Bengals QB Andy Dalton felt confident in preseason opener vs Chiefs

After a 161-yard punt (and the popcorn-chomping Brandon Tate ate that rolled out of bounds) signifying Kansas City's failed opening possession, Cincinnati took up possession at their own seven-yard line. Andy Dalton faked an obvious run on first down, flipping the football to A.J. Green near the left sidelines gaining nine yards. Yes, yes. The natural marriage of perfection. Giovani Bernard followed up with a five-yard run and a first down.

Bernard received a significant amount of work during the team's opening possession, also picking up nine yards on a screen and four yards on a wham, setting up a first-and-ten from the Bengals 34-yard line. A.J. Green broke past Kansas City's secondary to haul in a rainbow 53-yard reception, moving Cincinnati to the Chiefs 13-yard line.

After consecutive incomplete passes on second (to Tyler Eifert) and third down (Mohamed Sanu), Mike Nugent converts the 30-yard field goal to give the Bengals a 3-0 lead. After completing three of five passes for 71 yards passing, Dalton's night was finished.

When it was all said and done, Dalton knew that there was significant pressure on him after signing the six-year contract extension worth (at least) $96 million.

"I knew a lot of eyes would be on me after all the news this week, so it felt good to get out there and have things go pretty well, even though it was brief," said Dalton during halftime of Thursday's preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. "We hit a couple of passes to A.J, but of course we would have liked to have finished it off with a touchdown instead of a field goal."