When the Cincinnati Bengals come to Dayton, it usually brings a tremendous amount of hype.
The last time the Bengals graced Welcome Stadium, was when Chad OchoCinco, T.O., and Carson Palmer were leading the Bengals.
This time the Bengals practiced as part of the NFL100 Kickoff Season, as they pay homage to the first official NFL game being in Dayton, Ohio.
The NFL decided to have the Bengals open Training Camp at University of Dayton Welcome Stadium football field.
This time, it went a little different, as Superstar WR A.J. Green went down early in practice with a badly sprained ankle (which turned out to have some torn ligaments), causing people to question if the field was ready.
Newly paid WR Tyler Boyd and others felt like the field was a joke.
However, new Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor felt like it wasn't the fields fault.
Why would the coach say that when his star player got hurt? The comment raises eyebrows, no doubt; but it also shows that Taylor won't stand for excuses, a great trait for a young coach in the NFL.
Could it have been that Green didn't get his ankles taped like reported?
Could it be that it was a freak accident?
Or could it be that, quite simply, the field was not up to par?
Lets dig a little deeper shall we?
Hypothetically, if A.J. Green went out there without being taped, then this argument is over.
And it makes you think that maybe the Bengals Coaching Staff knew that.
Whether Green plays without wrapping ankles? Not sure. But as he approaches the 2nd half of his career, he will have to take more precautions with his body.
Neverheless, the Bengals practiced, with nobody else major suffering any setbacks.
After practice, which lasted about 2 hours, the players signed autographs, did interviews, and took pictures with the fans.
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| Bengals QB Andy Dalton signs autographs after game |
After the NFL Network reported that Green would be out for a while, the backlash was in full effect.
People, mostly Who Dey fans, deemed Welcome Stadium a bad place to have NFL practices, calling it "horrible field conditions."
After hearing the backlash, Dayton Public Schools AD responded, letting the people know that they had did all they could do to make sure the field was "Approved" and ready for the Bengals to practice.
Even a NFL rep came to look at the field.
And Dayton Public Schools had actually did their due diligence on this. Props to them.
But the Superintendent of Dayton Public Schools responded so vigourously that, its a wonder if the Bengals will come back. Ever.
Elizabeth Lolli, the Superintendent of DPS, told the Bengals WHOLE Organization that:
"If You wanna buy us a field, ok. We can't afford that."
Now, while Lolli has a right to be upset, clearly this is not what a Superintendent should say.
Its clear that the field was not at NFL GameDay conditions, but it was definitely good enough to practice on. It was approved by multiple businesses, inspectors, and NFL execs. If the top player of the Bengals doesn't get hurt, do we even visit this issue?
Nope.
But he did, and injuries, no matter what field you are on, happen as well.
Prayers go out to A.J. Green, someone who has traveled down here to help with the tornado disaster, (Dayton Strong) foundation, among other events in his spare time and didn't make a big deal about it.
But the bottom line is, A.J. Green is a big deal.
A huge deal.
Green is excpecting to play by Week 3, but don't be suprised to see him in Week 1.
He did have successful surgery and will go through the rehab and recovery process.
Here's some of the other HEADLINES of the Bengals Season Opening Training Camp:
Boyd gets new Contract, Feeling Good; Talks bad about Welcome Stadium
Tyler Boyd, the Bengals receiver who just received a new deal, talked about how bad the Welcome Stadium field was. While Boyd was all smiles during the Season Opener, he was visibly upset abut losing A.J. Green to a ankle injury. Why is Boyd upset?
Because now, he will become the #1 receiver, which could mean tough sledding early in the season for a offense which has already lost 2 lineman and now its top WR.
Can Boyd handle the pressure of being the "Go To Guy?"
With a new contract, can a new opportunity for Boyd push him to the next level of top tier WRs?
Mixon talk; Is "PrimeTime Mixon" a Top 5 RB?
Joe Mixon, who has become the Bengals version of PrimeTime: Deion Sanders, OchoCinco, T.O. and every other swagged out athlete who knows it?
Mixon was on hand to speak to media and did partake in practice. While Mixon briefly spoke to media, he signed autographs and made his presence known, as he flossed around his gold and his chiseled physique. He looks ready for a chance to put his name in the Top 5 category of RBs. The Bengals will need him to be remarkable to vie for a playoff spot, especially since A.J. Green will be sidelined for a couple months with high ankle sprain.
Kinnel looks to Make Impact in backfield that needs help
Tyree Kinnel, the former Wayne stud and Michigan star DB, made his debut in front of many of the people who watched him star at Wayne HS on Saturday.
Kinnel, has a legit shot to make the team, as the Bengals desperately need help in the defensive backfield. Kinnel has good size for his positon, and looked confident out on the field.
With new Head Coach Zac Taylor in this positon, he's looking for some solid rookies to contribute, and don't be suprised to see Kinnel make some plays in the Pre-Season games.
NFL Network Goes Overtime after Green Injury
Due to the A.J. Green injury, it pushed the NFL Network TV show past the normal finish time.
With a injury to a star player like Green, the Network had to reshift and give a medical analysis of sorts, which was pretty much on point. With former Jacksonville RB Maurice Jones-Drew on set, the team looked smooth and was able to finish after a long day at Welcome Stadium.
When asked who was Jones-Drew sleeper team this 2019-20 season?
He wanted to give the answer after he sees more teams this pre-season.
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