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Tonight the Cincinnati Bengals host the Carolina Panthers as part of the third week of the NFL's preseason schedule. The Panthers will be looking for their second preseason win and the Bengals will be trying to win their first. The game starts at 7 p.m. and will be aired locally on WKRC (12) on tape delay at 11:55 p.m. (because the game won't sell out and will be blacked out). If you live outside of Cincinnati, here is a TV distribution map for tonight's game.
Today, before the game, we'll be writing up a series of game previews. The following is a preview of.....
Bengals Passing Game Vs. Panthers Defense
The Bengals will be led again by rookie quarterback Andy Dalton, who has yet to throw a touchdown and has a few interceptions under his belt. Under Dalton, the Bengals have put 10 points on the board in two preseason games against the Lions and Jets. The offensive line had a hard time protecting Dalton from pressure, especially from the middle, against the Lions and Dalton didn't look too sharp in the rain against the Jets.
When the Panthers played against the Ravens in the first week of the preseason, both defensive ends had two sacks each and the next week, a backup defensive end had two more sacks. It would seem that even though the Panthers lost Julius Peppers in the offseason, they have some guys that still know how to get to the quarterback.
When it comes to the Panthers' secondary, let's just say that Green and Simpson won't be going up against Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie this week and if Dalton gets time in the pocket, somebody will get open. That will especially be the case if the Bengals running game gets off to a good start and draws the secondary in for run support.
The Bengals starting offense will likely be in the game for the majority of the game tonight. It would be nice to watch them put some points up on the board for our sake and for theirs. Even if they lose the game, it would be nice to see more progress from Dalton and the rest of the offense.