It’s about that time of the week again to take a peek over at the rest of the AFC North and explore what’s going on Behind Enemy Lines.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Atkins Deal Could Be Approaching: The Bengals signed Carlos Dunlap to a five-year extension in July through 2018. Now, Geno Atkins might be joining Dunlap as the next defensive lineman to be locked up for a few years.
As reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, one of the league’s better defensive linemen might have a home in Cincinnati for a long time. Atkins is in the final year of his rookie contract and this hopeful extension will place him at or near the top of earnings food chain. The 25-year-old former Georgia Bulldog had 12.5 sacks in 2012 along with four forced fumbles.
Tight Ends Deeper Than Ever: The Bengals look deep at Tight End heading into the season. With Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert leading the way, the Bengals have youth that is making an impact in camp. Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com is very high on the group, going as far to say this is the “greatest collection of tight ends in Bengals history.”
The team does have a deep depth chart behind Gresham and Eifert, the anticipated one-two punch for the 2013 season. Young Orson Charles is apparently turning heads in practices and according to Hobson, the Bengals might just keep four tight ends on the squad, giving the second-year Hobson great hope. He is battling with veteran Alex Smith who has spent most of his career with Tampa Bay and Cleveland, and Richard Quinn a fifth year player. This is certainly a storyline to watch and it could inspire offensive coordinator Jay Gruden to employ 3 tight-end sets during the course of the year.
Johnson Shines in Preseason: While Andy Dalton has the quarterback gig locked up, Josh Johnson made a strong case in Thursday night’s game against the Falcons to beat out John Skelton.
The fifth-year quarterback showed strength not only in the passing game, but on the ground as well. Along with throwing for 100 yards and a touchdown, Johnson’s legs left defenders wondering where he would go next. He ran for 64 yards on just four carries, one play bursting out for a 43-yard gain.
It’s imperative for Johnson to continue successes on the ground to go along with his average-at-best passing game. The team may decide to keep only two quarterbacks, so for the advantage to be on Johnson’s side, his legs have to keep making plays.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Injury Troubles: The Browns delivered a great pre-season performance on Thursday night, but some bad news emerged afterwards as the team announced that starting guard Shawn Lauvao will miss the start of the season with an injured left ankle that requires surgery.
According to NFL.com’s Marc Sessler, Lauvao was carted off of the field on Monday after going down in a one-on-one drill. The team adjusted on Thursday night by moving Jason Pinkston over to the right side and inserting John Greco on the left. The Browns line has the potential to be great, but this shakes things up a bit with no timetable available for Lauvao’s return.
Wide Receiver Situation Still Murky: Having your number one wide-out suspended for the first two games never is a good start, but for the Browns, things are still not clear at the position.
Davone Bess is trying to guide his way to targets, but the question marks surrounding whether he can be consistent still haunt the club. Greg Little on most teams would be a three or four—so relying on him to carry the load is not what QB Brandon Weeden needs. David Nelson is hurt, Travis Benjamin returned a kick for a touchdown in the first pre-season game but caught just one ball. After that it’s anyone’s guess who the Browns will turn to. In short, expect Trent Richardson’s rushing attack to be crucial this year.
Fans Excited About Horton’s 3-4 Defense: Fans in Cleveland hope that 2013 will be a complete 180 from 2012, starting with new defensive coordinator Ray Horton’s 3-4 defense. In Thursday’s pre-season game, the Browns starters looked comfortable and primed for a new season.
The first two drives, those that the main starters stayed in, were shut down and one led to a fumble. Keep an eye on how the new squad meshes together and plays under Horton’s new scheme.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Tight End Troubles: Just when we thought that the Pittsburgh Tight End position couldn’t get any worse, a huge bit of bad news came out of the Steel City regarding Matt Spaeth.
Spaeth will be out 8-10 weeks with a foot injury, leaving the Steelers with little to choose from. David Paulson comes up next on the depth chart. So like their bitter AFC North rivals faced when Dennis Pitta suffered a season ending hip injury, a veteran pickup might be in the works for Todd Haley’s offense.
Plaxico done for the Year: More injury troubles for the Steelers… seems like the trend of the off-season. Plaxico Burress tore his rotator cuff in Steelers practice, an injury that could signal the end of the veteran’s career.
Burress was on the team as a “bubble” player and wasn’t necessarily a lock to make the team, but this will force young receivers like Markus Wheaton, the rookie from Oregon State, to step it up as one of Ben Roethlisberger’s targets.
Battle Against Big Blue Tonight: Mike Tomlin and Co. plays their first game of the 2013 season on Saturday night. So if you want to hone in on what the Stillers are up to these days the game broadcasted live in its entirety as they host the New York Giants on NFL Network.
