Bengals roll in Atlanta

The Bengals second and third stringers put on a show in Atlanta on Thursday night by defeating the NFC runner up Falcons 34-10 in the opening game of the season. The Bengals' starters left the contest with a 3-0 deficit, but the team gained all of the momentum shortly after the start of the second quarter. Dominant offensive line play and outstanding plays by skill players allowed the Bengals to build up their lead, enough so to feature the victory formation at the end of the game.

-The starters on defense looked solid with the exception of one play. The Bengals showed blitz and Matt Ryan capitalized with a forty-two yard screen pass to Harry Douglas. Other than that, the secondary, linebackers, and defensive line held the Atlanta offense to quick passes and average runs. Geno Atkins and James Harrison both showed their supreme strength with tackles of Stephen Jackson for losses. Offensively, the Bengals were shaky with their starters. Andy Dalton couldn't get into a rhythm with Brandon Tate and Ryan Whalen. The Bengals desperately need AJ Green and Marvin Jones to return to the receiving corps. The Bengals also didn't show enough of their two tight end sets on passing downs. Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert both can't be covered when they are on the field at the same time. Passing to the two tight ends should be the Bengals' bread and butter.

-The story of the night was Josh Johnson. Johnson looked to put a stronghold on the backup quarterback job, as he looked much better than Andy Dalton throughout the night. Johnson had one hundred yards throwing and a touchdown, and also rushed for 64 yards, including a scamper of 43 yards. Johnson has noticeable arm strength and has an ability to throw the ball on the run. At this point, Johnson looks like a clear upgrade over Bruce Gradkowski and should confuse defenses with his duel threat quarterback style.

-The running backs showed up big time. The Bengals offensive line consistently was able to get a push on the Atlanta defensive line. The second group led by Trevor Robinson and Tanner Hawkinson was rock solid. Hawkinson is looking like a true value pick by the Bengals, so hopefully the ankle injury he sustained will only keep him out next week. Rex Burkhead rushed for fifty-two yards on nine carries. Burkhead is a running back that has the opportunity to unseat Boom Herron and Ced Peerman on the depth chart because of his do it all nature. Burkhead is a tough runner, a solid pass catcher, and a  consistent pass blocker. Peerman and Herron both averaged just below four yards per carry, but both did have a couple of nice runs. Giovani Bernard had a rough first game in the pros. He rushed ten times for 28 yards and scored a touchdown, but he slipped on a catch that would have been a first down and had trouble eluding NFL tacklers. Bernard's nerves certainly played a role in his performance on Thursday.

-Everyone, including Brad Keselowski, was talking about Dane Sanzenbacher last night. Sanzenbacher scored twice, once catching the ball and also on a punt return. Sanzenbacher's 71 yard return looked very smooth as he showed some serious quickness. Sanzenbacher has an evident second gear at the receiver position that fools defenders. He may have earned himself some slot play with the first team unit next week. Sanzenbacher's thirty-six yard touchdown was the textbook play that the Bengals want to see from a slot receiver. John Skelton, who rose to Johnson's competition level with a 4/5 night with 72 yards and a touchdown, also did a nice job of fitting the ball in on the play.

-Dre Kirkpatrick and Rey Maualuga stood out on the Bengals' defense. Kirkpatrick locked down the Atlanta receivers he defended and almost came up with an acrobatic interception. Kirkpatrick is such a tall corner that he can compete for the ball on longer routes. Maualuga looks considerably more motivated and disciplined as a linebacker at this early stage. Maualuga had a nice coverage play against Chase Coffman and was able to chase down ball carriers with much more ease. Maualuga has definitely lost weight and has begun to resurrect his 2012 campaign with better play.

-The only true disappointment last night in my book was Margus Hunt. Hunt looked a little lost during most plays yesterday, standing straight up and even finding himself stationary and just staring at the quarterback. Hunt is currently just relying on brute strength and size, which won't get it done in the NFL. Hunt needs to develop a technique with a lower pad level to beat these offensive linemen. Hunt has the ability to improve over the next few weeks, but right now, he looks no better than almost sure cut Dontay Moch.

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

Depth chart released--Insights on the defense

The Bengals' defense is largely expected to take that next step into the NFL elite this season after retaining every key player on the unit and keeping underrated Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer. The offseason has been reasonably quiet in terms of positioning battles with the defense, so when the depth chart was released, a scan of the starting lineup looks similar to last season at each position group. There can still be movement and spots on the team up for grabs especially at the backup units on the defensive side of the ball, however.

-After receiving his forty plus million dollar extension, it seems Carlos Dunlap has finally been inserted into the starting lineup. Dunlap suffered a concussion in practice, but that won't keep him out more than a week. Dunlap and Michael Johnson on the other side of the defensive line can generated over twenty sacks in 2013. Domata Peko and Geno Atkins start at the inside spots on the defensive line, but expect Devon Still to get plenty of action next to Atkins this season.

-The linebacking starters have been known since James Harrison signed with the Bengals this offseason. Harrison, Rey Maualuga, and Vontaze Burfict can punish players with the ball, so expect some forced fumbles to show up on the stat sheet this season from that position group. Emmanuel Lamur is the fourth linebacker on the team and will be in on third down and longs over the course of the year. He is one of the best young prospects on the Bengals. Sean Porter is the only other linebacker on the roster who can earn snaps with the starters. Aaron Maybin and Vinny Rey have been in the NFL for a few seasons now and it is time for them to step up.

-Dre Kirkpatrick is somehow behind Brandon Ghee on the depth chart at this stage, but that could very well be for motivational purposes. Kirkpatrick has flashed ball skills during training camp and has provided a blanket of coverage that has to be recognized by the coaches. He is beginning to flash his first round potential. The cornerback position looks like it is pretty solid heading into 2013.

-Reggie Nelson is the consistent starter at the free safety spot, but the news of the day is George Iloka getting the nod at strong safety. He is the right pick based on his coverage skills, which are better than the competition right now. Iloka has learned how to read the quarterback from Chris Crocker, who stepped in out of nowhere and played well in 2012. Iloka was one of the greatest defenders in Boise State history, and his rangy athleticism could hold off Shawn Williams and Taylor Mays until the start of the season, although I'm still not convinced the Bengals won't make a call to Crocker at some point.

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

Kerry Rhodes on his way to Cincinnati?

The Bengals have made a couple moves recently that point to a player being added in the next two weeks before the opening of training camp. The team released defensive end Jamaal Anderson last week and his salary for over $2 million is now of the books. The Bengals also released Robert Sands during the offseason workouts, pointing to a possible opening at the safety spot. Sands was a fifth rounder back in 2011 and the team had high hopes for the rangy, athletic safety out of West Virginia, but he couldn't put it together to earn snaps due to injury and inconsistency.

There was a report last week that veteran Kerry Rhodes is considering four teams to play for in 2013. A decision could be reached in the next week, and another article by Fox Sports Ohio said Rhodes could be considering the Browns and Bengals. Rhodes was with the Cardinals last season, and he became the best defensive player in that secondary with the exception of Patrick Peterson. Rhodes started fifteen games and had four interceptions, two forced fumbles, and sixty-seven tackles.

A ballhawking safety like Rhodes is what the Bengals have been missing on the back end of their defense for quite some time. Madieu Williams and Reggie Nelson have been able to take the ball away from opposing offenses in the recent past, but a duo like Rhodes and Nelson could make for a feared secondary. Rhodes visited Cincinnati in April and it makes sense that the Bengals didn't sign him then in order to let the draft and free agent market play out.

The team ended up drafting Shawn Williams in the third round, but a year to pick up pass coverage tips from Rhodes could do the rookie a lot of good. Chris Crocker did an admirable job coming in after the start of the season and winning the starting job, but it is time for the Bengals to move on to a younger option. Rhodes was rated as the fourth best safety in the NFL by Pro Football Focus, and although the website can't completely be relied upon to rank players, it shows that Rhodes was one of the bright spots on an average defense.

Rhodes was also a leader on the Jets' dominant defense in 2009. He has ties to the area after attending school and playing collegiately at the University of Louisville. Mike Zimmer likes smart veterans to pair with young players learning the rigors of the NFL game. The Bengals are likely to start a second year corner in Dre Kirkpatrick, so surrounding the rest of the secondary with vets like Leon Hall, Reggie Nelson, and Rhodes is always safe. Look for an announcement soon from Rhodes and don't be surprised if he chooses to play for the Bengals in 2013 on a one year contract.

Best training camp position battles

The Bengals have just announced the starting date of the 2013 training camp inside Paul Brown Stadium. Training camp starts in just over two weeks on July 26 and lasts until August 15. This season's practices will be all the more interesting because of the Hard Knocks crew filming the players in action and entertaining audiences on HBO. There are still many questions that loom over the roster, and the only way personnel moves will be hashed out is through reps in the practices. Here are some of the top position battles to look out for this season at the Bengals' facility.

1. Backup Quarterback-Bruce Gradkowski adopted the role of Andy Dalton's backup over the last two seasons, but now he is gone after signing with Pittsburgh to become Ben Roethlisberger's backup. The Bengals brought in a couple veterans as potential replacements for Gradkowski. Josh Johnson has experience in the West Coast system, but hasn't taken an NFL snap since 2011. The 6'3 former fifth round pick is athletic enough to have some packages with the first stringers to throw off defenses with his duel threat ability. John Skelton is probably the most logical choice for the job. Skelton has one some big games as the starter with the Cardinals in part time capacity since his rookie 2010 season. Skelton can manage the game for a team and threw for almost 2,000 yards and eleven touchdowns in 2011.

2. Strong safety-The most up in the air battle of camp is for a starting spot at an extremely important position. The Bengals will send out three young players to compete for the position. George Iloka, Taylor Mays, and Shawn Williams will each have an equal chance to earn the gig, as Iloka and Mays have lined up as the starter at different points in offseason workouts. Williams was the highest draft pick spent on a safety since Madieu Williams, and certainly brings talent and leadership skills to the table. Expect this position to be sorted out late in the preseason.

3. Center-This starting spot is also up for grabs at the start of training camp, but I fully expect Kyle Cook to earn back the job after being outplayed by Trevor Robinson last year. Cook was never healthy last season after suffering an ankle injury, yet the Bengals threw him in the games for the last few weeks of the season and in the playoffs. Robinson is certainly a valuable young player who can back up both the guard and center positions, but the Bengals need a savvy vet like Cook to anchor an offensive line that is pretty unproven at the two guard spots.

4. Second Cornerback-Leon Hall is a lock to match up against the best opposing receiver, but the corner on the other side still has to be figured out this summer. Dre Kirkpatrick bounced on and off the inactive list last season, playing in five games, including on defense against the Chiefs. Kirkpatrick has the size and coverage skills to be a prototypical corner, but can his knee hold up? The first round pick out of Alabama in 2012 needs to show the toughness he played with in the National Championship season. The Bengals struck lightning in a bottle with the signing of Terence Newman. He was very consistent over the last half of last season with two interceptions while holding quarterbacks to a rating under eighty. Newman is 34 years old, and the Bengals would prefer to pass the torch and use Newman for depth purposes.

5. Fullback-There's a debate going on in Bengals circles as to whether the team will even keep a fullback this season. The last time the Bengals went without one was in 2010, and it was a disaster as the run game stalled and Cedric Benson returned to his mediocre yards per carry average after a superb 2009. The Bengals need to hold on to at least one fullback in 2013, whether that be John Conner, Chris Pressley, or a converted Orson Charles. Pressley is still rehabbing from a knee injury that forced the team to sign Conner last season. Pressley may not be ready when training camp opens, and is a candidate for the PUP list. Conner was supposed to be the best young fullback in the league coming out of Kentucky in 2010 when he was selected by the Jets, but it hasn't quite worked out for him since that rookie season. Conner still may have a bright future in the NFL if he can regain his physicality in run blocking. Don't count out the West Chester native from stealing the starting gig from Pressley. Charles is more of a Jay Gruden experiment that could result in some passing formations with the 2012 fourth round pick in the backfield, but nothing from last year says that he could take on the blocking responsibilities of a fullback. Charles is a useful weapon to have with his playmaking ability, but look for Conner or Pressley to earn the job as a traditional fullback.

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot