Fake Game 1: Bengals @ Eagles

[volcom69]

Oh Ivey they had such high hopes and you cant cover 

[HoosierCat]

Nice return Burton.

[volcom69]

Browning looks trashy tonight to. Not much fun besides watching the guys you expect to be good 

[HoosierCat]

Roughing the snapper…can’t say I have ever seen that penalty before.

[volcom69]

Roughing the snapper lol lol 

[gregcook69]

2 hours ago, ArmyBengal said:

I swear to God if this defense blows another season for this offense, my TV will NOT survive.

Better have a backup AB!

[volcom69]

McPherson looking good though so that makes me happy 

[COB]

It’s going to be a shootout every week.

[WelshBengal]

The defence has not played like this in camp, so I am going to put this down to a one off until next preseason game.  If they stink that one up then I'm afraid I will be moving slowly to the side of all is doomed.

[Stripes]

Glass half-full version:

The defense looked the same as before without Trey Hendrickson. Get him back out there and maybe the needle moves.

[HoosierCat]

I’m very happy with what I saw out of the starting offense. We lost the opener last year in large part due to the O looking like it forgot how to play football. Yes they were up against mostly backups, but that was how you would want them to look against backups. They also ran the ball well, one of the two things I was looking for.

O line held up. Yes, again, second team opposition, but we have seen them get rolled by backups before. Good start for them.

Looked like Money Mac is back. That would be a welcome return.

D was a horror show. The Eagles ran the ball at will and for big chunks. 2023 sixth round pick Tanner McKee looked like a different sixth round pick the Pats once made. There were occasionally good individual plays here and there but overall Philly moved the ball at will. Just awful. At least Al has lots of film to hit them with, and I hope he does, good and hard.

[HoosierCat]

Dehner’s take.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6541884/2025/08/08/bengals-preseason-opener-eagles-burrow-chase/ 

tl;dr he thought Stewart looked promising, Fairchild looked good and if the plan was to replace Hudson with Fant, that got knocked off schedule last night. Also Chase Brown looked scary.

On the flip side, Ivey and Isaiah Williams didn’t help their case last night. Patrick was the weak link on the line and Ford and Rivers both looked bad too. Past time to sign someone.

[HoosierCat]

Finally a slightly more optimistic review from Charlie here.

https://charlieschalkboard.substack.com/p/takeaways-from-the-cincinnati-bengals

[AMPHAR]

Defense was horrible.   Gives me heartburn.   I'm just telling myself it was preseason and 1st game and all the other typical preseason excuses.     

Starting OL - good.  However, its preseason.  Joe did stand in there a couple times but most of the time ball was out quick.

Burrow - probably the best thing I saw last night was on 2nd drive.  Burrow checking it downs twice (?) to RB.   That is the mentality he's going to have to have vs. Cleveland.   Grind it out.   If he's looking for back shoulder, down the field throws vs. them week 1 early.  He'll have a horrible day. 

Browning - Is just bad.  I think he caught a hot streak subbing in for Burrow back in 2023.  Can't deliver the football on time in preseason is a huge red flag.   

Jenkins - I think got 1 pressure.  Played decent I guess.  Better than none.   Stewart a couple flashes but not the HULK moment I was looking for.  Murphy ?.  Yeah I just don't know about him. 

Eagles - Are a crazy deep team.  Just clicking through some of the names that were tearing us up.  AJ Dillon, lol 3rd RB?  Kinnard and Pyor on the line?  Johnny Wilson dude from Florida State.  Solid.

 

[AMPHAR]

24 minutes ago, HoosierCat said:

Finally a slightly more optimistic review from Charlie here.

https://charlieschalkboard.substack.com/p/takeaways-from-the-cincinnati-bengals

Agree - Burrow hasn't shoulder enough blame for the slow starts.  Whether it be injury, recovery, or whatever he hasn't not played well.   His best plays, IMO, were checking it down to Chase Brown.    He will see a ton 2 safety looks and that's the mental game he's got to come to terms with.  In the past he has fought it early in the season.

Disagree - Ivey, Newton, and Turner weren't good.  You have got to go 6/7 deep.   Its shown up in every deep playoff run.  A cast away like Apple making key plays.  Apple was never signed here to be a starter.  Injury got him snaps.  That collection of DBs has to play better and they're going to have to not be in their prime spot. 

Now its preseason.  It was clear Eagle back up QB likes Wilson and Golden were content to see if one of our DBs could stop him vs. trying to scheme.  The result was getting beat over the head with him.  Which happens unless you have Jake Browning Qbing and can't figure out were to go with the football.

 

[AMPHAR]

Oh.  Field Goal operation was very good to see. 

[AMPHAR]

Replay coming up on NFL Network at 12.  

 

[ArmyBengal]

Yeah, not happy with the defensive effort at all.
Depth depth depth.  It's simply something they do not have.
They better hope the starters really make strides to improve this year AND stay healthy.

In looking at it...
No Trey, no BJ Hill, no CTB, and no Dax.
That defense isn't going to look good with those 4 starters out of a game.

Not sure about Murphy?  Well, I am and nothing about last night changed my opinion.
First round bust that continues to haunt this team with a defensive miss that bad.
It's nothing personal, because he sounds like a great dude.  However, he's simply lost out there.

Flashes from Stewart, that tackle for loss was an impressive play, along with some of the pressures.
Flashes also from Jenkins, Jackson, Carter and Taven Bryan (which I was happy to see).
Damn near everyone looked like practice squad players at best.

[Allentown21]

I'm not concerned about the defense because a lot of the starters including the starting CBS weren't playing. 

Regardless for my pick to manifest, I don't need the Bengals defense to be great, they could even be slightly below avg. I think it will be enough with what I think will be a 2007 patriots level offense 

Burrow is the best qb in the NFL. 

[ArmyBengal]

On the plus side of things, they have a full 10 days to go back, watch film and get ready for Washington.

[ArmyBengal]

6 minutes ago, Allentown21 said:

I'm not concerned about the defense because a lot of the starters including the starting CBS weren't playing. 

Regardless for my pick to manifest, I don't need the Bengals defense to be great, they could even be slightly below avg. I think it will be enough with what I think will be a 2007 patriots level offense 

Burrow is the best qb in the NFL. 

Yes, some of our main starters weren't out there, like I mentioned, but they weren't playing against the Eagles starters either.  They were playing against their 2nd and 3rd string.  The drop off is massive when having to lean on our depth.

I agree and have said numerous times that the defense doesn't have to be top 5 for them to get back to the playoffs.  They simply can't be bottom 5 and expect the offense to simply ball out so hard that it doesn't matter.  If Golden gets them to middle of the pack, this team could easily find itself in the Super Bowl.  How's that for optimism?

Burrow looked so cool and collected delivering the ball last night.  He's fun to watch play the game.

[Allentown21]

2 hours ago, ArmyBengal said:

Yes, some of our main starters weren't out there, like I mentioned, but they weren't playing against the Eagles starters either.  They were playing against their 2nd and 3rd string.  The drop off is massive when having to lean on our depth.

I agree and have said numerous times that the defense doesn't have to be top 5 for them to get back to the playoffs.  They simply can't be bottom 5 and expect the offense to simply ball out so hard that it doesn't matter.  If Golden gets them to middle of the pack, this team could easily find itself in the Super Bowl.  How's that for optimism?

Burrow looked so cool and collected delivering the ball last night.  He's fun to watch play the game.

The interior oline looked solid. Fairchild looks like a star. 

I think when the Bengals come to Buffalo it will be for the one seed. 

My problem with buffalo is I don't know if they have the elite perimeter talent at corner on defense or at wr on offense to keep up with Cincinnati. And if Allen has an off day it's basically over. 

In order for buffalo to get past a KC or Cincinnati, a few things have to happen 

1. Someone on the defensive line has to emerge as a game wrecker. Could be the rookies, could be bosa staying healthy, maybe Rousseau breaks out as a 15 sack guy. But someone has to emerge as a true difference maker

2. Tre White has to stay healthy but hairston or strong as rookies need to emerge as man cover cbs who can help buffalo with specific matchups like a Cincinnati 

3. Keon Colemani or Kincaid has to emerge as a true number 1 option or at least have a breakout season 

If buffalo even wins the one seed, I think buffalo will need a turnover or two to get past KC or Cincinnati in the playoffs. Or maybe a return for a TD. 

I personally don't quite see it. I just think KC and Cincinnati have those 2-3 difference makers buffalo doesn't have. But maybe Allen can elway it. Elway took some good not great bronco teams to the Superbowl 

[Allentown21]

If Newton, Ivey and Turner struggle id seriously consider signing Gilmore. 

[AMPHAR]

I'd be real concerned IF the Bengals started shopping for re tread DBs at this point without an injury as causation.    

That'd be a WTF moment for me.  Your plan all offseason was this and 1 quarter of preseason football has you scrapping it?  That would say they didn't have faith in their plan to begin with.

I don't think that's the case.   

Even IF the defense threw up a Goose egg last night, nobody is going to believe in them until regular season bullets start to fly and wins are stacked with the defense not being the sole reason for a win but a contributor and not fucking it up. 

[TJJackson]

did Jermaine Burden play?