At first, I thought last night's offensive problems was a total and complete failure on the offensive line to protect Carson Palmer. There's some truth to that, but not totally. After watching the game again Sunday morning, I realized that the sum of the failure to protect Palmer, was mental mistakes (like missed assignments) and flawed protection schemes (major problem here). It wasn't like the line was manhandled (some were, we'll get to that later). The Saints did a good job overloading with schemes and stunts, while Bob Bratkowski failed at adjusting the protection schemes to STOP exposing Palmer to massive hits. Several times when Palmer was hit, the Bengals sent five people into routes, leaving Palmer alone with the offensive line, who weren't able to prevent the Saints from passing rushing, mostly by over-loading blitzes and adding confusing stunts. I agree with the assessment that 100% of the blame can't be put on the offensive line.

The following is broken up; first pointing out the the times that Palmer was knocked down and the second showing just out awful of a time Eric Ghiaciuc had run blocking. I tried to keep it clean, but I couldn't get it to flow. There's a lot of data here that kind of requires your imagination (at least the ability to see what I'm describing) and ability to go back and forth through the first half. In other words, I didn't go from the start to finish in the first half, instead I'm all over the place.

HIT ON PALMER #1
On third and seven at the Cincinnati 47-yard line with 3:00 left in the first quarter, Palmer lined up in shotgun. The Saints brought five, sending their right defensive end into zone coverage. Perry picked up the blitzing safety off the right edge while Stacy Andrews locked up with the defensive end. Bobbie Williams and Eric Ghiaciuc worked on one defensive tackle while Whitworth and Levi Jones worked on the other. The blitzing linebacker sprinted through a gap between Ghiaciuc and Whitworth. Sadly, neither player made a move on the linebacker and Palmer was blown up as a result. In truth, Ghiaciuc was locked up with his tackle (Bobbie Williams was behind Ghiaciuc watching) while Andrew Whitworth had his hand on Jones' back watching the tackle totally ignoring the blitzing linebacker.

ANALYSIS: I put this one on the offensive line. This wasn't a defeat physically, as much as it was a missed assignment, mental error type of thing. Ghiaciuc should have called something to prepare for the blitz and Whitworth should have kept his eyes up field. Blitzes happen, and in a lot of cases, they are hidden before the snap. Not only did the Bengals fail to see the blitz before the snap, but the line failed to react when he came.

HIT ON PALMER #2 (and near hit)
On first-and-ten at the Cincinnati 34-yard line with 12:00 left in the second quarter, Palmer and the offense lined up off-set I-formation, strong side right (Reggie Kelly at tight end off the right tackle) with Daniel Coats at fullback and Chris Perry at running back. At the snap, Coats ran a pattern into flats to the right. Perry ran to Palmer's right, which was a horrible effort at play-action, helping the offensive line block two guys up the middle -- likely a reaction to the earlier hit with a blitzing linebacker up the middle. The right outside linebacker blitzed, picked up by Levi Jones while the defensive end stunted to his left, picked up by Andrew Whitworth. Essentially, no one was left to block Kevin Kaesviharn, blitzing off the edge. You can blame Palmer on this one, not seeing the blitz coming and adjusting so there's a hat on Kaesviharn. The hit was just a good defensive call, blitzing where no Bengals were left to block him. Palmer didn't see it coming before the snap and the play was dead before ever starting.

ANALYSIS: You can easily credit the Saints, as you could blame Palmer for not recognizing the blitz. I'm not blaming the line on this one. The Saints overloaded the right side, and the offensive line put a hat on someone -- of which, no one came close to Palmer. If you want to blame Palmer, you can, for not recognizing the blitz and calling a hot read. At the same time, it's awfully difficult to recognize a blitz by a safety unless they are on the line of scrimmage, which Kaesviharn was not. Therefore, it's probably best to conclude that the Saints called the perfect defensive play on the sack that lost six yards.

On the next play, Palmer, with plenty of protection, hit Perry on a quick pass up the middle. On third-and-ten, Palmer lined up in shotgun with Utecht on his left and Perry on his right. The Saints brought six, two blitzing linebackers with the front four. Andrews and Jones pushed their defensive ends out and Palmer was cleared once he stepped up in the pocket. Whitworth picked up one of blitzing linebackers. The play only called for all five offensive linemen to protect Palmer -- everyone else went into routes. The last blitzing linebacker found a gap between Ghiaciuc and Williams, sprinting through the lane and almost hitting Palmer. Luckily, the linebacker just missed. Bengals punt.

ANALYSIS: Even though Palmer wasn't knocked down, the blitzing linebacker still penetrated to Palmer forcing the incomplete.

PALMER BECOMES MORE AWARE OF RUSHERS INSTEAD OF RECEIVERS
On third-and-ten at the Cincinnati 12-yard line with 7:00 left in the first half, Palmer in shotgun had over four seconds to make a pass. On that fourth second, Charles Grant hit Palmer's peripheral vision and forced an odd throw (Palmer did some scissor-like thing with his legs) to Perry over the middle, picking up five yards. Bengals punt. At this point, you get the impression that Palmer is more aware of the pass rushers than his receiver's routes.

PALMER HIT #3
The Bengals fourth possession start at the Bengals 23-yard line with 4:29 left in the first half. Palmer drops back, while Reggie Kelly and Chris Perry (in I-formation) run off Palmer's left side into routes. This was the death of this play resulting in another hit on Palmer (and sack). Though that's questionable if it was a sack because Palmer's knee never hits the ground (OK, it was totally a blown call by the refs, but it's pre-season and the refs are likely trying to protect the players). Still, Palmer was rushed, nearly brought down and forced to run -- and Palmer can't run.

The Saints rushed their front four and the Bengals offensive line couldn't keep them from getting to Palmer. Levi Jones had his guy, pushing him deep into the backfield -- as most good tackles do to an end that wants to sprint around them. The problem appeared when the two Saints defensive tackles stunted. The left defensive tackle, in the gap between Bobbie Williams and Eric Ghiaciuc, ran to his right to Ghiaciuc's left shoulder while the other waited momentarily, then looping around. Whitworth chased his defensive tackle, whereas he probably should have let the tackle go, picking up the one that hit Ghiaciuc's left shoulder -- and Ghiaciuc picks up the man that looped around.

In truth, this sack was just a miserable failure with the communication and cooperation of the offensive line working together.

ANALYSIS: On this play, I came to realize that the Bengals offensive line (mostly the guards and center), are having a hell of a time picking up stunts and blitzes. Man on man, the line is just fine. But they are easily getting confused, failing to communicate with each other.

On the next play, Utecht picks up ten yards on a quick pass to Palmer. The Saints blitzed the linebacker off the left tackle and no one picked him. This was poor design by the Bengals offense with Jones picking up the defensive end and Chris Perry running a route in the right flats. Unless Eric Ghiaciuc picks up the defensive tackle and Andrew Whitworth drops back behind Jones to pick up the linebacker (which only happens in video games), this play was doomed. And that's by design. Palmer saw the blitz coming and let the pass go on his third step.

Analysis: Bad design.

On third-and-eight, Palmer in shotgun with Utecht and Watson flanking him, threw a beautiful pass to Antonio Chatman fading on the right for a 19-yard gain. Palmer had plenty of time.

PALMER HIT #4
After a minimal Perry rush up the middle, Palmer threw a pass that wasn't picked off after Jerome Simpson molested the defensive back. It was a good play by Simpson to become the defender, preventing the turnover with just over two minutes left in the first half.

Palmer was hit on the play. Under center, with Perry the lone back in the backfield, Palmer fakes the handoff and throws deep to his left. The blitzing linebacker came from the Palmer's right side, where Reggie Kelly lined up and left for a pass route. Perry ran to Palmer's right, also running a route.

The Saints' left defensive end and left defensive tackle ran a stunt. The defensive end ran around the defensive tackle, picked up by Williams. The defensive tackle ran straight for Willie Anderson to free up the blitzing linebacker of the edge. The stunt worked primarily because the tackle occupied Anderson. With only five blockers, two occupied after a stunt where the blitzing linebacker attacked, Palmer was forced to throw a rainbow pass that was nearly picked off. The offensive pass interference on Simpson forced the Bengals into a second-and-17, which the Bengals couldn't pick up and were forced to punt.

SUGGESTION: The Bengals need to keep more men blockers in for Palmer.

PALMER HIT #5 AND BLOODY NOSE
Bengals get the ball back after a three-and-out by the Saints offense, with 1:06 left in the half at the Cincinnati 36-yard line. After a quick pass to Utecht, Palmer spikes the ball to stop the clock.

On second-and-ten at the Cincinnati 48-yard line, Palmer lined up in shotgun, with two wide receivers on the left, another on the right, and no tight ends. Utecht lined up to Palmer's left and ran a route. Reggie Kelly, lined up to Palmer's right, stepped up in the pocket to help block. The linebacker and safety (Kaesviharn), targeted their blitz between Ghiaciuc and Anderson. Williams pushed the defensive tackle to Ghiaciuc, who was a non-factor. Williams turned to the blitzing linebacker, already picked up by Reggie Kelly. Willie Anderson took the defensive end out. This created a MASSIVE gap for which Kaesviharn to make his assault (and sack) on Palmer. The defensive end on Anderson made the hit on Palmer that forced the bleeding.

ANALYSIS: Kelly likely should have taken Kaesviharn (or the outside blitzer) while Williams, already free after handing off the tackle to Ghiaciuc, picked up the blitzing linebacker.

Levi Jones false started on the next play and flipped out at Eric Ghiaciuc (segue comes next). After a handoff and punt, the half was over.

GHIACIUC CANT BLOCK ON RUNS
On the first offensive possession, Antonio Chatman had the ball stripped with a soft tap from Indiana rookie Tracy Porter on an end-around. Glenn Holt dove on the ball after a horrible effort by Chatman to secure the ball. On the second play, the Bengals lined up double-TE and run behind Andrew Whitworth for a minimal two-yard gain. Kendrick Clancey (the guy Eric Ghiaciuc was blocking) spun around and made the first contact with Perry. After Stacy Andrews was flagged for a false start, Palmer overthrew Jerome Simpson and nearly had the ball intercepted by Mike McKenzie. The Bengals were force to punt. Note on the first possession that Palmer wasn't hit and the pass he three on third down, he had plenty of time because the Saints only brought the front four.

After the Saints took a 10-point lead, Perry rushed the ball behind Bobbie Williams with 5:57 left in the first quarter. Well, he tried to. Perry ran into Ghiaciuc, going backwards where Perry was forced to redirect to the left. Kendrick Clancey (the guy Ghiaciuc was blocking), shed off the block and made the tackle. On Perry's first two runs, Clancey was credited for both tackles. On second and seven, Palmer in off-set I (strong side right), called an audible (likely forcing the called run from left to right), and handed off to Perry running off-tackle to the right. Clancey made the tackle again, but it was Andrew Whitworth's guy this time. Whitworth was forced to take a large step to his right to cut off Clancey who was lined up in the gap to Whitworth's right. Clancey just shed to his right and filled the gap for the stop. You could blame Ghiaciuc (kind of the theme going on here) by not impeding Clancey's first step, one way or another. But that's simply a perception you can make for yourself.

On third down, Palmer completed a 16-yard pass to Ben Utecht for the first down. The Saints only brought their front four and never touched Palmer. On the next play, Palmer hit Perry running in the flats to the left; Palmer was untouched. On second down, Kendrick Clancey stood up Eric Ghiaciuc, threw him to the ground and stuffed Perry at the line of scrimmage.

The Bengals third possession started with 7:33 left in the second quarter with first-and-ten at the Cincinnati 12-yard line. Standard I-formation, Perry took the handoff and ran right-side of the center. When the play was over, Eric Ghiaciuc was laying on his back four yards down field.

QUICK HITS
On first-and-ten at the Cincinnati 14-yard line with 13:11 in the second quarter, Chatman lined up on the left, took two steps back, caught the quick pass and picked up nine yards. The Bengals called the same play, instead passing to Ben Utecht on the right for an 11-yard gain. This was about the closest thing the Bengals offense had for momentum in the first half.

FINALLY
All in all, that was one of the worst games I've ever seen during the Marvin Lewis era Bengals. Pre-season or not, that's just horrible. Exactly what are we supposed to get excited about with that offense? The defense played as well as they've been asked to. After giving up 10 points in the first two possessions, the Saints were shutout.

Still, the story of the game was Palmer's bloody nose, and the inability to get anything going. The second half wasn't much better, but we didn't much care anyway because the focus now is that the first team offense is playing so awful. You can claim injury to the starting wide receivers, if you want. And this team takes a huge hit when both go down.

Either way, if this is a dress rehersal of things to come, then this season will be long and painful.

WHO: New Orleans Saints (1-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (1-1)
SB NATION: Canal Street Chronicles
WHEN: August 23, 7:35 p.m.
WHERE: Cincinnati, Ohio
MEDIA: Television coverage will be conducted by the local team of Paul Keels and Anthony Munoz on Channel 12 (Cincinnati), Channel 22 (Dayton), Channel 45 (Dayton), Channels 6 and 28 in Columbus, Channel 36 in Lexington and Channel 41 in Louisville. The game will be rebroadcast on Fox Sports Net Ohio at midnight. Same radio coverage as always.
US?: We'll be on the site, talking, chatting, drinking, eating, etc.
SERIES: Of six pre-season games, the Bengals have only won one (1-3 while in Cincinnati). On the other hand, during the regular season, the Bengals are 6-5 against the Saints -- including a three-game winning streak.
WEATHER: Partly cloudy, high of 91, low of 70 with a 20% chance of rain. [Weather.com]
NFL.com: Game Center

This Week.

Five questions with Canal Street Chronicles
Saints at Bengals Primer
Gameday Links and Notes
Marcus Maxwell out for the season
Bengals need to sign Andrews long-term, so he can be Willie's long-time heir
Ludwig starts T.J. sandbagging theory
Bunch of Henry stuff | Double-edged sword | Reactions | Signs
Sims injury is bad timing

This week, I sat down with Dave who runs Canal Street Chronicles -- a Sports Blog Nation site that blogs the New Orleans Saints -- for tonight's game at Paul Brown Stadium. You can read my responses to Dave's questions at his site.

1) Recently acquired tight end Jeremy Shockey is expected to make his first appearance this weekend against the Bengals. How is his transition into the Saints offense, will he be a distraction and what's the general pulse from Saints fans?
We don't have too much info to go on as far as Shockey's transition. When he first arrived, he was taking part in practices, then was being held out for a while. This week was the first time he returned to the field to get some reps but I think he is ready to go. He is exactly what Sean Payton's offense needs with a quarterback like Drew Brees, particularly in the red zone and I am expecting big things from him. I really and truly don't think he will be a distraction. Seems to me that Shockey had some personal problems with the Giants organization and the coaching staff. I don't think Shockey ever really respected Coughlin and that doesn't seem to be the case with Sean Payton. He seems to really respect Payton and if he gets a chance to be an important part of this offense like everyone is expecting, he should be happy. I also think he now has a take charge leader in Drew Brees at quarterback. Eli doesn't seem to be the type of person who can handle a loud mouth like Shockey. Drew does. I hope I don't wind up eating my words.

2) I remember in the draft, the Bengals were leap-fogged by the Saints so you guys could pick up Sedrick Ellis -- the Bengals biggest target. What's your impressions of Ellis to this point in pre-season?
Yeah we did! Wasn't that great? I like Ellis. He has looked pretty good so far even though he came to camp late. We're still waiting for him to notch his first sack, but he's been in on a few plays and applied some good pressure in the first two games. He will constantly draw comparisons to his counterpart Glen Dorsey and I really think that when we are looking back at this, Ellis will prove the better pick. I think he is the real deal.

3) The Bengals and Saints have a similar two-back style. Whereas Deuce McAllister and Rudi Johnson are similar pounding the ball, Reggie Bush and Chris Perry bring a ton of intangibles. Two of the last three seasons, McAllister has suffered long-lasting injuries. Does McAllister figure to be a factor this season like he's been in the past, or are they basically using a running back by committee with Reggie Bush?
Last week against Houston we got our first chance to see Deuce run and gauge his recovery and things are looking good. He had a few runs and on one, made a nice cut back. That single cut has a lot of Saints fans excited. Tonight's game will be even more revealing. The hope, obviously, is that he is as good as new but I'm not sure that will be the reality. I think he could get 10-15 touches a game. If something goes wrong and he has a set back, I would like to see the Saints stick with that same running philosophy by plugging in Pierre Thomas or Aaron Stecker and continue to have Reggie doing the intangible things like running to the outside and doing a 720 degree flip into the endzone, as opposed to making Reggie the every down back.

4) This one is primarily for Bengals fans. I read that Kevin Kaesviharn is fighting for a starting job. For the Bengals, Kaesviharn always found a way to impact the game. How's your impression of him been?
Well, I remember K2 when I saw him play against the Saints in 2006 and he had an interception in the endzone and 1.5 sacks. I hated him! Unfortunately, I don't think he made as much of an impact while wearing the black and gold. He is expected to start alongside Roman Harper this season, which is a good sign of improvement, though I wouldn't say the competition for the spot is very tough. Hopefully after this season I will have a more positive answer for you because our cornerbacks need all the help over the top they can get.

5) Jonathan Vilma was acquired this off-season. How has he looked?
Vilma is another one like Deuce wherein last week's game against Houston was the first chance we have gotten to see him play. It's been a while since he's played football so I think he's a little rusty. Once he's warmed up a bit, we are all expecting him to be an integral part to turning this defense around. From what I did see of him in last weeks game, it seems like he has great instincts and covers a lot of the field. On one play, he failed to bite on a play action and then immediately ran all the way back into the secondary to help in coverage. He wound up being the closest man to the receiver by the time the ball go there. I was impressed. As far as the injury is concerned, I think he's pretty close to 100% or at least will be by week one.

On the night of January 22, 1989, the Bengals lost to the San Francisco 49ers that left me cursing at the television, throwing pillows and the like, frustrated as hell. After that display, I was reprimanded by my mother after she witnessed her 10-year old son display a foul-mouthed hissyfit. When the pain dimmed a week later, I was able to sit on my rump again and permitted to watch television when spring invited the leaves to blossom.

This January will be the 20th anniversary of the Bengals last Super Bowl appearance. Soon afterwards, we'll see men and women legally allowed to purchase adult beverages at their local pub, knowing they were yet to be born when the Bengals went to their last Super Bowl; how's that for perspective?

The sad part is that you could apply the same frustration with both professional teams in Cincinnati. The only difference is that the Reds won in 1990 and have five world championships on their resume -- the Bengals have two appearances and no world championships; though we do have two conference titles and that should mean something. Still, that was such a long time ago that it seems like it never happened. I'm not talking playoffs, I'm talking championships.

The Reds are in no better shape than the Bengals right now. They're life-less, display no effort in a town that appreciates blue-collar work. With time of unsuccessful trends, fans of professional sports in Cincinnati, justifiably so, attack ownership for not making winning a priority. It forced Carl Lindner out of Reds majority ownership, and it's sealed a nasty opinion of the Bengals owner -- and everyone, I believe, is right to assume such things -- to such a point, that even winning a Super Bowl, won't reverse opinions of him.

Maybe some day, in the future, the Reds and Bengals will fight again for supremacy of what town this is. Is it a baseball town? Is it a football town? At this point, we just want it to be something worth appreciating.

Friday night marked the start of high school football -- in my opinion, the purest form of football today and a proud tradition in the Cincinnati area. Number one St. Xavier (ranked 18th in the nation) faced off against number two Colerain. The underdog Cardinals took an intentional safety with a second left on the clock to beat the Bombers, 13-8. Colerain started out of the gate quickly, taking a 13-0 lead in the first quarter, depending on the defense to win the remaining three quarters. Mason, my old kicking ground, plays Saturday afternoon (2:45 pm). Go Comets!

Tonight being a Saturday night, I'm not expecting much participation in the way of comments and all that. But that doesn't stop dorks like me. I'll be online tonight until, roughly, half time. Though that could change depending on the site's participation, as well as how the game is progressing.

Mark Curnutte is looking for the Bengals to pound the ball tonight, and control the clock -- mostly in response to having the team's top four wide receivers out. It appears he's right. "The wideouts are down, so we have to emphasize running the ball and running the ball effectively," Levi Jones said. "And the young guys at wide receiver are going to have to catch the ball when we need them to catch the ball."

Chris Perry is happy to finally run with a style that he's used to. "Everybody remembers me as a scat back. But I went to school at Michigan, and we run downhill. I just never got the opportunity to do that while I was here." Will Perry be happy being healthy for a full 16-game season? "I mean, not really. I want to have an impact." Good answer.

Mario Urrutia on hopefully playing tonight after not playing the first two exhibition games: "I'm just waiting my turn. When I get it, I'm going to make the most of it. All I can say is the best is yet to come." Another good answer.

Five questions with Shayne Graham.

James Walker responds to the question of the Jurassic Line on his AFC North, ESPN blog. "The Bengals have been discussing it, Kris. They also used it a tiny bit in the preseason. But until I see Marvin Lewis use it consistently, it's difficult to tell if this is a viable option for the Bengals in the regular season. Andrews has experience at guard and obviously he is a great right tackle when healthy. So the key is if Bobbie Williams can make the adjustment from guard to center." Walker could have just reference Paul Alexander confirming that Eric Ghiaciuc has a "firm grip" at center.

Furthermore, in a later question in the same piece, Walker says that Henry is fortunate to play at all this season after Henry was initially suspended for the season pending his latest day in court. I so disagree with this point. Charges being dropped means he wasn't convicted of anything. So why does Henry have to be suspended? Because some guy either fabricated a story, or the guy's lawyer was unable to present a case? It's just another example that Roger Goodell hands out sentences on his own perceptions... and mood of the day.

Adam Zimmer will be across the field as the Saints defensive assistant, likely watching his dad calling the defensive plays for the Cincinnati Bengals.

I wish I could read what JungleInsider writes. But I can't. I don't have $90 to pay for a year's subscription and I tend to like free -- which is something that Cincy Jungle will ALWAYS be.

BJ at BengalsZone wonders if Palmer will "have enough" and complain -- being signed through 2014, that's a real possibility for most players. But I just don't see it from Palmer.

Mike Greenberg actually has a fan web site.

Fake Teams (a fantasy sports site under the Sports Blog Nation umbrella), is toying with the idea of picking up Chris Perry as "a sneaky-good late choice."

Last night's Texans-Cowboys game displayed a too-real result of how violent football is. On kickoff, Texans receiver Harry Williams was falling down, missing a tackle, when he collided with another teammate fracturing his C3 vertebra. From a Bengals perspective, this was reminisce watching David Pollack being carted off the field against the Browns in the second week of the 2006 season. Like Pollack, Williams was able to regain basic motor functions afterwards. But this injury puts severe doubt on anyone's NFL career that suffers it.

There's another Bengals site in town.

WHO: New Orleans Saints (1-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (1-1)
SB NATION: Canal Street Chronicles
WHEN: August 23, 7:35 p.m.
WHERE: Cincinnati, Ohio
MEDIA: Television coverage will be conducted by the local team of Paul Keels and Anthony Munoz on Channel 12 (Cincinnati), Channel 22 (Dayton), Channel 45 (Dayton), Channels 6 and 28 in Columbus, Channel 36 in Lexington and Channel 41 in Louisville. The game will be rebroadcast on Fox Sports Net Ohio at midnight. Same radio coverage as always.
US?: We'll be on the site, talking, chatting, drinking, eating, etc.
SERIES: Of six pre-season games, the Bengals have only won one (1-3 while in Cincinnati). On the other hand, during the regular season, the Bengals are 6-5 against the Saints -- including a three-game winning streak.
WEATHER: Partly cloudy, high of 91, low of 70 with a 20% chance of rain. [Weather.com]
NFL.com: Game Center

Injuries: Marvin Lewis has already determined that the Bengals will be without their two starting wide receivers and Andre Caldwell is still in a boot after suffering turf toe and Marcus Maxwell is gone for the season.

Interesting Note: Of all the AFC North teams heading into pre-season week #3 (all of whom played two games), the Bengals have scored the least amount (30) and given up the second most (44). Actually, Jacksonville, Miami and New England are the three teams that have scored less points than the Bengals in the AFC.

Match-up: While they won't be technically facing each other, an interesting dynamic exists. The Saints made a trade during the NFL Draft that put them ahead of Cincinnati, in position to draft Sedrick Ellis -- the Bengals #1 target. Instead the Bengals sat at #9 and drafted Ellis' teammate Keith Rivers.

Last Time: The last time the Bengals played the Saints, the Saints won the first-half 17-12 while taking the game 27-19. The leading rusher was Jeff Rowe (20 yards) while the leading passer was Doug Johnson. So, that's why we lost. Seriously.

Notes About Pre-season

Of eight possessions run by the Carson Palmer led first-team offense, five have ended in three-and-out, a blocked field goal, interception and a 14-yard touchdown to Ben Utecht. I'm not picking on Palmer here, just pointing out that Palmer is my key in judging our first-team offense because, you know, he's in the game. So let's recap.

More Notes About Pre-Season

• Opponents are converting 45% of their third down conversions this pre-season. That's actually a higher percentage of conversions allowed than any regular season during the Marvin Lewis era.
  • 2003: 41% (85/206)
  • 2004: 37% (80/218)
  • 2005: 43% (81/190)
  • 2006: 42% (88/211) -- 35% in pre-season (19/54)
  • 2007: 43% (86/201) -- 35% in pre-season (18/52)
• Ratings by the Bengals top-three quarterbacks
  • Carson Palmer, 55.7
  • Ryan Fitzpatrick, 109.0
  • Jeff Rowe, 44.7
• Kenny Watson is the only running back with a yard-per-carry average (5.5) higher than 4.0.
• No Cincinnati Bengals defender has more than one sack or interception.

Position Battles?

Wide receiver is murky, at best, but clearer for this game. Antonio Chatman and Chris Henry -- provided he's allowed to play -- would be the team's likely starters with Jerome Simpson and Glenn Holt working out that #3 spot. If Henry can't go, then Holt would be the likely starter opposite of Chatman.

Now that fullback Jeremi Johnson is gearing up to play Saturday, Daniel Coats is suddenly worried. If Jeremi performs like he's capable, then Coats would likely be demoted to the second full back -- which, in reality, doesn't exist on most NFL teams, including the Bengals. His life as a tight end in Cincinnati is essentially nonexistent. Unless he packs an impact during the next two games, Coats could be cut. Look at it this way, the Bengals had ample reason to cut Jeremi Johnson, and never did.

Marvin Lewis on Bobbie Williams at Center: "Yes, we saw enough of Bobbie at center." From my point of view, it would seem that the Bengals are content with Eric Ghiaciuc at center, Williams at right guard and Stacy Andrews at right tackle. Otherwise, the Bengals would be using the Jurassic Line as much as possible to seal up communication issues and work on blitzing linebackers. In a sense, we can put that to rest for now and label Eric Ghiaciuc as the team's starting center. Granted, Ghiaciuc's role has never been at risk -- at no time did he hear or expect the Bengals to use Jurassic as their primary offensive line. Still, that fantasy was always hard to shake off.

Jeff Rowe has seen significant time compared to Jordan Palmer. There's no reason to believe, at this point, that Palmer will unseat Rowe for the number three quarterback spot.

This is just my personal opinion, but Rudi Johnson should be listed as the team's number three running back. Make sure you read that right. I don't mean third-down back, I mean the third running back behind starter Chris Perry and Kenny Watson. I'd be too concerned that his hamstring could replicate 2007.

We'll keep hammering away, but that's all I got for now.

Chad Johnson isn't expected to play anymore during the pre-season hoping that his shoulder heals quickly. Speculation is that the injury could be severe enough that he could miss the opening game this season -- though Marvin Lewis and Johnson are confident he'll be ready for Baltimore.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh won't play Saturday against the New Orleans Saints with his hamstring injury. Which leaves us with Chris Henry, Jerome Simpson, Marcus Maxwell, Glenn Holt, Antonio Chatman, Clyde Logan, Mario Urrutia and Maurice Purify as the team's only receivers.