Preseason Game 1: Redskins (0-0) at Bengals (0-0)

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The Redskins play their first preseason game of the season tonight at the defending AFC North champion Cincinnati Bengals. The 8:00 PM game will be NBC's inagural broadcast of Sunday Night Football with Al Michaels and John Madden. Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati is sold out for the contest.

I grew up a Bengals fan, so if this were a real game I might be conflicted as to my hope for the outcome. It's just a preseason game, though, and the first one, at that. The starters will only play the first few series and then the coaches will use the rest of the game to evaluate the bench players for upcoming cuts.

Mark Brunell will start behind center for the Skins, followed by Todd Collins and then Jason Campbell, who will play all of the third and fourth quarters. Campbell, who has not seen an NFL game in over a year, is competing with Collins for the backup job, and his performance tonight will certainly be heavily scrutinized by the Redskins coaching staff and the fans.

Backup quarterback Anthony Wright will get the start for the Bengals, as Carson Palmer continues to rehab the knee he injured in last year's playoff game against the Steelers. Other prominent Bengals who will sit out the contest include tailback Chris Perry, defensive tackle Sam Adams and wide receiver Antonio Chatman.

Check back here during the game, as I'll be liveblogging at least the first quarter, or until Deadwood comes on HBO at 9.

This is an open thread.

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Final Score: Bengals 19, Redskins 3. Clinton Portis will be out for an uncertain amount of time with a dislocated shoulder. We'll keep you updated with the latest news as the week progresses. Next preseason game this Saturday at FedEx vs. the Jets.

4th Quarter, 4:20: so it's Al Michaels and John Madden, and Cris Collinsworth and Bob Costas? Preseason cramming?

3rd Quarter, 5:10: Ben here. Kelley Washington, a starter, does a great end zone dance against against the defensive backups.

3rd Quarter, 5:10: Brandon back in. Doug Johnson fires a bomb to Kelley Washington, 19-3 Bengals...What I want to know is, are Foot Locker employees going to wear the new unis too?...Chad Johnson gets crazier and wackier-looking every year. He's currently sporting a gold mohawk. At least it matches his gold teeth...Clinton Portis is in street clothes on the sidelines and is currently being outfitted with a shoulder harness.

3rd Quarter, 8:50: ok I hate the new refs uniforms.

3rd Quarter, 10:40: I'm sorry Andrea. You look terrible. Please go back.

Halftime: so Brunell & the receivers look good. Cartwright didn't look terrible against a bad defense. Prep for classic Gibbs 2nd half preseason: counter left, counter right, dump pass, punt. Bengals don't look great.

Portis has a separated shoulder.

2nd Quarter, 1:09: PORITS HAS A SEPARATED SHOULDER THATS NOTR GOOD -BF

2nd Quarter, 8:50: so the Bengals have quite the blotter of offseason arrests. Got to love (BUI) boating under the influence. Even Collinsworth is riffing. Portis and Brunell better stay healthy. Collins sucks. -BF

2nd Quarter, 14:50: ok, Ben in. Palmer's injury in the playoffs last year was devastating. They were talking 18 mos for him to recover. Palmer may start the season, but he won't go the distance. Collins sucks. -BF

1st Quarter, 0:52: Wright throws a fade to Chris Henry in the end zone. Touchdown Bengals. FG is good, 9-0 Cincinnati.

1st Quarter, 1:36: The Bengals run a flea flicker and Anthony Wright completes a bomb to T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Bengals in the red zone.

1st Quarter, 2:14: Collins gets called for intentional grounding in the Redskins end zone, which results in a safety. 2-0, Bengals. Let's see how long Gibbs goes before he gets out the hook.

1st Quarter, 5:36: Todd Collins takes over on offense and immediately throws a pick. Not good. The referee shirts appear to have been updated for the first time in the history of the league. The traditional zebra stripe has been updated with snazzy all-black shoulders. I guess the league is hoping that people will want replica jerseys now.

1st Quarter, 10:23: The Redskins D has held the Bengals to four and out. Clinton Portis is walking to the locker room under his own power.

1st Quarter, 12:04: The Redskins blew a great opening series by tossing a pick to the Bengals secondary. Clinton Portis put a huge hit on Keiwan Ratliff to stop the runback, but seems to have injured his shoulder in the process. We'll know more later. Bengals O takes the field. -BK