Shaka Heyward and Maema Njongmeta, battling for what could be the Bengals' last roster spot at linebacker on a margin as close as their adjacent lockers, had an eventful preseason finale Saturday at Paycor Stadium.

Njongmeta led all tacklers with 11 in the Colts' 41 -14 victory. Heyward had been named one of the game captains, along with quarterback Desmond Ridder and cornerback D.J. Ivey, for the best of his three NFL preseasons.

Heyward could only do what roster bubble players all through the NFL do now that the final cut is Tuesday and there is nothing left to be done.

He shrugged.

"I don't have any feel. That's not my thing to worry about. I just worry about doing my job," said Heyward as Njongmeta urged, 'Tell 'em."

"Controlling what I can control. It's like Maema said. My job is to play. I'm a player. Let the chips fall where they may."

Both players were here last year and Njongmeta got the job as a rookie in a close call. Heyward, who was here the year before that, was good enough to stay on the practice squad both years and to make his NFL debut late last season playing his first six NFL games in the Bengals' playoff push.

On Monday night in Washington, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor named another linebacker, Joe Giles-Harris, a captain to highlight a solid training camp by a veteran free agent they have added to the mix to make things even tighter.

"It's always an honor when the head coach sees something in you," said Heyward, who found out about five minutes before the coin toss that he was a captain for the first time since his days at Duke.

"It's already written. I have no control over it. I had a great time being with these guys in this room. I hope it continues. Maybe it does. Maybe it doesn't," Njongmeta said. "Either way, I'm grateful for my time with the Bengals, my time in this camp. Every day you get to come into this building. Every day your code works. It's a blessing."

Heyward came in leading the team in tackles this preseason and added three more Saturday. He seems to have dialed up a code that has brought him closer to the 53-man entry than ever before after last season's rock-ribbed performance on special teams down the stretch that included a huge forced fumble on a Steelers' punt in the must-win finale in Pittsburgh.

Heyward built on that success. He went into the offseason with the words of cousin and Steelers tight end Connor Heyward after the game:

"Good punch out."

Made even nicer that Connor had lined up over him at the start of the play.

"I knew it was a big year for me and my career. So I took a mental note in my head every offseason workout," Heyward said. "Every practice in OTAs, camp, just trying to get better. Just having that growth mindset through the whole camp. I would say (his regimen) was more consistent than I've been. Try to leave no stone unturned."

Now there is an off day Sunday, a meeting Monday, and maybe a call Tuesday.

"Either way," Heyward said, "it's going to motivate me to go forward harder. To get to where I want to get in this league."

DOUBLE HURRICANES

Not that sophomore backup center Matt Lee needed a calming influence when he made his postseason debut Saturday, but it was nice that one of his closest friends started next to him. Rookie right guard Jalen Rivers never played guard next to Lee when they played together at the University of Miami, but Lee knows his work well at tackle.

"When I found out he was playing guard, I said, 'Hell, yeah.' I played an entire year with him," Lee said. "He's super disciplined. He comes from long-time military personnel, very disciplined and emotionally intelligent, and they obviously passed it down to him. On top of that mental fortitude, he's a friggin' good player."

So is Lee, but he hasn't had the chance to show it until the last couple of days because a pectoral issue had sidelined him virtually since camp started. But with the Bengals rushing for more than 100 yards in the first quarter, Lee feels like he put some good stuff on tape.

"I put a lot of pressure on myself in this game mentally because I haven't been out there," Lee said after he played the first half and gave way to rookie Seth McLaughlin. "The flow of a game is different than the pace of practice, and it was good we got some long drives in there. The only way to get into football shape is to play football, and I thought it was good to get that work.

"There are a couple of plays I'd like to have back. Not too many. And we did some good things in the run game. It seemed like we were getting five, six, seven yards a run."

They did when Kendall Milton was running the ball. He averaged nine yards per his eight carries before he left early in the second quarter. That's about the same time Rivers departed after what Taylor figured was about 23 snaps.

Rivers, the fifth-rounder, was the only draft pick that played Saturday. But he continues to be one of the most impressive. After beginning camp and going through the voluntary spring workouts at tackle, he's showing in the last two weeks he can hold up inside at guard.

"I think that's always a question when a tackle who's used to going against those fast guys moves inside with the big dudes," Rivers said. "Strong. Crazy strong.

"People had questions. I feel like I answered most of them."

Lee could have told you that.

"He's got heavy hands. He stays square really well," Lee said. "He's smart, confident in how he plays. He's pretty athletic."

HOWARD CROSSES OFF TWO FIRSTS

Rookie defensive tackle Howard Cross III had two career firsts on the same play Saturday. He grabbed defensive end Isaiah Thomas' tipped pass for an interception. But he fumbled it away three steps later.

"The one thing going through my mind is making sure you have control of the ball," Cross said. "As I was trying to cover the ball, somebody hit me, and it fell out of my hands. It happens. As linemen, we don't get a lot of ball-carrying snaps. I'm going to get clowned for this from all my friends. But you know what? I got back there. That's a step in the right direction."

And you know what? Cross has a legit shot to make the club in a roster crunch with fellow undrafted rookie Eric Gregory and former first-rounder Taven Bryan, among others. With the Colts gashing the Bengals for 5.6 yards per rush Saturday, we'll see if that jumbles up the coaches' thinking going into the game. His technique and low error caught their eye in the first two games.

After leading all D-tackles with 32 snaps on Monday night, it seemed like Cross played at least that many Saturday.

"Nope. No sir," said Cross when asked if he was surprised by his amount of snaps against the Colts. "I feel like in my position, they trusted me enough to get a lot of snaps and I'm going to do everything in my power to keep that trust.

"I feel like I used my opportunities. I feel like, regardless if I'm here next week or not, I used my opportunities, and I'll improve whether I'm here for the next 10 years or two years."

SLANTS AND SCREENS

The 6-1, 230-pound Milton finally got a chance to do his thing. Which is run hard and big. He arrived after the preseason games last year as rookie on the practice squad and was hurt early in this camp.

So he had his biggest day (72 yards) since he ran for 6.2 yards per pop for national champion Georgia. He even quoted his head coach in Athens.

"Kirby Smart said it doesn't matter who gets the job done as long as the job gets done," Milton said.

That was after he ripped off a 41-yarder behind right tackle Andrew Coker and got dragged down at the Colts 5, but it set up Ridder's fourth-and-one touchdown sneak. Only after Milton dragged the line to the goal line on a three-yard run.

"It felt good to be out there again and get behind the line," said Milton, who ran nine times for 34 yards in the Eagles' preseason opener last year before they cut him. "They showed up." …

Defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson has been viewed as a regular, but he played deep into Saturday's game. He knows what the coaches want to see.

"Consistency," Jackson said. "I've made some good plays, but I have to do more of it." …

Evan McPherson hit all his kicks this preseason, including two 50-plus field goals. After missing the last seven games of his inconsistent last year with a pulled groin, he's happy and healthy.

"The biggest thing I've been working on is the mental side of kicking," McPherson said. "Just confidence in myself. I felt like I lacked that last year. I've got all the talent in the world, but my mind would beat me up." …

McPherson understood why Taylor didn't let him try a 65-ish yarder Saturday: "The whole thing with the last preseason game is to get in and out." …

Wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley, new folk hero, didn't play Saturday, five days after catching two touchdowns in 20 seconds. That looks like a guy who has made the club.

"From what they tell me," Tinsley said, "I'm in a pretty good spot." …

"I didn't need to see him today," Taylor said. "I think he's had a great training camp. I'm not going to claim anything on Saturday. We've got a couple days to make decisions, but I thought he's had a great training camp. There's nothing else I needed to see." …

That appears to leave them with six receivers. But the only one of the six who played Saturday, Jermaine Burton, limped off the field with a knee injury early in the second quarter after returning a punt three yards. Taylor wasn't sure if Burton re-aggravated his bruised knee from the preseason opener that took him out of Monday night's game, or if it would impact the cuts …

Backup safety and special teams core player Daijahn Anthony left about the same time with what Taylor said is a hamstring issue. He had no timeline and didn't know if that would also impact the 53 …

Left tackle Caleb Etienne limped off in the last five minutes and was on crutches after the game, but the indication is nothing is broken or torn …