Here are five things we learned:
1.) The depth is advertised:
This is being called the deepest roster Marvin Lewis has assembled in his 11 seasons in Cincinnati, and you would have a hard time disputing that after Thursday night’s performance.
While the first-team offense and defense did some good things, it was the second and third units that dominated Atlanta’s backups and accounted for the bulk of the scoring the final lopsided margin.
Lewis said last week he could cut the roster to 56 right now if he needed to. The good news is he doesn’t need to. The better news is that when he does need to (cut to 75 by Aug. 27; to 53 by Aug. 31), he might find the trimming to be tougher than expected.
2.) Sanzenbacher could soothe scares:
While the severity of the ankle injury suffered by slot receiver Andrew Hawkins is yet to be determined, the severity of the impact it will have on the offense was lessened some by the play of Dane Sanzenbacher.
The 5-foot-11 Sanzenbacher, whom the Bengals claimed off waivers from the Chicago Bears on Christmas Day, caught two passes for 59 yards, including a 36-yard touchdown from John Skelton. And the former Ohio State standout also returned a punt 71 yards for a score.
The receiver position is as deep as any on the team, but Sanzenbacher, an ideal slot guy, nudged his way up the pecking order a spot or two with that performance.
3.) Bernard can bang:
When the Bengals made Giovani Bernard the first running back selected in the NFL Draft in April, the assumption was that he would provide a change-of-pace style that would be a perfect complement to bruising, between-the-tackles m.o. employed by BenJarvus Green-Ellis.
But twice against the Falcons the Bengals called Bernard’s number on short yardage, and both times he converted.
With the Bengals in their two-minute offense at the end of the first half, Bernard took a handoff on third-and-1, got the edge, took on a tackler near the marker and pushed forward for a first down. A few plays later on fourth-and-goal from the 1, Bernard took the ball straight up the gut behind fullback John Conner and slammed into the end zone for a touchdown.
He’s not going to be a 25-carry guy like BGE, but it’s encouraging to see he can get the tough yards as well as the flashy ones.
4.) J.K. is more than OK:
Second-year linebacker J.K. Schaffer recorded a team-high six tackles and always seemed to be in the middle of the action when he was on the field.
The Bengals were the third team to sign Schaffer last year after stints in Jacksonville and Tampa Bay, and while he never saw action he impressed the coaches enough to sign a futures contract in January.
He still has a way to go to be in the mix for a spot on the 53, but the Bengals could elect to further his development on the practice squad for another season, or until an injury creates an opening sometime in 2013.
5.) You can’t spell ‘tough luck’ without a Ghee:
In a way we already knew that, but it was just reinforced Thursday night. The fourth-year cornerback came into training camp healthy and was on his way to a strong game with an interception, a pass defended and two tackles when he suffered a head injury near the end of the third quarter that caused him to miss the rest of the game.
We’ll know more today or Saturday about how serious the blow was, but regardless it’s just the latest setback for the snakebit Ghee, who has missed portions of his first three preseasons in the league.
He played in only six games his rookie year and seven the following the year. Last season Ghee suffered a season-ending wrist injury in August.
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