Dalton Risner makes his first Bengals' start and 82^nd of his NFL career in Sunday's home start (1 p.m.-Cincinnati’s Local 12) against the Jaguars, but the rave reviews of his Bengals debut last week haven't stopped.

Mike McCarthy, the Bengals assistant offensive line coach charged with schooling new players in the playbook, couldn't wait to get back upstairs and give him more as he shook his head after a recent walkthrough this week.

Sifting through tape of last Sunday's win in Cleveland in which Risner had to be yanked off the bench despite signing just 10 days before, McCarthy and offensive line coach Scott Peters were gratified to see their handiwork so early.

"The beauty of it, and the credit to him, he's using our technique on film, so we're really excited about that," McCarthy said. "To see our techniques being utilized in a game on such a short week. That tells you something about the player and, obviously, Dalton."

What it also says is that in his seventh season, Risner is looking to broaden his game and believes he has found the coaches and the technique to do it. He appears to have quickly adapted to Peters' unique "Strike System," that is centered on hand usage.

"I'm a guy, at this point in my career, buying into what the coaching staff is doing," Risner said. "It's super important to me. I want to be a Bengal. Whatever I can to show these guys I'm serious about it, I'll do it."

That was evident from the moment he signed, about an hour before the last practice of the week leading into the three-day Labor Day break. McCarthy spent his weekend getting up at the crack of dawn and spending a few hours each day preparing to meet with Risner on Monday and the start of the Bengals' preparation for the Browns in six brief days.

After Risner was in the media glow for taking the last 36 snaps in place of the injured Lucas Patrick, he regretted he didn't say McCarthy's name on camera.

No problem.

"He doesn't have to do that," said McCarthy as he walked through last week, which is pretty much the same as this week with the extra work.

"We started from the ground up. On a short week, it's get him ready to play the game you're going to play. It was mainly the install. The goal is to get him caught up on the stuff after that. This week, it's a similar deal. Just get him ready to play the game. So he can go out and operate and feel confident. Obviously, he's been in a lot of systems. You want to build confidence in the player. That's our goal here."

So "the stuff after that," is Peters' technique, which he's embraced.

"Very different. Numbers. The Strike System and the areas to strike with different (combinations)," Risner said. "I think I'll grow as a player."

He has certainly risen in the estimation of linemates such as center Ted Karras after Risner came out of the gate poised against Browns ballyhooed rookie defensive tackle Mason Graham.

"On his first five passes, he's one-on-one against a top five pick," Karras said. "Impressive."

SHEMAR UPDATE

A big theme around the Jaguars this week is maintaining their physicality they established last week when they rushed for 200 yards against the Panthers. Meanwhile, Bengals' first-round pick Shemar Stewart showed all-star physicality in his debut. He made some huge plays in that run the Bengals denied the Browns on their last five possessions. He buttressed Joseph Ossai’s rush off the edge from, the other side with a hand in Joe Flacco's face to force safety Jordan Battle’s interception, and he met Trey Hendrickson at Flacco on third down to set up a B.J. Hill sack and the missed Browns' field goal.

Throw in his WWF throwdown of 374-pound left tackle Dawand Jones, and Stewart came to play physical. He really wants that first NFL sack. He put his hands on his helmet when Hill got the sack he helped happen. He knew it could have been his.

"Unsung hero," Stewart said. "I've got to get faster. I'll get one soon."

Even Hendrickson had to wait when he was a rookie in 2017 to get his first sack when he was with the Saints. Hendrickson got Panthers quarterback Cam Newton in his third game on a sack-strip. Maybe Stewart can repeat history in week two. Newton, like Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, is an overall No. 1 pick.

Stewart certainly won't repeat Hendrickson's signature sack celebration of pointing an index finger to the sky. He doesn't have one yet.

"I just want it to come to me in the moment," Stewart said. "If I plan it, it probably won't happen."

He is enjoying watching Hendrickson work.

"It's crazy. One play I'm playing in the three-technique, I get into the backfield, and Trey is just clobbering Flacco. Hey, I see it every day in practice. To see it in a game is crazier."

HOT JA'MARR

When the Bengals practiced Thursday, the mercury hit 88 degrees, which wouldn't make it the hottest Bengals game here or anywhere else.

The forecast for Sunday is in the vicinity, but the hottest Bengals game belongs to the 2002 NFL opener at Paycor Stadium, when it was 90 degrees. They've had two kickoffs at 89 degrees, last year in Kansas City on Sept. 15, and on Sept. 24, 2017, at the hottest game ever in Green Bay history. The 2008 Breezer Bowl on Sept. 14, 2008, at Paycor went off at 88 degrees.

The hotter the better for All-Pro wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. The New Orleans native came off the field smiling Thursday.

"It wasn't hot at all, for real. Felt good to me. Little breeze," Chase said. "It felt good out there. I've been waiting for it to feel like this in Cincy."

Chase has come through in his two hottest home games, both 81-degree starts that boiled into overtime. In his NFL debut, he had 101 yards in a win over the Vikings on Sept. 13 and last year on Oct. 6 had 193 yards on 10 catches in a loss to the Ravens.