Bengals Day at Camp: August 16
August 16
Each day the Bengals beat writers Jim Owczarski and Paul Dehner Jr. will offer up the highs, lows and basics from the day of practice during training camp. Camp began July 28 and wraps Aug. 17. Follow along on Instagram at EnqBengals as well.
Injuries
PUP/NFI list: S Brandon Wilson (knee). Reserve/Injured list: WR Jake Kumerow (left ankle).
Missed portions of practice
S George Iloka (right knee), LB Carl Lawson (shoulder).
Missed practice
LB P.J. Dawson (right hand/wrist), TE C.J. Uzomah (left ankle), WR Cody Core (right ankle), S Cedric Thompson (right leg).
Position of note
Kicker. In the last, full, open practice to the media rookie Jake Elliott had his worst day in his competition with Randy Bullock. The fifth-rounder missed from wide right from 45, 53 and 54 yards. He also missed from 54 when he was “iced” with a whistle. Elliott converted from 50 to go 1-for-4 on the day. Bullock also missed from 50 when he was “iced,” but promptly drilled the official kick after. Bullock was 4-for-4, making his attempts from 45, 53, 50 and 46 yards.
Play of the day
Anytime you can come between Andy Dalton and A.J. Green in the end zone, it’s worth noting, and Dre Kirkpatrick intercepted Dalton on a throw to the back corner during one-on-one drills.
Three up
1. Josh Malone. Aside from one odd play when he didn’t reach out to catch a ball, the rookie out of Tennessee built off a strong preseason debut with a very strong practice. He was consistently in the right spot and winning his routes against not only the backup corners, but starters.
2. Tyler Boyd. The second-year wide receiver had a strong day in team and individual drills, running sharp routes and exhibiting great hands and balance on sideline and end-line routes.
3. AJ McCarron. McCarron was sharp, dropping a long pass right over the head of Dre Kirkpatrick to Josh Malone, in stride, down the sideline for a score, and connecting with Tyler Boyd for a touchdown on a great throw.
Three down
1. Jeff Driskel. The third string QB received a lot of work in 11-on-11 drills and struggled with his accuracy for most of the day. He was intercepted once by Darqueze Dennard and found most of his success throwing coming through check downs.
2. Bené Benwikere. The veteran corner had a tough day in coverage, just getting left behind by Bengals receivers during team drills. He also was beaten in one-on-one drills for a touchdown.
3. KeiVarae Russell. Russell returned to team action after missing practices while in the concussion protocol and had a tough day in coverage. He was beaten by A.J. Green down the sideline and was left trailing Josh Malone on a deep ball.
Instagram of the day
Quotes of the day
“We’re not ready to announce anything and of course I’m not ready to comment on any of that,” – Bengals assistant head coach/offensive line coach Paul Alexander on if he has his starting five.
“See, there you go – I knew it. I planned it. I said, OK, I’m going to say I’m really not ready to comment right now and they’re going to say, tell us about Hopkins.” – Alexander, with a laugh, on the follow-up question regarding Trey Hopkins’ play at right guard.
Training camp attendance from July 28-Aug. 9: 25,458
August 15
Injuries
S Brandon Wilson (knee). Reserve/Injured list: WR Jake Kumerow (left ankle).
Missed portions of practice
LB Carl Lawson (shoulder), S George Iloka (knee), S Clayton Fejedelem (undisclosed), S Cedric Thompson (right leg), Tra Carson (left ankle/foot).
Missed practice
LB P.J. Dawson (right hand/wrist), TE C.J. Uzomah (left ankle), WR Cody Core (right ankle), CB KeiVarae Russell (concussion protocol).
Position of note
Safety. Starter George Iloka, who went down with a hyperextended knee the first weekend of camp, returned to full pads for the first time since the scary injury. He didn’t participate in any contact drills, but his move to the main field serves as an encouraging sign of his health for the opener and potentially a preseason game before that.
Play of the day
In a one-on-one drill early in practice, Josh Malone worked against William Jackson III with AJ McCarron at quarterback. Malone, the fourth-round pick out of Tennessee, attempted to work an out to the sideline, but Jackson stuck with him step for step. As McCarron threw the out, Jackson burst into the line of the pass for an interception. After a quick roll to the ground, Jackson popped up and threw the ball high into the air with a celebratory scream.
Three up
1. Geno Atkins. You could list Atkins here most days, but Tuesday in particular the Pro Bowl defensive tackle dominated. Over and over, he broke into the backfield to blow up runs to the left, right and up the middle.
2. Andrew Billings. Another nice day for the big man in the middle the Bengals hope to place next to Atkins. He caused disruption on a few pass plays.
3. Tyler Kroft. The backup tight end did have a bad drop, but outside of that made a couple of nice plays in the red zone. He beat Marquis Flowers in a tight window for his first touchdown, then was able to lose rookie Jordan Evans in a scramble drill along the back line for a second TD.
Tweet of the day
Former Bengals linebackers coach Matt Burke is now the defensive coordinator in Miami, apparently giving former Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga a shot at a job.
Three down
1. Andy Dalton. The starting quarterback struggled to hit his spots Tuesday. Multiple times he missed deep balls, throwing well out of bounds on a deep attempt for John Ross, missing Tyler Eifert and A.J. Green streaking down the sideline as well.
2. Marquis Flowers. He was kicked off the field during a portion of practice for not following directions set forth by Marvin Lewis to leave the quarterback alone on that play. Lewis let him hear about it as Flowers had to retreat to the line with those standing and watching.
3. Vontaze Burfict. Lewis also had to talk with Burfict after a mini-altercation involving the starting linebacker and offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi. Nothing major came of it, but the play was on the radar of the head coach.
Quote of the day
“Stay away from the quarterback!” – Lewis’ very loud instructions to his defense prior to 11-on-11 drills. A few plays later, Flowers was knocking the ball out of the hands of the QB and got booted from the drill.
August 14
Injuries
PUP/NFI list: S Brandon Wilson (knee). Reserve/Injured list: WR Jake Kumerow (left ankle).
Missed portions of practice
RB Tra Carson (left foot/ankle), LB Carl Lawson (shoulder).
Missed practice
S George Iloka (right knee), LB P.J. Dawson (right hand/wrist), TE C.J. Uzomah (left ankle), WR Cody Core (right ankle), CB KeiVarae Russell (concussion protocol).
Position of note
Offensive line. Monday afternoon looked much like several of the practices a few weeks ago when the Bengals’ defense completely wrecked practice with their pressure. Blitzing safeties and linebackers went unblocked for easy “sacks” and Andy Dalton, AJ McCarron and Jeff Driskel had defenders continually crowding the pocket and disrupting their throws. The day looked nothing like the unit that allowed two sacks to Tampa Bay in the preseason opener.
Play of the day
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis called the entire team together after eight red zone plays went really poorly for the offense (and really well for the defense) to get some kind of message across to his group after a real sloppy start to the 11-on-11 padded work.
Three up
1. John Ross. The first-round pick took the next step of his rehab from offseason labrum surgery by participating in one-on-one drills with defensive backs and 11-on-11 team work in pads.
2. Michael Johnson. The veteran defensive lineman had a good day, winning at the line of scrimmage at both defensive tackle and defensive end during 11-on-11 work.
3. Vontaze Burfict. The sixth-year linebacker continues to have a great camp, intercepting Andy Dalton on one throw, “sacking” him on another and breaking up passes during team work.
Three down
1. The offense. It was not a good day for any of the three quarterbacks or offensive line units, as the passers were continually harassed and “sacked” and skill players were admonished by coaches for not finishing plays or lining up in the right spots.
2. Mason Schreck. The rookie tight end struggled with catching the ball and knowing where he was supposed to be on some plays. He didn’t have a great day blocking, either. Schreck was also yelled at for pushing DeShawn Williams.
3. DeShawn Williams. Head coach Marvin Lewis yelled at Williams to get off the field after he shoved Schreck following an initial push from the tight end. It tainted an otherwise great day for the defensive tackle, who continues to have an excellent camp.
Tweet of the day
Quote of the day
“Everybody was happy to see me out there running around, all the guys cracking jokes, ‘you finally clocked into work.’ A couple of guys said I was on paid leave.” – Bengals first-round pick John Ross on his first day of full team work in pads.
Training camp attendance from July 28-Aug. 9: 25,458
August 8
Injuries
PUP/NFI list: S Brandon Wilson (knee), RB Cedric Peerman (hamstring).
Missed practice
Head coach Marvin Lewis (undisclosed), RG Andre Smith (undisclosed), WR Jake Kumerow (left ankle), S George Iloka (right knee), LB P.J. Dawson (right hand/wrist), CB Tony McRae (hamstring), TE C.J. Uzomah (left ankle).
Position of note
Offensive line. Andre Smith missed another practice on Tuesday and Trey Hopkins continued to take reps on the interior. Also, 2017 fifth-round pick Christian Westerman saw occasional snaps with the first team. Meanwhile, former Bengals great Willie Anderson was in the building Tuesday and spent time working with tackles Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher.
Play of the day
Rookie running back Joe Mixon took a handoff expected to go off right guard, but fourth-round pick Ryan Glasgow blew up the hole. Mixon, immediately busted a cutback the other direction to an opening off the left side and outran the linebackers to the corner sprinting all the way to the end zone for a touchdown. Mixon took his time with a victory lap high-fiving the line of fans against the rope repeating, “It’s too easy, it’s too easy.”
Three up
1. Carl Lawson. Maybe we should just make him a permanent spot here. Once again, the fourth round pick was destroying every tackle in his path. In this case, he particularly made disruptive pressures against the backup tackles he went up against. Over and over again he left them in his wake running toward the quarterback.
2. Tight ends. Tyler Kroft and Tyler Eifert both showed off impressive playmaking in red zone drills for the second consecutive day. This time, Eifert caught multiple touchdowns working against rookie Hardy Nickerson, then Andy Dalton buzzed a fastball to Eifert inside Nick Vigil later. Tyler Kroft made a tough contested catch as Vontaze Burfict took him to the ground in the end zone and also with a slick catch on a ball thrown behind him on the back line. Also, Ryan Hewitt and Mason Schreck both made catches over top of safety Shawn Williams in a half-field drill.
3. Field goal kicking. Randy Bullock and Jake Elliott were a perfect eight for eight on kicking attempts. Each hit from 38, 48, 43 and 45 yards.
Photo of the day
Enquirer photojournalist Kareem Elgazzar returned to the sidelines on the practice field adjacent to in Paul Brown Stadium for a fully padded practice and caught this fantastic family photo of the Dalton clan.
Three down
1. Eric Winston. The veteran tackle continued to struggle in his reps at the backup tackle position. After one particular rough play, Winston slammed his helmet down and kicked out behind the crowd of players looking on.
2. Josh Malone. Found himself on the wrong end of miscommunication or poor timing with both Andy Dalton and AJ McCarron on two separate plays. Also, was unable to haul in a deep ball thrown on a route against Adam Jones.
3. Sloppy stretch. The offense endured a stretch of sloppy plays to close an early 11-on-11 period. On back-to-back plays McCarron couldn’t connect on a handoff to Mixon which defensive end Chris Smith scooped up. On the next play, tight end Cethan Carter jumped early going in motion for a penalty.
Tweet of the day
For the second consecutive day Bengals Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz was on the sideline, only this time he gathered the entire Bengals offensive line around to talk for nearly 10 minutes after practice.
Quote of the day
Special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons on being called in as the interim head coach in place of Marvin Lewis Tuesday.
“I'm just the fill in for the day. It's obviously an honor that the Brown family thinks of me in this situation, but obviously the biggest one is coach Lewis. Hopefully he can get healthy as fast as he can. Obviously our first thought is with him.”
Attendance and next three days:
- July 28: 1,300
- July 29: 2,100
- July 30: 2,250
- Monday: 1,350
- Tuesday: 1,250
- Wednesday: OFF
- Thursday: 1,300
- Friday: 1,400
- Saturday: 11,108 (Family day).
- Sunday: Off day
- Monday: 1,050
- Tuesday: Practice, 1,000
- Wednesday: Practice, 3-3:45 p.m.
- Thursday: Closed to public/media
August 7
Injuries
PUP/NFI list: S Brandon Wilson (knee), RB Cedric Peerman (hamstring).
Missed portion of practice
TE C.J. Uzomah (left leg).
Missed practice
WR Jake Kumerow (left ankle), S George Iloka (right knee), LB P.J. Dawson (right hand/wrist), CB Tony McRae (hamstring), DE Jordan Willis (undisclosed), C J.J. Dielman (undisclosed).
Position of note
Tight ends. The Bengals practiced in full pads on Monday, and just a few plays into the session C.J. Uzomah finished off a block and then began hopping off the field on this right foot. He called for help was immediately carted off the field, not putting any weight on his left foot. Tyler Eifert had a touchdown catch and worked on his celebration by shooting the ball into a hoop made by Andy Dalton. Tyler Kroft made an Eifert-like touchdown grab, extending high over Vinny Rey for a diving catch. Mason Schreck also had a couple of nice grabs in team drills.
Play of the day
Receiver Alonzo Russell made one of the better catches of camp on a day full of nice grabs. Russell ran a slant and as the ball came in he was tripped up with the defender but still used his reaction time to snag the bullet pass over his head with one hand. The requisite oohs and aahs from the fans followed.
Three up
1. Andrew Billings. The second-year defensive tackle made his presence known along the line of scrimmage on Monday. Counted on to be a replacement for veteran Domata Peko in the run game, Billings flashed that potential by disrupting several run plays, bursting into the backfield and re-routing the running backs.
2. Adam Jones and Darqueze Dennard. In red zone coverage, Jones deflected an Andy Dalton pass into the air and Dennard came up with the interception. The two corners also had pass breakups in different team situations.
3. Field goal kicking. Randy Bullock remained perfect for camp, connecting from 30, 33 and 40 yards out. Rookie Jake Elliott put together a good showing after an uneven family day session, connecting from 33 and 40 yards. He also made a 35-yard attempt with a simulated quick-kick after the offense had to run off the field with no timeouts left and the clock counting down.
Enquirer photojournalist Sam Greene returned to the sidelines on the practice field adjacent to in Paul Brown Stadium for a fully padded practice:
Three down
1. KeiVarae Russell. The day didn't go ideally for Russell, who had a couple rough stretches. He got hit on an in route by Alonzo Russell then a slant from Tyler Boyd. Later in an 11-on-11 period in the red zone Brandon LaFell beat Russell on a deep slant for touchdowns on back-toback plays.
2. Cody Core. The second-year receiver made a few nice receptions, but had two chances to make big plays and came down with neither. The first he had a step on a deep ball over William Jackson III, but couldn’t corral the ball that eventually came down on his chest. The second came on a third-and-goal situation where he dropped a potential touchdown.
3. AJ McCarron. This primarily directs to troubles getting the play started. Early on he was stepped on falling trying to hand the ball off. Later he jammed his finger on a botched snap and endured the trifecta when a dropped shotgun snap halted a play.
Tweet of the day
With a lot of Hall of Fame discussion in the air, the Bengals' signature HOFer was back on the sidelines:
Quotes of the day
Wide receivers coach James Urban on Alonzo Russell, who made a few impressive catches during Monday’s session.
“The word with Alonzo – and has been – is consistency. He can flash a day and make some of those catches. I tell him all the time if you could figure everything else out you’ll be fine because you catch the ball extremely well, it’s just getting fine-tuned with everything else. He knows it.”
Attendance and next three days:
- July 28: 1,300
- July 29: 2,100
- July 30: 2,250
- Monday: 1,350
- Tuesday: 1,250
- Wednesday: OFF
- Thursday: 1,300
- Friday: 1,400
- Saturday: 11,108 (Family day).
- Sunday: Off day
- Monday: 1,050
- Tuesday: Practice, 3-4:45 p.m.
- Wednesday: Practice, 3-4:45 p.m.
August 5
Injuries
PUP/NFI list: S Brandon Wilson (knee), RB Cedric Peerman (hamstring).
Missed practice
WR Jake Kumerow (left ankle), S George Iloka (right knee), LB P.J. Dawson (right hand/wrist), OL T.J. Johnson (undisclosed), CB Tony McRae (hamstring), WR Chris Brown (undisclosed), DL David Dean (undisclosed).
Position of note
Wide receivers. James Urban’s group had a good day, with rookie Josh Malone using his body to make some tough catches in traffic and undrafted rookie Levonte Whitfield shined. A.J. Green was A.J. Green, Brandon LaFell looked sharp and Alex Erickson had several opportunities.
Play of the day
Ryan Hewitt was a missing man in the Bengals offense last year, but on Family Day the H-back showcased all of his skills. He was a consistent run blocker and pass protector when called upon, but he flashed his hands by running a good route and finding the end zone on a 19-yard pass from Andy Dalton.
Three up
1. Randy Bullock. The veteran kicker made his three field goal attempts (40, 35 and 52 yards) and made his lone point-after attempt.
2. Levonte “Kermit” Whitfield. Head coach Marvin Lewis was told the late college free agent signing receiver might not be able to go – but he did, and made a big impression with his route running, quickness and speed. Veteran Bengals defensive players were talking about the catch-and-runs “number 13” made in the practice, juking Vinny Rey for a gain and beating Josh Shaw on a slant.
3. Joe Mixon. The rookie running back rotated between teams to get work with multiple offensive line groups and showcased the patience and quick-cut ability and burst that made him special coming out of the draft.
Photo of the day
Enquirer photojournalist Kareem Elgazzar was on the scene in Paul Brown Stadium for Family Day:
Follow Kareem on Twitter here.
Three down
1. Jake Elliott. The rookie missed wide left from 52 yards and missed a point-after wide right before coming back to make his last kick from 52 yards. He also converted from 32 yards.
2. Eric Winston. The veteran tackle had a hard time managing rookie Carl Lawson in pass rush situations, as Lawson disrupted many of AJ McCarron’s pass attempts early in the session.
3. Secondary penalties. Corners KeiVarae Russell and William Jackson III were called for long pass interference penalties along the boundary, leading to points for the offenses. Safety Clayton Fejedelem was then flagged for a hit to the head
Instagram of the day
Giovani Bernard and Joe Mixon wound up looking good in pass and run situations later in the day:
Quotes of the day
“I liked when he blew the whistle it was over. When you are a line coach it’s like being the insurance business. You are just hoping the tornado don’t hit.” – Assistant head coach/offensive line coach Paul Alexander on what he liked from his group on Saturday.
“You’re the straw! He’s the ice cube!” – Bengals secondary coach Rob Livingston having some fun with Bengals radio play-by-play man Dan Hoard on the sideline when color analyst Dave Lapham took over duties on the P.A. on Saturday during practice.
Attendance and next three days:
July 28: 1,300
July 29: 2,100
July 30: 2,250
Monday: 1,350
Tuesday: 1,250
Wednesday: OFF
Thursday: 1,300
Friday: 1,400
Saturday: 11,108 (Family day).
Sunday: Off day
Monday: Practice, 3-4:45 p.m.
Tuesday: Practice, 3-4:45 p.m.
August 4
Injuries
PUP/NFI list: S Brandon Wilson (knee), RB Cedric Peerman (hamstring).
Missed practice
WR Jake Kumerow (left ankle), S George Iloka (right knee), LB P.J. Dawson (right hand/wrist), OL T.J. Johnson (undisclosed), CB Tony McRae (hamstring), WR Chris Brown (undisclosed), DL David Dean (undisclosed).
Position of note
Defensive line. This group dictated the entire padded practice Friday, disrupting everything the offense was trying to do. They were also solid in their run fits, and in some instances, pass coverage. Michael Johnson, Carlos Dunlap and Ryan Brown all made plays off the edge, as did rookie Carl Lawson. The interior of the line also had a great day.
Play of the day
During red zone work and against a clock, rookie defensive end Jordan Willis was assigned to drop off the line and cover tight end Tyler Eifert up the seam and into the end zone. Willis ran well in coverage and knocked the ball away from Eifert, leading to cheers from the Bengals defense and prompting linebacker Vinny Rey to come to the sideline saying, “That was a good play by him.”
Three up
1. Defensive tackles. Headlined by Geno Atkins (naturally) this group had a great day getting to the quarterback and to running backs in the backfield. DeShawn Williams, Wallace Gilberry, Ryan Glasgow and Josh Tupou all made plays. Williams was especially active, getting productive work against all groups of offensive linemen.
2. Specialists. Place kickers Jake Elliott and Randy Bullock only got a couple of opportunities for field goals, but they were “game like” in that it was one attempt after the offense came off the field. Bullock was perfect in executing his onside kick attempts, while Elliott sent one out of bounds. Punter Kevin Huber had a good day as well. Darrin Simmons' coverage crews got a lot of work as well.
3. Chris Smith. The defensive end acquired from Jacksonville continues to own the Bengals’ backup tackles in pass rush situations to the point that he may eventually earn some work alongside the starters if it continues.
Photo of the day
Enquirer photojournalist Kareem Elgazzar took advantage of the “good light” outside Paul Brown Stadium in an evening practice:
Follow Kareem on Twitter here.
Three down
1. John Ross dropped one of his two punt return attempts, a continuing struggle for the rookie as he learns the position.
2. Trey Hopkins. Getting some work at center on Friday, Hopkins sent one snap over Andy Dalton’s head and another one forced AJ McCarron to snag it with one hand.
3. The offensive line. All of the groups had their struggles, in all facets – from bull rushes to stunts to blitzes to opening holes. Individual victories were sprinkled here and there, but on balance, the defensive front seven dictated the fully padded practice.
Instagram of the day
A preview of the things to come in Friday’s practice, as the defensive linemen had a good day:
Quote of the day
“I’m getting my legs up under me. I had a little hiccup early in camp – I’m over it – I’m starting to feel like myself. I feel good. Body is right. Body is healthy. We’re competing and having fun.” – Veteran defensive lineman Wallace Gilberry after an intense padded practice.
Attendance and next three days
July 28: 1,300
July 29: 2,100
July 30: 2,250
Monday: 1,350
Tuesday: 1,250
Wednesday: OFF
Thursday: 1,300
Friday: 1,400
Saturday: Family Day practice inside PBS, 1-2:30 p.m.
Sunday: Off day
Monday: Practice, 3-4:45 p.m.
August 3
Injuries
PUP/NFI list: S Brandon Wilson (knee), RB Cedric Peerman (hamstring).
Missed portion of practice
RB Joe Mixon (heel).
Missed practice
WR Jake Kumerow (left ankle), S George Iloka (right knee), S Derron Smith (ankle), LB P.J. Dawson (right hand/wrist), OL T.J. Johnson (undisclosed), CB Tony McRae (hamstring), WR Chris Brown (undisclosed), S Cedric Thompson (undisclosed), DL David Dean (undisclosed).
Position of note
Backup quarteback: AJ McCarron and Jeff Driskel were both very sharp, putting together arguably their best day of camp with crisp throws in traffic. Neither were intercepted, Driskel made a good adjustment at the line to find Mason Schreck for a touchdown and McCarron found a groove with a bevy of receivers and tight ends.
Play of the day
Tyler Eifert is still great in the red zone, as the tight end continued to answer any questions about his back affecting his play with a leaping, left-handed, tip-to-himself catch of an Andy Dalton pass for a touchdown during team drills. Fellow tight end Mason Schreck then used his size to pull down a touchdown from Jeff Driskel over Clayton Fejedelem in the back of the end zone.
Three up
1. Michael Johnson and Joe Mixon. Johnson returned to the field for the first time since the open of camp after recovering from a lower leg injury, and Mixon ended his day with both shoes on and a smile after being taken out for precautionary reasons following a kick to his left foot during a team drill.
2. AJ McCarron. The Bengals backup quarterback turned in his sharpest performance of training camp. Highlights included threading touchdown passes to wide receiver Alonzo Russell and tight end Cethan Carter in red zone work.
3. Chris Smith. The fourth-year defensive end acquired via trade in the offseason had a good day off the edge in pass rush situations, routinely getting “pressures” or around the quarterback during team drills. It wasn’t exactly perfect, as he bit on a play action pass and had the coaches yelling – but he did not make that same mistake later in the practice.
Photo of the day
Enquirer photojournalist Kareem Elgazzar framed up the franchise quarterback and his o-line against the downtown backdrop on a sunny day outside Paul Brown Stadium:
Follow Kareem on Twitter here.
Three down
1. Carl Lawson. Lawson doesn’t get a ding here for his play. That was rather good, again. Earlier in the day head coach Marvin Lewis said Lawson’s intensity was perhaps a bit too much for practice and on Thursday the rookie got involved in several pushing matches with guard Alex Redmond and center Russell Bodine, the latter leading to both player’s helmets flying off.
2. William Jackson III. The second-year corner had tough day in spots in coverage during team action, losing Cody Core and Alex Erickson in coverage on a couple of occasions.
3. Offensive penalties. Referees were on the field, and they called two false starts – one that nullified a touchdown, and A.J. Green was called for offensive pass interference on one play.
Instagram of the day
Another day in the books:
Quote of the day
“Don’t worry about it! Did he hurt you? No!” – Marvin Lewis to rookie linebacker Carl Lawson after Lawson and Russell Bodine got into a shoving match, after which Lawson tried to plead his case.
Attendance and next three days
July 28: 1,300
July 29: 2,100
July 30: 2,250
Monday: 1,350
Tuesday: 1,250
Wednesday: OFF
Thursday: 1,300
Friday: Practice, 6-7:45 p.m.
Saturday: Family Day practice inside PBS, 1-2:30 p.m.
Sunday: Off day
August 1
Injuries
PUP/NFI list: S Brandon Wilson (knee), RB Cedric Peerman (hamstring)
Missed portion of practice
DL David Dean (undisclosed)
Missed practice
CB Tony McRae, WR Jake Kumerow (left ankle), S George Iloka (knee), S Derron Smith (undisclosed), DE Michael Johnson (undisclosed), OL T.J. Johnson (undisclosed), WR Chris Brown (undisclosed).
Transactions
Waived WR Monty Madaris with an injury settlement.
Play of the day
Brandon LaFell made a spectacular start and stop move that froze cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick during a seven-on-seven drill. LaFell ended up running all alone for a deep touchdown reception from Andy Dalton.
Three up
1. Carl Lawson. The fourth-round pick out of Auburn opened eyes in the spring with his speed off the edge, and continues to show it in camp. Tuesday he broke free around the edge and tossed down running back Joe Mixon a split second after he received the handoff from AJ McCarron.
2. Tyler Eifert. The tight end showed off his skills Tuesday with multiple slick connections with Andy Dalton. One of the best of the bunch came as he skied over Adam Jones on a perfect pass deep near the sideline. He also caught a touchdown in a red zone drill, doing a nice job blocking safety Clayton Fejedelem from breaking it up.
3. Goal line running game. The Bengals went live tackling in the goal line situation for a few plays and the running game succeeded on three consecutive plays to score up the middle. Jeremy Hill, Tra Carson and Mixon all scored on plays run inside the 2-yard line.
Instagram of the day
I hate the red zone fade, but maybe if it's practiced enough it will become effective.
Three down
1. Fights. Those are documented already, but the incident with Burfict pushing a position coach is a terrible look.
2. Randy Bullock. His first miss of camp. This one came from 44 yards out, he pushed it wide right. He also connected from 35, 40 and 43.
3. Joe Mixon. Dropped a pass in a red zone drill and immediately went to the back line to put in punishment pushups.
Photo of the day
Enquirer photographer Kareem Elgazzar catches Eifert going up for a catch.
Quote of the day
“Get off his legs,” running backs coach Kyle Caskey in the immediate aftermath of Burfict’s low hit on Giovani Bernard.
Attendance and next three days
- July 28: 1,300
- July 29: 2,100
- July 30: 2,250
- July 31: 1,350
- Today: Closed to public
- Wednesday: Off day
- Thursday: Practice, 3-4:45 p.m.
- Friday: Practice, 6-7:45 p.m.
July 31
Injuries
PUP/NFI list: S Brandon Wilson (knee), RB Cedric Peerman (hamstring)
Missed portion of practice
WR Chris Brown (undisclosed), CB Tony McRae (right leg).
Missed practice
WR Jake Kumerow (left ankle), S George Iloka (knee), S Derron Smith (undisclosed), DE Michael Johnson (undisclosed), QB A.J. McCarron (excused), OL Andre Smith (undisclosed), RB Giovani Bernard (off day).
Transactions
Waived K Jon Brown and signed S Cedric Thompson. RB Jarveon Williams activated off of PUP.
Position of note
Defensive line. After two days of pad work, position coach Jacob Burney noted the speed of his draft class (Jordan Willis, Ryan Glasgow and Carl Lawson, when Lawson is worked in) and liked the tone being set by Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins. Burney noted the performances of Brandon Thompson and Andrew Billings inside as well. DeShawn Williams also excelled in rush situations and disrupted one run play in the backfield. Carlos Dunlap and Chris Smith had pass breakups from the edge.
Play of the day
Safety Cedric Thompson was signed earlier in the afternoon and then was welcomed to the team by Andy Dalton and Brandon LaFell when Dalton pump faked and got Thompson to bite down, leaving LaFell wide open for a long touchdown over the top.
Three up
1. Jake Fisher and Trey Hopkins opened up a crease on the right side of the line during 11-on-11 drills and running back Joe Mixon burst through and ran away from the Bengals secondary for a touchdown. Mixon then came back to the team by jogging down the sideline, high-fiving fans.
2. Vontaze Burfict. Coaches have been raving about how fast the Pro Bowl linebacker has been looking through the OTAs and the first part of training camp, and in half-line and 11-on-11 sessions in full pads, he looked every bit the part, filling gaps and making “tackles for loss” in several instances.
3. Dre Kirkpatrick. He rented out an Italian ice truck for his teammates, coaches and support staff to enjoy after practice.
Tweet of the day
Three down
Defensive end Michael Johnson has remained sidelined with an undisclosed injury, and has missed three straight days of practice. Veteran offensive lineman Andre Smith began the day in pads but quickly went over to the side field to work out for undisclosed reasons.
“He’ll be back here in a day or two,” Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said regarding Johnson. “He’s a little dinged up right now. Once he gets back we’ll be glad to have him.
“I know what Michael can do. Geno (Atkins), Carlos (Dunlap), guys that have been around. We got some new guys in here. We don’t want to wait until the fourth preseason game to put them in there early against good players to evaluate the guys and say oh, they are playing against the 2s and 3s. We want to get them in there early.”
2. Kicking. In his first extended punting action of camp, Kevin Huber had a couple of kicks slide short and out of bounds, not allowing for proper returns or coverage set up. Jake Elliott went 3-for-4 in the only kicking reps of the practice, with Jon Brown being released earlier in the afternoon.
3. Running back Stanley “Boom” Williams had some struggles in the one-on-one blocking drills against linebackers. At 5-feet, 8-inches, the undrafted free agent out of Kentucky has to answer the questions if he can pick up NFL linebackers.
Photo of the day
Enquirer photo journalist Cara Owsley was shooting practice when one of the Bengals noticed her. Then, the group had some fun:
Quote of the day
“Where are the rookies at?” – veteran wide receiver Brandon LaFell as he tried to open the door to the locker room while balancing his cleats, shoulder pads, helmet and an Italian ice.
Attendance and next three days
July 28: 1,300
July 29: 2,100
July 30: 2,250
Monday: 1,350
Tuesday: Practice, 3-4:45 p.m. (closed to public)
Wednesday: Off day
Thursday: Practice, 3-4:45 p.m.
JULY 30
Injuries
PUP/NFI list: S Brandon Wilson (knee), RB Jarveon Williams (undisclosed).
Missed portion of practice
S George Iloka (knee), S Derron Smith (undisclosed).
Missed practice
WR Jake Kumerow (left ankle), DE Michael Johnson (undisclosed), DL Wallace Gilberry (undisclosed).
Transaction
WR Monty Madaris (hamstring) cleared waivers and reverted to the reserve/PUP list.
Position of note
Kickers. Fifth-round pick Jake Elliott got his first turn at kicking in front of the home crowd Sunday, as he switched off with veteran Randy Bullock for a series of five kicks. Four were “official” as special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons practiced “icing” them with whistles. Elliott missed his attempt following the whistle blowing, but Simmons acknowledged he wouldn’t hold that against the rookie. Of the four kicks, distances of 28, 38, 33 and 35 yards were made by both kickers.
Play of the day
Andy Dalton hit A.J. Green down the sideline for a touchdown with William Jackson III in coverage. It was a great ball, with Dalton dropping it just over the cornerback's head and hitting Green in stride. Jackson III was in good coverage but did not turn to contest the ball and Green saw the pass all the way in and finished the play.
Three up
1. Cedric Ogbuehi. The left tackle had his issues with bull rushes last year and admittedly worked on his upper body strength this offseason. In his first opportunity to get his hands on a defensive end and be physical, Ogbuehi handled himself well on Sunday in one-on-one, half-line and full 11-on-11 work.
2. Interceptions. The Bengals were tied for fourth in the NFL last year with 17 interceptions and the defensive backs have continued to show they have a nose for the ball. On Sunday, Bene Benwikere had two interceptions and KeiVarae Russell had one.
3. A.J. Green. He’s still good. He blew by Adam Jones on a go route to start one-on-one drills, then shook off a hard jam by Jones to the shoulders to catch another ball in the drill. He also beat Bene Benwikere for a touchdown and hauled in a perfectly thrown ball over William Jackson III.
Instagram of the day
Quote of the day
"If you are really consistent and play technique then those big plays will come. I don’t want to see a guy make a play because he is guessing or taking an unnecessary chance. You really want to see consistency. We constantly are harping on takeaways and how they are going to impact games. We had our share last year, but know we can have a lot more. We don’t want to leave the practice field any days without taking the ball away." - Bengals secondary coach Kevin Coyle on his group's interceptions.
Four down
1.Interceptions. Andy Dalton got out of practice unscathed, but AJ McCarron and Jeff Driskel turned the ball over on Sunday. Collectively, the Bengals quarterbacks have been intercepted multiple times in every day of camp thus far.
2. Mason Schreck. The seventh-round pick out of Buffalo had a hard day, dropping a pass, being beaten by Ryan Brown in 11-on-11 drills that would have led to a sack, and having offensive coordinator Ken Zampese stop a play and call for a re-huddle.
3. Tempo. Head coach Marvin Lewis was vocal on Sunday, with both offensive and defensive units, about their tempo getting in and out of huddles, getting set to run (or defend) a play.
“Now we’re making another progression, we’re getting closer to playing and that’s always been part of our mantra or our deal, or our advantage here, is to be on top of folks with our tempo," Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said. "Today, you put the shoulder pads on and make sure we stay on top of that.”
4. Guys on the ground. The first day of pads is important, but also can be scary for teams. Safeties George Iloka and Derron Smith didn't finishing practice with injuries, while Vontaze Burfict thudded running back Tra Carson enough to send him to the ground after a run play.
Attendance and next three days
Friday: 1,300
Saturday: 2,100
Sunday: 2,250
Monday: Practice, 3-4:45 p.m. (full pads)
Tuesday: Practice, 3-4:45 p.m.
Wednesday: Off day
Brown family retains old-school code in new-school NFL
JULY 29
Injuries
PUP/NFI list: S Brandon Wilson (knee), RB Jarveon Williams (undisclosed), RB Cedric Peerman (hamstring).
Missed practice
WR Jake Kumerow (left ankle sprain), Michael Johnson (vet day), Wallace Gilberry (vet day).
Transaction
Waived WR Monty Madaris (failed physical) and signed WR Levonte Whitfield.
Position of note
Offensive line. Coach Paul Alexander made a move at right guard, allowing 25-year-old Trey Hopkins to run as the starter and push veteran Andre Smith to the second team right tackle. As for why he would take a player attempting to learn a new position to the second team at a different position in the second practice, Alexander offered this:
"Early here in camp we're working with what we have. We're looking at this, we're looking there, we're looking at matchups. Because usually, it's 1s against 1s. So today Trey went with the first group. It doesn't do any good if Trey's always going against the second guy because you don't feel like you know how good he is. So OK, you go against Geno today. So that's what we're doing. We'll move them around so that different guys get a different chance to go against guys."
He offered this on balancing need to see others with Smith's learning curve.
"Obviously, it's going to take some work," Alexander said. "He got all the reps in OTAs and all that kind of stuff, but right now we have to see what we have. He probably would benefit from taking every snap at right guard in camp, but for us, we have to see what we have."
Play of the day
On the first play of 11-on-11 midway through practice, Andy Dalton opened up with a deep shot to second-year wideout Cody Core going against Adam Jones down the sideline. Core was able to climb behind Jones and Dalton placed the deep ball on the money for what would have been a touchdown.
Instagram of the Day
Three up
1. Dre Kirkpatrick was the player of the day. Kirkpatrick broke up two passes and in the final 11-on-11 session of the day stepped in front of a Dalton pass directed at Brandon LaFell on the sideline and took it the other direction for a pick-6.
2. Brandon LaFell. Outside of the interception, LaFell made a number of nice plays to work himself open. He shook William Jackson III on a double move and connected over the top from Dalton beating KeiVarae Russell on a post.
3. Kenny Anderson. Always good to see the former Bengals quarterback and league MVP, who took in the Saturday practice along with his daughter and grandson. Anderson was just voted the No. 2 overall player in franchise history in the team's 50 best players poll.
Three down
1. AJ McCarron. Rough day for the backup quarterback. McCarron dropped a snap, although a bit low. Whether on the receivers or not, multiple times he wasn't able to find a spot to make a throw. The biggest mistake, however, came on the interception by William Jackson III as McCarron threw on the run across his body directly to the 2016 first-round pick.
2. Chris Brown. Rough day for the offseason acquisition from Dallas. He dropped a couple of passes and ran the wrong route on a throw from Andy Dalton, causing the quarterback to talk him through the play after.
3. Jon Brown. He kicked three times, as did Randy Bullock in the first day of the kicking competition. Bullock hit from 23, 30 and 34 yards out, all down the middle. Brown, the longshot in the competition, hit from 23 and 34, but pushed the 30-yarder wide right. Fifth-round pick Jake Elliott did not kick today, as the plan is to rotate kickers throughout camp.
Quote of the day
Dre Kirkpatrick on making plays like his interception while remembering he's still under orders to be careful with his offseason hand injury:
“I couldn’t resist that one. It was clean and I knew there was no way that he could have banged my hand. Those plays I’m going to take. At the end of the day I want to be respectful of the team policy."
Attendance and next three days
- Friday: 1,300
- Saturday: 2,100
- Sunday: Practice, 3-4:45 p.m.
- Monday: Practice, 3-4:45 p.m.
- Tuesday: Practice, 3-4:45 p.m.
JULY 28
Injuries
PUP/NFI list: S Brandon Wilson (knee), RB Jarveon Williams (undisclosed), WR Monty Madaris (hamstring), RB Cedric Peerman (hamstring).
Missed portion of practice
WR Jake Kumerow (left ankle sprain), RB Stanley "Boom" Williams (cramps).
Position of note
Running backs: The group had a mixed day, as it started with veteran Cedric Peerman being put on the active NFI list and undrafted rookie Stanley Williams cramping up and not finishing the day. But, incumbent starter Jeremy Hill looked smooth, Giovani Bernard returned from a season-ending injury and ran like he never missed a game and rookie Joe Mixon was immediately thrown into every scenario, including getting some "first-team" reps.
Play of the day
Jake Kumerow ran a solid route and got behind corner William Jackson III and AJ McCarron connected with the wide receiver for a long touchdown pass, with Kumerow outdueling the 2016 first-round pick for the reception.
"I didn't get out of my backpedal fast enough and I underestimated his speed, not knowing how fast he was," Jackson III said. "I caught up to him at the end, but he made a play. I definitely seen (the ball) and thought I had it, but he just made a great play on it."
Three up
1. Giovani Bernard. There's no way around it: Bernard was the star of the first day of camp. Not only did the running back participate fully a little over eight months after an ACL reconstruction, he looked like he never was hurt, showcasing his stop-start ability in the hole, and quick cuts and upfield burst in the passing game.
RELATED:Bernard shines in return, Eifert, Ross cleared
2. Geno Atkins. The Bengals offensive coaches often say they have to scheme against the defensive tackle just to practice, and Atkins looked every bit like an All-Pro on the first day. He consistently was in the backfield on run and pass plays.
3. William Jackson III. Back on the field for the first time since this part of training camp one year ago, the second-year player came up with the lone turnover of the day, intercepting Andy Dalton on the sideline. Jackson III had another near-interception, making up for several other early misplayed opportunities.
Instagram of the day
Three down
1. John Ross. The rookie had a rough first day, being heckled after dropping a pass in position drills, dropping a punt and having Andy Dalton stop a play as the veteran quarterback did not like the motion Ross was doing during the call.
2. Alex Redmond. The 2016 undrafted free agent is getting second team reps at guard, but was pulled from a series after back-to-back false starts prevented the play from getting underway.
3. Drops. Pass catchers across the board, including A.J. Green, had footballs slide out of their hands. Tight ends C.J. Uzomah, Tyler Kroft and wide receivers Brandon LaFell and John Ross had drops, while Ross and Tyler Boyd mishandled punts.
Photo of the day
Enquirer photojournalist Kareem Elgazzar was on the scene for the first day of camp and captured the key moment in today's play of the day:
Quote of the day
“When people say 'Oh, you came back so quick,' I just always tell them I'm Haitian and we're just born different, we just have different DNA than everybody else. We just have a different blood type. I don't know. It's something I joke around with. We just come back from injuries like it's nothing. Like a Wolverine kind of thing, I don't know.” - Bengals running back Giovani Bernard
Tyler Eifert, John Ross cleared for practice
Attendance and next three days
Friday: 1,300
Saturday: Practice, 3-4:45 p.m.
Sunday: Practice, 3-4:45 p.m.
Monday: Practice, 3-4:45 p.m.