Mark Curnutte

Interrupted by an extended stay in Florida for the preseason opener at Tampa Bay, coach Marvin Lewis' second training camp still proved to be productive.

First-time starting quarterback Carson Palmer had all the work he could handle. Lewis' management of the transition from Jon Kitna to Palmer seems to be going as planned.

Newcomers Bobbie Williams and Larry Moore fit right into an already good offensive line.

INSIDE CAMP

Today's schedule Camp closed Wednesday. It was the Bengals' eighth at Georgetown College, and one year remains on the two-year contract extension signed in 2003. Coming up The Bengals will practice today at the fields adjacent to Paul Brown Stadium. The team will travel Friday to Atlanta for the preseason game Saturday night. Injury report • Wide receiver Peter Warrick (knee) is probable for the Atlanta game. Warrick did not practice Wednesday, first wearing an ice bag on the knee before removing it toward the end of the workout. • Cornerback Deltha O'Neal continues to sit out with a brace on his left ankle. • Offensive lineman Scott Kooistra also watched with a wrap on one knee. Palmer watch In the red-zone offense, quarterback Carson Palmer made an excellent hot read against a linebacker blitz and hit wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Palmer also threaded a completion to tight end Tony Stewart in the middle of the field. Later, Palmer was intercepted on consecutive passes. He floated a ball for Chad Johnson, who was covered by Madieu Williams, and safety Rogers Beckett ran over and intercepted the ball in stride. On the next play, Palmer threw an out pattern intended for rookie Maurice Mann, but cornerback Terrell Roberts read the play, also catching the ball in stride, and ran in for a touchdown. Wednesday's highlights Rookie Kyle Larson, the only healthy punter in camp, showed significant improvement in special teams work Wednesday morning. Still, club officials are waiting to see it in a game and are wondering, in general, why so many successful college punters have trouble replicating their success in the NFL.

The defense is showing signs that it might be better, in its second season under Lewis and coordinator Leslie Frazier, than a lot of people thought it would be.

Special teams, personified by steady kicker Shayne Graham, could have fully turned the corner from liability in 2002 to asset in 2004.

At least three rookies - defensive back Madieu Williams, linebacker Caleb Miller and running back Chris Perry - are as good as advertised and poised to contribute immediately.

Perry will team with starting tailback Rudi Johnson, who had an excellent camp, to provide the Bengals' rush offense with a one-two punch. A consistent running game will accomplish two goals: Help reduce the pressure on Palmer and limit the exposure of the defense.

But there also are concerns.

The defense is young at key backup positions. Six of 11 listed second-string players are first-year players or rookies, including all three linebackers.

Punter Kyle Richardson's loss to a biceps injury could hurt. If rookie Kyle Larson doesn't seize the day, perhaps the Bengals might find another gem on the waiver wire (a la Graham in 2003).

Ankle and thigh injuries to cornerback Deltha O'Neal, coupled with a contract holdout by second-round cornerback Keiwan Ratliff, have prevented coaches from seeing how their top defensive backs work together.

Peter Warrick's knee problems, stemming from a cartilage injury in December and subsequent surgery, might reduce his effectiveness or ability to even play. Warrick is a vital part of the offense, especially on third down and in the red zone and as a threat opposite Chad Johnson.

Unlike some teams around the league, though, the Bengals did avoid season-ending injuries in training camp to starters.

"You're always going to have some injuries," Lewis said. "You wish you had zero, but it is what it is, and we'll move forward."

But like the second go-round with the offseason strength and conditioning program, the newness of a Lewis training camp wore off. Players, even newcomers, knew what to expect. Standards and procedures are set and understood.

As a result, camp worked efficiently. Practices were crisp and, as right tackle Willie Anderson said, 10 times more intense than a year ago.

Lewis appeared genuinely happy about some developments at training camp.

"What you don't know in the offseason programs is how you're going to do physically," he said. "I've been pleased with how we've played in the first two preseason games, physically. That has been good."

Overall, and not surprisingly, Lewis said after the final practice that the team achieved its training camp goals.

"We got a lot of work in. We're in a good spot to begin our season. We're a couple of weeks away," he said. "We come out of here a somewhat refreshed football team, a team that's got a lot of work in. Now we've got a chance to build back up and get our legs back under us."

The Bengals will practice today at the fields adjacent to Paul Brown Stadium.

The team will travel Friday to Atlanta, where it will play its third preseason game Saturday night.

Palmer will play into the third quarter against the Falcons. NFL teams generally use the third preseason game as their season's dress rehearsal.

But before heading out Wednesday, Palmer raced the teammate whose future is most intertwined with his, wide receiver Chad Johnson.

Johnson spotted Palmer a 10-yard head start, and though Palmer led most of the way, he slowed down at about 75-80 yards when he approached a group of teammates.

Johnson ran the entire 100 yards and won. Last year, Johnson lost to former Bengals running back Corey Dillon after the final practice.

Palmer seemed to enjoy the levity. He wanted to get in with backup Jon Kitna and some receivers on a post-practice prank to dump ice water on rookie quarterback Casey Bramlet.

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E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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