And really, this is just preseason, so I will not officially worry about anything until the Bengals actually play and lose a regular season game this year. I mean, the first team defense has been criticize for its poor play in the first two games.

Okay, so they gave up two touchdowns to the Broncos QB Kyle Orton. Both of those TDs came after penalties on 3rd downs, and one of those was a highly dubious (really just total BS) pass  interference call on Leon Hall. But if you asked 100 Bengals fans after the first two preseason games, what is the number one concern about the team, 99.5 would’ve said it was the offense clicking, not the defense (the half person would be a midget, and that would’ve been Mike Brown… (yes, he’s secretly a midget, but I’m not demeaning midgets, I’m demeaning Mike Brown, if that makes sense at all)).

And the first-team defense came out and held the Eagles to two first-half field goals last night. Even if they had given up two touchdowns, I wouldn’t be worried about them until the regular season. Defense does not need timing and rhythm. They need quickness, strength, and motivation. The latter of which will arrive soon enough.

The offense, on the hand, had its up and downs:

- FINALLY: Carson Palmer went deep to Terrell Owens for 43 yards. I didn’t get to see the game last night, but when I saw the highlight this morning… It was a thing of beauty. I mean… wow… perfect throw, right in stride with T.O. I had to wipe away a tear it was so GD beautiful.

- Interceptions?: Palmer and Ochocinco hooked up twice for 29 yards, but Palmer also threw two passes to Chad that got intercepted. I have yet to see the first highlight, but the second one was not Carson’s fault. It bounced out of Chad’s hands and into the other team’s hands. Look, turnovers are always a concern, but I am not too worried about Carson becoming Jay Cutler out there and flinging it to the other team every other play. The last time I checked, no starting QB has ever gone a season without an INT, so it’s going to happen this season. Hopefully just not very frequently. If Carson can have under 14 INTs, I think the Bengals will be fine.

- Fat Boy Smith: Hateable Andre Smith finally got his fat ass out of the twinkie factory assembly line and onto the field this week. He practiced for the first time this season on Tuesday and he was in the game on Friday, due mainly to the plethora of injuries at left/right tackle. Rumor has it that the coaches were only able to get him out on the field because the Golden Corral would have an all-you-can-eat steak buffet on the sidelines…

All joking aside, Smith played awful. Okay, I didn’t watch the game, but, per the tweets of Joe Reedy, he got beat regularly and he had two penalties that stalled drives. On the flip side, he was on the field during Carson’s bomb to T.O. and also during Bernard Scott’s 6-yard TD run, so he wasn’t all the way bad. Of course, in all fairness, I would think it’s tough to be thrown in a live game 3 days after you start practicing. And I know I’ve lampooned Smith for being festively plump (and deservedly so), I really, truly want to see him succeed because that would mean the Bengals will succeed. He’s got two weeks to get his ass ready for the real thing. Let’s hope he gets his act together.

- Kickers for Hire?: I’ve got a feeling the kicker for the 2010 Bengals is not on the roster right now. Ted Mike Nugent has been hurt and hasn’t gotten a chance to prove himself in a game, and Dave Rayner missed a 36 yarder last night. I’m not quite pining for Shayne Graham, even though I would actually feel better if he were on our roster right now. For as bad as Shayne was in the clutch, he could at least make the regular field goals, something these guys seem to have trouble with.

-  Pacman Adam Jones:  I saw the replay of one of his kick returns… WHICH WAS TOTALLY AWESOME!  The dude had about a hundred people around him, slipped away, reversed field, and ran 40 yards.  Ridiculous.  Jones was doing punt and kickoff returns, and he looked good.  He probably is now the leading candidate for punt returns. 

Overall, the Bengals seem to be working out the kinks and I feel happy about their progress. Penalties seem to be something that the fans will have to deal with, which is like saying you’re just going to have to live with flesh-eating bacteria. I think two weeks should be enough time for the Bengals to get ready for those evil Patriots.

If you have an questions, comments, suggestions, complaints, you can email David Jacob at djacob@gearupforsports.com. You can also join his facebook group, and/or follow him at http://twitter.com/HoldenCarraway.