Bengals Bytes (8/10): Sushi troll

Camp report: Lewis trying to keep 'stronger' roster healthy as Mixon, Lawson ready for debuts
Give Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis a clean sweep of Player, Play, and Quote of the Day in the last public practice of training camp on Wednesday. That’s what happens when he returns from the hospital and rumor mill to put them through a 45-minute walk-through in the final practice before Friday night’s pre-season opener (7:30-Cincnnati’s Channel 12) against Tampa Bay at Paul Brown Stadium. And here’s the quote. He acknowledged this is a stronger roster than last year in several spots and he wants to keep it that way.

Marvin Lewis News Conference Transcript 8/9
Obviously the care and the concern that I got from here and from everyone was appreciated. The care and swiftness of things with the scans and studies was appreciated. Thanks to all the doctors, nurses and technicians that checked me in and out of The Christ Hospital a couple of times. I appreciate their staff and everybody. It was not as serious as things could have been and what I was originally told.

Early hits: With no restrictions, Lewis eyes Bucs; McCarron shrugs off rumors again
Although he wouldn’t divulge which Bengals aren’t playing in Friday night’s pre-season opener (7:30-Cincnnati’s Channel 12) against Tampa Bay at Paul Brown Stadium, head coach Marvin Lewis freely talked about his medical condition before Wednesday’s practice. He’ll be on the sidelines facing his Idaho State roommate, Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter. In fact, he’ll be on the field Wednesday after tests showed he has no complications stemming from what is believed to be a cyst in his knee.

Cardale Jones trolls AJ McCarron over his new sushi restaurant
Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron and Chargers quarterback Cardale Jones never played against each other in college. But perhaps there's still a lingering rivalry from loyalty to their respective schools. Jones was the quarterback in Ohio State's 42-35 win against Alabama in the 2015 Sugar Bowl, a semifinal for the first College Football Playoff. McCarron played for Alabama from 2009 to 2013 and was part of three BCS National Championship titles.

Marvin Lewis on Joe Mixon: 'I hope he never loses his enthusiasm'
Rookie running back Joe Mixon seems to know he's good. It hasn't taken long for the rest of the Cincinnati Bengals to see that as well. Take Tuesday, for example: In the last padded practice prior to Friday's preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mixon essentially embarrassed fellow rookie Carl Lawson, who has been no slouch during camp.

Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis returns to work after missing one day
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis returned to work Wednesday after leaving Tuesday's practice with a knee issue. Lewis said he left practice Tuesday to go through some tests on his knee, though he tried to argue that two more hours wouldn't make a difference. He was back to work shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Cincinnati Bengals: 6 things to watch in preseason opener
After unfurling banners, standing sculptures and counting down legends to honor their 50th season, the Cincinnati Bengals will finally get to hit the field, and an opponent, at 7 p.m. Friday when they face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in both teams’ preseason opener. Other than a couple of goal-line plays, the Bengals haven’t done any live tackling through the first 11 days of camp, which is a far cry from the spirited joint practices the team held with the Minnesota Vikings in 2016, New York Giants in 2015 and Atlanta Falcons in 2013.

5 for Friday: Bengals' Bené Benwikere looks to shed label
There’s no humor in it for Bené Benwikere, but he won’t run from Oct. 7, 2016. It’s cemented in his history. Julio Jones ran rampant through the Carolina Panthers for 300 yards on 12 catches on Oct. 5. The Panthers released Benwikere, a starting corner, five days later. “Yes, I do have the game experience, I do have the game film, but unfortunately my last time being on the field I am, you know, I’ve unfortunately taken the label of giving up 300 yards to Julio,” the fourth-year defensive back said. ”Regardless of if I actually really did give up 300 yards to him, that is my label.

AFC North Bytes

The Caw: Quincy Adeboyejo Caught a Dang Shark This Summer
Ravens undrafted wide receiver Quincy Adeboyejo isn’t just showing that he’s pretty darn good at catching passes. He’s also quite good at in catching very large fish. Adeboyejo went fishing with his former Ole Miss quarterback, Shea Patterson, about 45 minutes off the coast of Mississippi on July 2 and caught a legit shark.

Duke Johnson in the mold of a Marshall Faulk and 'catches as well as any' Browns WR, coach says
Duke Johnson has excelled in his new role as the slot receiver during camp, and Browns receivers coach Al Saunders likened his skills to those of Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk. That's lofty praise, but Saunders should know. He coached Faulk in St. Louis during the 'Greatest Show on Turf' Super Bowl-winning campaign of 1999 and also in 2000 when Faulk was named NFL MVP. During his 12-year career, Faulk rushed for 12,279 yards and 100 TDs, and caught for 6,875 yard and 36 TDs.

Le'Veon Bell Hurting Himself with Training Camp Holdout, Steelers GM Says
Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said Le'Veon Bell's ongoing holdout "hurts him" because it's taking away time with teammates. "My feeling is there's nothing to be gained by a holdout," Colbert told Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Wednesday. "The situation won't change, it can't really change from our part on a long-term deal."

Random Bytes

Dalvin Cook Could Be the Breakout Rookie Nobody Is Talking About
Dalvin Cook is different. The Minnesota Vikings rookie running back is different because he can shimmy into and out of creases others wouldn't even dare look at, let alone accelerate through. He's different because of his nimble feet and short-area quickness, which makes defenders come up with only handfuls of air. And he's different because of his ability to blast off into the open field while piling up chunk yardage.

David Quessenberry of Houston Texans plays first game in three years after beating cancer
Wednesday night's preseason opener was a special one for Houston Texans offensive tackle David Quessenberry, who played in an NFL game for the first time since he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin T-lymphoblastic lymphoma three years ago. Quessenberry finished his last chemotherapy treatment in early April and returned to the practice field for the first time during OTAs. He had been on the Texans' non-football illness list since 2015.

Deshaun Watson Shines vs. Panthers in Professional Debut for Texans
Deshaun Watson shone in his first NFL preseason action Wednesday night and commanded the Houston Texans offense in efficient fashion after taking over for starter Tom Savage in a 27-17 loss to the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Before he was lifted late in the fourth quarter, the No. 12 overall pick in April's draft completed 15 of 25 passes for 179 yards. He also rushed three times for 24 yards, including a 15-yard scoring scamper in the third quarter.

Indianapolis Colts’ Chris Ballard, Chuck Pagano on 2017
Chris Ballard never formally met head coach Chuck Pagano before Ballard interviewed for the Colts’ vacant general manager post in January. The only interaction between the two through that process was a quick phone call. So once Ballard decided to take Indy’s offer, he knew exactly where to go next.