Cincinnati got into an early 14-0 hole in the first quarter of an eventual 33-24 win over the Denver Broncos last Sunday but rallied back to tie the game at 17-17 before halftime. Bengals starting QB Carson Palmer looked a lot more relaxed in completing 12-of-15 passes for 105 yards after struggling in the preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys (a 16-7 loss).
Cincy’s running game was especially impressive against the Broncos, totaling 191 yards on 40 carries. Reserve RB Bernard Scott led the way with eight carries for 65 yards and also caught two passes for 48 yards while James Johnson added 42 yards on 10 carries and scored one of two rushing touchdowns for the Bengals with starter Cedric Benson (nine carries for 30 yards) getting the other. Rookie WR Jordan Shipley also turned in a fine effort with five catches for 50 yards, and Chad Ocho Cinco made his first catch of the preseason for four yards.
The Eagles are coming off a thrilling 28-27 win over Jacksonville in their preseason opener last Friday in which QB Michael Vick had another valuable performance against the Jaguars. Vick returned to action vs. Jacksonville last season for the first time since serving a two-year jail sentence for dog fighting and scored a touchdown, adding another one last week as part of a 50-yard rushing effort on six carries. He also completed 11-of-17 passes for 119 yards with an interception and no touchdown passes.
Third-string QB Mike Kafka led the game-winning drive for Philly by completing a 57-yard pass to Chad Hall, setting up kicker David Akers’ fifth and final field goal of the game with 9:11 remaining. Akers had kicked three field goals of 32 yards or less in the first 24 minutes of the game to give the Eagles an early 9-0 lead. A pair of touchdown passes from Jacksonville QB Luke McCown and a 36-yard field goal from Josh Scobee gave the Jaguars a 17-16 lead at halftime before Kafka rallied Philly back in the fourth quarter. Starting QB Kevin Kolb also looked good in his first action since permanently taking over for the departed Donovan McNabb, putting Akers in prime position for the early field goals by completing 6-of-11 passes for 95 yards before leaving the game.
The Eagles just wrapped up one of their most grueling training camps under head coach Andy Reid, who estimated that this year’s team ran 200 more plays in practice than this time last year. The players are relieved that they can now just focus on the rest of their preseason games, continuing with this visit to Cincinnati. Reid has ruled out centers Jamaal Jackson (knee) and Nick Cole (knee), guard Todd Herremans (foot), cornerback David Pender (leg) and defensive end Victor Abiamiri (PUP list) against the Bengals due to injuries while cornerback Asante Samuel (hamstring) and running back Mike Bell (calf) are game-time decisions.
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