9:37: The Bengals kicked another field goal and are leading 34-7. Carson Palmer looked great. As the game went on, Palmer's confidence in his knee was very visible; an 11-yard scramble, a couple of improvised rollouts with completed passes. His deep pass was a little off. In the second quarter, Palmer got drilled a couple of times and sprung up. His decision making process calling plays at the line reminded me of a man that's running the offense. This guy is special and I have to admit, being a Bengals fan, I've never felt more relieved after a first half than I have tonight. Palmer will be ready for regular season game #1 and he'll be 100% -- provided he has no lasting soreness.
I'm hanging up my computer for the night to do more analysis of the backup guys -- an area that's not as interesting to most people. This is the time I put my DVR into overdrive.
Thanks for joining me if you did and I hope to hear from you on what things I could do to improve to make it better for you (other than spelling, a no-huddle offense makes me type WAY too fast with TONS of spelling errors).
9:32: Susie reported that T.J. suffered a bruise heal. Anthony Wright and the entire offensive line have just been replaced.
9:30: Donald Driver run up the middle and out in the end-zone smoking Johnathon Joseph. Looks like the rookie CB created too much separation allowing #80 to run whatever route he wanted. Packers touchdown. Bengals still winning 31-7.
9:26: Nice job Greg Brooks. Favre throws to Jennings (#85) on a deep hook route and Brooks broke up the play. Favre going for it on 4th-and-10 and completes a 35-yard first down pass to Donald Driver. Favre just split the zone with K.K. on one side and Joseph underneath.
9:23: Bengals back on defense and Sam Adams is still on the field. Seems to me when the opposing offense runs a WHAM or a POWER SWEEP towards Robinson, they can create a nice running lane. BTW, Jeanty just made another nice tackle. Then Favre falls down tripping over his guard.
9:18: ANOTHER TOUCHDOWN PASS FROM CARSON PALMER. Tab Perry runs off his defender (who absolutely QUIT) and runs in for the touchdown. CARSON PALMER IS BACK!. Pittsburgh, watch out!
Now the question is do we take Carson out simply because we're blowing out Green Bay?
9:16: T.J. catches another 12-yard pass and is 4-yards from having 100 for the game. On the next play Palmer just throws up a jump pass to T.J. and the WR fell out of bounds. No catch.
9:14: What a super-sweet touch pass from Carson Palmer to T.J. He was running towards the line of scrimmage and just floated the pass to T.J. for a 28-yard gain.
9:12: I guess the Bengals offense is causing the weather to get all fired up. There's a Tornado just west of Cincinnati in Indy.
9:10: David Pollack has been pretty quiet, if not completely absent.
Man, the Packers are the complete opposite of the Bengals offense. The Packers offense is dreadful. After a 3-yard run, Favre throws incomplete, Packers false start, and Favre throws another incomplete.
9:07: Carson Palmer has a rating of 127.1, 6-10 with 2 touchdowns. Rudi hasn't had much running room tonight running for 35 yards on 12 carries (had a nice 11 yard run). Chad Johnson has yet to make a reception but T.J. is looking pretty darn good.
9:03: TOUCHDOWN. Palmer drops off to T.J. running an out pattern. Charles Woodson mis-tackled and Chris Henry blocked perfectly downfield. Bengals are winning 24-0.
9:01: Wow, Michael Montgomery just blew up Levi Jones to drop Rudi Johnson for a 2-3 yard loss. That just doesn't happen to Levi. Palmer has gotten hit two times this drive and has popped right up.
9:00: Palmer is looking a lot like Manning. They continue to go no-huddle and Palmer is drawing up the play as he sees the defense. Rudi is starting to get a nice rythem -- that's the Rudi we know.
8:58: The ESPN slo-mo replay is nice. Joe T. points out how Palmer's left knee (the one that got hurt) is getting better showing more confidence. Tab Perry made a great effort to stay on his feet and get a first down on third.
8:54: Peko (with his family visiting from Samoa) made a nice tackle on 3rd-and-1 forcing Green Bay to punt.
8:51: Sam Adams, on the other side of the line, made the tackle on 4th down (Green Bay converted). He showed some nice quickness. Jeanty is really blitzing hard... Landon Johnson is still in. END OF THE FIRST QUARTER. WOW!
8:47: On a run to the left, Jeanty jammed the full back about 2-3 yards backfield and Thornton finished off Green. Both have, thus far, had incredible games. On 3rd-3, Green ran to the left and Jeanty popped Green. 4th-and-inches.
8:45: CARSON PALMER TOUCHDOWN PASS to Reggie Kelly. Kelly ran over the middle to the first down marker (on 3rd and 3). No one was around him and Kelly ran in for the six-yard TD. CARSON PALMER IS BACK. On a totally different note, Marvin Lewis is kinda emotional. A little water in the eyes never hurt anyone.
8:40: Rich Braham is the man. A two-count snap, Palmer shouts the first "hut", defensive lineman jumps and Braham snaps anyway. Nevermind, PALMER IS THE MAN. He tucks the ball on a pass drop on the following play and takes off 11-yards up the middle. I have goosebumps.
8:35: Palmer completed a 9-yard pass to Chris Henry and GOT HIT by KGB. Guess what? He sprung right up!
8:33: OK, in back to back plays, this defense is firing me up. Geathers sacked Favre and then John Thornton batted down a screen pass; in the backfield. Are you kidding me? This defensive front, if it plays like this all season, will have at least two pro-bowl players. See, there I go again; getting excited over a pre-season game.
8:31: Landon walked off under his own power. Brooks is in.
8:29: Favre almost threw another pick. Robinson batted a Brett Favre pass and Thornton and Landon Johnson collided jumping for it. Johnson is still down.
8:28: A few notes. Sam Adams isn't moving. He sits where he's positioned before the snap and remains there after the whistle. Peko has gotten moved around a little. Jeanty made a great tackle in the backfield on the Packers second drive.
8:27: Shane Graham, on three kick-offs, has kicked into the end-zone; two eight yards deep and the other about one-two yards deep.
8:23: Bengals, after the interception, went three-and-out. After Rudi rushed twice for three yards, Palmer dropped back, looked downfield, and dumped off to Kenny Watson. Watson dropped the ball and the Bengals went up 10-0 on a Shane Graham field goal.
8:19: Almost like Nostradomus. Madieu Williams jumped Ferguson and almost picked off a pass that was deflected by Tory James. Williams then, off a Robert Geathers deflection (in coverage) picks off the pass.
8:17: After a holding call and yard-less rush attempt, the Packers were 2-17-GB8. Favre dumps off to Franks over the middle (linebackers separated) for 10 and then Favre tossed to #85 (Jennings) for a first down. Madieu Williams was trailing him the whole time.
8:12: TOUCHDOWN Bengals. Favre just lost the ball taking the pass back, the ball goes into the air, and Dexter Jackson picked up the fumble for a touchdown. Favre has GOT TO HATE Cincinnati at this point.
8:10: Not a good start by Tory James. First he lets Donald Driver inside on a slant for 15-yards then he's called for a 15-yard face mask.
8:07: The Bengals lost the coin toss making it the third straight game they've lost the coin toss. Does it really mean anything? Not really.
8:00: The Bengals offense was introduced, in unison (no player by player intros).
7:59: Do you know why the NFL is like no other? Because you can have meaningless games during the pre-season and sell out stadiums and dictate network ratings. The hype is incredible and people actually do get fired up for this. The NFL is leaps and bounds above the other major sports; pre-season hype is just another example.
7:51: Odell Thurman is reported to be on the field, in uniform and stretching.
7:47: INJURY UPDATE: Johnathon Joseph gets the start over Deltha O?Neal with knee issues. Caleb Miller will start for Brian Simmons. Also out are Chris Perry, Hannibal Navies, Scott Kooistra and Frostee Rucker.
7:41: Bengals are wearing black on black.
7:35: If you don't think Tom Jackson isn't a Bengals fan, tune to ESPN and check out the shirt and tie under his black (clue: the color is super bright orange).
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