Cincinnati Football: Jerome Ford among former Bearcats to impress in preseason

Desmond Ridder stole most of the attention with a game-winning touchdown in his debut on Friday but several former Bearcats were also impressive in their first NFL action as 10 rookies from Cincinnati appeared in preseason games this weekend.

After getting drafted in the sixth round, linebacker Darrian Beavers made a great first impression with the Giants as he flashed first class physicality and tracking ability. The Cincinnati native compiled three tackles in a 23-21 win over the Patriots.

The following night, Ridder led the Falcons to a last-second triumph over the Lions as he found Jared Bernhardt on the edge of the end zone. Ridder completed 10/22 attempts, finishing with 162 total yards, two touchdowns and 9.8 yards per carry.

Cincinnati Football: Jerome Ford among former Bearcats to impress in preseason

Jerome Ford also made his debut with the Browns on Friday and made an immediate impact in the backfield and running routes. The 5’11 running back recorded four receptions and 10 carries for 102 total yards and two touchdowns including a 41-yard sprint to the red zone and an acrobatic touchdown catch later on.

Sauce Gardner and Myjai Sanders debuted that night too. Despite playing just two drives, Gardner seemed to fit in nicely and didn’t have any targets in 14 snaps. Sanders picked up one tackle and one quarterback hit against the Bengals.

Five other former Bearcats took the field Saturday as Coby Bryant and Joel Dublanko represented the Seahawks. Bryant had three tackles but got beat a few times by rookie receiver George Pickens and Dublanko totaled a team-high eight tackles.

Cincinnati Football: Jerome Ford among former Bearcats to impress in preseason

Curtis Brooks and Alec Pierce appeared for the Colts in their preseason opener against the Bills last night. Pierce picked up two receptions for 27 yards, while Brooks had one tackle. Michael Young didn’t play but is expected to later in the preseason.

Bryan Cook made some noise in his debut as well with a stellar tackle on special teams. The All-AAC safety showed off his elite speed and gave the Chiefs a reason to be excited about his future, racking up three tackles in a 19-14 loss to the Bears.

The second week of preseason competition kicks off next Thursday, followed by a full slate of games Friday, Saturday and Sunday before a highly-anticipated matchup between Gardner and Ridder scheduled for Monday, August 22.

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