Peerman breaks left forearm on tackle
Pro Bowl special teams player is expected to miss extended time.
Already short-handed, the Cincinnati Bengals lost some players Sunday night at Jacksonville and ultimately lost the game when the Jaguars scored 23 unanswered points for a 26-21 triumph at EverBank Field.
Seven things to know about the loss: Injuries an issue again: It started in pregame warmups when cornerback Adam Jones suffered a calf strain that kept him from playing, then on the second offensive series wide receiver A.J. Green left with a “banged-up knee,” according to the team.
Coach Marvin Lewis said Green would have played had it been the regular season, and Jones said he would have played through his calf injury as well.
The news was not as positive for running back Cedric Peerman, who made his first Pro Bowl last
year as a special teamer, suffered a fractured left forearm on a tackle by Davon House.
The injury is expected to keep Peerman out for an extended period. Although Peerman didn’t have a carry or reception last year, he led the team with 17 special teams tackles. Defensive dominance: The first-team defense continued to impress with its third consecutive quality outing. After recovering a fumble on the Jaguars’ first offensive series, the Bengals forced consecutive threeand-outs.
The starters played six series and prevented Jacksonville from getting a first down on four of them.
Even the six-play, 60-yard drive the Jaguars put together on their fourth possession was a plus for the Bengals as they held Jacksonville to a field goal after the hosts had first-and-goal at the 5.
The Jaguars had 90 total yards and five first downs in the first half.
In 10 series this preseason, the Bengals defensive starters have allowed 221 yards and
six points with two sacks, two forced fumbles and a recovery. Erickson earning a
spot: Whatever hope there may have been of sneaking undrafted wide receiver Alex Erickson through waivers and adding him to the practice squad likely evaporated.
Erickson scored his third touchdown of the preseason on a 21-yard reception from AJ McCarron, and he had another big night on special teams with punt returns of 39 and 18 yards.
In three games, Erickson has four punt returns for 167 yards (41.8 average), including his 80-yard touchdown in the opener against the Vikings.
The 6-foot, 195-pounder also had an 8-yard carry on the first snap after he returned a kickoff 31 yards.
Backfield clicking: The tailback tandem of Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard continues to produce in the running and passing game.
It started with the third offensive play of the game when Bernard caught a pass in the flat, got a couple of blocks and raced untouched for a 19-yard touchdown.
He finished with 25 yards on two receptions and 27 rushing yards on three carries.
Hill added a 28-yard reception on a screen pass and 21 rushing yards, including a nifty 1-yard touchdown where he broke it outside and beat two defenders to the pylon. Rare turnover costly: The Bengals committed their first turnover of the preseason, and it cost them the game when Jacksonville linebacker Hayes Pullard returned a Joe Licata interception 62 yards for a touchdown.
The pick-six came with 7:48 remaining and accounted for the final points to cap Jacksonville’s comeback from a 21-3 third-quarter deficit.
That was the last throw Licata made before Coldwater High School graduate Keith Wenning took over and directed the final two series. Thin tackle situation: Already limited at tackle with Cedric Ogbuehi (toe) and Jake Fisher (ankle) out, things got even thinner when backup center T.J. Johnson left to get evaluated for a concussion. Johnson’s absence forced Trip Thurman to play cen- ter instead of tackle.
Jacksonville’s ability to get pressure off the edge against
the second- and third-team tackles was a big reason the offense stalled in the second half.
It’s doubtful starting tackle Andrew Whitworth will play Thursday against Indianapolis, and the same goes for Ogbuehi and Fisher, even if they are healthy.
That could make for a long night for Wenning and Licata if Lewis decides not to play Andy Dalton while also limiting McCarron’s snaps. Interior line impressive:
The play of guards Clint Boling and Kevin Zeitler and center Russell Bodine allowed Hill and Bernard to have strong games.
The interior line dominated for most of the first half, with one of the best plays coming on Bernard’s touchdown reception as Boling sprinted to the flat to lay the springing block on cornerback Josh Evans.
Boling also had a key pulling block on Bernard’s longest run, an 11-yarder. And Zeitler made a good pulling block on Hill’s longest run of 8 yards.