We've reached the stage of Cincinnati Bengals camp where pads are popping.
We've reached the stage of Cincinnati Bengals training camp where pads are popping.
Monday, July 28, saw the Bengals in pads for the first time this training camp, and that came 10 days and six practice sessions away from the club's preseason opener at the Philadelphia Eagles on Aug. 7.
Suffice it to say you can expect things to get more interesting and intense in the coming days, although Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is still waiting to make sweeping judgements about individuals and units because of the early stage of camp Cincinnati is currently in.
Taylor said he likes to wait for several preseason games to be played before making firm judgements. That being said, it won't be long until we're at that point in camp.
First padded practice begets intensity for Bengals
In his pre-practice remarks to media, Taylor assessed that bringing out the pads for the first time this summer would mean things get a lot more physical. The physicality produced a more intense practice session, too.
The summer heat had made things physically and mentally taxing in training camp up until Monday, but things seemed to get ratcheted up on Monday.
The practice was interrupted by storms and moved indoors around 11 a.m. After that point, the defense did a lot of hollering.
Demetrius Knight Jr. was in on what he described as a near-sack of Joe Burrow, and that might have produced the loudest round of whooping from the defense.
"The hunger and the pads coming on but definitely just being able to get after each other and truly being able to sharpen each other in every way today," Knight said.
The media vantage point for much of the indoor portion of the practice was partially blocked, and some media observers declared the defense the winners of the day, but the offense got its shots in, too. Chase Brown broke several runs in 11-on-11, and Jordan Moore had a long reception for a touchdown late in the morning.
Shemar Stewart made an impact on his second day of camp
As the Bengals' first-round draft selection at a critical edge-rushing position, a lot of focus is going to be on Shemar Stewart even after he got his rookie contract done and made his training camp debut on Sunday, July 27.
Two things of note involving Stewart occurred Monday: First, Taylor said he wasn't ruling Stewart out from playing in the Aug. 7 preseason opener at Philadelphia. The second noteworthy item on Stewart was he had the kind of practice Monday morning that would lead you to think he's building momentum toward playing at Lincoln Financial Field against the defending Super Bowl champions.
Stewart broke up two passes by backup quarterback Jake Browning on back-to-back plays inside the practice bubble. On the second of those, he broke into Browning's backfield all but uncontested, then seemed to partially pull out of his rush and threw his hands up to clog the passing lanes. Not bad for Day Two as a professional.
Injury update: Lucas Patrick out again
Guard Lucas Patrick was absent from practice for the second day in a row. Taylor on Sunday afternoon said Patrick would be out several more days.
B.J. Hill and Zack Moss also didn't participate on Monday.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bengals training camp observations: Practice intensifies
Category: Football
