by Chris Asbrock

The Cincinnati Bengals started the preseason off with a dominating, 34-10 performance over the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. The Bengals first team offense didn’t start well. Andy Dalton went 3-7 for 37 yards. The Bengals were missing 3 of their top receivers, so Dalton was forced to play with guys who he is not as comfortable with. That is what the preseason as for.

The Bengals offense didn’t start to take off until the second team came in. Quarterback Josh Johnson made a statement as he went 9-16 for 100 yards and a touchdown. Johnson even chipped in 4 rushes for a total of 64 yards. His biggest play came when the pocked broke down and Johnson took off for a run of 43 yards.

The offensive rookies didn’t make as much of an impact as some were hoping. Running back Giovani Bernard had 10 rushes for 28 yards and a touchdown. First round pick, Tyler Eifert did not register a catch.

The first team defense looked solid. James Harrison had a solid debut as he made his presence known. Rookie Margus Hunt looked very strong as he was all over the field. Injury prone cornerback Brandon Ghee had a solid game as he came up with a nice interception. However, the defensive standout was former Cincinnati Bearcat, J.K. Schaffer, as he lead the team in tackles.

The Bengals are that sexy pick to make the playoffs and possibly make a deep run into the postseason. I know it is only the first preseason game, but if they can get the contributions from the backups like they did tonight, then this team has a real chance to do some damage.

Observations from first preseason game:

– Offense must cut down on pre-snap penalties (well penalties period)
– Josh Johnson played himself into the #2 QB spot
– Dane Sanzenbacher has to make this team
– Brandon Ghee can make a difference if he stays healthy
– James Harrison is going to be a huge part of this defense; will cause a lot of problems to offenses
– Margus Hunt’s athleticism will cause him to be a solid rotation guy on this defensive line

The Bengals continue their preseason next week as they take on the Tennessee Titans at Paul Brown Stadium.