Everyone is expecting tight end Tyler Eifert to play his first game in 347 days Sunday when the Bengals go to Buffalo (4 p.m.-Cincinnati's Channel 19) for what is also expected to be the dress rehearsal for the Sept. 9 opener in Indianapolis.
But about an hour before he took the practice field Wednesday, Eifert said he hadn't been informed if he'd be playing and he didn't feel the urgency to get some pre-season snaps solely because he's working in offensive coordinator Bill Lazor's new system.
"I don't know if it's necessary or not," Eifert said of working before the opener. "It's different terminology, but it's all the same … It would be exciting (to play). That's what I'm here to do." …
Never mind eye-catching Jonathan Brown making the roster. Barely had his 55-yarder slid through Saturday night in Dallas when head coach Marvin Lewis said Randy Bullock is his kicker. But before Wednesday's practice Lewis said there won't be a kicker on his practice squad. So now the question is if the intriguing Brown, who didn't kick a field goal in a game on any level until the pre-season opener, has put enough on tape to get picked up by somebody else.
"That's not my job to populate someone else's roster," said Lewis, who has concluded that a guy who started kicking about four years ago is too big of a risk to make the guy on Sept. 9 in Indy. "Because of everything we know. It's more than kicking it 55 yards. To his credit he did it and he just has to keep doing it. The more he does it, the more confidence he has and everybody has around him … When we line up to kick a field goal I expect to walk away with three points and it's not a maybe or maybe not proposition." …
_Before the first practice without safety George Iloka, the newest Man of Zim in the Twin Cities, Lewis, the notorious rookie doubter, had kind words for his newest starter, second-rounder Jessie Bates.
"As expected, he's done a nice job since he's been here," Lewis said. "I'm comfortable with him." …
_It looks like rookie wide receiver Auden Tate may get another shot on special teams Sunday with wide receiver Cody Core (unknown ailment) not practicing Wednesday. The speculation is if Core isn't ready to start the season or beyond, Tate makes it. Special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons said before practice Tate is a neophyte in the kicking game after getting his most work on teams against the Cowboys but showed he had the willingness to learn …
_Also out Wednesday were linebackers Vontaze Burfict (foot) and Vincent Rey (ankle), cornerbacks Sojourn Shelton (wrist) and Davontae Harris (knee), safety Tyrice Beverette (unknown), center-guard T.J. Johnson (unknown), defensive tackle Chris Baker (unknown), and guard Cory Helms (his arm was in a sling) …
_Back for the first time since they were injured in the first week of camp: slot corner Tony McRae (ankle) and defensive tackles Josh Tupou (knee) and Andrew Brown (hamstring).
