Bengals vs. Falcons preview

Football is officially back for the Cincinnati Bengals tonight when they open up the preseason with a matchup against one of the most talented teams in the NFL, the Atlanta Falcons. This game inside the Georgia Dome could be a preview of playoff football come February as both teams have Super Bowl aspirations coming off of playoff berths in 2012. The Bengals currently feature one of the top defenses in the NFL dating back to 2009, and the Falcons' offense has been at the top of the league since Matt Ryan began throwing to targets like Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez. Tonight's matchup will involve the starters for a series or two as well as many lower string players on the roster bubble competing to prove their worth. AJ Green, Andrew Whitworth, Julio Jones, and Tony Gonzalez are out of tonight's game, although each would most likely be playing if this were the regular season. The game should still be intriguing to watch on ESPN tonight because of the depth that both teams have proven to maintain on their rosters over the past few seasons. Here are some matchups to watch in preseason game number one.

-Dane Sanzenbacher vs. Falcons secondary/linebackers-Sanzenbacher figures to get a lot of snaps with Andrew Hawkins, AJ Green and Marvin Jones all likely out for the game. Mohamed Sanu will receive plenty of targets from Andy Dalton with the first team unit, but a reliable slot receiver like Sanzenbacher is always useful as a safety valve for short yardage, efficient plays to aid the quarterback. Sean Weatherspoon and Stephen Nicholas are two of the top linebackers in the league, so they will do their best to contain Sanzenbacher on passing plays over the middle.

-James Harrison vs. Falcons O-line-The NFL's most dangerous player is going to suit up in a game for the Bengals for the first time in his career, and the Falcons offensive line should have some trouble containing the pass rusher. Harrison has the blanket of a fabulous Bengals defensive line, which will allow him to expose one on one matchups with the Falcons front. The Falcons also just lost starting tackle Mike Johnson for the season during a recent practice with the Bengals. 

-Brandon Ghee vs. Falcons receivers-Ghee is getting one final opportunity to make his mark in the league after battling season ending injuries since entering the league. Ghee has been known to have stepped up in offseason workouts and at the start of training camp, enough so to beat out Dre Kirkpatrick as one of the backup corners. Ghee is as athletic and quick a corner as the Bengals have on the roster, and could certainly be relied on as the team's fourth cornerback and a valuable reserve. Ghee may even get a little bit of time against the Falcons' best receivers playing in the game, Roddy White and Harry Douglas.

-Andy Dalton vs. Falcons corners/safeties-Dalton is expected to make a huge leap in year three in order to lead the Bengals to playoff glory. Tonight, Dalton may only attempt three to five throws, but William Moore, Thomas DeCoud, Asante Samuel, and Desmond Trufant make up a dynamic secondary on the Falcons eyeing Dalton in the pocket. The Bengals are without Andrew Whitworth, the leader of their offense, for the first couple of preseason games, so the rest of the line needs to step up and allow Dalton to make the proper reads. Dalton will key in on targets like Tyler Eifert, Giovani Bernard, Mohamed Sanu, and Dane Sanzenbacher tonight. Sanu can really show how much of a comeback season he can have by burning Samuel in the opener. As long as Dalton moves the offense a little bit and doesn't force the ball into tight coverages, it should be a successful night for the veteran.

-George Iloka vs. Falcons offense-Iloka earns his first NFL start at the strong safety spot tonight, and it will be a tall task to replace the smartest player Mike Zimmer has had in his system for the past few years, Chris Crocker. Crocker is still waiting for this safety group to falter so he can return in stripes, but Iloka seems to be up to the challenge. Iloka is a smart player who fits the team oriented defensive style. He won't get out of line to try to make the terrorizing hits like Taylor Mays, and something can be said for just staying within the scheme and making the proper reads. You can't help but like Iloka's 6'4 build and his college reputation at Boise State, where he won a ton of games. The fifth round pick is the right choice to start in the preseason at this juncture, although Shawn Williams is only a few notches behind him on that ladder. 

-Rex Burkhead vs. Boom Herron-This is one battle where the two teammates are indirectly fighting each other. Burkhead and Herron are competing for a roster spot right now as the third down back with Benjarvus Green-Ellis, Giovani Bernard, and Cedric Peerman likely already roster locks. Burkhead is an offensive weapon, more so than Peerman and Herron, but he has to beat out Herron on special teams. That could be difficult considering Herron proved his special teams worth on punt returns last year with his punt blocking ability. Burkhead catches, runs, and blocks well, so he could show up big time with the second and third units against the Falcons backups. The second team offense looks much more appealing this season with Josh Johnson and Burkhead providing more explosive and productive options for the offensive game plan.  

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

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

Breakout Bengals player in 2013

Who is one player that I think could have a standout year for the Bengals? How about safety George Iloka. 

One of the most intriguing camp battles this year for the Bengals is at the strong safety position, a spot that Iloka can compete for with his 6'4 220 pound frame. Iloka was a fifth round pick for the Bengals in 2012. He played in 7 games last season on special teams, gaining experience in the speed of NFL football.

Iloka was an integral part of Boise State's success as a non-BCS elite contender. Iloka was steadily athletic enough to cover receivers despite his height during his college years. He is much better in the coverage department than the recently released Robert Sands and Taylor Mays, two other tall safeties. Iloka's strength is his physicality as an in-the-box safety, something Mike Zimmer has been seeking for some time now. The reason Zimmer has leaned towards taller safeties in the draft over the last few years is to have someone step up as a feared presence in the back end to pair with Reggie Nelson. He wants receivers to have a physically imposing figure on the back end of the defense in the back of their minds. 

Iloka played in 53 games at Boise State and showed an inconsistent ball hawking skill set with 7 interceptions and 17 pass breakups. He was the leader on defense over his last couple seasons with the Broncos, and has a chance to be a savvy signal caller in the secondary.

From the looks of minicamp, Iloka and Shawn Williams will compete for the spot in the starting 11 on defense. If Iloka has matured into a more consistent player for the defensive unit during the offseason training programs, he should be the front runner when training camp opens up later in the month due to his resume and last year's experience, and his overall potential to be a solid pro for 5 plus years.