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Chick Ludwig covers the Cincinnati Bengals. He also writes about his other passions: college football, basketball and golf.Home > Blogs > Chick Ludwig At Large > Archives > 2008 > August > 12 > Entry
Aftermath: Bengals 20, Packers 17
SANTUCCI HURTS ANKLE;
WHO’S BACKUP CENTER?
===LUDWIG AT LARGE wants to know what YOU think. Who looked good? Who didn’t? What did you like? What didn’t you like? I have a 10-hour drive ahead of me. Then I’m gonna sleep. Then I’m gonna blog. Catch ya soon.===
It’s midnight Monday and I’m back in the press box high above Lambeau Field after the Bengals’ 20-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers.
I just got out of the Packers’ locker room, where I interviewed A.J. Hawk and some of his teammates.
Hawk, who was featured on the cover of the game program, was credited with one unassisted tackle and a pass defensed as Green Bay’s first-team “D” forced three straight 3-and-out series before the Bengals offense got untracked.
A.J.’s post-game outfit … long-sleeve body shirt, gym shorts & flip-flops. I love his laid back style.
3 BENGALS POSITIVES
—-Chris Perry rushed 11 times for 42 yards with a long gain of 14 and a 6-yard TD. He looked good. Best of all, he’s healthy. “He means a ton to our team,” Carson Palmer said.
—-Ben Utecht’s performance — 4 catches for 34 yards, including a 14-yard TD, was encouraging.
—-Keith Rivers had a game-high 7 tackles…all solos. He was outstanding on a defense that forced three turnovers (interceptions by Dexter Jackson and Corey Mays, plus a forced fumble by Jim Maxwell and a fumble recovery by Corey Lynch.
3 BENGALS NEGATIVES
—-Backup center Dan Santucci is feared to have a broken right ankle. I can’t imagine Kyle Cook is going to make this squad. The Bengals should make the move NOW … Move Bobbie Williams to center.
—-The tackling was all A’s … awful, atrocious and then some. Domata Peko’s hair looked good, flying around when he whiffed.
—-Kyle Larson’s punting was unsightly. It must improve.
Permalink | Comments (42) | Post your comment | Categories: Bengals
Comments
By Jeff Vedder
August 12, 2008 1:30 AM | Link to this
Chickster, any reason as to why DeDe Dorsey didn’t get any time tonight in Green Bay? Look forward to hearing what ya have to say when youre back here at campBy Ft. Myers Foursome
August 12, 2008 4:11 AM | Link to this
I worked tonight and didn’t get to see or watch the game. However, I’m hoping this is a sign of things to come. When I get off of work this morning (7:30) my wife and I, along with our dogs, will start our 16 hour drive back to the Nati for a 3 week stay. Looking forward to reading more about the BengalsBy steve
August 12, 2008 5:01 AM | Link to this
the missed tackles has to Stop. Carson looked rusty, and thank god for Utecht. Kenny Watson so so…By steve
August 12, 2008 5:01 AM | Link to this
the missed tackles has to Stop. Carson looked rusty, and thank god for Utecht. Kenny Watson so so…By Brian
August 12, 2008 7:10 AM | Link to this
I’ll take 10-hours in a car over 3-hours of Tirico, Jaworski, and Kornheiser beating the Favre/Rodgers dead horse to a bloody pulp ANY DAY.By Harry the Horse
August 12, 2008 7:48 AM | Link to this
Ben Utecht could be to Carson Palmer what Dan Ross was to Kenny Anderson. A big game player that took pressure off the WR’s.By Sam
August 12, 2008 8:29 AM | Link to this
Not a lot has changed, Still no pass rush,poor tackling, an inconsistent offense. Some faces have changed but the play hasn’t. One positive: Nobody has been arrested yet.By jeff
August 12, 2008 9:05 AM | Link to this
Good- Robert Geathers pass rush, Peko got a few double teams. Chris Perry please stay healthy, Shayne Graham field goals only, Seeing rudi on the sidelines The bad- David Jones did a good job covering but now it is about ball skills, Deltha looked lost, Offensive line no push, The Ugly- TACKLING, Bump and Run was too soft, Not seeing TJBy jeff
August 12, 2008 9:06 AM | Link to this
Good- Robert Geathers pass rush, Peko got a few double teams. Chris Perry please stay healthy, Shayne Graham field goals only, Seeing rudi on the sidelines The bad- David Jones did a good job covering but now it is about ball skills, Deltha looked lost, Offensive line no push, The Ugly- TACKLING, Bump and Run was too soft, Not seeing TJBy Brian
August 12, 2008 9:09 AM | Link to this
Same team different year. Offense looked stale, chad didn’t have a chance until the second quarter I believe. 3 3 and out’s before we did something against the second team. Some pressure on defense but not consistent. David Jones gets burnt two plays in a row. But man we can sure lay the wood, just can’t tackle. Better hope we can just knock everyone down beause Zimmer must not teach any tackling. I sure hope the season doesn’t look like the preseason.By Antwan Odom in a boot
August 12, 2008 9:11 AM | Link to this
The loss of Santucci could spark further interest in LeCharles Bentley….BTW….CHRIS PERRY IS BACK….UTECHT RULES…AND MARVIN WHITE IS LAYIN ON THE HITS! It was great to see some bengals football last night…By Mark
August 12, 2008 9:11 AM | Link to this
Thank God my TV has a mute button, from the announcers you would think the Bengals didn’t even exist in the NFL. Players looke a bit rusty, I would still like to see more of a pass rush, but it’s pre-season and we do not need injuries attempting jarring hits. Overall, the 1st quarter was all GB and the announcers. Bengals sort of started to wake in Q2. Missed 2nd half.By VietVet
August 12, 2008 9:15 AM | Link to this
Can’t get too excited about this. Too early, 1st string didn’t play long enough to really assess. Announcers were terrible. Get rid of that little weasel called a Kornheiser. He’s as bad as Dennis Miller. Out of place in a football booth.By Steven Ross
August 12, 2008 10:09 AM | Link to this
Good: Perry, Utecht, Rivers, White (dude can hit). Bad: Peko (why is he a starter?) so-so pass rush, missed tackles, still can’t stop 3rd and whatever. I know, it’s early but our D is under the microscope. If we don’t generate a pass rush, no better than 8 & 8. It dictates everything on defense.By FAN
August 12, 2008 10:17 AM | Link to this
by listening to the boring announcers, how could you tell it was bengals vs.packers? i though it was favre vs.packersBy Cranker
August 12, 2008 10:40 AM | Link to this
Bengals’ defense looked really slow to the ball, no urgency… hence the missed tackles… Packers looked much faster. Had this been a real game, the score (unfortunately) would have been in favor of the Pack.By BnOPanther
August 12, 2008 10:47 AM | Link to this
Utech and a healthy Perry give this offense a whole nother dimension. Carson, Chad and TJ (even though he didn’t play) need to work on their timing. When they do get on the same page, look out cause this offense will put up some huge numbers. To turn a negative into a positive on “D”, at least they were in position to make the play. To me that’s half the battle, now all they need to do is wrap up and they have 3 more games to work on that. I also think Marvin White might kill someone this year with the way he brings the wood.By disgusted
August 12, 2008 11:03 AM | Link to this
It’s still the Chad and Brett show. Give it a rest! Best thing from last night was Ryan Kirkpatrick showed we do have a back up quarterback. Utech has what we already knew he had. Coaches scheme was terrific, just didn’t execute fundamentals. Learn to tackle someone instead of trying to blast someone so you can make ESPN’s “Hit of the week” Ugly game on both sides of the ball.By sec 312
August 12, 2008 11:12 AM | Link to this
sent to ESPN: With out a doubt last nights MNF game was the WORST announced game EVER!! These 3 guys never once stopped beating a dead horse in the Farve, Rodgers story. MOST people do not care. Time after time they talked and talked ..right through the play, at least twice Bengals had the ball and they did not call one play, oh by the way Bengals WON and were the better team You should be ASHAMED of the telecast, why not just put these 3 clowns at a desk and let them talk…we WANTED to watch a GAMEBy Walter Z.
August 12, 2008 12:07 PM | Link to this
http://www.bengalszone.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=621:take-it-easy-buckeye-maniacs&catid=34:articles&Itemid=54By Weak
August 12, 2008 12:22 PM | Link to this
how can you say that Marvin White can bring the wood? Did you forget him getting blasted by Donald Driver? Then on the next play he goes for the big hit and gives up a TD. I personally hope he doesn’t make the team with an effort like he gave last night. That being said I think that Brandon Johnson played a great game along with Chris Perry.By Weak
August 12, 2008 12:26 PM | Link to this
how can you say that Marvin White can bring the wood? Did you forget him getting blasted by Donald Driver? Then on the next play he goes for the big hit and gives up a TD. I personally hope he doesn’t make the team with an effort like he gave last night. That being said I think that Brandon Johnson played a great game along with Chris Perry.By Kevin
August 12, 2008 12:43 PM | Link to this
It baffles me that the Bengals, year in and year out, are one of the worst tackling teams in the league. They’ve used different schemes, different coordinators and different personnel, but the poor tackling remains a constant. Looks like another mediocre season—at best.By Kevin
August 12, 2008 12:43 PM | Link to this
It baffles me that the Bengals, year in and year out, are one of the worst tackling teams in the league. They’ve used different schemes, different coordinators and different personnel, but the poor tackling remains a constant. Looks like another mediocre season—at best.By BRAD
August 12, 2008 3:54 PM | Link to this
‘SPLAIN THIS TO ME please - OUR BEGNALS NEED A BLOCKING FULLBACK - WE DO NOTHING YET THE RAVENS LORENZO NEAL TO PLAY that POSITION FOR THEM!?!HUH? WHAT GIVES BENGALS?By BRAD
August 12, 2008 3:55 PM | Link to this
‘SPLAIN THIS TO ME please - OUR BEGNALS NEED A BLOCKING FULLBACK - WE DO NOTHING YET THE RAVENS LORENZO NEAL TO PLAY that POSITION FOR THEM!?!HUH? WHAT GIVES BENGALS?By Steve
August 12, 2008 4:44 PM | Link to this
I have heard/seen nothing about Santucci… if his ankle is really broken (even if it’s not), I agree with Chick. Get Bobbie some snaps at C in the next game!By Harold
August 12, 2008 5:12 PM | Link to this
Other than one series I would not play the regulars against Detroit so that no one gets injured for no good reason. Let all of rookies and back-ups play so that you ca make your decisions.By Rich
August 12, 2008 6:17 PM | Link to this
Does anyone know if this Sunday’s game will be on a local Dayton StationBy Rich
August 12, 2008 6:18 PM | Link to this
Does anyone know if this Sunday’s game will be on a local Dayton StationBy dylan
August 12, 2008 7:07 PM | Link to this
Good- not too many penalties on both sides of the ball, Utecht and Perry looked good, defense was fast and aggressive. Bad- defense needs to wrap guys up and not over-persue on plays, O-line needs to be more physical in the run, Carson and recievers need to work on timing and running better routes (they looked sloppy). All these things can be improved before the season opener and I think they will. I did have to mute the ESPN announcing crew. I got incredibly irritated with all the Rogers-Farve comparison graphs and charts and the on-field interviews of anyone willing to offer there opinion on the Farve issue. I just wanted to watch the game!By Ocho!
August 12, 2008 7:30 PM | Link to this
I had to flip between the game and WWE RAW (Raw had the better soundtrack) and RAW wasn’t all about Brett Farve. Decent game, overall. I don’t worry too much about the preseason. Most of these guys aren’t going to see any turf anyway. I did think it amusing though: Palmer and any number of Johnsons can go out and be replaced by Palmer and any number of Johnsons. If Cowher was coach, we’d see some nice trickery here. Imagine: 2 Palmers on the field, one lined up behind the other—who’s throwing? who’s blocking? Is Johnson running or catching? and which Johnson?By Richard
August 12, 2008 7:38 PM | Link to this
missed tackle .. (skip) missed tackle .. (skip) missed tackle sound like a broken record?? Same old Bengals. One series Brandon Johnson (aren’t linebackers supposed to tackle people) bounced off a Packers receiver like a pin ball. C’mon, Zimmer, teach some skills!!By crackpot7
August 12, 2008 8:24 PM | Link to this
Just like the reds, same old same old.not much offense and no defense. can’t tackle, can’t cover receivers because no pass rush. why spend the money and see this slopp. i know its only preseason but gosh, it would be nice to see them run the ball.By Stuttgart Tim
August 13, 2008 9:12 AM | Link to this
Amen to the announcing. TERRIBLE! I stayed up till 2am to watch the game. I wasn’t disappointed in the game, but I would have liked to know who some of the players were. Geesh it’s Pre-season. Tell us who is in and who blew the tackle, etc. Also concur that Perry, Utech and Rivers looked good. Oh, I read that DeDe has a minor “tweak”. Looks like we may need to get a C.By Sam
August 13, 2008 10:12 AM | Link to this
ESPN should have just scheduled a 2 hour program on Farve. About the only time the Bengals got any air time was when Chad opened his big mouth w/out saying anything that made any sense.Pathetic job by the announcers and ESPN.By islebfrank
August 13, 2008 1:11 PM | Link to this
On defense, I was very disappointed with the tackling, with guys still not wrapping up the ball carrier. David Jones didn’t look like the guy I’ve been reading about in the media. He reminded me of another Jones from the past, Rod “Toast” Jones, who was fast enough to keep up with receivers, but never turned around to play the ball. Zimmer’s reaction to the defense’s play was tamer than I expected, which helped me to remember this is the D’s 1st time in a game playing his new defense and it should improve each game. Hopefully, a lot of that has to do with it being the 1st pre-season game and he will improve with reps. I was also disappointed in what James Johnson did with the opportunities he got. Utech dropping his 1st pass was discouraging, but he made up for it as the game progressed.By Liposuction
January 6, 2009 3:22 AM | Link to this
How is that relevant?By Tummy Tuck
January 6, 2009 4:29 PM | Link to this
Really well written!By Lasik Eye Surgery
January 10, 2009 5:02 PM | Link to this
That’s a smart point…for sureBy Personal Injury Lawyers
January 25, 2009 2:16 PM | Link to this
Did you see the horrible news about today’s Miami shootings with the masked gunman?By Wrongful Death Lawyers
February 7, 2009 12:29 PM | Link to this
that last comment was awful…come on man!