Bengals safety Vonn Bell was questionable for tonight’s game against Washington because he was limited in practice during the week with a back injury, but he is back in action tonight. It’s an important call-up, as Bell has become a key factor in the revitalization of the Bengals secondary and has stopped the tide of explosive plays that plagued them last season.

Other inactivity games for Cincinnati include the expected absences of both starting defensive tackles and receiver Trenton Irwin’s first inactivity period of the season.

Defensive tackle Domenique Davis was called up from the practice squad before the game and will fill a position under fire due to significant injury concerns. Rookie Kris Jenkins Jr. will make his NFL debut but will play with a clubbed hand due to thumb surgery. They will play with 34-year-old Lawrence Guy, who they signed off the street, as well as Zach Carter and Jay Tufele, who were slated to be the third line at the start of training camp. Washington rushed for 215 yards last week against the Giants and will test that weakness frequently.

It’s a big night for the rookie class, as Amarius Mims (pec) makes his NFL debut. After a fantastic offseason and training camp, he seemed destined to start at right tackle on Opening Day, but he suffered a pectoral strain during the preseason against Tampa Bay on Aug. 10. It’s unclear how much he’ll play tonight, but expect him to at least be used in jumbo sets and possibly rotate with current right tackle Trent Brown. Jenkins will make his debut, and Jermaine Burton gets the nod over Trenton Irwin in the first game because Tee Higgins (hamstring) is active. Burton had his most impactful play last week against Kansas City on a 47-yard pass and could be used in special packages against a Washington team prone to long passes.