By Adam Kiefaber
ESPN couldn’t stop talking about it and they aren’t going to stop talking about. 
Michael Vick is going to jail, whoop-de-freakin’-doo!
I don’t care about that. What I cared about was the Cincinnati Bengals (0-3) 19-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons (2-1).
Many Bengal fans can’t be happy from the ‘dress rehearsal’ on Monday night. The ‘dress rehearsal’ is otherwise known as the third preseason game.
Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, Rudi Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Johnathan Joseph played the entire first half.
For the third straight week the Bengals lost and didn’t look ready for the regular season. With the next game scheduled for Friday and no starters expected to play, you have to be a little worried if you are a Bengals’ fan.
Sadly, the only player who consistently played well this preseason was wide receiver Chris Henry. Again sadly, Henry won’t be able to play for the first eight games of the season.
I know it is Cincinnati and with our past history of poor play, we love to rip the Bengals, however let’s focus on the positives.
Quarterback Carson Palmer looked sharp completing 15 of 22 passes for 136 yards and threw two touchdowns. Prior to the game, the Bengals’ first-team offense hadn’t scored a touchdown. Also, wide receiver Chad Johnson was on his game. Johnson made one of league’s best cornerbacks, DeAngelo Hall, look like a rookie. Ocho Cinco finished with five catches for 83 yards and caught a touchdown. Running back Rudi Johnson had some solid numbers, he rushed for 69 yards on 13 carries. Defensive tackle Kenderick Allen recorded five tackles, which is impressive for a 350-pounder (listed at 330, but I don’t buy it). Defensive tackle John Thornton had two sacks and the defense held the Falcons to 15 yards on nine carries in the first half. Last year, Atlanta led the entire NFL in rushing.
Wow, that doesn’t sound that bad, maybe Cincinnati is ready to make their run to the playoffs in 2007.
Wait, here are the negatives. The Bengals’ first-team defense may have stopped the run, but they made quarterback Joey Harrington look more like Joe Montana. Harrington completed 13 of 21 passes for 164 yards and threw two touchdowns. T.J. Houshmandzadeh caught four passes for 25 yards, but dropped a bunch of passes and looked out of place on multiple occasions. Everyone’s favorite seventh-round pick ‘Nedu’ Ndukwe didn’t look good. Ndukwe was responsible for allowing the Falcons’ first two touchdowns. Wide receiver Adam Jennings blew by Ndukwe for a 28-yard score, then running back Jerious Norwood broke an arm tackle by Ndukwe on his way into the end zone. Ndukwe played with the first-team defense when Dexter Jackson got banged up when he was run over by Falcon tight end Alge 
Crumpler. Cornerback Keiwan Ratliff had a bunch of tackles, but that was because he played receivers softer than a piece of fresh wonder bread. Offensive tackle Scott Kooistra (above) looked like a polar bear walking backwards on stilts. Levi Jones looked even worse. Even the Bengals’ kicker, Shayne Graham, was injured in the game.
The Bengals are not ready for the regular season, but ready or not here it comes.
Oh, wait I want to remind you to take a deep breath and tell yourself that this is the preseason. NONE OF THIS MATTERS. IT ISN’T REAL.
More on this game and Fridays game coverage coming soon. Also, the Bengals need to cut down to 75 players on Tuesday, then down to 53 players this Saturday. Not counting the significant injuries, the Bengals currently have 79 players on their active roster.
4 comments ↓
I was at the game I and I must re-emphasize how poor the bengals’ defense looked. I think the weak link is in the middle. Ahmad Brooks may have raw talent, but he lacks the instinct of a middle linebacker. I watched him for several plays and it always seemed like he either ran the opposite way of the ball or ran straight into blocks.
On another note, Doug Johnson has no business being on an NFL roster. Henry’s catch is the only reason his numbers are on the verge of being respectable. I think its going to be a long year in the Queen City.
became a good drinking game, drink everytime they referenced Vick
I have to agree that Doug Johnson looked like a three-year-old girl tossing an anchor against her garage. Sadly, Ahmad Brooks had his best game. Only because he made his first and only instinctive play of the preseason. Honestly, I don’t remember when he did it since this is the only preseason game that I watched only one time (I guess NFL Network can’t show MNF), but on one play the Falcons ran a delayed handoff and Brooks stayed at home and made the tackle- it was like a 1-yard gain. WOW
If you drank every time they referenced Vick, then I’ sorry- I don’t want to call you a liar, but you wouldn’t be alive. You must be in your drinking prime or just passed out mid-way through the 2nd quarter.
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