kick returns, punt returns for touchdowns here that have helped us win games. That's all on the table for Charlie."

Jones' decisive 30-yarder on the opening kickoff showed why. Burton didn't play, but looked to be close before the trip to Washington. It appears he'll be paired with Jones on the kick returns and help him on punts.

RUNNING BACKS (6)

Samaje Perine (9), Gary Brightwell (4), Chase Brown (3), Kendall Milton (1), Tahj Brooks (R), Quali Conley (R)

Brown is primed for a big year. Check out the first drive. Before he converted a fourth-and-one-blood-and-guts touchdown run, he helped set it up with a terrific blitz pickup of vet linebacker Frankie Luvu. Brown got low and fended off Luvu just as Burrow flung the deep ball to Chase that picked up 25 yards on a pass interference call.

Brooks lining up with Burrow shows what they think of him and his 14 more touches Monday confirmed they believe they've secured a sixth-round steal.

TIGHT ENDS (7)

Mike Gesicki (8), Noah Fant (7), Drew Sample (7), Tanner Hudson (6), Erick All Jr. (2), Cam Grandy (2), Tanner McLachlan (2)

Fant made his Bengals debut and didn't get a target, but he seemed to line up seamlessly in a ton of spots in a variety of one- and double-tight end looks during 16 snaps. According to Pro Football Focus, he executed six run blocks and a pass block (didn't allow a pressure). Hudson, in a roster battle royale, had the most plays of the group with 28, and sometimes that's good or bad for roster chances. He also had three more catches, which always seems to be a given.

Grandy is graded highly again in run blocking via PFF (third best on the team), while Gesicki gets ready for the opener and All figures to go on a reserve list.

OFFENSIVE LINE (16)

C Ted Karras (10), G **Lucas Patrick** (9), T **Orlando Brown Jr.** (8), G-T **Cody Ford** (7), G **Cordell Volson** (4), T **Devin Cochran** (3), G **Jaxson Kirkland** (2), C **Matt Lee** (2), T **Amarius Mims** (2), C Andrew Raym (2); T **Andrew Stueber** (2), T **Andrew Coker** (1), T **Caleb Etienne** (R), G **Dylan Fairchild** (R), C **Seth McLaughlin** (R), G-T **Jalen Rivers** (R).

Their top four pass blockers and overall blockers of the night via PFF were from the starting line. Mims was the line's top-rated offensive player. Fairchild showed up solidly again and was next.

Patrick had high grades in the run. When he went down halfway through the last drive, there emerged another tell when the rookie tackle Rivers replaced him at right guard.

Ever since they drafted Rivers, they've believed he could play both tackle and guard spots with the only question if he could hold up inside. Monday seemed to confirm he's on his way. He kept playing after his stint with the first team and graded out as their highest graded run blocker. It looks like he joins Ford in the valued role of swing tackle.

With Volson and Ford out Monday, multiple reports had the Bengals bringing in estimable vet guard Dalton Risner for a visit Tuesday. Taylor said Ford could have played if it had been the regular season. He wasn't as definitive on Volson.

Plus, they're looking to see how Patrick came out of Monday. They seem to like the moxie and experience he has brought to the group, but they're also always looking for solid pieces as the nicks of August pile up.

With Ford and Rivers looking to be the first two off the bench, that leaves two spots left. McLaughlin, making his debut Monday after Achilles surgery, took his first five snaps. Lee, Karras' backup last year, has been banged up and has yet to play in a game.

DEFENSIVE LINE (16)

DE Trey Hendrickson (9), DT Taven Bryan (8); DT B.J. Hill (8), DE Joseph Ossai (5), DE-DT Cam Sample (5), DT T.J. Slaton Jr. (5), DT McTelvin Agim (3); DE Myles Murphy (3), DE Isaiah Thomas (3), DT Kris Jenkins Jr. (2), DE Cedric Johnson (2), DE Raymond Johnson III (2), DT McKinnley Jackson (2), DT Howard Cross III (R), DT Eric Gregory (R), DE Shemar Stewart (R)

The Commanders gouged the first defense for 106 yards on the ground on the first two series, which means that first group played only seven snaps.

The mystery is why that first team that looks so good and feisty in training camp against one of the league's best offenses doesn't carry it into the game. Tough to evaluate a pass rusher like Stewart on seven snaps when six were runs.

The backups had another good night, such as Jackson, who played 23 snaps and was part of that group that allowed a field goal and barely 150 yards total in the last three quarters.

Meanwhile, a big-league scrum is emerging for what looks to be the last tackle spot. Gregory, the big body rookie free agent, came out of it as PFF's highest-graded Bengals D-lineman on a total of 25 plays. Cross, the rookie free agent from Notre Dame, led the tackles with 32 snaps. Both had two pressures, Cross had two tackles, and Gregory had a tackle for a loss.

LINEBACKERS (8)

Oren Burks (8), Logan Wilson (6), Joe Giles-Harris (2), Shaka Heyward (2), Maema Njongmeta (2), Craig Young (1), Barrett Carter (R), Demetrius Knight Jr. (R)

The back seven appears to be experiencing the same trend as the front line. The backups are showing up more than the starters in the games. Carter was their player of the game with a pick and a team-high seven tackles, Njongmeta was PFF's highest-rated Bengals defensive player of the night, and Heyward was all over the place with a tackle for loss, a hit on the quarterback, and a tackle on special teams.

Plus, Taylor named Giles-Harris a game captain Monday for his camp body of work. Who gets named for the spot behind the two starters, Wilson and Knight, as well as Carter and Burks, is anybody's guess. All Njongmeta does is play well in games, Heyward has emerged as a special teams standout, and Giles-Harris has the coaches' confidence with instincts honed by four teams during six seasons in the league.

SECONDARY (17)

S Geno Stone (6), CB Jalen Davis (5), CB Marco Wilson (5), S Tycen Anderson (4), CB Dax Hill (4), CB Cam Taylor-Britt (4), S Jordan Battle (3), CB DJ Ivey (3), CB DJ Turner II (3), CB Nate Brooks (2), CB Josh Newton (2), S Daijahn Anthony (2), CB Lance Robinson (2), S Jaylen Key (1), S P.J. Jules (1), CB Bryan Lux (R), S Shaquan Loyal (R).

With Stone out with an injury, Anderson staked his claim to get into the safety mix, and Anthony showed up as well for a backup group that was downright stingy against the pass all night. They are consistently two of the fastest guys in camp and played more than 60% of the snaps Monday. That left only a dozen for Jules.

The Commanders' backups threw for an ugly 85 yards and Anderson set the tone for the last three quarters when he used that elite speed to range from centerfield to make a sideline interception. He also got his hand on another pass, and had four tackles. New defensive coordinator Al Golden has been insisting on good tackling, so he won't be happy that first group had four misses on seven plays.

The cornerbacks were missing Turner Monday night, but the seven snaps were a glimpse at their versatility. Hill, in his first game back from ACL surgery, lined up outside on the first snap opposite Taylor-Britt after playing much of camp in the slot. When they did go nickel, both he and Newton were in the slot. Lux's bid for a practice squad spot was energized with a defense-leading 44 snaps, 20 in coverage, where PFF had him rated third on the team.

SPECIALISTS (4)

LS Cal Adomitis (4), K Evan McPherson (5), P Ryan Rehkow (2), LS William Wagner (R).

Special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons mixed it up and alternated the long snaps, which meant the incumbent Adomitis snapped for McPherson's 54-yard field goal late in the game. Rehkow put two more inside the 20 with Adomitis snapping on both.