Sunday night's game against the Dallas Cowboys figures to feature two things. The 2010 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Each team's backups. It's for that reason that a win or loss is rather irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Sure, pounding our chests like Viking warriors after a win surely sounds good; unless you pound your chest too hard and realize the next day that the fist-sized bruise is really sensitive and you're convinced that your chest cavity is about to collapse each time you draw a breath.
But the truth is, the Bengals are not going to feature their starters for very long. And it's very unlikely that they'll dig deep into their playbook. Sunday's battle will be an evaluation and education process for the team's coaches.
And on Friday, the Bengals geared for the ultimate backup showdown.
According to the Enquirer's Kevin Goheed, the Bengals gave J.T. O'Sullivan and Jordan Palmer a "majority of the snaps in Friday's lone practice, simulating what will happen Sunday".
"It's about going out there and doing your job," said O'Sullivan, who played in three games last season and attempted 11 passes. "When it comes down to it, you're competing for a job. You're trying to get a job in this league. When I'm out there I want to play as well as I can possibly play and get that group I'm playing with to play as well as I possibly can."
Even though the battle of backup quarterbacks is about as sexy as watching turtles mate with Celine Dion in the background (can you imagine?!), the battle could have consequences for the loser. During his visit in Georgetown, James Walker predicted that the team will only keep two quarterbacks, including Carson Palmer, in a way to free up a roster spot for, say a seventh receiver, an additional defensive back or another linebacker.