A tip of a Cincy Hat to Bengals rookie center Matt Lee after he took every snap last Saturday in Chicago and didn't allow a pressure.
Ted Karras, the starting center and author of the Cincy Hat project, noticed.
"He's a guy that's done all the right things enough to play his way onto an NFL roster," Karras said after Monday's practice. "That's important for this program and this organization. As a 31-year-old center with two years left on my contract, to have a guy in the pipeline has to be a relief for upstairs. As Bengals fans, I'd be thrilled to have a guy like that in the pipeline. Both our rookie offensive linemen are going to be around a long time."
Right tackle Amarius Mims, the first-rounder, is still out with a strained shoulder. Lee, the seventh-rounder, isn't going to take over for Karras tomorrow, but he'll be in the middle of it again pushing for that roster spot in Thursday's preseason finale (8 p.m.-Amazon Prime) against the Colts at Paycor Stadium.
He's riding momentum with the confidence of Saturday underneath him.
"It was pretty cool to go against the Ones from another team. You don't do that all the time in training camp, so to be able to do it against another team's Ones for two or three drives felt good," said Lee, who feels he can play up here. "From a physical matchup standpoint, I think I can."
Lee is going to keep impressing the vets with his strength. On Saturday, former Bengals defensive tackle Andrew Billings, a 311-pounder now running with the Bears' Ones, got a taste from the 6-4, 301-pound Lee.
"For a center his size, his anchor (is impressive)," Karras said. "He's got strength I don't think he initially gets credit for. I think he's been a willing rookie to learn and asks anyone questions, but not in a corny way, and using that information to help him win blocks."
Lee is going to keep doing what he does.
"There's a lot of good stuff and a lot of stuff to improve upon, especially little stuff in the run game," Lee said. "Little technique stuff. Stuff you need to keep hammering. Hammering in practice. Really being conscious of. No matter what we're doing. Whether it's an (individual drill), in a drill against the defense in a team period, whatever it is, just continue pounding on the same stuff over and over and over again."
This is a camp where Karras has sensed his football mortality. A new father, he has often cited his role as the oldest player on the team, a month older than fellow former Patriot Trent Brown. It gets him thinking about the days he broke into the league while in Foxboro, when he was a sixth-round pick learning to play center.
"I think it is the responsibility of older guys to help the young guys," Karras said. "I was blown away by all the help I received from guys like Bryan Stork and David Andrews. Especially Dave, they taught me how to play the position."
On Monday, Karras again tutored Lee on the wide zone, a play the rookie ran occasionally at the University of Miami but is a steady diet here. Lee may not be ready yet, but he's in the pipeline.
"He can't pull off a full Teddy K as a rookie," Karras said with a laugh. "But he's having a great camp."
PLAYER OF THE DAY: Defense, led by DT B.J. Hill
The Bengals scaled back practice Monday as they tuned for Tuesday's joint workout with the Colts, and the defense ruled a mini move-the-ball drill. Usually, the offense or defense wins when it reaches 18 points in head coach Zac Taylor's scoring system, but he made it 11 on Monday. The defense was all over it.
"We came out a little slow in the practice in Chicago," said Hill of Thursday's work against the Bears. "We picked it up towards the end of practice. Our main goal now is to start fast and finish even better. That's what we did today and finished very well. I feel like sometimes we get into a slump. It's like a boxing match. We want to get hit first and then react. But now we want to deliver the hit first and keep on going."
Hill's emergence in his fourth season with the Bengals as a more active leader parallels his seniority up front. When he arrived via a trade late in the 2021 training camp, nose tackle DJ Reader and Larry Ogunjobi were the anchors. But Hill is the one remaining who signed an extension. When Reader signed with the Lions back in March, he sent Hill a text.
"He told me it was my turn to take over the D-Line," Hill said. "I learned from him the last couple of years … I've always talked to the guys, but I'm being more intentional with them, making sure they're actually doing the work that needs to be done," Hill said. "Especially the young guys Just make sure they stay on track and lock in and focus. Because they're just as important as us. They're going to help us win games."
Winning games is his deal.
"I want to win a lot of games. I want to win the division. I want to win the Super Bowl," Hill said. "If we're playing good football up front, we'll have no problem. I truly believe if we play at a high level each and every week, the sky's the limit for us."
PLAYER OF THE DAY: CB Dax Hill
It was a good time for Hill to have a day as he and DJ Turner continue to compete for the starting spot opposite No. 1 cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt. Both are going to play plenty.
"However it shakes out, there are roles for people, and certainly you prefer to have one guy that's the starter," Taylor said. "That doesn't mean that's the way it has to be. But there are opportunities for roles beyond that, whether a guy's a starter or not."
Hill says he's simply looking to contribute as he transitions from safety. He certainly did on Monday: He's a big reason the defense won. When quarterback Joe Burrow threw off his back foot on fourth-and-one, he didn't lead wide receiver Charlie Jones across the field, and Hill, in man-to-man coverage, defended it.
Earlier in the day on third down, Hill had tight coverage on wide receiver Trenton Irwin down the right sideline, and Irwin couldn't reach Burrow's throw.
After doing his usual post-practice routine of catching balls from the machine, Hill said he's getting more comfortable at corner.
"I feel like I bring a lot of positivity in terms of production. Flying around out there. That's something I do well," Hill said. "Slowing my mind down. I feel like there was a time mentally where everything slowed down. My technique slowed down. I'm able to play faster and be able to really know what I'm going to get in terms of the offense."
QUOTE OF THE DAY
C Ted Karras on helping rookie Matt Lee:
"I've never been a fan of hazing or bitterness with animosity to younger guys."
SLANTS AND SCREENS: Ryan Rehkow, the de facto Opening Day punter as Brad Robbins deals with a hip flexor, is adjusting to the Bengals' style of holding. He used two fingers during his career at BYU, but kicker Evan McPherson likes just one point of contact.
"It's a very minor adjustment, and it makes things easier," Rehkow said ….
Safety Tycen Anderson said he could do everything he had to Saturday in his first game in nearly a year as he comes back from an ACL tear. He took 15 snaps and said, "I've got confidence in the rehab so I didn't think about it." …
Along with Mims, third-round defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson is still out … Defensive end Sam Hubbard (knee) returned to individual drills Monday … Wide receiver Kendric Pryor (finger) is out this week …Right tackle Trent Brown (back) returned Monday ...
