FRIDAY’S GAME
Minnesota Vikings vs. Cincinnati Bengals
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Paul Brown Stadium
TV: Chs. 12, 22
Radio: 1530-AM, 102.7-FM
After banging heads in joint practices the last two days, the Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings officially kick off the preseason Friday night at Paul Brown Stadium.
Starters typically don’t play more than a few snaps in preseason openers, and there’s no reason to believe anything will be different with this one, especially after Bengals coach Marvin Lewis expressed his displeasure with what he saw from his second- and third-string units against the Vikings.
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“I think the first group, we’re really pleased with their tempo and how they got in and out of the huddle and the things they got done,” he said. “When you have other guys in as you go into the second and third groups, obviously we’ve got work to do and that’s why they’re here — an opportunity for them to prove they belong to stay and they earn the chance to stay.”
Here are seven things to watch when the Bengals and Vikings square off in their first preseason meeting since 1997 (a 37-13 Cincinnati win at Cinergy Field).
1. Starter snaps. The big question everyone wants to know and the one Lewis refuses to answer is how long the starters will play.
Lewis said he’ll make that decision based on how the game is going, which essentially means if the first series is a three-and-out, the starters will get another set of downs. Otherwise, it will be one and done.
Last year the offense had a six-play opening drive that ended in a touchdown, and that was it. In 2014, the offense opened with a nine-play, 81-yard drive that ended in a field goal, and the starters sat after that.
In 2013, however, the offense ran six plays for 19 yards on the opening drive, prompting Lewis to send the starters back out for a second series, which featured five unproductive plays that signaled the start of the substitutions.
2. Dalton's delivery. We haven't seen Andy Dalton throw a pass against live action since Dec. 13, when he fractured his thumb tackling Stephon Tuitt after throwing an interception in the Week 14 loss to Pittsburgh.
Dalton declared himself 100 percent upon returning for offseason workouts in April, and he hasn’t shown any signs of the injury bothering him while handling a full workload ever since. But stepping on the field tonight and playing against a full-speed defense will officially signal his return.
3. Who's in, who's out. Following Thursday's practice, Lewis said the only player he was ruling out for this game would be linebacker Vontaze Burfict. That echoed what Lewis said at the pre-camp luncheon when he announced he would not play his suspended linebacker during the preseason.
Tight end Tyler Eifert and defensive tackle Brandon Thompson are still on the active/physically unable to perform list, so they won’t play either, nor will first-round pick William Jackson (pectoral).
Cornerback Darqueze Dennard was still in a walking boot Thursday and hasn’t practiced in more than a week since spraining his left ankle, so it’s safe to assume he’ll sit out, along with tight end Tyler Kroft, who is still using crutches to get around on his injured left knee, and defensive tackle Andrew Billings, who was carted off Wednesday with a knee injury.
Left tackle Andrew Whitworth has missed the last five practices with an undisclosed injury, making it unlikely he will see action as well. And it’s doubtful we’ll see wide receivers James Wright and Jake Kumerow or kicker Zach Hocker, all of whom have missed multiple practices in the last week.
4. Receiving praise. One of the most impressive performers through the first two weeks of training camp has been wide receiver Tyler Boyd, the team's second-round pick.
“Tyler’s exceeded my expectations of things,” Lewis said. “He’s really entered training camp and come back and worked and done the things we expected him to do and be able to do. He’s taken it and he’s grasped it and ran with it.”
It will be interesting to see how much time Boyd gets, and when he enters the game. He’s listed as A.J. Green’s backup on the depth chart, but don’t be surprised if the Bengals open in a three-receiver set to allow Boyd to establish some timing with Dalton at game speed.
5. Tight end trouble. With Eifert and Kroft sidelined tonight and H-back Ryan Hewitt coming off a season-ending knee injury in Week 15, the Bengals don't have many options at tight end.
The Bengals know what they have in Hewitt, so much so that the team just rewarded him with a three-year extension. Hewitt is still taking periodic days off to rest the knee, so the team may not risk playing him.
That would leave just three other tight ends. C.J. Uzomah, the team’s fifth-round pick last year, and Matt Lengel and John Peters, both of whom signed as undrafted free agents last year. Lengel spent the 2015 season on the practice squad, while Peters was cut and then brought back this spring. Both have struggled with assignments and receptions through the first two weeks of camp.
6. Cornerback competition. The injuries to Dennard and Jackson will mean many more snaps for some of the cornerbacks clawing to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.
With starters Adam Jones and Dre Kirkpatrick likely to play just a series or two, there will be plenty of opportunities for guys like Chykie Brown, Josh Shaw, Chris Lewis-Harris and undrafted rookies Darius Hillary and Corey Tindal. Undrafted rookie Tony McRae just joined the team Tuesday, so it’s not likely he’ll see much time against the Vikings.
7. Happy homecomings. In addition to watching former Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer roaming the sideline to start his third season as Minnesota's head coach, Bengals fans also will get a chance to see former players Andre Smith and Emmanuel Lamur in action for the Vikings.
The Bengals drafted Smith in the first round in 2009 and he appeared in 82 games with 73 starts during his seven seasons in Cincinnati.
“There’s no hard feelings,” Smith said after Thursday’s practice. “I felt like I had a better opportunity in Minnesota to go out there and compete with those guys and just play for a really good team and a really good young team.
“Coach Marvin did a great job on raising me and helping me become the man I am today as far as being a pro both on the field and off the field and making good decisions,” Smith added. “I have nothing but love and respect for him and just want to see him do well in whatever he decides to do. He’s just a great guy, a great person.”
Lamur joined the Bengals as an undrafted college free agent and played 39 games in four seasons, including all 16 last year.
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