CINCINNATI - The Bengals played another football game that doesn't count Thursday night.
The Bengals -- the starters, anyway -- did not play it especially well.
It was 17-6, Packers, at halftime on the strength of two Aaron Rodgers rushing touchdowns. The Bengals offense missed some opportunities, including letting a first and goal at the 1-yard line turn into fourth and goal at the 12. The starters on both sides of the ball played one series into the second half.
Andy Dalton's biggest play of the night was a 28-yard run. His throws were erratic, and the Bengals offense didn't take a leap off two prior performances that could be scored anywhere from pretty decent to encouraging. The bottom line: Dalton -- and his teammates -- will have to be better on Sept. 10 and in the 15 games that follow.
Below are 10 thoughts, notes and observations on what the Bengals might learn from surviving the traditional dress rehearsal and where they'll go over the next 10 days or so...
*The most noteworthy occurrence: Nate Clements started at safety Thursday night. There have been signs pointing to the Bengals moving Clements from cornerback to safety, and it's now officially an experiment. With so many injuries at corner and a gaping hole at safety next to Reggie Nelson that Clements could potentially fill, it will be interesting to see where this goes from here.
*Dalton was 5-of-17 for 40 yards Thursday night and is 17-of-40 in the preseason. The Bengals aren't showing much and are without their top two runners and one of the game's best young tight ends, so don't jump to any conclusions. But there have been throws that Dalton needed to make better. And not scoring a touchdown after he made a great throw -- and Armon Binns made a better catch -- to set up first and goal at the 1 is a big miss. The Bengals threw an incompletion on first down, and ran Cedric Peerman (who would never get a carry in a real game) on second down. On third and goal, Green Bay's Erik Walden came untouched and clobbered Dalton. Three points are better than none, but not scoring from the 1 and instead going backwards is a step backwards.
*What are we learning from watching the Bengals challenge an experienced, well-coached defense without the services of BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Bernard Scott and Jermaine Gresham, and without having the chance to get A.J. Green into the flow? Here's one thought. We're learning simply that the Bengals need their guys before the real games start.
*The NFL can't possibly play a real game -- not even one -- with these overmatched replacement officials. Something has to be done. There was a play early Thursday night during which the Bengals appeared to blow a coverage, Jordy Nelson was running deep and a Rodgers pass was hanging in the lights. Leon Hall turned and ran and appeared to blatantly interfere.
*Hall had a tough series Thursday night as Rodgers went right at him on consecutive plays. Hall is still getting back to speed. The Bengals need all the help at corner they can get. One of the lingering issues with this team is not just how quickly first-rounder Dre Kirkpatrick can get to full speed, but how ready he'll be to actually play at a high level. The state of the secondary as a whole is the biggest question mark/area of concern with this team right now.
*Up front, there is no question --Geno Atkins is a stud. An absolute stud. And he'll be even better when the rest of the front seven is healthy and the top guys are out there with him.
*Vontaze Burfict is going to make the club. He got a little run with the starters at middle linebacker, as did Jeromy Miles at safety. Both guys are going to make the team, play on special teams and have to stay ready for further action.
*Marvin Jones is going to make the team and he's going to play on Sundays. It's always a numbers game, but it's hard to imagine Jones not being among the active 45, playing on special teams and running the fly route from time to time to keep defenses honest. The receiver battle of camp we all started talking about in April isn't much of a battle. Green is The Guy. Binns could start, or Brandon Tate could. Andrew Hawkins plays in the slot, and those rookies earn a little and learn a lot. We'll have to see how teams defend Green and Gresham starting in a few weeks.
*Is this it for the starters in the preseason? Marvin Lewis doesn't have a whole lot of reason to play his starters next Thursday night in Indianapolis, and more coaches in recent years have been playing it safe. We'll see, but given the amount of guys nursing injuries, Lewis might lean towards keeping at least a good portion of his starters on the sideline.
*The Bengals will make some cuts -- easy ones, at least as far as cuts go -- in the next few days per NFL rules. They'll have a few real practices, play one more fake game next Thursday then cut to 53 by Saturday, Sept. 1. There's plenty of time before the opener in Baltimore to get guys healthy, clean some things up and get ready. They have to feel OK -- nothing more, nothing less -- about the last few weeks, and that's fine. The real work is just beginning.
