With BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Bernard Scott missing most of the preseason, it's stalled Cincinnati's ground game to a halt. Pathetic would actually be an upgrade from what we've seen the past two weeks. But it's preseason. That's right. I forgot that there's a big red button that reads "Help" and everything works in synchronous harmony. Sorry. I tend to get a little concerned when there's no established trends, even during the preseason. Anyway. Currently the team's roster is largely set, with The Law Firm and the Delicate One leading the one-two combination, followed by Brian Leonard, Cedric Peerman and Chris Pressley at fullback.

However Scott's return for the regular season opener against the Baltimore Ravens isn't assured, writes Kevin Kelly with the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Running back Bernard Scott, who injured his right hand in practice Aug. 2, tells Lewis that he will be ready for the Sept. 10 season opener at Baltimore. The likelihood of that happening will hinge on how soon the medical staff clears Scott to start practicing.

“He’s got to get to the point where the doctor gets to where he removes his hardware and then releases him fully to us,” Lewis said. “He’s working on conditioning, working on carrying the ball and doing those things he’s got to do now.

“The one thing is our running backs haven’t taken many shots in the preseason. So that’s probably a good thing.”

Now that's optimistic, Marvin. As for Green-Ellis, Kelly writes, he's practiced this week but his participation this Thursday is unknown.