After a 90-minute delay fueled by a summer stew of thunder, lightning, and monsoon rain, the Bengals were greeted for the first time this season at Paycor Stadium Friday night by a robust and resilient crowd that saw flashes of the offseason press clippings during a 25-minute display.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow emerged from the 60-minute workout in the indoor facility and wasted no time greeting the crowd with what they came to see before head coach Zac Taylor and homegrown free agent safety Bryan Cook took the microphone to salute the crowd with Super Bowl vows.
"Best fans in the world," said Taylor, looking to the sky as proof.
Player of the Night
K Evan McPherson
McPherson hoped to repeat history when he ended the session with a 65-yard rocket, just as he did in 2022 during the team's first appearance at Paycor Stadium in a season that ended with a second straight appearance in the AFC title game.
McPherson, coming off the best season of a career entering year six that includes the Bengals' longest field goal ever from 63 yards, began Friday's recital with a 33-yard PAT. Then he knocked through kicks from 37 and 41, which figures since he didn't miss from shorter than 50 yards last year. Then he breezed into it from 50 and 54 before hitting from 65 with the greatest of ease.
With plenty to spare. It looked like it would have been good from 72.
"Nah, 68, 69," said McPherson, knowing 68 would tie the NFL record.
Perfect hold by punter Ryan Rehkow. Perfect snap by William Wagner. These were things that hadn't been all that perfect in '22 and until last year, with Wagner's arrival as a college free agent completing the operation troika.
It will be recalled the man who snapped that 65-yarder in '22 was Automatic Clark Harris in what turned out to be the last of his 13 Bengals training camps before getting hurt in the opener that was his 202nd and final game in stripes. Now, the only question seems to be the wind. On Friday night, McPherson, Rehkow, and Wagner had to deal with a remnant of the storm.
"We were going to kick toward the river, but the wind was in our face," McPherson said. "We made the change at the last minute to go to the city. The wind was with us. Barely."
McPherson is at it again. If he's missed any, the wind robbed him by a hair. It looks like he's on another tear. Before camp, special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons said McPherson had hit more than 90 straight field goals in practice last season, a feat he says he's never seen during parts of four decades in the league.
McPherson doesn't think he's missed yet this camp.
"Well, there's some controversy," McPherson said. "I made one that looked good, but Darrin said it wasn't. But I'm feeling good. Strong."
Play of the Day
Rookie cornerback Tacario Davis had his first pick of camp. Backup quarterback Joe Flacco conspired again with CFL rookie receiver Dohnte Meyers and closed their 19-year gap in NFL experience with a touchdown bomb. Running back Chase Brown ripped a long run off the right side, and as right tackle Amarius Mims turned around to go back to the huddle, he pointed to the scoreboard shot of Brown ahead of the field racing down the right sideline.
But it had to be this, right?
Barely had the crowd's cheers greeting the Bengals' entrance evaporated when Burrow christened the new season the only way he could. A 50-yard bomb to Chase running through what looked to be a zone. Burrow, in the shotgun, could have built a line of riflery in the time he had back there against the rush of a first-team defensive line that has been the talk of camp.
Burrow and Chase didn't click across the street indoors in the previous hour. When they got to Paycor, defensive coordinator Al Golden opted to rest cornerback DJ Turner II, so without his starters he rotated cornerback combos with the Ones. Bralyn Lux is having a good camp as a backup slot, but Chase appeared to be on a mission on that one with the crowd ringing in his ears. Burrow had just sent 2026 a calling card.
Quote of the Day
"With the fans in here, you know we wanted to put on kind of a show. We talked to Darrin about what would be a makeable kick. The fans here are always good. But really, I always get more adrenaline when I'm kicking with the entire team on both sides of the ball."
_McPherson on his night's work.
Slants and Screens
With the other starting cornerback, Dax Hill, out, Turner looked fine after another monstrous outing in the indoor. He ended it with a hellacious pass defensed of Burrow and Chase on an out and then on the last play for the Ones before they went to the stadium, didn't let wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley breathe on Burrow's long incomplete sideline ball …
Tacario Davis got a lot of work with the Ones, but his interception came off backup quarterback Josh Johnson's deep ball as he turned, found the ball, and went back for it …
Rookie wide receiver Colbie Young had a great rep with Burrow. Burrow lofted it deep down the right sideline and where only the 6-4 Young could catch it. Young launched himself into a tangle of arms with 6-1 cornerback D.J. Ivey and came down with it.
"A grown man play," offered one long-time Bengals observer …
Safety Jordan Battle forced a fumble on a run, and on Chase's catch from Burrow, he stayed with it and tapped Chase when Chase got up from the ground and tried to roll into the end zone …
Burrow and Chase, warming up now, layer connected on one of Chase's classic outs on the sideline where he made the chalk disappear …
The rookie Meyers also had a few targets from Burrow in 7-on-7. But he's clearly got a rapport with Flacco. And, at 41, a camp long ball is still sweet.
"Good way to end it," said Flacco on a night Burrow christened and McPherson gave one back to the city and not the river …
