QB auditions begin Blake to start; O'Donnell to play more Saturday, August 8, 1998
BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- While Jeff Blake will try to sustain his comfort level, Neil O'Donnell will attempt to establish one.
Neil O'Donnell sees his first action as a Bengal tonight.
(Saed Hindash photo)
| ZOOM |The pair of quarterbacks will take divergent paths toward the same goal -- a starting job -- as the Bengals open the exhibition tonight at 8 against the New York Giants in Giants Stadium.
It's just a dress rehearsal, but the seats will be filled with critics. Blake and O'Donnell know that their performances against the Giants could shape the course of their competition.
As Blake said, "If I'm 1-for-6 or 1-for-7, there's a question mark by my name. You have to go out and produce."
Blake, who is scheduled to start and play approximately a quarter under coach Bruce Coslet's plan, has been throwing crisply during what he called his best training camp in seven professional seasons.
Asked what has gone right for him, Blake said: "Pretty much everything. I'm not holding the ball or forcing it as much . . . My guys around me have worked hard."
"Blake's looking really good," running back Corey Dillon said. "You (reporters) may see it differently, but to me, he looks outstanding."
Jeff Blake is having his best training camp.
(Ernest Coleman photo)
| ZOOM |O'Donnell's failure to match that smoothness is understandable, since Friday marked the one-month anniversary of his signing with Cincinnati. The nine-year veteran should receive ample on-the-job training tonight, having been allotted a quarter-and-a-half and perhaps two quarters of playing time in relief of Blake.
Asked what he hopes to accomplish in his return to his native state and the stadium where he toiled for the past two seasons with the New York Jets, O'Donnell said, "Rhythm. One-two-three-four-five. If (an open receiver) isn't there, get rid of the ball. I want to feel comfortable."
That statement reflected how O'Donnell built his ratio of 2.1 interceptions per 100 passes, the lowest among active players. He demonstrated his precision by completing all four of his passes for 68 yards in last Saturday's scrimmage. But O'Donnell no longer has the luxury of operating the offensive system he used in Pittsburgh and in his first Jets season.
"When I ran that offense, there was really no thought process," he said. "There were a lot of pre-snap reads. I knew right away where I was going with the ball. I'm not there in this offense; I don't expect to be there yet. I'm just making sure I'm calling the play correctly and getting the ball off in time, so the more I'm out there the better I feel."
Neither quarterback will be asked to execute complex plays. Coslet wants to see whether Blake is capable of summoning his effectiveness of 1995-96 and whether O'Donnell is the same guy who ushered Pittsburgh to the playoffs for four seasons in a row (1992-95).
"We're more interested in our players than in trying to outfox (the Giants') staff," Coslet said. "We'll play it pretty well straight up."
Blake and O'Donnell won't be the only individuals worth watching. On defense, linebacker Takeo Spikes, the team's top draft choice, will make his professional debut as a starter at the right inside spot.
Spikes chuckled softly when asked what he's expecting.
"A lot of speed. Some fast tempo," he said. "It's going to shock me, going out there and seeing (Giants running backs) Charles Way, Tiki Barber and a lot of other guys."
Of course, speed is what the Bengals want from Spikes and Brian Simmons, the other linebacker they selected in the first round, to enliven a defense that ranked 28th among the NFL's 30 teams in yards allowed.
"Whatever I do, I'm going to fly around the ball. You better believe that," Spikes said.
Coslet is eager to see how the novices perform under duress: "You can look real good out here in practice with no pressure. You really can't evaluate them until the lights go on and it's gametime."
GARNES OUT: Giants safety Sam Garnes, the former University of Cincinnati star who excelled as a rookie last year, is suffering from a sore shoulder and won't play tonight.
