Bengals @ Falcons Game Thread

[HoosierCat]

Did someone grab a knee there?

[HoosierCat]

Yup tanner hawkinson down

[HoosierCat]

Fuk here comes the cart...

[volcom69]

ah man hate to see Hawkison go down like that hope he will be alright

[volcom69]

I was liking Hawkinson he was going to back up 2 spots that sucks

[HoosierCat]

Just tough now that Fragel and Hawkinson are hurt and Wharton is gone. O-line depth a little iffier tonight.

[volcom69]

John Skelton has some zip on the ball

[HoosierCat]

Reedy and Hobs say hawkinson has an ankle njury. No details yet.

[volcom69]

Just tough now that Fragel and Hawkinson are hurt and Wharton is gone. O-line depth a little iffier tonight.

How long is Fragel out for?

[HoosierCat]

John Skelton has some zip on the ball

Yah he's shredding them, but given his experience vs scrubs he should be.

[HoosierCat]

Just tough now that Fragel and Hawkinson are hurt and Wharton is gone. O-line depth a little iffier tonight.

How long is Fragel out for?

Dunno. He stayed back in Cincy with a knee injury I believe. Haven't heard details.

[HoosierCat]

Good win. Plenty of work to do tho.

[volcom69]

Great showing tonight for the backup guys, its going to be hard to cut some of these guys. Backup QB spots look pretty good, Dane just might have himself a job, if he keeps showing what he did tonight. All in all pretty excited with what I saw.

[HoosierCat]

Hawkinson's injury is described as not serious.

However, Pitt may have lost Plex for the year.

/>http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/08/08/burress-has-torn-rotator-cuff-could-be-done-for-the-year/

[Kazkal]

Frak Espn Bengals win34 -10 yet seems still highlight more falcon plays then bengals...what I took from what I read Dane seems be Xfactor at returns and possible WR,Harrison is something we've we never had at LB,Hunt is a freak as exspected,Gio is fast and slick,Oline still loves the color yellow and SS seems be only position with a big? ??...Also glad hear that Rey may finilly living up to his potential

[redsbengalsbucks]

Well, it looks like either Skelton or Johnson may have played their way onto the Falcons team as a #2. They have nobody behind Matty Ice.

[ArmyBengal]

There were a lot of players that the Bengals will cut that certainly have futures in the league.

I am glad i'm not the one responsible for making the call on which players to cut.

Overall, it was just fun to see our Bengals out there playing again.

I would have liked to have seen more production out of the first team guys, but won't complain either.

The Center position was a concern heading into the draft and last night did nothing to ease that concern.

Loved what I saw from the backups, but know enough to not get overhyped about anything either.

Liked how hard Burkhead seemed to run. Was it just me or did he just look tough out there ??

Josh Johnson ?? Love the wheels, but still needs work with his throws.

Seems like exactly the guy you want coming off the bench. Someone that forces the defense to change what they do if need be.

Overall, it was nice to see them win, but better to see them without any major injuries.

Looking forward to next weeks game at home with the Titans.

[jjakq27]

When Bernard skidded and slipped on an early carry, I had a Ki-Jana flashback. I was happy to see that he was alright but squeamish every time he touched the ball.

This team will go as far as the O-line and Dalton will take them. I thought they held their own when the first teams were in but Dalton still missed some.

Loved what Sanzenbacher brings. I was concerned about his size but he makes plays. JK Shaeffer also looks like he could be a solid backup and prime special teamer.

Bringing Josh Johnson in as the QB in the Wildcat is very intriguing possibility.

Overall I was pleased with the effort and results.

[ArmyBengal]

I loved the two TE sets they ran with a single RB. I think that formation will benefit Dalton greatly this season.

Sanzenbacher was a player I absolutely LOVED seeing them bring into the fold.

I don't know if he will stick, but I have always liked him. His hands are amazing and he's just a reliable type of player.

If they keep more 7 WR's like they did last year, I think he makes the team.

[skyline]

My only concern after the evening is Kyle Cook. Hopefully he just has some rust to knock off and we'll see improvement over the next two games. The o-line penalties in the first quarter just killed everything.

Otherwise, it was a good night. No major injuries. Hopefully Hawkinson will be alright, and Ghee left with a head injury. That guy flashes, but he may just be too fragile for NFL football. I hope I'm wrong.

It was just one game against backups, but Sanzenbacher did himself a lot of favors. After that performance, I doubt he's a guy that you'll be able to stash away on the PS.

[TJJackson]

I was out at soccer practice til late, but I saw a little of the first half and all of the second

Aside from the obvious (Sanzenbacher, backup qb play, Ghee int, etc) I was impressed with three players

1) the rookie kicker (Sharp?)

2) LB Schaffer

3) RB Burkhead

Honorable mention to Margus Hunt

We won not because of the 34-10 score, but because we had no injuries to starters or key contributors.

Center problems? I have been begging for a first or second day center for at least the last two years.

Can I get a pre-emptive collective "GIMME A LINEMAN!" for 2014?

Hallelujah.

[HoosierCat]

From the point of view of the Bengals first teams, I thought last night looked like the second or third preseason game.

Usually in past years, the Bengals' second teams and scrubs hold their own (or even win) versus the opponents' twos and scrubs -- but the ones look like crap in their first preseason outing. How many years have we gone into the third (or fourth!) preseason game hoping to see the first team finally score a TD?

By contrast, last night the ones looked like they belonged on the field. Both sides had a couple lapses but nothing alarming. The one red flag I would raise is all the yellow flags on the offensive line. Cook got the attention last night but we've seen plenty of yellow laundry being thrown on the whole line the last couple years. Part of the reason the offense stalled last night is that penalties turned 3-and-2 and 3-and-10 into 3-and-12 and 3-and-20. Have to clean that up, pronto.

[ArmyBengal]

Well, TJ, I wanted Barrett Jones in a bad way if you recall and figured when he fully recovered he would still be a better option than what we have.

If last nights play is an indicator of things to come for 2014, I fully expect to see a TON of short passes from Dalton from the 2 TE sets.

His inability to step up into the pocket and getting pressure from the interior will continue to hurt.

Yeah, GIMME A LINEMAN. I'll co-sign that one.

[Sea Ray]

I wouldn't worry about yellow in the first preseason game. I thought Cook did fine physically. I think he'll be better than last year. This was one of their better 1st pre-season games. I was pissed at Whalen for dropping that beautifully thrown pass by Dalton. If Whalen can't hang on to throws like that, what good is he?

[jjakq27]

Forgot to mention Margus Hunt. Wow, what a freak. I almost felt sorry for the RT. It looked like Hunt, lifted him onto the QB on one play.

I'd love to see them bring him in on third down passing plays. Can you imagine him, Harrison and the others on a jailbreak blitz? He might be like Fanene, in that he had the strength to get Ben on the ground.

It will be fun to watch him develop. I thought he might be inactive a lot this season, but I don't see how you can keep him off the field. Even if it's just a few plays, he will create havoc and that might be the difference in a game or two.