SAD NEWS: FOR CINCINNATI BENGALS STAR SUFFERING FROM CARRIER INJURY

There was reason for nervousness to surround the early weeks of the Cincinnati Bengals season. For a franchise so often based in continuity, they faced opening the year with the most overhaul on the assistant coaching staff as we’ve seen under Marvin Lewis.

Teryl Austin entered at defensive coordinator. Bill Lazor took over full-time as offensive coordinator, but with a collection of new assistants.

How long would it take for everyone to find comfort with each other, adjusting on the fly and working a game plan together?

In the eyes of Lazor, it’s been one of the most encouraging aspects of the team running up 61 offensive points in two weeks.

“I think we’re doing a good job right now of having communication throughout the game between coaches and players and players among players,” Lazor said. “I think that’s part of it. What happens at halftime sometimes gets a little bit overrated. I think what gets underrated is what happens between every single series of the game. And right now, as I sit on the bench with the quarterback and I see him want to get up and go talk to players, I see them work, I see the coaches talk, I feel good about the overall communication. And again, it isn’t just the coaches. It’s also the players among each other. And I think that’s a critical part in this league.”

Especially for a team with a new staff early in the year. Not just that, but a new staff on a team that struggled to close out games on offense for two seasons.

In 2016, the Bengals were dead last in the league in scoring percentage on fourth-quarter drives when the game was within one possession. They only scored on 12.5 percent, a percentage point behind the 1-15 Browns.

In 2017, Lazor was able to improve the often game-defining statistic, moving them up to 19th in the league. They scored on 22.5 percent of drives at the end of close games. Still far from the desired rate.

Early on this year, they are three for three in the category. They’ve all been field goals, but they’ve been points and helped put both wins away. Not only that, but two of the three drives lasted more than 5:50 in game time while they drove with the lead.

For Lazor, the finish stands as the first positive point he spoke about when sitting down with a collection of reporters on Monday. Stressing the need to finish better and hammering that point home during practices can play a role, but so much of it goes back to communication in Lazor’s eyes.

“I just think guys are buying into this is what NFL players do, this is what NFL gameday is,” Lazor said. “It’s a constant cat-and-mouse game, a constant chess match, constant going along with the football battle that physically is happening for the guys. So hopefully we can keep staying ahead of it.”

Preston Brown returned to the practice field on Monday after missing Thursday’s game with an ankle injury suffered against Indianapolis. He said he probably would have played had this past week’s game been Sunday, but is hopeful to get back to his team this week.

He’s also thankful he’s not going back to his former team. After spending his first four seasons in Buffalo, Brown watched the Bills get blown out in back-to-back games, then have cornerback Vontae Davis leave the locker room and retire at halftime of their loss to the Chargers on Sunday.

Brown could only shake his head.

“Something I never thought I would hear about, but I’m glad I’m not on that team,” Brown said. “There’s some weird stuff going on up there.”

Davis left the majority of a $5 million contract on the table, plus incentives by ending his 10-year career. Teammate Lorenzo Alexander called his act of leaving the game at halftime “disgusting.”

When the Bengals played the Bills in the preseason, John Ross beat Davis three times in one play on his touchdown the first offensive snap of the game for the Bengals.

“I’ve seen people fake injuries and stuff like that and not go back in, but to just retire?” Brown said. “Just put your clothes on and leave? It’s pretty funny. I kind of want to see it. Have to respect the fact he was like, that’s it for me. It just sounds so weird. He couldn’t give them no more. He got scored on earlier in the game and then John had him all over the Internet a couple weeks ago. I don’t’ really know what’s going on, but hopefully everything is all right and best for his family.”

Expectations following successful knee surgery on Saturday are that running back Joe Mixon will miss the next two-to-four weeks. That means an increased workload for Giovani Bernard and Tra Carson, with rookie Mark Walton activated for the first time in his career.

As for Carson, Lazor points out there was a reason they kept him over impressive second-year back Brian Hill in the preseason. They’ve seen him on this track for a while. Carson sustained an injury and missed the entire 2017 season, but carried 20 times for 77 yards and two touchdowns this preseason. He also caught six passes for 44 yards.

Lazor would prefer to keep a rotation with two running backs, rather than pushing every snap on to Bernard for however long Mixon ends up sidelined.

“I think it’s hard for one back to go through any game, but I think between Gio and Tra we will find a way, I hope,” Lazor said. “I think if you looked at the law of averages, what can a back really handle in a game? There clearly is a threshold so most games you should consider it’s going to take more than one back. I think that’s fair.”