Riley Leonard Leads the Way as Colts Dominate Bengals

CINCINNATI — Third-stringer Riley Leonard led the Indianapolis Colts to a dominating 41-14 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday in their preseason finale. Leonard completed 15 of 20 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown.

“First and foremost, I think I had a lot of fun out there,” Leonard said. “Because you get to this stage and there are a lot of things that can overwhelm you, but luckily I've had a lot of big games that I've played in in my life. Been in this situation before where there are a lot of expectations.”

Neither team played its starters, as Colts safety Daniel Scott picked off Bengals quarterback Desmond Ridder's pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown to put Indy ahead 10-0 in the first quarter.

Ridder's 1-yard sneak, set up by Kendall Milton's 41-yard run, got the Bengals within 10-7 in the second quarter. However, Colts backup quarterback Jason Bean replaced Leonard in the second half and completed 11 of 17 passes for 107 yards with a touchdown and a pick.

Colts safety Daniel Scott had a major moment with his pick-6, which was his first big moment since returning from season-ending injuries in each of his first two NFL seasons. “Just had eyes on the quarterback the whole time, got the pick, everyone made a great block,” Scott said. “From there I just spaced out. The last two years, you can’t really prepare for that. That’s just the unique story I have.”

Bengals coach Zac Taylor was pleased with his team's performance despite the loss. “I thought we got all the work done we needed to get done,” he said. “I like where we’re at as a football team. Now we get a chance with a bonus week to get a head start on Cleveland.”

Jalen Rivers started at right guard for the Bengals and played 23 snaps, which may lead to him starting in Week 1 due to injuries.

The Colts open the season against Miami on Sept. 7, while the Bengals visit Cleveland on Sept. 7.