The Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons each also have Super Bowl aspirations in 2013 the following Thursday night's game between the two teams offered a glimpse into the best matchup for the upcoming season.
The starters, however, didn't produce a lot of fireworks. Andy Dalton and Matt Ryan both only saw limited action during the first half of the game. Ryan was the more effective among the two quarterbacks on the field who went 6-for-9 for 89 yards. The Falcons were able to take a lead of 3-0 as a result.
Josh Johnson entered for the Bengals and the offense took off. He did the bulk of the damage via his legs, rushing up to four times in 64 miles. The quarterback also completed all nine of his 16 pass attempts , resulting in 100 yards and the score.
Two new running backs got things going for the Bengals. Second-round pick Giovani Bernard only averaged 2.8 yards per carries, but scored a touchdown on the one-yard line. Rex Burkhead helped keep the offense moving during the second quarter, rushing on nine occasions for 52 yards.
The Falcons did show some lack of depth in the second half and Cincinnati could not hold on and win by 24 points. The final score of 34-10 was quite lopsided. However, it was a close game until the second and third-string players began to take over the game.
In another piece of Falcons developments, Brian Banks, who spent five years in prison and was released in the second quarter. According to reports, he has been doing very well during the training camp and is expected to fight for a roster spot.From Washington's perspective in 2012 the things that they were doing made sense. Griffin seemed like an phenomenal quarterback when he came out of college. He had a strong, precise arm, excellent decision-making skills, ability to move quickly and with a high level of intelligence. He also was a mile-wide smile, and a charming personality. He was, from an Draft standpoint a can't-miss prospect.
