Bengals running back Joe Mixon wasn’t listed on the first three rungs of the Bengals’ initial depth chart, but he got in Friday night’s game before quarterback Andy Dalton, wide receiver A.J. Green and the rest of Cincinnati’s starters left the game.
Jeremy Hill was on the field for the first snap, but Mixon was in three times during the Bengals’ opening drive of the game. He ran once for five yards and showed well in pass protection on a drive that ended when Vernon Hargreaves jumped in front of a pass just outside the Tampa end zone.
Dalton, Green and others departed at that point, but Mixon remained in long enough to run six times for 31 yards overall. He also caught an 11-yard pass from A.J. McCarron as part of an effective debut.
Hill, who took the top spot on the depth chart, ran seven times for 26 yards. Giovani Bernard did not play as he continues to make his way back from last year’s torn ACL.