Who Dey Notes: Bengals Look Good Against Jaguars
By Emile Pierce
The Cincinnati Bengals Looked Good Against Jacksonville. Cincinnati’s Backups Had Their Moments. Overall, The Primetime Rehearsal Was A Success.
Week 3 of the NFL preseason has come and gone. The Bengals showcased their primetime offense and it looked good. The Jacksonville Jaguars took the game, 26-21. But, once again, the Bengals’ starters looked ready for the season opener.
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When the Bengals’ first unit took the field, the tone was immediately set. The defense picked up where it left off last year. Blake Bortles and the Jags offense were forced into two consecutive three-and-outs. Paul Guenther’s troops held the Jacksonville offense to a field goal. The first 30 minutes belonged to the guys in Orange and Black.
Cincinnati’s defense was stingy. Bortles was held to 52 yards passing and a QBR of 67.7. I’m not a huge fan of the QBR, but sometimes it works. Sunday night’s game was a prime example. The Bengals’ defense was ferocious.
The offense? Once again, the starters looked like a well-oiled machine. It’s not cool anymore. Anyone who was worried about Ken Zampese’s play calling should officially sit down. The offensive line performed with midseason intensity. Andy Dalton was crisp and delivered a sound game.
Dalton led the starters on two scoring drives. A beautiful floater to Giovani Bernard was the highlight of the first half. Bernard caught the pass in the left flat and raced 19 yards for the score. The Waterbug’s speed should never be taken lightly. With the aid of two spectacular blocks, Bernard walked into the end zone untouched.
The Bengals received a scare when A.J. Green started limping after a play. After getting evaluated by the trainers, Green was done for the evening.
“I think I just came down on it, banged knees, but I’m fine,” Green explained. “It sucks because I wanted to play a little bit longer.”
A.J.’s injury wasn’t the only one the Bengals had to contend with. Adam Jones suited up but didn’t start. He suffered a strained calf muscle, during warmups. Jones was so frustrated, he threw his helmet to the ground in disgust.
Pro Bowl special teams player, Cedric Peerman, left the battle with a fractured forearm.
Tyler Boyd and Cody Core continue to impress. Core hauled in a 53-yard strike from A.J. McCarron, in the second half. If Brandon LaFell is going to make a legitimate claim for the No.2 receiver, his production will have to get better quickly. Lewis and Co. need to get a good look at the young players. But, LaFell’s lack of targets and hand injury may cause a surprise for Week 1.