Bengals hope to start finding answer at backup quarterback on Saturday

CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Early in the 2015 training camp Bengals coaches weren't quite sure if AJ McCarron could effectively serve as the team's backup quarterback, but his performance in that year's intrasquad "scrimmage" began to convince them he could. With McCarron now gone, Matt Barkley and Jeff Driskel are hoping to use Saturday's intrasquad scrimmage as their own springboard to the backup role.

The "scrimmage" will begin at 1 p.m. in Paul Brown Stadium and is free and open to the public as part of Family Day festivities.

McCarron left as a free agent in the offseason and signed with the Buffalo Bills in hopes of being their starter, and the Bengals signed the veteran Barkley to compete with the still very untested Driskel for the backup spot.

Both have had some positive moments in training camp, but each has also struggled at times, which leads to questions that need to start getting answered about both.

"The stress of being in the stadium in front of fans for young guys can obviously bring a little more anxiety with more of a game situation, but I feel like the quarterbacks are going to treat it as a normal practice," said first-year quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt. "I like them both. I think they're very good quarterbacks. I think they're competing very hard. Matt's been there, he's done it before, so he's got some savvy to him. Jeff's just knocking the rust off in the pass game. It's just getting him more reps, more live reps, getting him into the team drills, getting him acclimated to the people around him again. But both are progressing well. I'm very happy."

Barkley has 11 regular-season games of experience under his belt, including six starts (1-5 record), but has a career passer rating of 63.6 thanks in part to throwing 18 interceptions and only eight touchdowns.

Driskel has never taken a snap in a regular-season game, but the Bengals have thought enough of him that after plucking off waivers from the San Francisco 49ers following the final cut in 2016 they kept him on the 53-man roster all season. Then the team placed him on injured reserve last season when he broke some fingers in the final preseason game at Indianapolis.

Driskel knows Saturday is a chance to impress, but no more so than reps in training camp.

"They're all important," said Driskel. "Every practice is important. Every period is important. Every rep is important. I'm just looking to Saturday because I think it will be a fun atmosphere, but it's just as important as any other day. It's a chance for us to get out there with the coaches off the field and more of a game-like atmosphere, so I'm looking forward to it."

Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor has also been impressed with both quarterbacks at this point of training camp, but says Barkley may have a slight edge due to his past experience.

"I think having NFL live snaps in regular-season games that factors in your development," said Lazor. "There is no other way to grow so quickly than to be thrown out there and have to do it. Once guys have played in games they just come away with a better sense of what real game speed is and what it really feels like out there and that's part of Matt's makeup now. I think they're both really good players. You're talking about a little different experience level, but their whole lives they've been recognized as guys who can throw the football. They're talented guys, mentally, physically; they're tough guys and leaders."

WOODSIDE LAGS BEHIND: Seventh-round draft pick Logan Woodside might have had a chance to compete for the backup quarterback spot, but he didn't ingratiate himself to the coaching staff just prior to the start of mandatory mini-camp in early June when he was charged with DUI and missed his sixth straight practice of training camp on Friday due to an undisclosed injury.

"It's disappointing for him obviously," said Van Pelt. "We'd sneak him in there and get him some reps, or he'd work with the 3's on the other field. So he's missing those reps. But ultimately he's going to get healthy."

His best-case scenario now is to show enough to land a spot on the practice squad after the final cut on Sept. 1.

FINDING DEPTH AT CORNERBACK: While many Bengals wide receivers are having excellent training camps it has come at the expense of several young and unproven cornerbacks who it is hoped will provide depth behind starting outside corners William Jackson III and Dre Kirkpatrick and slot/nickel cornerback Darqueze Dennard.

Two of those competing for the backup spots suffered injuries early in training when Tony McRae hurt his ankle and Sojourn Shelton hurt his wrist/thumb enough that it needed a cast.

That has left third-year player KeiVarae Russell, who has all of 13 games of NFL experience under his belt, most of it on special teams, veteran Josh Shaw, who has struggled in his career as a slot corner and rookie fifth-round picks Davontae Harris and Darius Phillips getting the reps the starting trio doesn't, and all have struggled. Harris missed the first few practices before being medically cleared to participate.

"It's still early,"said secondary/cornerbacks coach Daronte Jones. "They have some flashes and have done some good things, but they still have things they need to improve on. I'm just looking for more consistency."

For Harris and Phillips it's still a matter of getting acclimated to facing NFL wide receivers.

"There are a lot of guys who are equally athletic at this level if not better so you can't rely on just your athleticism," said Jones. "It's the best of the best so you have to raise your level. I've tried to tell those guys whoever is across from you is numberless and nameless. It shouldn't affect your technique or how you play that guy whatsoever. What's your technique? What's your leverage? That's what you go by. It's a total body of work from the ground up. It's your feet, your hips, your hands, your eyes, mentally. The game's going to be faster and they have to slow it down."

Harris admitted it's all going very fast for him right now, but he's confident in his ability.

"The biggest thing I need to do is do (better) technique-wise and be the physical corner they saw me on tape and was the reason they drafted me," said Harris. "I think once I progress more and get more comfortable I'll use my hands more and be able to really play my game."

INJURY UPDATE: In addition to Woodside not participating neither did Phillips for unknown reasons after he had been practicing steadily before Friday.

Rookie wide receiver Auden Tate, who was was carted off during Wednesday's practice after hitting his head on the ground during a 1-on-1 drill against cornerbacks, is in concussion protocol and didn't participate for a second straight day.

Both defensive tackle Josh Tupou, who was also carted off Wednesday after suffering a leg injury, and rookie defensive lineman Andrew Brown, who was injured toward the end of Wednesday's practice, but wasn't carted off, did not participate for a second straight day.

Wide receiver Josh Malone missed his four straight practice after he left Sunday's practice with about 30 minutes left when he tweaked his hamstring.

Also not participating in Thursday's practice: linebacker Vontaze Burfict (active/non-football injury list); McRae (ankle) and Shelton (right hand/wrist).

Safety Clayton Fejedelem and tight end Tyler Eifert both return to practice.

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES: Rookie center Billy Price messed up the first snap of the first 11-on-11 session with quarterback Andy Dalton under center, leading Dalton to snap, "Let's go Billy." It's the sixth different practice Price has had a bad snap. ... Backup center T.J. Johnson also had a bad snap to Barkley. ... Veteran wide receiver A.J. Green made a great catch along the left sideline despite tight coverage from Jackson. Green stopped with the ball in the air, let Jackson go past him, then adjusted to catch the pass from Dalton. ... Dalton went 6-for-7 during a two-minute drill that moved the ball from the offense's 20-yard line to the defense's 6. Green had the first three receptions on the drive for 33 yards and the offense overcame a holding penalty by Price. ... Kicker Jonathan Brown missed a 45-yard field goal. ... Randy Bullock made a 45-yard field goal. ... "Sacks" by defensive end Carl Lawson and linebacker Jordan Evans wrecked a two-minute drill run by Driskel. ... There was a live tackling goal-line drill late in practice that yielded a two-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to tight Tyler Eifert off play action, a one-yard TD run Joe Mixon, a dropped TD pass by tight end Jordan Franks and then a stop of running back Tra Carson thanks to great penetration by end Sam Hubbard, tackle Chris Baker, tackle Ryan Glasgow and linebacker Hardy Nickerson ... Attendance was announced at 1,350.

UPCOMING PRACTICE SCHEDULE OPEN TO FANS

• Saturday, Aug. 4: 1-2:30 p.m. in Paul Brown Stadium
• Sunday, Aug. 5: OFF
• Monday, Aug. 6: 3 p.m.
• Tuesday, Aug. 7: 3 p.m.
• Wednesday: OFF