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

Hunt debuts against Falcons

Margus Hunt has the benefit of playing behind Michael Johnson and Wallace Gilberry this season. Those two have been around the league for a long time and are expected to provide Hunt with a shorter learning curve than most rookie defensive ends. Hunt should be pretty comfortable learning the techniques of an NFL defense all throughout this season because he won't feel the pressure of having to step into the line of fire right away. The Bengals are most likely grooming the rookie from SMU to take over the starting job in a year or two. Hunt is twenty-six years old but has only played the game for four years after coming to the United States from Estonia. Hunt was a talented shot putter in his native country, but his adventurous spirit drove him to the U.S. to eventually pick up the game of football and become the Bengals' second round draft pick.

Hunt is one of the most athletic defensive ends to ever participate in the draft process. According to Mel Kiper, Hunt's pure physical ability is as strong as anyone he's ever seen. Hunt is a towering player whose 6'8, 280 pound frame should intimidate tackles immediately. Hunt has learned the game well enough to earn a reputation as a dominant player on special teams in college and an eight sack rusher his senior year. 

Against the Falcons tonight, Hunt will be on a defensive line with Devon Still and and Dontay Moch. Moch, Still and Hunt all have the same standout pass rushing abilities in common. The defense hasn't been concentrating much on the second round pick just because of the mega-talents Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson already featured on the Bengals' line. Hunt can earn his way onto the field on third down snaps by performing well in the preseason. To be able to go up against backup linemen on the Falcons will be a good measuring strip of Hunt's progress since being drafted. If he looks like a mismatch out there, he may be bumped up to competing with Robert Geathers and Gilberry for regular season snaps. 

The pick on the Bengals' part was a smart one in that the team can afford to take a chance on potential alone with Hunt. The worst case is Hunt doesn't reach the field at all this season, which may be cause for inner motivation for Hunt's NFL future. I don't think that will end up happening though. I believe Hunt will have multiple sacks in the preseason and open the eyes of Mike Zimmer. If Hunt can keep his pad level low enough, he will be a nightmare on the outside. Pass rushers with a combination of immense size and speed are just hard to find in the league. JJ Watt has been the ideal pass rusher for the last couple of years. Hunt is taller and almost as strong as Watt, and probably is quicker off the line as well. All everyone can do is wait and see if Hunt has the fire to excel in the league. His physical tools are already better than most, so he may just have the DNA to mold into a star.