Giants Edge Bengals, 25-22

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. _ The Bengals mixed a pugnacious effort Sunday night from their back-up defenders and relentless special teamers with a clutch touchdown drive by quarterback Jake Browning, but it still wasn’t enough to fend off the Giants in a last-minute 25-22 preseason loss.

New York converted a fourth-and-one and quarterback Davis Webb beat the blitz to wide receiver Alex Bachman in the middle of the field for a 15-yard touchdown pass where Bachman slid off rookie cornerback Delonte Hood’s missed tackle with 35 seconds left.

Bengals linebacker Clay Johnston, scrapping for the fifth and final backer spot, typified the reserves’ bid to win jobs with a monstrous 20-tackle game that included Cincy’s only sack of the night.

As the Bengals tried to get into field-goal range, rookie left guard Cordell Volson was called for a false start with nine seconds left at the Giants 43 citing miscommunication, and the game ended when Browning’s short pass to wide receiver Trenton Irwin was fumbled and lost on linebacker Tomon Fox’s hit.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said the Bengals got out of their next to last preseason game with edge Khalid Kareem’s hamstring injury and offensive lineman Lamont Galliard’s calf issue.

Before the Bengals’ drive when they were down 18-16 with 8:53 left in the game, they had converted just one out of 10 third-down tries. But rookie wide receiver Kendric Pryor made hellacious back-to-back third-down catches from Browning, the No. 3 quarterback, to keep the go-ahead drive alive and the highly scrutinized left side of the offensive line did the rest.

With the help of undrafted rookie Justin Rigg’s block on the perimeter, left tackle Hakeem Adeniji and Volson (a tandem that played the whole way) sealed off a 17-yard run by running back Jacques Patrick. Then Patrick scored the touchdown with 3:05 left when he walked in standing up between Volson and Adeniji to give the Bengals a 22-18 lead.

Rookie wide receiver Kwamie Lassiter then dropped a…