I truly love preseason football. The pressure of winning takes a back seat to player evaluations. It’s great to score and win the game, but individual performances, growth and health are the real goals here.



When the Bengals played the Bears Thursday night, we got more than what we could’ve asked for and hopefully a great idea of where this team is headed in 2018.



The first preseason game is typically bland, the starters may only play one series and the games are sloppy. But the keyhole was widened a bit as the Bengals mixed things up on offense, moved guys around, showcased each weapon and even threw in a fake punt. How much of what we saw will translate into the regular season? I saw four things that I’m pretty sure will be sewn into the identity of the 2018 Bengals offense.



The offense is Green



There are new coaches, terminology, designs and players, but the 2018 Bengals offense will still flow through A.J.