Notes from the Nest: Cardinals vs. Bengals
Aug 25, 2014, 12:06 AM | Updated: 3:25 am
End of game
Things end with a pass bouncing off Kevin Ozier’s hands and into those of a Bengal defender. Cincinnati wins 19-13. Looked like no serious injuries for AZ, so that’s good.
The rest not so much.
Time to head downstairs and hear from the team.
:10 left in fourth quarter
Defense forced a punt but probably too little too late as far as getting anything else meaningful the rest of the way. AZ ball at the 20.
3:47 left in fourth quarter
Unfortunately for Arizona, the offense goes three-and-out and punts the ball away. Cards have one timeout left so it’s possible they can get the ball back (if they even want to) with time on the clock. WOuld have to get a stop here, though.
5:29 left in fourth quarter
What appeared to be a third down conversion catch was ruled incomplete, so Sharp came on and made a 51-yard field goal for the Bengals. Hey, maybe he can be part of Arizona’s kicker competition? I kid.
But in reality, I’m sure Coach Arians would like to see Chandler Catanzaro get a shot at a long field goal in this game. There’s now 5:25 left on the clock as Thomas comes back on the field.
6:00 left in fourth quarter
Timeout on the field as the Bengals face a 3rd and 9 from the Arizona 34. Defense has not looked good this drive, so getting a stop here would go a long way for them.
8:12 left in fourth quarter
Thomas guides the Cards to one first down but doesn’t get any further, and Arizona punts.
Fans are heading for the exits.
11:16 left in fourth quarter
Bengals drive ends with a 34-yard field goal from Quinn Sharp, putting the Bengals ahead 16-13.
Logan Thomas was warming up on the sidelines and will be entering the game here. The rookie was fantastic in his preseason debut two weeks ago. Does he have a repeat performance in him?
11:26 left in fourth quarter
The Bengals are marching down the field but things but have lost a couple players to injury. The cart has been brought out for both, so here’s hoping for the best.
End of third quarter
Bengals go with a reverse that nets them a whole two yards. There’s little room for tomfoolery in the preseason, Marvin Lewis.
At any rate, Cincinnati has it on the Arizona 43 facing a 2nd and eight.
1:26 left in third quarter
TOUCHDOWN!
Stanton hits a streaking John Brown for a 30-yard score. The rookie made a great diving effort on the play, and we’re all tied up.
2:46 left in third quarter
An internet outage cost you some notes. Sorry about that. Just go on and assume they were outstanding and, quite possibly, life-changing.
Anyway, Stanton helped guide the second team offense down the field, but the drive ended while he got drilled during a pass attempt. Chandler Catanzaro came on and converted a 23-yard field goal.
13-6 Bengals.
11:37 left in third quarter
Cards move the ball some but end up having to punt. The ball pops loose on the return but the Bengals maintain possession.
Cincy ball at their own 18.
15:00 left in third quarter
Nugent’s kick sails deep into the end zone for a touchback.
Second team offense takes the field for Arizona.
Halftime
We’re at the intermission with the Cards trailing 13-3.
It was not a great half for either side of the ball.
:3 left in second quarter
Defense has held here at the end of the drive, and a third down pass is short of a first down, and Mike Nugent is brought on for the field goal attempt. He’s good from 36 yards.
13-3 Bengals.
:59 left in second quarter
Bengals doing a nice job in their two-minute offense, have moved down to the Arizona 25.
Bad news on injury front as linebacker Lonrezo Alexander left the game with a left knee injury. His return has been deemed to be “questionable.”
3:54 left in second quarter
Palmer hits Fitzgerald for a nice gain but then the drive stalls after the refs miss what looked like a pretty obvious defensive holding as Andre Ellington tried to sneak out of the backfield on third down. Dave Zastudil’s punt is downed at the four.
That dude is good.
5:49 left in second quarter
Return gets the Cards out to the 24, where the first team offense will once again take over. Arians said he was expecting this group to play a half — at most — and hopefully less. No doubt he’d like to see a little more from them than he’s seen tonight.
5:55 left in second quarter
Bengals drive down the field with help of a missed Antonio Cromartie tackle and Patrick Peterson getting a bit turned around in coverage, but ultimately hold and force the Bengals into a field goal.
Deone Bucannon got some work covering tight ends in that series, and Jerraud Powers showed up and made some plays.
10-3 Bengals.
11:56 left in second quarter
The drive was OK, with a 24-yard run from Andre Ellington providing the highlight. Palmer is unable to connect with John Brown on a fade to the corner of the end zone, and the Cards settle for a 24-yard Feely field goal.
Now 7-3 Bengals.
14:15 left in second quarter
A screen pass to Bernard is snuffed out by Rashad Johnson for a loss, and a terrible punt gives Arizona the ball at the Cincy 41.
End of first quarter
Linebacker Kenny Demens, who may be a starting linebacker in place of Kevin Minter, forces an intentional grounding from Andy Dalton. The Bengals tack on a short gain after that, but now face a third and 18 from their nine as we head to the second quarter.
As far as quarters go, that was not the Cardinals’ best of the preseason. The offense looked a touch off on the first drive and then got progressively worse. At least the defense is fine.
:37 left in first quarter
Welp…the defense got a stop and the offense began at its own 10, but after picking up eight yards the effort stalls. Palmer is almost picked on a couple more passes, with his last attempt being forced due to pressure. Jared Veldheer was called for holding on the play, so even cheating couldn’t keep the Bengals off the QB.
Zastudil punts and the Bengals are flagged for holding, so they’ll take over at their own 17.
As sharp as the offense looked the first two preseason games, they look that much off in this one.
3:06 left in first quarter
Things looked pretty good after Palmer hit Fitz for a 43-yard gain down the seam, but then the offense stalled. John Brown dropped a pass that would have gone for a first down (not a great start for the rookie today), and then Jay Feely was very wide right on a 48-yard field goal attempt.
Feely is battling Chandler Catanzaro, who will kick in the second half tonight, for a job. That kick probably won’t help matters.
Bengals take over on their 39.
6:43 left in first quarter
Kickoff sails into the end zone for a touchback, and Cards will take over at their 20. Let’s see how the first team offense, which is still out there, responds to the turnover.
6:43 left in first quarter
Well how about that. Carson Palmer’s pass to Larry Fitzgerald is picked off by Terrance Newman and returned 54 yards for a score. There was clearly a mixup between QB and WR there, and it will be interesting to see who exactly was at fault. It’s the Cards’ first interception of the preseason, and at least it will be wiped off the books soon and can serve as a learning experience.
7-0 in favor of the striped ones.
7:32 left in first quarter
Defense gives up a first down but nothing more. Matt Shaughnessy stood out on that series, and also worth noting that rookie Ed Stinson got some work on the defensive line with that group.
This punt is returned by Ginn to the Arizona 37, so much better than his last attempt.
10:44 left in first quarter
Cardinals move the ball down the field with a good mix of run and pass, as Andre Ellington made his presence felt a couple of times. Arizona’s drive stalled, however, after John Brown was unable to make a tough (but catchable) reception and then Palmer barely missed Michael Floyd on a pair of deep balls. On the second one Floyd was so, so wide open.
Punt puts the Bengals on the seven.
13:29 left in first quarter
Cards force a three-and-out with help of a ball that fell incomplete but probably should have been caught. Ted Ginn, Jr. gets lit up on the punt return (a fair catch would have been a good idea on that one), and Cards start at their own 42.
15:00 left in first quarter
Jay Feely’s opening kickoff sails about seven yards deep into the end zone, and Jaron Brown makes a nice tackle on the return. Bengals will start at their own nine.
This is how things start here in the all-important third preseason game. Arizona’s starters figure to see more playing time than in the first two games, though likely no more than one half.
