With Rex Burkhead and Cedric Peerman exiting Friday's game early, Terrell Watson and James Wilder Jr. enjoyed an unexpected increase in their workload. And they took advantage of it.
Cincinnati's coaching staff, similar to most franchises around the league, has a pretty clear idea what the 53-man roster will look like. Starters and key role players, confidently doing their jobs, have little to worry about. Tryout players, college free agents and even last year's practice squad personnel, travel a difficult path to secure a job in the NFL. It's usually the combination of external factors, such as unrestricted effort that leads to noticeable production during preseason games, worrisome depth at that player's position and unexpected injuries among players already viewed as "roster locks" to help them make the team.