CINCINNATI -- Ken Zampese's pregame wishes for his quarterbacks were simple: play turnover-free football, move the offense and get the unit into a night-long rhythm.
The Cincinnati Bengals' quarterbacks coach had to be mostly pleased with his players' performances at the end of Friday's preseason opener against the New York Giants. He especially had to feel good about what his starter, Andy Dalton, did in one drive.
On just six plays, Dalton led an opening-drive touchdown. But that wasn't all. Dalton was perfect on all three passes he attempted, connecting with receivers for 31 yards. One of them was a 3-yard touchdown pass to Mohamed Sanu. He also posted a near-perfect 149.3 passer rating.
Here are some quick thoughts on the Bengals' 23-10 win Friday over the Giants:
QB depth chart: It was only one drive in a preseason game, but there's reason to feel encouraged about Dalton's performance. Last year at Kansas City in a similarly strong preseason-opening outing, he was 3-for-5 for 71 yards on a lone eight-play drive. From there, he got into a rhythm that carried over until Week 6 of the regular season, when he had a multi-interception game for the first time. Including the preseason, Dalton had five touchdowns and one interception through the first five weeks. The trick is to keep that play going all year.
Maybe that dude could start: Cincinnati's starting rotations are practically set on both sides of the ball, but Pat Sims looked like a second-teamer who could handle a larger role in the defense. The defensive tackle had four tackles, including one for loss that came on a first-half carry by Andre Williams. The running back barely took a step after the handoff before all 340 pounds in Sims' frame flattened him. At the very least, he presents an intriguing backup option.
Who got hurt? Running backs were the most frequent visitors to team doctors. Veteran Cedric Peerman left in the second quarter after hurting a knee when he landed awkwardly while trying to dive for the end zone from about five yards out. Hit by defenders as he was airborne, he helicoptered into his fall. Around the same time Peerman hobbled off the field, Rex Burkhead had been deemed questionable with a neck injury. He did not return.
Surprise performer who looks amazing: With Mike Nugent an unexpected pregame scratch, backup kicker Tom Obarski play the entire game. He did well with kickoffs, blasting each of his three kicks into the end zone. He also had three field goals, including a 46-yarder that split the uprights with plenty of room to spare. His 27-yard attempt that doinked off the right upright was a lowlight, though.
Rookie watch: Because of the depth ahead of him at corner, it's been easy to forget Josh Shaw is on Cincinnati's roster. The fourth-round pick made his presence known early, though, recording a tackle at the opposing 17 on the game's opening kickoff. Defensive linemen Marcus Hardison (three tackles, one sack) and DeShawn Williams (one tackle, one sack) also had good nights.
When it was starters vs. starters, the Bengals looked ...: Like a playoff-bound team. Again, it's only one preseason game, but the Bengals have to be pleased with the offense's ability to generate a rhythm early. Defensively, the starters completely shut down Eli Manning's first-team Giants, forcing back-to-back three-and-outs before they started getting pulled on the third series. Against Cincinnati's starting and second-team defensive units combined, New York's first-team offense took 14:09 before recording a first down.
One reason to freak out: Tyler Eifert won't just be fantasy gold for people looking to add under-the-radar skill players, he also will be real-life gold for the Bengals this season. Freak out about him -- in a good way. He touched the ball two times, and both receptions resulted in first downs (12-yard catch, and an 18-yard catch). He can be a real X-factor for Cincinnati's offense this year.
Atkins is back: His coaches and teammates have been raving all training camp about his return to dominance, and it appears with good reason. Geno Atkins was only part of two drives but the defensive tackle had flashes of the quick-burst first step he missed much of last season, when he first returned from a 2013 ACL injury. Once Friday, he burst through the interior and chased a running back to the left edge, quickly tackling him for no gain.
What's next? Cincinnati won't practice Saturday, but players will be at the stadium for film review, meetings and treatment before getting an off day Sunday.