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Bengals Close Preseason With 30-28 Win Over The Colts: Time For Coaches To Make Final Roster Decisions
by Josh Kirkendall on Sep 2, 2010 10:05 PM EDT
in Game Recaps
8 comments
The point of Thursday's game was to get a better account of individual battles that are vying for a spot on the team's roster. With that being the cause, during Cincinnati's 30-28 win over the Indianapolis Colts, it would be impossible to predict the team's full 53-man roster, with so many questions; like will the Bengals only take two quarterbacks, how many linebackers will they take?
Jerome Simpson made his best case to make the roster. On third-and-10 with 11:04 left in the second quarter, J.T. O'Sullivan, under severe pressure and hit as he released the football, completed an 18-yard pass to Simpson with an amazing vertical between two defenders. Simpson picked up the first down. After Carson Palmer played the first series, J.T. O'Sullivan came in, completing nine of 12 passes for 102 yards passing. O'Sullivan was literally under assault from the Colts with a second-team offensive line that played terribly uninspiring. Jordan Palmer outperformed him, arguably playing against lesser talent on defense, completely 10 of 14 passes for 115 yards passing and two touchdowns.
Cedric Peerman, behind a suddenly used wishbone offense, scored on a 93-yard touchdown run with 11:22 left in the third quarter. With over six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Peerman also returned a kickoff 50 yards. On the following play, with 6:18 left in the game, Jordan Palmer in shotgun heaves a pass down the right sidelines to a wide open Dezmon Briscoe, who had a quick hesitation move, beating the Colts secondary by three yards.
Peerman would go on to record 165 total yards with 15 yards receiving and 100 yards rushing.
Johnny Sears was dominated, mostly covering rookie receiver Blair White, who caught five passes for 96 yards receiving in the first half. Otis Hudson gave up a quarterback sack to Colts rookie defensive end Ricardo Mathews; the J.T. O'Sullivan led offense couldn't recover for a first down. David Jones allowed a 22-yard touchdown to Brandon James, not even turning to find the ball, with 5:07 left in the third quarter.
Based on a recent article pointing out 46 players that will likely make the team, we'd be remise not to update the list. After Thursday night, we have Daniel Coats becoming the team's fourth tight end, primarily because he played mostly fullback while Joe Tronzo never played with the first team offense. We also have Cedric Peerman becoming the team's fourth running back, bringing our locks total up to 48. Peerman also made a huge argument that he could help with the team's kickoff return game. Simpson had his best game of the preseason, recording six receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown. Briscoe recorded a 50-yard reception. Alternatively, Cosby had arguably a down game, averaging nine yards on three punt returns with no receptions on offense.
The battle between Mike Nugent and Dave Rayner has been a close competition since July. Having converted two 50-yard field goals this preseason, Nugent seems to have the advantage.
Cincinnati finishes with 3-2 record this preseason. Next up, final cuts.
Open Thread: Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) at Indianapolis Colts (0-3)
by Josh Kirkendall on Sep 2, 2010 5:30 PM EDT
478 comments
Here we are. The Cincinnati Bengals, mostly everyone except the starters who may play half-a-quarter, will conclude their preseason Thursday night, taking on the second-team Indianapolis Colts. After this weekend, which will include the team's announced final roster, the Bengals regular season will begin. Everything we had hoped during the offseason will be set into motion.
Few battles remain. Save for the competition between Mike Nugent and David Rayner, the only roster competitions are basically being fought by guys that will take the bottom of their respective position on the roster. I would say that all things considered, that's a good thing. I totally Marvinism'ed you.
Tonight's game will kickoff at 7 p.m. and will be shown on Channel 12 locally.
Thin At Safety: Bengals Invite Former Cowboys Safety Pat Watkins For Visit
by Josh Kirkendall on Sep 2, 2010 3:19 PM EDT
9 comments
Every team has a weakness, either void of talent or caused by injury. One of the team's biggest weaknesses is at safety, through injury and simply just lacking in talent. Though not malicious in thought, after you get past Roy Williams, Chris Crocker and Chinedum Ndukwe, the unknown, mixed with inexperience causes just enough concern that the team is even looking outside the roster for help.
According to Joe Reedy, the Bengals invited safety Pat Watkins in Cincinnati on Tuesday.
Watkins was released by Dallas on Tuesday after missing most of training camp with a knee injury. He has missed 11 games the past two years due to knee and neck injuries.
Since being drafted in the fifth round in 2006, Watkins has played in 49 games, starting 10. His best season was his rookie year of 2006, which was Mike Zimmer’s last year in Dallas as defensive coordinator. In nine starts, he made 36 tackles, three interceptions and had four pass deflections along with two forced fumbles. He’s also a special teams ace, ranking second with 18 tackles last year.
Not to be all broken-record like, but missed 11 games to knee and neck injuries the past two years? With this medical staff? So it's not the same thing, in that Watkins wouldn't be offered $8 million just to sign. But it does shake me back to the nightmare earlier this week.
Either way, the team knows that they're thin at safety, keeping their eyes open for anyone that becomes available. Don't be surprised if the team looks especially hard at the waiver wire after final cut down day to see who can improve the position.
Dissecting The Bengals One Cross-Section At a Time
by Mojokong on Sep 2, 2010 2:00 PM EDT
8 comments
The last preseason game is upon us which means we've seen all that's worth watching from the Bengals for now. The real deal is but a dozen or so painfully slow days away, and things are looking up. The team's core is solidly in place, injuries have been manageable, and the first-team has looked pretty sharp. Aside from five or six guys in limbo, I think everyone knows what this roster will look like on September 12.
That being said, we can now really dig into this team and look at its guts (sorry for being gross).
Open Thread: Preseason Game #5 Determines Roster. How Will The Chips Fall?
by Josh Kirkendall on Sep 2, 2010 10:42 AM EDT
56 comments
Two things are going to happen tonight. A cold front will pass through Cincinnati to finally knock off this ridiculous 90 degree obsession mother earth has in store for us. Seriously, the sun baking water into vapor is like a torture of tyrants. Also tonight, the Bengals will play their final preseason game of the year. The final audition. Who are the bubble players to make this team of Merry Men? Any surprise cuts? What about veteran cuts? All of that will be known after Thursday night's game, which for some, will either give them safe passage onto the team's roster.
So this is your Thursday open thread and the topic is two-fold. What positions do you think are still up in the air and which bubble players do you feel makes the team?
The Daily Banter: With Cuban Missles Launching, It's A Good Time To Be A Cincinnati Fan
by Josh Kirkendall on Sep 1, 2010 4:19 PM EDT
in Analysis
36 comments
You have to admit: Professional sports in Cincinnati is riding a high we haven't seen in some time. Last night, the Cincinnati Reds beat the Milwaukee Brewers and the Houston Astros (god love'em) shutout the St. Louis Cardinals in consecutive nights, giving the Reds a seven-game lead in the division with 30 games remaining; their magic number is 25. Not only that, but the Reds have the best record in the entire National League. The CIFL's Cincinnati Commandos, a professional indoor football league, finished 2010 with an 11-1 record and the CIFL title. And while the season hasn't started, expectations are very high for the Cincinnati Bengals this year.
And did you see Aroldis Chapman last night, reaching 100 MPH (103 on a ground out to Craig Counsell) four times? Of course you did. It's not like you were watching Teen Mom, right? The Reds are playing inspired baseball, causing this old football junkie to tune into Fox Sports Ohio every night, eagerly anticipating that Joey Votto will reach out from the television screen and steal all of our wives.
Will the Bengals do it this year? Who knows. All I know is that it's a great time to be a Cincinnati fan.
With one preseason game remaining, the essence of the season's kickoff is drawing so much closer. In fact, you've probably seen all you're going to see with our starters. They might play two possessions this Thursday against the Indianapolis Colts. Based on last year against the same team, everyone that started the season started the preseason finale, save for Carson Palmer who spent most of the preseason resting a sprained ankle. The Bengals would go on to record 296 yards rushing in last year's preseason finale; mostly from the scrubs (a term of an endearment).
Along with Cincinnati sports, football is heavy in the air, like a thick fog after a three-day long rainstorm. Ranging from the NFL's final preseason game, to college football kicking off on Thursday, the time of year we've been waiting for approaches with the warm embrace of an autumn wind. Don't forget Buckeye fans, the Ohio State University plays Marshall Thursday night on the Big Ten Network.
SOMETIMES YOU MISS ONE. I was scouting the internet, checking out the opinions and insights from the many good writers out there. I especially like the insight. So I clicked on Jack Bechta's August 26 piece headlined "How an agent can define a career."
When 6th round pick DT Kelly Gregg was cut by the Bengals in 1999, they signed him to the practice squad. The personnel director emphatically told me, “Kelly will never play in the League, and he is lucky to have a practice roster spot.”
Gregg thus goes on to have somewhat of a successful NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens, recording 19.5 quarterback sacks and five straight seasons with 60 tackles or more between 2003 and 2007. Sometimes you find the diamonds in the rough, sometimes you simply miss one. And the Bengals missed that one.
+ Geoff Hobson doesn't call safety Kyries Hebert a lock this year. I have to disagree. While the depth might be good on special teams, it's terrible at safety, easily considered one of the weakest positions on the team in terms of depth.
+ While they're not reportedly involved, should the Bengals think about trading for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart to backup Carson Palmer?
+ National Football Post's Matt Bowen likes Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Shipley.
+ Jerome Simpson's chances of making the team could be through special teams. According to Joe Reedy:
Lewis and special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons have mentioned that change in Simpson this week. Simpson has played on both kickoff and punt coverage.
+ The battle between place kickers is still up in the air.
+ Bengals wide receiver Maurice Purify is suspended a game for disorderly conduct. Shaun Rogers was fined one game check for taking a loaded gun to the freakin' airport.
+ Fox Sports' John Czarnecki suggests that Mike Brown should fire himself.
Bengals owner Mike Brown should fire himself from all personnel decisions. The Bucs knew that receiver Antonio Bryant had a serious knee problem, but Brown, who detests having lots of scouts and personnel men, gave Bryant a huge free-agent contract worth $7 million in bonus money already paid and the kid still wants his $1.95 million salary even though he hasn’t practiced all summer. The best thing about having scouts is maybe one or two of them could have found out how much of a risk Bryant was. Those weren’t fantasy dollars that Brown tossed away. They are like some teams that fill needs with poor risks – they pass guys that others wanto to flunk and see what they want to see.
+ Of the 14 teams CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco saw during training camp, the Bengals were within his top-five of the best teams he saw.
+ While it doesn't seem likely that the Seahawks will release T.J. Houshmandzadeh, there are some in Seattle's media talking about it.
+ ESPN.com's Jeff Chadiha lists the top-ten young indispensable players. None were Bengals.
+ NFL Network's Bucky Brooks believes that Marvin Lewis has a shot at repeating as the coach of the year in 2010.
Jason Cole: Antonio Bryant's Career Could Be In Jeopardy Because Of Injured Knee
by Josh Kirkendall on Sep 1, 2010 2:13 PM EDT
in Injury
10 comments
It would make sense that the Bengals are leaving the door open for an eventual Antonio Bryant return -- a scenario we pondered when Bryant was released. When asked if there's a chance for Bryant to return, Marvin Lewis said during a Tuesday morning press conference that "I love the kid, and he’s such a football player. All he wants to do is play football, which is a good thing."Alright, so he didn't say anything that would help rip the fabric of space to take a peak into the future. With Lewisisms (or Lewisenese as some have called it), you have to read between the lines. Not that we're promoting Cincinnati bringing back Bryant; just saying he left that door open. That's all.
However, let's say that the team suffers a major injury at wide receiver midway through the season and Bryant remains a free agent. Would you go after Bryant, who could be healthy enough to play, or would you go with the younger guys already on the roster? The answer, of course, is based on the person -- some would like to give the younger guys a chance. Would another team snag Bryant beforehand? His injury, plus the relatively unknown question if Bryant was honest about his knee during Cincinnati's courting, would be a likely detriment.
However, what is becoming clearer this week is that his knee appears to be worse than we know.
In his opening August 29 article that reads, "the career of wide receiver Antonio Bryant could be in jeopardy because of recurring knee problems that date to the 2009 season, two NFL sources say", Yahoo! Sports' Jason Cole writes,
”He barely practiced in training camp and now this happens,” said a league source with knowledge of Bryant’s knee problems. ”The guy can’t stay healthy at this point. He gets to the point that he’s feeling good, then it swells on him again. When that keeps happening, that’s a very strong indication that there are structural problems.”
This indirectly corresponds with Peter King's latest Monday Morning Quarterback, writing:
"If you're not looking for it, you won't find it,'' this official said. "It's a long-term knee problem that won't go away.'' The ailment refers to a complicated cartilage injury to the knee.
Bengals Could Go Without Fullback To Start Regular Season
by Josh Kirkendall on Sep 1, 2010 11:30 AM EDT
in Analysis
21 comments
In our most recent not-prediction posting, declaring the players that we figure as "locks" to make the team, we didn't lock in a fullback, saying that our tight ends could be used as de facto fullbacks -- especially between Reggie Kelly and Daniel Coats. And with as much three-receiver formations they used with the first team offense against the Bills, often putting Reggie Kelly into motion towards the point of attack, it makes you believe that the Bengals could forgo the use of a natural fullback entirely.
The evidence mounts while the Bengals are thinking about it.
“Once Fui got hurt in camp we had to have Plan B so the second plan would be to have the tight ends play fullback …,” offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski said. “I don’t know that it would limit you greatly but the hardest thing for the tight ends playing fullback is the downhill isolation blocks. A lot of the other things that we do are easy enough for them to do. It would affect your goal line and short-yardage probably quite a bit.”
Even so, the Bengals tend to use their bigger packages in short-yardage or obvious-rushing situations, placing two offensive tackles side-by-side on one side of the line while a tight end lines up with a guard on the opposite end. Or they simply bring in Dennis Roland as an eligible receiver and place him on either side where a tight end would normally line up.
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