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When it was all said and done, rookie running back Giovani Bernard rushed for only 28 yards on ten carries, adding another 16 yards receiving on three receptions. Bernard also scored the first rushing touchdown of the preseason with seconds remaining in the second quarter, giving Cincinnati a 17-3 half time lead.
Yet, it wasn't a game that Bernard was particularly proud of.
"For me, if I were to give myself a grade I wouldn't even want to put the grade out there," Bernard told the USA TODAY. "I am really hard on myself. That's just how I am. That's how I've always been.
"I wanted to do a little bit more," he told the USA TODAY. "I wanted to be a little bit more productive with the amount of touches that I had. For me, I just want to be able to kind of do everything on the field. I did miss a blitz pickup. That's the only thing really going through my mind. I'll get better at it. It's a day by day kind of process."
That being said, there's significant expectations for the Bengals running game this year.
"We got a ways to go," Jackson said. "It's a good start, but we have a huge expectation here running the ball. I think (offensive coordinator) Jay (Gruden) feels the same way. ... We are going to be a physical unit. That's the nuts and bolts to me of an offense."