Preseason Week 3: The Slow and The Curious

With one meaningless game remaining, the Bengals put this preseason to bed with much on their minds. Rattled early by injury, players and coaches had to put more consideration on team health than team improvement and the consequence became a rather timid and slow-footed squad.

The first-team defense, especially the secondary, could hang with neither the Green Bay receivers nor Aaron Rodgers on scrambles Thursday night. Nate Clements was particularly disappointing in his effort to even evade blocks when Rodgers took off. Clements can tackle when he gets there, but he seems like he needs a cane this season, running two steps behind everyone so far. Terence Newman can only use small bursts of speed, but burns out fast. With the stockpiling of veteran cornerbacks, we knew a speed drop-off would be a possibility, but with the younger portion of the position out with ailments, the mileage on these men is evident.

Compounding the issue of the slow secondary is the absence of Carlos Dunlap. That last sentence has already been typed too often for the youngster's career. Michael Johnson has some moves and some quickness, but he can't regularly disrupt like Dunlap. Geno Atkins is perhaps the best pass-rushing defensive tackle in the NFL and he will always give tremendous effort, but there needs to be more fire coming from the edges for him to excel at his job in the middle. The collection of defensive ends gets a little blasé after Dunlap. Robert Geathers? Jamaal Anderson? Another notable gripe about the ends is that they have been killed on play-action this preseason. I realize determining who has the ball in a nanosecond is difficult, but their prime objective is to “set the edge” to prevent whichever player has the ball from running free to the outside.

So if the edge speed rushers aren't getting to the quarterback, and the corners aren't holding up in coverage, the linebackers either become pass-rushers or zone guys. I've seen quite a few linebacker blitzes from Mike Zimmer already—and I like them—but they have to be controlled in their pursuit. On the first Rodgers scramble, Thomas Howard overshot on his blitz and it opened up a pasture of running room. Vontaze Burfict also continues to overflow to the ball—more on runs than on blitzes. Twice I noticed he could not change direction to stop what ended up as eight-yard Cedric Benson runs. Conversely, Roddrick Muckelroy did a terrific job of staying controlled on his blitz and moving with the quarterback on his sack. Blitzing, by nature, is a wild action, but it can't be executed wildly. Like everything in the NFL, it must be done with the right technique and focus.

Offensively, a lot has been written about the lack of running production we've seen from the Bengals. There are some factors to consider about this before panicking becomes necessary, however.

First, the team's best running backs are out. Seems pretty important.

Next, this isn't the Cedric Benson scheme anymore. The down-and-distance situations, the personnel packages and the method of delivering the ball to the running backs will all be used differently this season. If anything, it seems to me like they are moving more toward a New England-type of offense, even bringing in their former back, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and like New England, the Bengals have a mix of interesting running styles, each which can be used in their own ways. It's the West-Coast offense and it doesn't need a 25-carry running back in its equation to succeed. Jay Gruden is primed to expand his playbook and test the outer limits of Andy Dalton's capacity to absorb more football. I would think that Brian Leonard and Bernard Scott will not get too dusty on the shelf when Gruden is running his script on Sundays. I doubt anybody runs for a thousand yards in Cincinnati this season, but I think the team will be better for it.

Another reason I am optimistic about rushing is the work of two specific blockers: Donald Lee and Chris Pressley.

Chris Pressley is not a Patriots-type of player, or even a West-Coast offense one for that matter. He is a bruiser, but he is hard working, fearless and smart. I watched him open up two nice holes for Brian Leonard on really the only good runs of the evening. There is nothing better than watching a battering ram fullback plow the fields for his running mate behind him. Pressley's presence indicates a smash-mouth element that the offense can switch to in certain situations.

Donald Lee's name has been previously mentioned in these pages as an impressive blocker and he has continued to concrete such a reputation with his play. On Andy Dalton's scramble, he was the only eligible receiver to recognize what was happening and get just enough of a block to spring him for a long gain. He does a good job of sealing his edge and appears strong. He did drop a nice pass from Dalton on a seam route, but I don't think that's a chronic disorder. On the other hand, rookie Orson Charles does not look at all strong and may be another tight end draft pick with blocking concerns. From what has played out so far, putting Charles on the practice squad and keeping Colin Cochart on the active roster makes a lot of sense.

There are still concerns about the two young guards, but they will get better as the weeks go on and I don't think either has played too poorly. I feel like both Kevin Zeitler and Clint Boling are pretty athletic guys who can move around and pass-protect, but might have strength issues against the burly 3-4 defenses in the AFC North. That, of course, will make running the ball even more difficult, but the aforementioned play-calling style can circumvent that problem, at least for a while.

In general, it appears that the defense just wins out as the most concerning side of the ball. The good news is that Mike Zimmer is in charge over there and he usually knows what he's doing. The bad news is that it was supposed to be the strength of the team heading into the offseason and the Bengals built around that theory accordingly. Now they have what seems like a lot of defensive problems cascading into one another and all the outside world seems worried about is not running the ball and Andy Dalton's arm strength.

I don't know if any team ever looks all that impressive in the preseason, honestly. Preseason optimism reminds me of expectant parents thinking that they're ready for the real deal. No team is fully ready. They can just practice for two more weeks and hope for the best on opening day. In the Bengals case, that means two weeks of healing up and maybe even getting a little excited for a Monday night divisional game on the road. I want to sense more urgency from this team, more passion.

Mojokong—Land ho!

Preseason Week 1: The Horror of Live Fire

Those bloodthirsty for live tackling got a quick reminder of the carnage that comes with full contact. Before most fans could get out of the beer line, Travelle Wharton rolled around on the turf like someone had shot his knee off with an elephant gun. It was so soon and so severe that the stadium couldn't even talk about it. Fans around me tried to make other conversation, as if downplaying the injury could somehow make it less serious. Once the cart rolled out though, we knew he was effed for the year and that was that.

When Rey Maualuga hobbled off almost right after Wharton fell, collars were loosened and worrisome heads began to slowly shake. And when Carlos Dunlap flipped us all out with what looked like another bad knee injury, I wanted to cancel the game altogether.

How will this team make it through 19 more games if they can't get through six minutes of real football without crucial players dropping like flies? I've never been so terrified in the preseason.

Whenever something bad happens, though, I try to put the positive spin on it, and the immediate spin on an injury problem is that it gives the backups their big moment in the spotlight. So for the rest of the night, I kept an eye on said backups, especially Clint Boling.

Since the Jets hired Rex Ryan as their coach, they have always looked the part of an AFC North team. They're a big, physical 3-4 defense that tries mauling the opposing run game and never shuts up—a perfect test for Boling to get a taste of the real thing.

Boling doesn't have the gorilla gut that Wharton does, so my concern was that the young man's strength might not be up to snuff, but, for the most part, I thought he held up nicely. What I really liked was his ability to quickly find and engage the second-tier middle linebackers in the 3-4 scheme. He seems like a fairly athletic guard, perhaps not the flexible marvel of Kevin Zeitler, but still a guy who can move downfield with ball carriers. On the longest run of the night by BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Boling pushed David Harris backwards for about 10 yards which sealed the corner and allowed Green-Ellis to make the turn down the sidelines. I thought he held up okay in pass protection too. There was just one play where I would say he lost when Quinton Coples blew him up and pushed him backwards into Bruce Gradkowski's throwing motion. The defenses within the division will be even more talented and a lot more amped up come regular season, but it was refreshing to see the youngster hold up well in his first mini test.

Another quality backup emerging is Roddrick Muckelroy of the linebacker ranks. In the five or so practice events I've watched this season, Muck displayed his effort and smarts, consistently being in the right places to make plays. I thought he looked very comfortable out there rolling with the number-ones, flowing to the ball carrier and tackling with excellent technique. A lot has been made of the noisy Vontaze Burfect—and for good reason—but Muckelroy continues to quietly elevate himself up the depth chart as well. Before his injury, Maualuga came out with good energy and focus, even racking up a quick sack, but when he left, a formidable defense remained and to me that shows the capabilities of these defensive backups.

Missing Dunlap, however, is just not something I am comfortable with. Robert Geathers is somehow going to finish out the sizable contract extension he signed in 2007, which I still find surprising, but for now he is hurt too. Geathers has always been a solid run-stopping end, but since racking up double-digit sacks in '06—a season that led to his big extension—he has yet to tally over four in any single season since. The team seems fairly pleased with Jamaal Anderson, picked up from the Colts in the offseason, but he too has never wowed anyone and just seems like another big body to load up front on defense. I do like DeQuin Evans though. He's a bit undersized for an end, but he has motor and speed, displayed on a play where he ran down Tim Tebow near the sideline and forced the hefty lefty to chuck the ball out of bounds. He is another guy who at times turns heads at practice, and for the most part seems like a guy who knows nothing in the NFL is guaranteed. I know that Dontay Moch has been lining up with his hand on the ground as a pass-rushing end, and I know speed-rushing is his apparent expertise, but I have yet to really notice the guy make any plays. While all of these other options bring something unique to the table, none of them are even close to wreaking the kind of havoc that Dunlap can. It's enough to make me miss Frostee Rucker and Jonathan Fanene a little bit.

That being said, I did like the pass rush I saw early on in the game, especially from the linebackers. It was welcomed news to hear Zimmer say that he was prepared to blitz Manny Lawson off of the edge more this year. Lawson was an absolute terror in college as a pass rusher and had some of those moments in San Francisco as well, but he has never lived up to his college-days hype. But Lawson is a guy who has stood out in practice and forced Sanchez into a sack on Friday night. Zimmer sent the linebackers right away against New York and never allowed either Jets quarterback to get all that comfortable. If Dunlap misses significant time at any point this year, I would expect to see even more linebacker and safety blitzes to compensate for his loss, though it won't be the same.

In general, Week 1 of the preseason became a testament to the value of depth. On the one hand, I would rather experience team-wide injury earlier than later in the season, so that bodies can heal and youngsters can improve for the all-important stretch run at the end, and we knew somebody at some point was going to go down with a major injury, but seeing so many so soon was jarring. It will be interesting to monitor the waiver wire at the guard position. Will the Bengals take that familiar stroll back to their favorite scrap heap and toss a guy like Vernon Carey into their shopping cart, or will they strap up and go to war with Boling in the trenches? And what will happen in Atlanta on Thursday? More injuries? I guess they can't be helped. Every team will have to deal with the same problems throughout the year, and, as mentioned, it might be good to get them out of the way now, but from a fan perspective, I could do without another week like the first one.

Mojokong—When a win is a loss.

Practice, Srimmage and Mock Game

Thursday:

I was relieved to see that beers were sold at Paul Brown Stadium during this training camp. They were still $7.50, and they were probably last year's leftover kegs, but the August sun made them necessary. That isn't true. The fact that they existed at all and that I was off work made them necessary, but a relief nonetheless.

I asked a staff person if beer was also available on the higher levels. She didn't know but allowed me to explore. I took a rickety escalator up and then a second one up even higher. On my Jacob's Ladder through Bengal World, I began to notice some shabbier bits of the stadium. Whole ceilings were raggedly ripped up between levels, showing cracked concrete and rebar. One has to assume that some kind of home-improving was going down in various spots throughout the Browns' residence and that the unsightly parts were simply projects behind schedule, but the more interior sections between levels had an aged Death Star type of décor and for the more ill of heart would have demanded a dusk mask to traverse. Once into cleaner air and the vastness of an empty sports-arena concourse, my heart sank to see the concession stands gated off and faceless. Only mildly deterred, I soldiered on to find an elevator nearby, actually four rotund elevators, neatly encased in a well air-conditioned glass room. It felt like I had stumbled into the world's smallest airport terminal. I pressed the buttoned, and immediately one behind me yawned open, exposing its fancy lighting and sharp tile floors. All the buttons inside were confusing. There was a PL, an FL, an SL, and other L's. I tried PL, which opened up to a level that appeared private and exclusive. The kind of level where employees become very alarmed at your presence if they don't already know you. The kind of level that felt like a natural extension of the little glass elevator room. Next I pushed FL, which brought me to a floor that had all the feel of a basement. There were families, I guessed of players, that were getting on opposite elevators. I decided I probably wasn't allowed to be there either so I stayed inside. As our doors closed simultaneously, one of the families and their elevator attendant all gave me puzzled expressions. I felt I could have used my own attendant. My last option was SL, and when the doors opened a third time, I nearly sprang out determined to end this confusion.

Once seated, after purchasing my Michelob Light and obligatorily spilling some on my shoes, I found my seat and unbuttoned every piece of clothing I could while still remaining decent. Sweat rolled down my lower back. I decompressed for a minute or two, drank half my beer, grabbed my mechanical pencil and started taking notes.

The first thing I noticed is that this practice was going to be like the others I'd seen: half-assed. I know it's easy for me to say, sitting in the shade drinking, but I thought training camp was supposed to be tougher than that. I thought people were desperately clawing the eyes out of each other in hopes of landing a job. Nope. The most contact I saw on the day was Marvin Lewis getting knocked over when he shaded like an outside linebacker on a slant pattern drill. The crowd cheered, Marvin laughed. That isn't to say I was devoid of observations, but in general, I was underwhelmed with the sense of urgency demonstrated in the Bengals' practices.

It forced me to think about it further, though. Perhaps my expectations weren't realistic. The new CBA had undoubtedly changed the culture of practice altogether with its favoritism toward play safety, which, of course, I am all for, so they had me there. On top of that, I trust Marvin's program and I think he is tune with modern-day football, so I guess he knows best. Speaking of which, and most importantly, I have never coached football nor had I been to a professional football practice prior to the 2012 training camp, so I realized I had no right to complain. Nonetheless, I worry about the potential decrease in tackling quality across the league if teams can't adequately practice it.

Once things got going, I noticed a couple highlights.

Donald Lee is a very good run blocker. He was eating Dan Skuta alive on one-on-one drills. All throughout the weekend, I noticed a good amount of multiple tight-end sets, and Lee's run-blocking skills might make that a preferred look come September.

On that note, I have noticed an emphasis on getting the ball to Jermaine Gresham. I know a lot has been written about it, and even he is aware of his potential, but one can see for themselves in practice that Gruden and the Bengals plan to use him even more.

Roderick Muckleroy impressed me that day. He ran well, and he seemed to be in good spots. I look forward to seeing the backup linebackers in Friday's preseason game. I think each one has shined at times and at this point, I just want to see them hit somebody. If Muckleroy can become a true defensive substitute and not just a special teamer, it will alleviate the loss of Brandon Johnson some. He has been in Mike Zimmer's meeting rooms for the past three years, and he knows his way around, now he just needs to stay healthy and get better.

Some of my other notes from that day include how I didn't like seeing the quarterbacks tuck and run so much in practice. I know you want the QB to automatically do the smart thing all the time, but I don't see how it makes anybody else better. Especially Bruce Gradkowski. We all know he can run, but he needs to learn how to actually throw the ball better. I also wrote down that the wide receivers were consistently beating the corners. This could be a case of veterans taking it easier in practice, but no one looked like a dynamic, play-making defensive back.

Speaking of dynamic, A.J. Green made a deep touchdown catch that inspired me to write the name “Jerry Rice” with a question mark behind it. He may be close to being the best wide receiver in the NFL.

The final air-horn blast sounded, the fans gathered around the first row and lowered their paraphernalia down to the players on the field for autographs. I finished my beer about 30 rows up and strolled out.

Saturday:

The inter-squad scrimmage. Not much different from Thursday, except that I didn't bother with the second level and found a prime seat on the 50 instead. The voice of Dave Lapham boomed over the stadium's PA like a football God, as he and Dan Hoard described their observations to the live and presumably radio audiences. Lap broke the world record for saying the word “football”, murmuring it well over 3,000 times throughout the day. He promised the fans that we would see full contact and eventually, albeit briefly, that was so, but when the day started as a regular practice with two-hand tagging, I felt I'd been cheated. Then I reminded myself of the cost I'd paid to enter the stadium and settled down. The team practiced third-down scenarios, and the defense won. Later they practiced goal-line hand offs and the defense won. While it may be valid to harbor concerns about the kind of yardage this offense can realistically generate, it was comforting to see the defense show its teeth a little early on.

I watched a lot of Vontaze Burfect that day and watched him get a big hit on one play, celebrate aggressively, and then whiff on a weak tackle attempt on the very next play. It's as if he spends up his entire adrenaline supply on contact and has to let his energy bar refill before he can make another big pop. He's like a linebacking cheetah in this way. Nonetheless, the guy has natural ability radiating through him and if polished enough, can be a difference maker.

The live contact was minimal and I overheard fans griping on the way out. Even Lap had a hard time getting excited, but again, it was free. I came away thinking how a Mike Zimmer defense is consistently well built and how it will be the calling card of this team once more this season.

Sunday:

During the mock game, I didn't take notes, I just watched. I was with my girl and some friends and we sang that stupid old Bengals song when the offense scored, and drank our beers and reacted accordingly to the action on the field between light conversation. It felt like watching golf on a football field. I noticed more power formations and more Gresham. I spent a lot of time watching Dre Kirpatrick on the sidelines, wondering why he was wearing an arm sling, and then thinking it wasn't him because I hadn't heard anything about his arm, but then not finding him elsewhere on either sideline and settling on that it was him and that I had missed something on the his injury status. I knew Brandon Ghee had arm troubles, but it wasn't Ghee, it had to have been Kirpatrick. I was stumped, and I guess I still am.

Ultimately, I didn't think it was all of an impressionable event. AJ Green was exciting but what's new? Devon Still and Brandon Thompson looked active. Gradkowski struggled.

After all the practicing and mocking and scrimmaging, it is still difficult for me to assess what kind of team the Bengals have without comparing them to someone else. There's no real measuring stick this way. The words I would use to describe the Bengals' preparation include relaxed, subdued and quiet. Perhaps one could sense this as a collected confidence, while others may view it as slacking, but either way, this is not a fiery bunch—with the exception of Burfect. What kind of an effect on the season this reserved nature will have is hard to say. Maybe it will help their long-term endurance and pay dividens later on. Or maybe, there will be some growing pains getting back into regular-season hitting shape. But like I said before, I trust Marvin Lewis and his program and I assume he knows what he's doing. A little preseason action should help us get a better grip on what we're dealing with in 2012.

Mojokong—behind the times.