8/11/2008 PRESEASON News and Notes ALL GAMES

[tru]

Cincinnati Bengals - QB Rotation: Carson Palmer (10-15 plays), Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jeff Rowe, Jordan Palmer.

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said when asked how long Palmer would play, "We've generally gone between 10 and 15, 12, those numbers of snaps."

WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh is sidelined with a minor hamstring problem.

New defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer takes over and said the team will stay with a four-lineman base.

Rookies DT Pat Sims of Auburn in the third round and Jason Shirley of Fresno State in the fifth will get a lot of playing time Monday.

Secondary young: CB Leon Hall, starting free safety Marvin White, backup strong safety Chinedum Ndukwe and CB David Jones are starting their second NFL seasons. Jonathon Joseph is beginning his third, as are potential backup safeties Herana-Daze Jones and John Busing. Former Canadian League star Kyries Hebert, 27, is a first-year NFL player.

Attempting to bolster their league-worst 4.9-yard average on punt returns last season, the Bengals will use cornerback Deltha O'Neal, wide receiver Antonio Chatman and rookie tailback James Johnson in the role Monday night.

Green Bay Packers - QB Rotation: Aaron Rodgers, rookie Brian Brohm, Matt Flynn.

Running Backs thin.

Defensive line health is a concern. Nose tackle Daniel Muir was the latest defensive tackle to go down, leaving the team pretty thin going into its exhibition opener against Cincinnati. There are four defensive tackles out and two defensive ends. The tackles are Muir, Ryan Pickett (hamstring), Johnny Jolly (hip flexor) and Justin Harrell (back). The ends are Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (knee) and Jeremy Thompson (neck stinger).

With those six out, Cullen Jenkins spent most of the day at defensive tackle instead of his customary right end spot. Alfred Malone and Conrad Bolston, a pair of free agents fighting to make the team, shared snaps inside with Jenkins and Colin Cole. Malone and Bolston are going to have to play a lot. "I'd just like to see those guys get healthy," HC Mike McCarthy said.

 

[tru]

LVSC Opening lines

Green Bay Packers -3/36

 

[RetroVK]

Jordan Palmer.

hmmmm wonder why the bengals drafted him....

UTEP BABY

 

[Mags]

Any idea on the # of snaps AR will get tonight?

 

[DaBestBody4Life]

thinkin packers will get it done here.....

 

[SportsNut]

Thinking Over . New DC for Bengals . Two rookie QBS from big programs for GB should be helpful on offense . Tons of GB injuries on defense and disagree with the thin RBs for GB as I like there backups ...originally leaned CINCY but not si sure anymore more based on GB turmoil this week...

 

[cogenman]

good info tru.

 

[sirwinzalot]

Good luck whoever bets this game. I have no clue or edge in this game. Pissed after I went 1-3 on Saturday, lost one game by a half point and lost the other when Zorn did not send the field goal unit on the field to go up by 6 in the Skins game. Went 0-6 in MLB today and lost my chalk US b-ball game by 2 points.

If someone does have an angle on this game please share it. Looks like a game to flip a coin in the air and call heads or tails.

 

[Blue_Chip]

i agree with sirwinzalot... i see no edge in this game

 

[~Utah]

Steelers sign Byron Leftwich

 

[ISU74]

I'm leaning Bengals and Over. I think Cincy is healthier right now, the lack of talent and depth at D-Line for GB should give Cincy an overall edge.

 

[Bear]

Some Packer notes:


Mike McCarthy says he plans to play the Green Bay Packers’ starting offense a “traditional” number of snaps in Monday’s preseason game against Cincinnati, but he has to hope their production is anything but.
The No. 1 offense has gotten off to horrendous starts in each of the Packers’ preseason openers under McCarthy, with departed quarterback Brett Favre struggling as much as anyone.

In McCarthy’s debut in 2006 at San Diego, Favre played 20 snaps and was sacked twice and hit at least three more times as he completed 5 of 10 passes for 66 yards. The offense managed four first downs, but its last and only substantial drive ended with a failed fourth-down conversion from the Chargers’ 14-yard line.

It was worse last year at Pittsburgh. Favre played 13 snaps, was 2-for-7 passing for 7 yards and had a fumbled exchange from center. The offense failed to generate so much as a first down in four possessions.

By contrast, Aaron Rodgers, was sharp in relief in both games, going a combined 27-for-38 for 292 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Whether he can be that effective against a starting defense — and amidst all the pressure of making his game debut as Favre’s successor on national television at Lambeau Field — remains to be seen.

“I’m not sure how much I’m going to play yet,” Rodgers said in the locker room on Saturday, “but when I do get in, I just want to manage the game, make good decisions and hopefully, put some points on the board.”

A similar number of plays as Favre played in past years would keep Rodgers on the field for roughly one quarter. His most substantial work in the preseason would come in Games 2 and 3.

“I’d like to just get into a rhythm,” Rodgers said. “If that means a couple drives, a quarter-and-a-half, two quarters — whatever it takes for us to get into a little bit of a rhythm — and just make sure that I come out of the game feeling positive and healthy.”

Harris hurting

The No. 1 defense stands to get less time, if last year’s preseason opener is any indication.

In that game, a 13-9 victory, the starters played only one series. Cornerbacks Al Harris and Charles Woodson didn’t make the trip because of injuries.

It’s possible Harris will miss Monday’s game because of the same ailment — lower back problems that plagued him on and off for much of last season and flared up recently. Harris, who hasn’t missed a regular-season game in his 10 NFL seasons, didn’t practice on Saturday.

“I’ll just talk to the coaches, and we’ll do what’s smart,” Harris said about playing Monday night.
Health watch

McCarthy and his staff were to meet Saturday night to set playing time, and health issues will be a significant part of the conversation.

Among the 13 players who sat out Saturday’s practice were six projected starters — Harris, defensive tackles Ryan Pickett (hamstring) and Johnny Jolly (hip flexor), center Scott Wells (back), running back Ryan Grant (hamstring) and receiver Greg Jennings (knee).

Grant’s absence for a second consecutive day was notable because he missed the first week of camp in a contract dispute and has taken part in only two padded practices. Asked whether it would be too risky to play Grant on Monday, McCarthy said: “It may be. That’s something that I will probably have more information by (today) on him. If he can go, I would like to see him go.”

Jennings led the Packers last season with 12 touchdown receptions despite sitting out the first two games because of a hamstring injury.

“I haven’t really thought about last year,” McCarthy said. “I’m just going off of the feedback of Greg. He’s been doing a lot of extra prehab, as they refer to it, on things that have bothered him in the past. This is just something that flared up on him.”

Backup middle linebacker Desmond Bishop missed practice with a high Achilles’ strain, and defensive tackle Daniel Muir left the field slowly after being kicked in the left shin.
Money matters

Rodgers declined to say whether he has chosen a new agent after parting with Mike Sullivan of Octagon this past week.

“I have not hired anybody, and probably won’t for a while,” Rodgers said. “I’m not sure how long I will wait. It’s going to be at least a week.”

Rodgers has two years left on his rookie contract. He is due base salaries of $680,000 this season and $800,000 next, though those numbers could increase significantly based on playing-time incentives.

 

[Bear]

Some Bengals notes:



GREEN BAY, Wis. - Several Bengals rookies played on the biggest of college football's big-time stages. Wide receiver Andre Caldwell was at home in The Swamp at Florida.
Linebacker Keith Rivers played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for Southern Cal.

Safety Corey Lynch etched his place in college football history when he blocked a potential game-winning field goal in Appalachian State's upset at Michigan Stadium.

But Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis has let his newest players know that they haven't experienced anything quite like one of the NFL's most hallowed places - Green Bay's Lambeau Field.

Even with the Brett Favre circus having left town in the trade to the New York Jets, Lambeau will be rocking tonight when the Bengals and Packers open their preseason schedule.

"It's having an opportunity for (young Bengals) to get involved in it right away, particularly for some of these rookie players," Lewis said.
Green Bay drew more than 50,000 for its intra-squad scrimmage Aug. 3 at Lambeau.

"It's going to be a packed house and a lot of fun and a great atmosphere for these young guys to play their first NFL game," Lewis said, "to put on their NFL uniform for the first time, walk out on the field and say, 'Oh, my gosh, here I am.' "

Winning the game is of secondary concern. The idea is for coaches to see how the young players perform against another team and to start the decision-making process in those areas where jobs are at stake.

The battle for third receiver will be the most obvious competition for the Bengals. The starters, of course, are set with Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the latter of whom won't play because of a minor hamstring injury. Johnson, who returned to practice Aug. 4, after undergoing ankle surgery June 18, might play.

Either way, the starting offense will get somewhere between 10-15 snaps, Lewis said.

Five receivers are in the mix for the No. 3 job: rookies Andre Caldwell and Jerome Simpson, Antonio Chatman, Glenn Holt and Marcus Maxwell.

Tailback Rudi Johnson won't play; he hasn't practiced in more than a week because of a slight hamstring issue. Kenny Watson probably will start.

Former first-round pick Chris Perry, who has stayed healthy under a heavy workload for two weeks of camp, will get several snaps, too.

The game will be the Bengals debut of new receiving-oriented tight end Ben Utecht, signed as a restricted free agent from Indianapolis in the offseason.

A strange sight will be three-time All Pro right tackle Willie Anderson working with the second-team offense. Stacy Andrews is the new starter.
Rivers, even with just five practices to his credit following a 10-day contract holdout, has made such rapid progress that he might get on the field, too. The competition at linebacker is intense - where only Rivers and middle linebacker Dhani Jones appear to have jobs locked up. Newcomers Brandon Johnson and Darryl Blackstock will see a lot of action.

They are part of new coordinator Mike Zimmer's aggressive defense. How Zimmer's scheme looks against quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the Green Bay offense will be worth watching.

The Packers run what Lewis calls a quick pass offense, so the Bengals secondary will be tested early and often. Cornerbacks Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph, both recent first-round picks, are the strength of the defense. And even without free agent defensive end Antwan Odom, out since the first practice of camp with a sprained foot, Zimmer will want to get more pressure on Green Bay passers; the Bengals' 22 sacks in 2007 were the league's fewest.

Speaking of pressure, though, it won't just be the Bengals defense putting it on Rodgers. The Packers' 2005 first-round draft pick takes over for Favre, who - coincidentally - burst onto the Green Bay scene against the Bengals at Lambeau on Sept. 20, 1992. Many Packer backers are not happy with the trade of Favre to the Jets for a conditional fourth-round draft pick.

Rewind: Favre came off the bench for injured starter Don Majkowski and led the Packers to a 24-23 comeback victory over a Bengals team that had started 2-0 under rookie head coach Dave Shula.

Favre heaved a 35-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kitrick Taylor with 13 seconds remaining to give his rookie head coach, Mike Holmgren, his first victory as Green Bay's boss.

The pass capped a 92-yard drive that Favre engineered without timeouts and without his top receiver, Sterling Sharpe.






Just a piece of useless information: New Bengals Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer and I were high school classmates in Illinois back in the early '70's.

 

[Mags]

Thanks Bear, this is what I was looking for