CINCINNATI — If only preseason games were as intense as Wednesday’s joint practice between the Bengals and Packers.
The Bengals know their offense – led by Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins – will grab the headlines.
But those who know why these Bengals are in every Super Bowl conversation will point to the defense as the most unheralded group on the team.
They showed again why Wednesday when nose tackle D.J. Reader was handling Packers starting left guard Elgton Jenkins all day in drills and 11-on-11 work. Jenkins grew frustrated and punched Reader, with a pair of Packers surrounding him. Several Bengals came to Reader’s defense immediately and a scuffle ensued for about two minutes before coaches broke it up.
“Fatigue makes cowards of us all these type of days you really see who’s gonna go out there and do their thing,” Reader said. “It was just typical football stuff. Guys and their feelings about whatever who knows? I have no idea. He might have had a bad day. Somebody might have hit him some bad news or something. Seemed positive early in practice and then it turned real negative for him. Seemed like he wanted to get kicked out. He just didn’t want to practice. He’ll be out there Friday. We’ll see him.”
"Just football.. good intensity.. he (Jenkins) wanted to get kicked out." DJ Reader on the brawl with Packers pic.twitter.com/9NAhgtqRHi
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) August 9, 2023
This is the kind of intensity the Bengals want to show on opposing offenses all season. Wear them down in the trenches to point where the defense can dictate late in games. That’s the plan, at least.
“It was Top 10. We want top five, top three in every category in the defense,” Germaine Pratt said. “That right there (Wednesday) is some great work. We wouldn’t have gotten all that work if we played in the preseason, to be honest. So, it was great work against the opponent, to get the feeling of playing in a live game.
“Just take these practices and getting better to be the best that they can be. And then looking at yourself, am I getting better to be the best version of myself for the season? And then us a defense, coming together, playing for one another, understanding the game of football, understand the situation, the areas of the field, just understanding the defense, knowing where your help is and just clicking on all cylinders.”
After finishing in Top 10 in several categories last season, Germaine Pratt says Bengals D can be Top 5 this year. pic.twitter.com/iOm9o0hYU9
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) August 9, 2023
The most important takeaway from Wednesday for Pratt?
“I wouldn’t say we wore them down, it’s just practice. But you’d like to impose your will on opponent,” Pratt told me. “Just setting the tone as a defense and understand that we’ll punch you in your mouth when you come into Paycor.”
Trey Hendrickson had a couple of breakthroughs where he was able to get around the edge and get to starting quarterback Jordan Love. The defense, as a whole, had a very good day, and that’s without their top corner in Chido Awuzie.
Maybe Joe Burrow had a sense this was coming because he came out for the first time since his calf injury on July 27 to watch his offensive teammates battle a very formidable Packers defensive front, led Kenny Clark, T.J. Slaton and rookie first rounder Lukas Van Ness out of Iowa.
In individual battles, Jonah Williams held his own, Cordell Volson battled against Devonte Wyatt and Preston Smith and Ted Karras gave up ground but still held firm against Slaton. Cody Ford and Jackson Carman struggled in their reps against Jonathan Ford and Colby Wooden.
But the surprise of the last week has been the effort of D’Ante Smith, who is making progress in his battle to beat out Jackson Carman for a role behind Jonah Williams and La’el Collins as a backup tackle or third tackle.
Smith showed good footwork and even threw down his opponent in one rep, cleanly winning the one-on-one.
In team drills, Tyler Boyd had a touchdown grab from Trevor Siemian while Jake Browning was allowed to scramble in one red zone drill and found Irv Smith Jr. for a touchdown.
The run game looked sluggish at times, as Alex Cappa was out and Trey Hill and Cody Ford got their chances to fill in at right guard between Ted Karras and Jonah Williams.
Joe Mixon and Chase Brown did flash runs of 5-7 yards, including one Mixon carry where Van Ness crashed inside and Mixon bounced outside and broke off a 10 yard carry before the whistle blew.
Burrow took all of this in while wearing a bucket hat and standing next to offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, who was calling plays once the teams initiated 11-on-11 work. Burrow had a long black sleeve on his right leg, protecting the strain in his right calf suffered when he broke out to his right in a scramble drill.
“Some good, some bad. You know it was a different scheme, different style, so it was good work,” Callahan said. “I’m glad it was a little humid and hot, guys got to feel what it was like to work through drives and got a bunch of reps with the 1s, so it was good for where we were in training camp. Like I said, some good and some bad.”
As for Burrow serving as another pair of eyes instead of being holed up inside Paycor?
“We had talked about it this morning, him coming out if he felt like it and he decided he wanted to, so I looked over there and he was standing right next to me,” Callahan said. “It was great. It was good to have him.
“It’s always nice to have his presence out there. It’s good for guys to see him out. He’s been rehabbing quite a bit, he’s doing a good job and to have him out at practice is always beneficial. Guys like seeing him too. I think you saw everybody excited to have him out, standing around watching.”
"Some good, some bad" Brian Callahan sums up Bengals offense Wednesday practice vs Packers. Callahan served as the playcaller and talks Joe Burrow pic.twitter.com/LyYOwgybpm
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) August 9, 2023
No surprise that Callahan said it was hard for Burrow to be out on the field but not taking part.
“He’s an elite competitor so any chance he gets to go against someone else, yeah, I’m sure it’s frustrating for him to have to stand and have to watch, but that’s what it is and he’s going to have to swallow that frustration and he’ll be ready for when it’s time to be ready,” Callahan said.
Burrow watched as Trevor Siemian and Jake Browning continue to work through their reps with the ones while Reid Sinnett could get some time in the second half of games during the preseason.
Ja’Marr Chase was covered tightly by the Packers secondary, including Jaire Alexander. Tee Higgins worked in individual drills with his team but didn’t take part in the 11-on-11 team exercises against the Packers.
Logan Wilson did not take part in Wednesday’s joint practice. Also not dressing were Cappa, Burrow, Trayveon Williams and the two PUP players La’el Collins and Mitchell Wilcox.
Chad Johnson attended the joint practice Wednesday, coming in midway through and giving a warm hug to Stanley Morgan, Jimmy Chase (father of Ja’Marr) and then posing with the three amigos of Ja’Marr, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.
As for special teams, rookie Brad Robbins had an up and down day, with his first several punts averaging near five seconds of hangtime and near the sidelines. But as he continued with rapid fire reps, his hangtime an distance waned.
Wrapping up Wednesday was Evan McPherson, who drilled a 52-yard field goal through the narrow uprights from the left hash but was wide left on one from the right hash. The field goal posts (10 feet narrower) are a common sight in camp as kickers work on trying to keep kicks within a 12-foot window, with six feet on either side of the single upright on a conventional field goal post.
