Play of the Day
WR Ja'Marr Chase vs. CB DJ Turner II
Talk of the town.
These two have been battling all training camp for the welterweight belt, and when Chase and Turner looked back at quarterback Joe Burow's quick go route down the right sideline on one of the first plays of Tuesday's practice, everyone thought they were in for another treat on the Kettering Health Practice Fields.
Except.
Chase raced ahead of Turner, and when he reached back to make the catch, Turner was able to bat it away, and Chase came down awkwardly on his left knee. Turner helped him limp off the field, and it seemed as if it was just five minutes later Chase was yapping again at the defensive backs and trying to get back into practice until the medical people held him out for the rest of the day.
It was the kind of play where both Chase and Turner had "no idea how it went down." But Chase knew one thing.
"I think Cincinnati had a scare today," Chase said.
And that included Chase.
"I missed the ground. I missed my footing, something like that," said Chase, who walked it off. "I sat back down on the ground. I just took a minute to pray, then I got back up. Other than that, I really can't think about anything but God and making sure I'm all right."
A tweak, he called it.
Chase insisted if there were a game tomorrow, he'd be able to play. He also said he doesn't know if the Bengals are going to hold him out or practice until the week of the Sept. 13 opener.
"That's an upstairs thing," he said, but it didn't sound major. "I was trying to get back out to practice."
Chase stayed out on the field for another hour to watch practice, and then when it was over, he went to a sideline tent to do an interview with 1530's Mo Egger and Tony Pike.
Which isn't how serious injuries are handled.
"When he started walking around," said wide receiver Andrei Iosivas, "I knew he was OK. He would have been in a bad mood if it was something serious."
Player of the Day
WR Andrei Iosivas
Burrow still moved the club efficiently through a series of situations _second-and-long, third-down pressures, low red zone, late-game situations _ despite the absence of his top two targets.
With wide receiver Tee Higgins already on the sidelines getting a day off from team drills, the Bengals displayed their deep wide receiver bench when they turned to Iosivas and their two first-year standouts Dohnte Meyers and Colbie Young.
It also showed that while Young has had a nice camp (and a good day Tuesday that included a strong-hands catch over the middle with rookie cornerback Tacario Davis draped on him), there's no substitute for Iosivas' experience when it comes to the No. 3 receiver.
Iosivas didn't blink and made some big catches as he begins his fourth season. On Tuesday, he basically played Chase's spot and Young held down Higgins' spot on the outside while Meyers worked in the slot and did some other things.
On a third-and-four after a second-and long, Iosivas cleanly beat the fleet of foot Turner off the line and raced ahead of him, where Burrow placed it perfectly for what would have been a 50-yard touchdown. Then Iosivas made himself available for a couple of catches in the third-down pressure period that Burrow crushed.
"He had a good day. I was happy for that," Turner said of Iosivas. "His size and speed, that's his biggest thing. A lot of people his size don't have his speed, that's his thing."
Iosivas ran two terrific slants. One was against pressure.
"That's kind of his thing," said Iosivas of Burrow. "That's why he's the best."
And the other one came on the first big play of an end-of-game situation where the offense kept it's one-point lead with about four minutes left.
But he thought his best catch inside of the day came against the rookie Davis.
"He was inside leverage and I beat him to the inside," Iosivas said. "I'm ready to go again. Whatever they need me to do, I can do it for them."
The more Meyers works with Burrow, the more the CFL import's role crystalizes: a fast, versatile change of pace option who isn't limited to the slot because of his outside speed.
Ask Turner. Meyers blew by him on a go route and Burrow dropped it in. He also salted away the last drill of the day _the end-of-game _ when he burned the secondary by ripping across the middle and tracking down Burrow's rollout pass.
"I told him today and I told him … last week, you're good," Turner said.
Quote of the Day
"Hey JB. That number 81 can run, now."
_Turner to safety Jordan Battle after Meyers went deep on him.
Slants and Screens
It was a rather chippy day, and Battle had to conclude after practice, "We're sick of hitting each other."
Linebacker Barrett Carter got the offense mad with his "tackle,' of running back Samaje Perine, and tight end Erick All Jr. got the defense mad with his rather enthusiastic block of Battle.
"I hate that. I love JB. He's one of my guys," All said.
Battle said it's all good. All knew it was on the next play when he lined up as the back in front of Perine and led him into the hole. In the hole? Battle.
"It was a good play. A good run," All said. "I yelled over, 'Good look, JB.' So he knew it was all right." …
Center Ted Karras called it "an intense day,' and knew why. "Afternoon practice. It's hot as bleep. It's great." …
The last two days of practice have probably been Burrow's finest days of protection in the pocket. The defense was muttering about how quickly Burrow was getting it rid of it in the pressure period and completing everything.
"Fast. One Two seconds. Fast," said a defensive lineman.
That said, the protection has been terrific.
"I think we've had a good run in here in camp to end it," said Karras of the offensive line. "Sunday will be two weeks out. A lot of hard work and I think we're jelling as a unit." …
Safety Bryan Cook took his first five snaps Tuesday in team in a couple of weeks as he rounds into game form. He missed the preseason opener and joint practice against the Bears, but believes there are ways he'll be able to simulate speed of the game …
He didn't say what the injury was, only that they decided to play it safe "because it's a long season." …
Starting cornerback Dax Hill is back on the rehab field and head coach Zac Taylor says he's progressing to the opener …
