Aug. 24, 2008

Updated 1:21 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Sept. 2

For as much as Carson Palmer has been beaten up and bloodied, literally, in the preseason, only some of the blame can be pinned on the Bengals’ offensive line. Just as much, if not more, falls on the running backs’ difficulty picking up the blitz and the new receivers not being on the same page as their quarterback. In contrast to last season, the linemen have thus far kept their health and constitute one of the more stable positions on an offense that has been crippled by injury. Because keeping Palmer erect is agenda No. 1 for the offense, RB Chris Perry’s ascension to the featured role ahead of recently cut Rudi Johnson comes with a bit of trepidation for the Bengals, seeing as how he's relatively inexperienced in that department. Still, the team believes he's able enough in pass protection to warrant the starting gig.