Palmer is doing his best to put a positive spin on the team's season.

"We're going about it as business. It seems like it's the end of the world to a lot of people, but this team still has a lot of hope left. ... The Giants started 0-2 (in 2007 and won the Super Bowl).

"Definitely, the season can keep going downhill. ... But this team is going to fight and scratch and try to get ourselves back into this."

It's clear that Palmer is also trying to reiterate that Lewis hasn't lost the locker room. “What somebody says on the outside, who has no idea what’s going on here, all he sees is 0-2, it’s kind of an easy thing to throw out there. In no way has Marvin lost this locker room or lost any attention from players."

Don Banks says that it's 75% likely that Lewis will be fired after the season. "I think Lewis became a dead man walking of sorts the day this preseason when Bengals owner Mike Brown decided that troubled receiver Chris Henry could rejoin the club. That move totally undercut whatever authority Lewis had remaining in his own locker room -- he had come out weeks earlier and proclaimed that Henry was not welcome in Cincinnati -- and once that's gone in the NFL, you're just marking time."

Notes of interest during yesterday's Marvin Lewis press conference.

On Jerome Simpson: "Jerome's got a ways to go as far as understanding what to do, and for us to have some confidence in him being in the spots where he needs to be. Then he can maybe earn some more playing time. We've put him in. He's played in each of the games. But he's got to be right all the time in practice. You don't just throw a guy out there."

On Keith Rivers: "I'm pleased with the things he's doing."

On Pat Sims and Jason Shirley and their lack of playing time: "Pat Sims was injured in training camp and didn't get to practice until last week, so I think he's got a ways to go conditioning-wise to play in an NFL game. We've got Orien Harris and John (Thornton) and Domata (Peko), ahead of him. Until he can prove through practice that he's a better option for me ... Jason's got a ways to go. I didn't envision Jason being a big part of what we're doing this year. I don't know if that will come. He's working at it, and maybe at some point he will. But at this point, that's where he is."

Courtesy of BoDog, I thought this was, well, interesting. The following is the odds for which month that Carson Palmer will record his first 300-yard game.

September: 7/4
October: 5/2
November: 3/1
December: 3/1
No 300-yard game in 2008: 9/2 s

Albert Haynesworth, for the most part, was neutralized by Andrew Whitworth last week.

James Walker now gets in the business of commenting and reacting to what others write.

Will the New York Giants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka be 100% healthy Sunday?

Tom Coughlin on the Bengals: "Quite frankly, we have great respect for, in this case, the Bengals organization, the players, and their talent. And we know full well that what you did yesterday doesn't necessarily apply to what you are going to do today or tomorrow."

Carlos Holmes is high on the Bengals secondary -- and honestly, I am also. However, I'm not so sure the secondary will keep Eli Manning and the Giants passing game in check. Especially with David Jones starting and Johnathan Joseph watching.

The prospect of what the Bengals offense can do (not will do), keeps the Giants pass defense focused because of the talent on this team. Linebacker Danny Clark said: "You won't catch me saying they're bad. I look at the players. The unit isn't playing well, but if you see Carson Palmer on the roster and Ocho Cinco on the roster, you've definitely got to open your eyes because those guys can beat you bad."

Jerome Simpson, as he patiently awaits his first NFL reception. "I have two great veterans in front of me (Chad Ocho Cinco and T. J. Houshmandzadeh), and they're helping me I feel more comfortable every day, so I'm making improvements. I'm trying to be more precise on my routes. I'm just waiting for my number to get called."

Geoff Hobson writes, "The Deltha Question has hit sooner than the Bengals ever imagined now that they released Deltha O'Neal and his 100-plus NFL games are with the Patriots." My question is how did they expect that question not to be problematic? All it took was one injury. A single one.

Chad Johnson on bringing back chemistry and unity to the offense. "One of the things that we need to do is what we did in '05 is Thursdays or Fridays the offense used to all go to dinner. I think Big Willie used to do that. We need to tell Carson we should get back to that." Leadership.

Ludwig examines the 10 wide receivers in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Eddie Royal and DeSean Jackson are basically the only two rookie receivers drafted in the second round that have largely contributed to their respective offenses.

Keith Rivers has performed as advertised. Now it's time for Rivers to stand up and lead this defense and make the mates around him better.

"Of the 68 NFL teams to start 0-2 since 2000, six made the playoffs. Since the NFL went to the 16-game format in 1978, the number is 27, including three that won Super Bowls."

A quote for the Maddenism, "We haven't scored points on offense, we have allowed some explosive plays defensively that have hurt us, and special teams-wise, although we have made some positive plays, we need to make some more. I think all in all we haven't played well enough to win the football games."

With Ben Utecht unlikely playing this Sunday, Daniel Coats would likely back up Reggie Kelly giving Jeremi Johnson a start.

UPDATE: There's a reason why Jeremi isn't starting, as Iggy reminds this dead-brain blogger.

There's actually an optimistic Bengals fan somewhere not going after Mike Brown with torches during Access Hollywood?

Thornton has an idea as to what's wrong with the Bengals offense. "He didn't have his guys all offseason and most of training camp. I would think that would affect anyone. It hasn't exactly been smooth sailing for him when his main guys aren't here." Hello Chad and T.J. Not that they were, as Chick Ludwig calls it "sandbagging" their injuries, but, you know.

I actually had the thought coming into work today that other receivers should be given more opportunities. If Chad and T.J. are still hurt, then it would make sense sitting them, or reducing the level of necessity for them to make plays. And if they're not hurt, then they're just not playing well enough to help us succeed.

Ludwig looks back at the Marvin Lewis draft (which we all know, hasn't been that great)

53 — total players selected in 6 seasons.

21 — drafted Bengals currently on the 53-man roster.

12 — drafted Bengals are currently starters.

5 — current Bengals starters are first-round draft picks (QB Carson Palmer, TB Chris Perry, CB Johnathan Joseph, CB Leon Hall and LB Keith Rivers).

Of the current roster, 39.6% were drafted by Marvin Lewis; 22.6% of the team's starters were drafted by Lewis. I believe he brings this up comparing Jerome Simpson with DeSean Jackson. Jackon has stepped up as the Eagles primary wide receiver with two of their starters down; Jackson caught six passes for 106 yards against the Rams, and six passes for 110 yards against the Cowboys.

My point is that Simpson hasn't been given the chance; not with two prominent and distraction-possible wide receivers in front of him.

First things, first. I plan on being around for the Ohio State game and the University of Cincinnati game. If there's enough interest from you guys, then we can do an all-day open thread to chat about our two best Ohio teams -- if not all-day college football. That's up to you.

Keith Rivers will officially be #55.

Jerome Simpson really, really wants to be that number three wide receiver. "There are still a lot of people who don't believe in me, who don't believe I was worth a second-round pick. I've just got to keep showing 'em that I'm worth it." (Or stop worrying about what others think, remember your routes and show on the field that you're worth it) "It's a confidence thing, getting in there and showing the coaches I can make plays to help put this team in a position to win games. I just want to get better every week."

James Walker writes that Johnathan Joseph and Stacy Andrews will have breakout seasons this year. In fact, of the five selections for breakout players, the Bengals have two spots -- making this the first Walker piece in three months with more than one Bengals reference. And who says that I'm a tacky?

Then he writes spells Cincinnati as "Cincinnatti". Where the hell does the second "T" from?

NFL.com previews Bengals and Ravens. So does this site, and this site and this site. I tend to find matchup previews, or even game previews -- unlike primers -- utterly useless for me to write about. Not only do I have a failing understanding of the other team, but I figure I spend all week talking about the Bengals with a sneak-peak to the opposing team that we can all understand the battles our teams face. It's not that I have a problem with others doing them, but I'm not going to BS you into thinking that I actually know the entire opposing team -- I don't, because I'm here bitching too much about the Bengals.

I'm really not sure the point Sean McClelland is trying to make.

We were wondering during Thursday Night's preseason game how the Bengals running back roster would look kickoff weekend. Curnutte believes the Bengals will dump Rudi Johnson and keep Chris Perry, Kenny Watson and DeDe Dorsey on the roster, placing James Johnson on the practice squad after his performance against the Colts.

James Johnson's ran eight times for 54 yards against the Colts with a 42-yard play midway through the fourth quarter. Without that 42-yard run, Johnson rushes seven times for 12 yards. DeDe Dorsey had a nice night rushing for 4.2 yards-per-carry (38 yards, nine attempts), including a six-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter. Kenny Watson had the worst night among running backs (well, other than Rudi Johnson of course) with a 1.6 yards-per-carry average (10 yards, six rushes). In the game, the Bengals rushed for 171 yards on 38 attempts (4.5 average).

Ironically enough, Ryan Fitzpatrick finished the preseason out-rushing Kenny Watson and DeDe Dorsey.

The Bengals leading receivers this preseason were two guys not on the roster last season. Jerome Simpson caught the most passes (11) and recorded the most yards (157). Ben Utecht's 10 receptions and 108 yards receiving ranked second in each category. Glenn Holt is the only player to record more than one touchdown reception. In fact, he has two of the team's three total passing touchdowns with Utecht having the other.

Domata Peko is the only defensive lineman with more than one sack, with one-sack performances coming from Robert Geathers, Michael Myers, Jason Shirley, and Angelo Craig. Darryl Blackstock (2), Keith Rivers, Kyries Herbert, and Dexter Jackson also recorded sacks.

The preseason question of finding that number three receiver was answered, by signing Chris Henry. However suspended through the first four games, it would appear that Simpson has the edge at that spot; but Chatman could find himself there based on whether the Bengals feel confident that Simpson knows the playbook.

Kyle Larson punted a whopping 28 times (average seven-per-game) with a pedestrian 41.9 average.

Even I was pleased with the performance of Ahmad Brooks. But I don't think that the final preseason game against a team that played few, if any, of their starters is that much of a reason to keep him. I still think he's on the chopping block, and I think that if Brooks was good enough, that he wouldn't have fallen so far, so quickly, on the depth chart and been mediocre in the other preseason games. Then again, the Bengals coaching staff loves projects with players that have potential (see Eric Henderson and Stacy Andrews -- who actually worked out).

Are people actually considering Fitzpatrick the better starting quarterback in Cincinnati?

I really enjoyed Fitzpatrick's performance this preseason. He had the best quarterback play, recording a 104.2 passer rating, no picks and two scores. Along with his 218 yards passing (which is second, behind Jeff Rowe's 228), Fitzpatrick added 79 yards rushing (scrambling). However, we don't need is a scrambling quarterback. What we need is our two Pro Bowl wide receivers back without protection breakdowns that force our quarterbacks to scramble. All of which, I believe, will return by kickoff weekend.

Along with Keith Rivers, I think Corey Lynch is one of the most impressive defensive rookies. Even though Pat Sims didn't record those key numbers (which is normal for a defensive tackle), I liked his motor with his noticeable intensity. With Shirley coming on against the Colts, I think the Bengals are close to having a solid defensive tackle rotation. Given more experience with the rookies, and the noticeable improvement with Domata Peko, there's a lot to look forward to this group. Once John Thornton leaves after this season, the Bengals could either draft another defensive tackle in the 2009 NFL Draft, or develop Antwon Burton with the practice squad this season.

Secondary-wise, I think this unit is much better than last season -- or the year before that, or the year before that. Johnathan Joseph was an aggressive hitter during the preseason, coming up to the line of scrimmage when the opposing team rushed to his side. He played the island role, along with Leon Hall, as best as we could expect of them. While big-body wide receivers will generally always have their way with most NFL cornerbacks, I didn't think to myself that our young cornerbacks will be problematic.

My biggest concern wasn't the secondary against the rush, nor the play of our starting cornerbacks. It was our safeties against the pass, allowing the opposing wide receiver to stream past them. This didn't happen against the Colts as much as it did in the first preseason games. Still, Corey Lynch and Marvin White are young enough to learn from it and become better as the season wears on. Not to mention Chinedum Ndukwe missed the preseason.

I do believe, however, that our secondary is as deep as it has ever been during the Marvin Lewis era.

Like many of you, I just don't know what to expect this season. On one hand, this team is talented enough among their starters; everyone returns, the protection schemes improve and the rushing attack is actually meaningful. On the other hand, we could the regular season become an extension of the preseason becoming the worst season during the Marvin Lewis era. Either way, the critical aspect for success on this team will be the offense. An improved defense will be icing on the cake, that could find themselves in the role to win games if the offense sputters.

In the end, your guess is as good as mine.

With three preseason games in the books, I wanted to take the time to review each position (in some cases, units) as we prepare this week to play the meaningless of meaningless of preseason games, as well as upcoming roster cuts. While I'm not trying to predict the roster -- and definitely not projecting depth chart -- I didn't include every player in some scenarios, but included more than what the team is expected to take (mostly because I'm just not sure who they take, or the play is pretty even between the competition).

Quarterback - Even though Palmer has been assaulted on nearly every play (it seems), he hasn't been sharp -- likely a result of being assaulted. Twice against the Saints, Palmer nearly threw interceptions because 1) the ball was overthrown and 2) the pass was too near the middle of the field intended for a receiver sprinting down the sidelines. With the assault by the opposing pass rush, Palmer is becoming too aware of what's going on around the pocket rather than what's going on downfield. Once protection flaws are worked out, and communication issues resolved, we're confident that Palmer will be Palmer and give the Bengals their best chance to win each week.

Backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has been one of the few successful offensive players, completing 70% of his passes, with a 6.8 pass-per-attempt average and a 101.3 passer rating (all team highs). His 44 yards rushing is third on the team behind Chris Perry and Kenny Watson. Fitzpatrick's performance proves he'll be a coveted unrestricted free agent next season as a "veteran" quarterback that so many teams need.

1. Carson Palmer
2. Ryan Fitzpatrick
3. Jeff Rowe

Running Back - While it's exciting to see Chris Perry back to full strength, we've been missing our primary feature back, Rudi Johnson due to another hamstring injury -- this time to the other leg. However, along with their troubles protecting their quarterbacks, the offensive line has struggled rush blocking for Perry -- mostly Eric Ghiaciuc. Since the first game, Perry's yards-per-attempt has fallen from 3.8 to 3.4. Watson's 4.7 yards-per-attempt is encouraging, but a majority of his attempts have come against second team defenses, with only one attempt the entire game against the Saints.

I think the Bengals keep Dorsey over James Johnson. Though neither have done much this preseason, Dorsey is a more explosive back while James Johnson is eligible for the team's practice squad. If the Bengals haven't cut Jeremi by now, they won't.

1. Rudi Johnson
2. Chris Perry
3. Kenny Watson
4. DeDe Dorsey
5. Jeremi Johnson

Wide Receiver - Talk about depressing. With Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh nursing and rehabbing injuries ("supposedly", if you believe in conspiracies), the Bengals have been searching for that evasive receiver we hoped would step up. Jerome Simpson's 144 yards receiving is far above Chatman's 63 yards among the yardage leaders at wide receiver. However, passes are being dropped and receivers are not separating from defensive backs, forcing Palmer to hold onto the ball longer. One has to appreciate this bit of irony. If Chad Johnson was traded, then this unit has absolutely no hope going into the season, even though the team signed Chris Henry to help.

I think Andre Caldwell's injury hurts him big. While he's not on the field battling for a spot, the Bengals would be more inclined to keep Holt for experience and versatility on special teams. Caldwell is another player eligible for the practice squad. This is all based on the assumption when Henry returns, not when the season starts. When Henry is reinstated after the fourth game, the Bengals will need to decide whether to keep Holt or Caldwell -- and it's doubtful, no matter what other writers suggest, that the Bengals will let Henry go.

1. Chad Johnson
2. T.J. Houshmandzadeh
3. Antonio Chatman
4. Jerome Simpson
5. Glenn Holt
6. Andre Caldwell

Tight End - Stable as stable comes. Ben Utecht, another glowing offensive player this preseason, leads the team with 10 receptions, second with 108 yards receiving and only one of two players with a receiving touchdown through three games. Reggie Kelly is the league's best tight end blocker, taking a lot of reps in the backfield. If the Bengals keep four tight ends (which includes long snapper Brad St. Louis), then Daniel Coats makes the team.

1. Reggie Kelly
2. Ben Utecht
3. Daniel Coats
4. Brad St. Louis

Offensive Line - We've talked about their struggles, and fantasized of a Jurassic Line. Still, the running game hasn't really taken off and the quarterbacks are struggling to focus downfield rather than the pass rush -- Bengals quarterbacks have been sacked 10 times, and knocked down three times as much. I'm not sure the Bengals will keep a second center, depending on Bobbie Williams to play that role. On the other hand, you could easily replace Nate Livings with Dan Santucci with limited fall in production. Something of note: Kyle Cook took some first-team snaps against the Saints in the third quarter.

1. Levi Jones
2. Andrew Whitworth
3. Eric Ghiaciuc
4. Bobbie Williams
5. Stacy Andrews
6. Willie Anderson
7. Nate Livings
8. Scott Kooistra
9. Anthony Collins
10. Dan Santucci

Defensive Line - Domata Peko has impressed me this preseason against the rush. He's working the line, challenging double teams and finding ways to stuff gaps at the point of attack. Other than that, I think this unit is just down right dreadful. Fanene and Rucker appear like average ends with limited upside, while John Thornton and Jason Shirley have made a library seem like a Metallica concert. Pat Sims, before his injury, impressed me with his aggressiveness and motor-style play. Hopefully we get him back when the season starts. While Angelo Craig has made plays, I've labeled him a practice squad player until either Rucker or Fanene (even though he signed an extension this offseason) are let go. I see no scenario in the world in which Eric Henderson makes this squad -- nor did I see any scenario that the Bengals sign Chris Henry.

1. Antwan Odom (DE)
2. Robert Geathers (DE)
3. Johnathan Fanene (DE)
4. Frostee Rucker (DE)
5. John Thornton
6. Domata Peko
7. Jason Shirley
8. Pat Sims
9. Michael Myers -- I'm adding Myers here for two reasons. The team could be concerned about Shirley's upcoming court case and keeping Myers adds an insurance policy in case Pat Sims' rehabs slowly.

Linebacker - I'm actually more impressed with this unit than I thought I would be before training camp. At WILL, Keith Rivers and Brandon Johnson have combined for 28 tackles and a sack -- Rivers accounts for 17 tackles and that sack. Corey Mays has been solid at backup middle linebacker and Darryl Blackstock's two sacks leads the team. The thing I would be most concerned about is Dhani Jones' nine total tackles through three games. Ahmad Brooks had some first-team snaps at defense when Blackstock suffered a cramp against the Saints. Also expect Carl-Johan Bjork to make the team as he's exempt from the 53-man roster.

1. Dhani Jones
2. Keith Rivers
3. Darryl Blackstock
4. Rashad Jeanty
5. Corey Mays
6. Brandon Johnson
7. Jim Maxwell
8. Ahmad Brooks
9. Anthony Hoke (?)

Secondary - For the most part, I think our starting cornerbacks have done a decent job working on an island. For the plays that you see them get beat, either a dump-truck named Calvin Johnson used his super-size advantage, or the quarterback found a hole in zone coverage. I don't like the play of our safeties -- Dexter Jackson is Dexter Jackson and Marvin White still struggles keeping the receiver in front preventing long plays. White is a hitter though, and his efforts to make sure-tackles have improved greatly since the first game.

David Jones scares the hell out of me, and I don't see much of an improvement with Castille. O'Neal has accepted his role, and done well, as the team's third cornerback giving the Bengals good depth at the position.

1. Leon Hall (CB)
2. Johnathan Joseph (CB)
3. Deltha O'Neal (CB)
4. David Jones (CB)
5. Simeon Castille (CB)
6. Dexter Jackson (S)
7. Marvin White (S)
8. Chinedum Ndukwe (S)
9. Corey Lynch (S)
10. Herana-Daze Jones (S) -- mostly for his special teams work.

Anyway, those are my impressions at this point. If you have more, or want to adjust my impressions because I always miss at least one player (or two) when I do these things, it's all yours.

Site question: Sometimes we load the site with a ton of content that makes you scroll down, at times, for hours. My question to you is this, do you want the full list of our daily links and notes, or should we do a "read more" link?

Pragmatic freaks when he sees that some Los Angeles Times article ranked Carson Palmer as the ninth-best quarterback in the league this year. For those of you that have joined me for the past few years know, I hate lists. I hate them. There's rarely a decent point of comparison, and most are just random musings of personal perceptions of what the author thinks. No doubt, they enable decent debates, because everyone's perception is always different. In truth, they are meaningless and too much include the talent around them. In other words, every quarterback deals with a different system, different personnel; so where's the comparison?

Anyway, we know that Palmer is the best quarterback in the league, right? :)

We asked recently if the Bengals should go after LeCharles Bentley with a questionable Eric G. ability to take on the division's defensive tackles and Dan Santucci being hurt. The Lions offered Bentley a one-year deal in excess of one-million, but he refused. It's believed that Bentley wants more than the low-dollar prove-that-you're-healthy deals he's being offered. So much for that idea, huh?

The rookie wide receivers, Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell, are thinking too much, playing slower, missing assignments, etc.. Neither is expected to contribute much this season anyway, playing mostly special teams with the hope one of them rises as the number three receiver.

Mark Curnutte shares three optimisms (offensive line, Mike Zimmer, Carson Palmer) and three concerns (the defense, running backs and the return game).

Geoff Hobson tries to figure out why the Bengals aren't more notable in the discussion among AFC North contenders.

Chris Perry talks about his struggles, and apprehension about staying healthy.

WDR will refuse to give the front office credit if they win, but more than willing to blame the front office when they lose.

I never really expected ESPN's James Walker to talk much of the Bengals in his AFC North blog, and when he does, he answers a reader that's impressed that Rivers had seven sacks Monday Night. Or it's giving more and more legs to the story that the Bengals are "interested" in Chris Henry.

Rookie guard, Justin Britt cleared waivers and is now on the team's IR.

A Bengals blog on another another network argues that Marvin Lewis is on the hot seat. Again, if the team goes 2-14, he might be -- in 2009.

Terrell Suggs ends a 23-day holdout finally relenting to an under-paid $8.5 million dollar tender. He didn't want to be franchised next season, and wanted to be classified as a defensive end, rather than outside linebacker -- which awards him another $800,000. Baltimore Sun writes that he should be ready for the opening game against the Bengals.

Joshua Cribbs completed a 50-yard pass in practice on Friday.

Questions answered? Before the game, I threw up 10 questions. Not sure if any were answered, and it's foolish to take the first pre-season game and project the team as anything. Still, let's answer the questions after the Bengals 20-17 win Monday Night.

1) #3 Wide Receiver
Marcus Maxwell had a nice 19-yard reception and a nine-yarder. Maxwell's frame and technique reminds me of a green T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Hey, it took T.J. a long time to prove he was worth anything. Jerome Simpson showed good athleticism and Andre Caldwell hauled down an 11-yard pass for first down. It's not that any receiver played bad -- other than bad routes, or blown up plays, which we hardly know about -- but who really stepped up in your opinion.

2) Defensive tackle rotation and rookie DTs Sims and Shirley.
Domata Peko had several nice plays, pushing off the offensive linemen and strafing down the line of scrimmage for, at least, a hit. Jason Shirley, as the game progressed, seemed to get to the quarterback easier, and it seemed that boy has a motor. Admittedly, I don't have HD, and pointing out DTs are often hard enough for me. So it could have been Pat Sims. All and all, the Packers rushing offense was successful after Brandon Jackson and Kregg Lumpkin rushed 13 times for 80 yards (6.2 yards-per-carry).

3) Tight end contribution (an idea of the passing offense’s philosophy, which includes double-TE formations)
Reggie Kelly caught a five-yard pass -- the first completion by the Bengals. Ryan Fitzpatrick targeted Utecht twice, and Palmer looked at him three times -- first was incomplete, second was a four-yard gain and the third was a 14-yard touchdown pass.

4) Pass rush (includes Fanene and Rucker's improvements?)
Rucker and Fanene were nonexistent in the pass rush, though Robert Geathers sprinted around the tackle to pick up an early sack. Most of the success came from the team blitzing linebackers and safeties (Jackson, Herbert).

5) Keith Rivers, Chris Perry, rookie WRs (Caldwell, Simpson)
Rivers was as advertised. Chris Perry was back. Caldwell and Simpson made some nice grabs. I was generally happy with all four.

6) Offensive line combinations (Bobbie Williams at center?)
It's hard to praise the offensive line after the Bengals first-team started the game with three three-and-outs before picking up a first down and a touchdown. I don't recall seeing Williams at center, Santucci replaced Eric Ghiaciuc and Kyle Cook replaced Santucci after it was reported that the backup center broke his right ankle. Stacy Andrews didn't play long, out before the end of the first quarter replaced by Scott Kooistra after Willie Anderson was told to sit the game with a minor shoulder problem.

7) Is Kenny Watson better than last season?
I didn't pick up that Watson was better than last year on the minimal attempts he was given. At the same time, I didn't see a bit of degradation either.

8) Daniel Coats blocking out of the backfield.
I just didn't make it a point to watch him blocking. At the same time, that's a good thing. When a blocker does his job, neither he or the person he blocks make an impact on the play and become essentially invisible.

9) Aggressive cornerbacks, disrupting timing off the LOS (defensive coverage philosophy)
For the most part, I was happy with our cornerback play. Sometimes the receiver would pick up a step on the cornerback, or David Jones was on the field -- who had a rough, rough start.

10) Linebackers (Dhani, year 2… Brandon Johnson and Darryl Johnson, Arizona Cardinal cast-offs)
With Rivers being an obvious positive, and Brandon Johnson holding firm his stepping-up role, I thought the Bengals linebackers were generally positive, though again, the Packers ran the ball pretty well -- which is against the linebackers and defensive line.

By The Numbers

• Bengals converted only four of 15 third down attempts while the Packers converted eight of 17.
• Two penalties by the Bengals as a whole -- Frostee Rucker was offsides and Nate Livings false started. The off-sides by Rucker allowed the Packers to pick up a first down on third-and-three. After picking up the first down, Rodgers converted a 22-yard pass (then an incomplete), an 11-yard pass and then a 30-yard touchdown.
• The Packers picked up 15 first downs through the air -- however, they passed 53 times.
• The Bengals play selection: 27 pass attempts, 33 rush attempts.
• Bengals special teams allowed 40 yards on six punt returns.
• Bengals defense allowed four plays of 20-yards or more -- the longest play by the Bengals was a 19-yard pass reception by Marcus Maxwell.

The Ryan Fitzgerald offense before the end of the first half, utilized Ben Utecht and Chris Perry, combining for three catches for 25 yards giving Shayne Graham a 43-yard field goal attempt.

Palmer on Utecht and Perry: "(Perry) can stay in the backfield and pick up a safety pressure and get outside with runs. With Ben, his versatility is he can get back in the backfield on the run game and he can (pass block) in max protection."

Moving Bobbie Williams to center could be a possibility after reports claim that Dan Santucci suffered a broken right ankle.

Corey Lynch, in last weekend's scrimmages, had two interceptions and a sack. On Monday Night, he had a fumble recovery and two tackles on special teams.

Marvin "Mr. Obvious" says: "But we have to tackle better. Our tackling really left something to be desired."

Marvin White learned a lesson Monday Night. "It's not like college, where you pretty much hit a guy and he does down. I learned something from this game. That's the idea. Learn something every game."

Mike Zimmer was satisfied with the Bengals defense Monday Night, "we're not the '85 Bears. But for the first time, it was OK."

Antonio Chatman "endorses Packer Rodgers".

Former Bengals safety Madieu Williams is lost for up to six weeks due to an undisclosed injury.

Generally, when training camp begins through an early segment of the regular season, the defense has a natural advantage. It takes time for the offense to gel, to get their timing, and to generally learn the playbook. The defensive playbook is generally simple compared to the offense, and relies on gap control, responsibility and instinct. So it's not really a surprise if the defense outshines the offense early, like the defense winning 44-27 against the offense during Friday night's intra-squad scrimmage.

I said in the comments of another post that perhaps the team's best off-season acquisition is the team's defensive coordinator, Mike Zimmer. Not because of the scheme, or the talent. Rather he's installing a mentality of a toughness and aggressiveness we haven't seen in here in a long time. Zimmer said of Friday's scrimmage: “I thought they did what I asked them. I said if you make a mistake make it full speed. Play hard. And we've been stressing all week, tackling. We surrounded the ball real well and played physical. I thought we did a decent job of stopping the run.”

Carson Palmer went 6-10 for 51 yards passing recording a 21-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Chatman. Leon Hall was covering. Chris Perry recorded 50 yards total (9-33 rushing, 3-17 receiving). Rudi Johnson, DeDe Dorsey and Kenny Watson all sat. Jerome Simpson caught a 43-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick after sprinting down the sideline outpacing Deltha O'Neal.

"I'm just here to play my best," Brandon Johnson said. Johnson continues to shine closing the window for Keith Rivers to make the starting lineup while David Dunn plays his little games. Michael Myers recorded two sacks on Ryan Fitzpatrick and cornerback Simeon Castille sacked Jordan Palmer while Corey Lynch recorded a pick against young Palmer in the end zone. Jordan did score a touchdown pass to rookie tight end Matt Sherry on a ten-yard pass.

If you watched the highlights on Bengals.com, you got a good dose of Marvin White. It seemed he did a fine job filling gaps, killing cutback lanes, on nearly every rush. The defense held the offense to 48 total yards rushing on 23 attempts.

Overall, the coaches and players were satisfied with the progress they've made this off-season. Units and players from all positions -- except for running backs who were down three players -- made good plays. Defensively, the unit is heeding Mike Zimmer's attitude, especially the defensive line that held the offensive line allowing Brandon Johnson to roam; though five defensive linemen had at least one tackle.

Around the Web.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh may take it easy, or even take off, next week "with a nagging hamstring".

Players Brandon Johnson, Antonio Chatman, Jerome Simpson, Michael Myers, Simeon Castille and Corey Lynch all shined when the big stars were out.

Brandon Johnson is taking full advantage of a River-less camp.

Second-year Jets cornerback, Darrelle Revis (who would have been drafted by the Bengals if he was available and Leon Hall was drafted earlier), says that Chad Johnson was the toughest for him to cover.

The Ravens are dealing with a rash of injuries during camp. But Rexx argues it's not Harbaugh's tougher camp that's the reason. After a February domestic battery incident, Ravens cornerback Fabian Washington will be suspended for the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Observations from the Steelers; the receivers could be their best group in 30 years, Big Ben is getting better, Mendenhall is "showing promise" while Moore is team's third-down back (as of now).

The Browns did an interesting concept (and I'm not sure if they've done it before). On Friday night, the Browns held their intra-squad scrimmage in Cleveland Browns Stadium; the money you pay to get in goes directly to charity. The crowd was big and the hot dogs were $1.

The following is a list of Bengals draft picks signed. Most of this is through unconfirmed channels with sources listed below the chart. Since the Bengals are pretty selective releasing their financial data, we're left with using unreliable and confirmed sources. In other words, take this as very unofficial. If you see errors, please email me or quote your source in the comments.

* In millions.
** Means they are listed with the base salary without bonuses figured in, or unconfirmed from unofficial sources, or different sources quoting different numbers.

The following are the sources for the contract details, or links to my posts that link to the contract details (usually if they're multiple links).

UPDATE: Curnutte provdes the signing bonuses for Sims, Collins, Shirley, Sherry, Craig and Urrutia. [Curnutte's blog]
Pat Sims signs four-year deal worth $2.473 million and $768,000 signing bonus [Big C Rumor Mill]
Anthony Collins signs four-year deal worth $2.175 million and $470,500 signing bonus [Big C Rumor Mill]
Jason Shirley signs four-year minimum deal with $158,000 signing bonus. [RealTime Fantasy Sports] The signing bonus is unconfirmed. (base salary acquired at NFL PA)
Corey Lynch -- terms undisclosed.
Matt Sherry signs four-year deal worth $1.775 million with $40,000 signing bonus [Cincy Jungle]
Angelo Craig -- minimum contract, bonus undisclosed. (base salary acquired at NFL PA)
Mario Urrutia signs four-year deal worth $1.740 million with $39,000 signing bonus. [Cincy Jungle]