Bengals defense ‘won the day’ in joint practice vs. Packers

Jenkins ended up pulled from practice after the last one.

“Typical football stuff,” Reader said when asked what led to the dust-ups. “Guys in their feelings about whatever, who knows. He might have had a bad day today, somebody having some bad news or something. Seemed positive early in practice and then it turned really negative for him and he wanted to get kicked out. He just didn’t want to practice. He’ll be out there Friday, we will see him.”

Reader posted later on social media, “He’s a J A G (just a guy).”

Reader seemed to take a little pride in the fact he was able to frustrate Jenkins enough to end his day of work.

“We just excited to go out there and play,” Reader said. “We’re tough guys. We got $10,000 worth of equipment on, like those things don’t hurt. They don’t bother you until you get your stuff snatched off, and I think that happened to him on the first one, so that’s probably why he was in the skirmish.”

The defense seemed to be playing at a high level against the Packers’ offense, highlighted by Trey Hendrickson getting a couple sacks on Jordan Love, and Mike Hilton recording an interception. Reader and linebacker Germaine Pratt both said the Bengals “won the day.”

Hilton said he felt it was a good day’s work as well. He was glad the intensity didn’t go overboard to the point the practice needed ended early, like it was last year when a brawl broke out in a joint practice with the L.A. Rams. In that one Aaron Donald was swinging a Bengals helmet into a group of players.

The Bengals and Packers will meet in the preseason opener Friday at Paycor Stadium, and while coach Zac Taylor already has declared most of the Bengals starters won’t be on the field, Wednesday was considered their game reps.

“You kind of expect tempers to flare,” Hilton said. “It’s your first chance to go against another team and obviously the intensity is going to get riled up, but there’s nothing but good work on both ends and we were able to execute everything smooth and get a lot of work in.

“Just usual tempers flaring and maybe somebody gets that extra push at the end, but it’s all good competition and it got settled before it got out of hand so that was a good thing.”

While the Bengals’ defense had a productive day, it wasn’t quite as smooth for the offense going up against the Packers’ defense.

Trevor Siemian and Jake Browning split the first-team reps at quarterback, and they combined for only a few memorable plays, including a touchdown pass from Siemian to Tyler Boyd that required a little toe-tap to stay in bounds.

Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, who called the plays Wednesday, said there was “some good, some bad.” The offense was unable to pick up some blitzes that normally wouldn’t be a problem if the Bengals had game-planned that team specifically, and the quarterbacks are still adjusting to the offense. Right guard Alex Cappa was missing as well, allowing first-team reps for both Trey Hill and Cody Ford in that spot.

“It was a different scheme, different style, so it was good work,” Callahan said. “I’m glad it was a little humid and hot today, guys got to feel what it was like to work through drives and got a bunch of reps with the 1s, so it was good for where we were in training camp. Like I said, some good and some bad.”

Perhaps the biggest highlight for the offense was Joe Burrow’s presence on the practice field, as he watched for the first time since he injured his right calf. He was dressed in all black, with a bucket hat and sunglasses, as though he was going incognito, but his presence was noticeable.

“It’s always nice to have his presence out there,” Callahan said. “It’s good for guys to see him out. He’s been rehabbing quite a bit, he’s doing a good job and to have him out at practice is always beneficial. Guys like seeing him too. I think you saw everybody excited to have him out, standing around watching.”

Taylor said before practice Burrow’s timeline remains the same, despite some prodding as to whether he might miss the opener or be out a few weeks into the regular season.

“It’s comprehensive for what the plan is they have for him,” Taylor said of his rehab. “Again, I don’t interject what benchmarks I want to see from any of our rehab guys. They’ve proven that they do an outstanding job with our guys coming off of injury.”

FRIDAY’S GAME

Packers at Bengals, 7 p.m., NFL Network, 1530, 102.7, 104.7