• Before getting into last night's game, it should be noted that training camp is officially over.  The Lions are off today and will start having only one practice a day when they return to Allen Park.
• Calvin Johnson is a beast.  He towered over Leon Hall to make a catch to start the game and then got into the endzone by outrunning the Bengals' secondary later on.  I'm starting to realize why Roy Williams picked Johnson for his fantasy team.
• Through two preseason games, Jon Kitna's quarterback rating is a perfect 158.3.  He has only thrown one incompletion so far this preseason (it was against the Giants) and has 2 touchdowns to go along with 182 yards.  The best pair of stats is that he has 0 interceptions and hasn't been sacked yet, either.
• Drew Stanton definitely played better than Dan Orlovsky.  Stanton made a great TD pass and then executed a perfect naked bootleg that also resulted in a TD.  Orlovsky didn't play awful, but he certainly could have done better.  Many of his passes were thrown right into coverage, and he just couldn't catch a break when he tried to run a bootleg.  All three times (that I remember) Orlovsky ran a bootleg there was a defender immediately in his face.  He did a nice job of throwing the ball away, at least, as he didn't get a single intentional grounding penalty.
• Punter Nick Harris has always been an asset for the Lions, and last night he showed us why he is so important.  One of his punts actually rolled out of bounds at the 1-yard line, leaving the Bengals with little room to work with.  Although the punt was outstanding, the defense did let Cincinnati go 99 yards down the field to score a touchdown.  Earlier in the game, Harris had a punt downed at the 2-yard line by Mike Furrey, but Cincy got to start on their own 20 due to Furrey getting a penalty for being the first player to touch the ball after stepping out of bounds.
• Rookies Kevin Smith and Jerome Felton started last night.  Smith is already looking like the Lions' best running back, and Felton stepped in for an injured Jon Bradley, who didn't play at all against the Bengals.  I guess that means I'll have to revise my next roster prediction as it appears Felton will make the team as the second FB.
• Tatum Bell has really been disappointing so far this preseason.  He hasn't looked all that impressive, and honestly, Artose Pinner has outperformed him.  I would be surprised if Bell ended up getting cut, but then again, when others are playing better than you, your roster spot shouldn't be locked up.
• The running game as a whole still isn't coming off as something that will be a strength this season, but it was much better against the Bengals.  Rather than getting stuffed for only a short gain like they did against the Giants, the Lions did move the ball on the ground at some points in last night's game.  Kevin Smith and Artose Pinner played well, and as I said, Tatum Bell still didn't look all that good.  Brian Calhoun didn't do horrible, but he did put the ball on the ground, although Dan Orlovsky did recover the fumble.
• Rookie Gosder Cherilus played both right and left tackle against the Bengals.
• Wide receiver Ron Bellamy got a concussion during the game.
• Although it was assumed that Devale Ellis would be the Lions' 5th wide receiver if they take that many on the 53-man roster, he is getting challenged by Brandon Middleton.  Middleton had a 50-yard TD reception against Cincinnati and tried returning a kickoff.  The very fact that he was back there means that he could take Ellis' spot on the roster as he has versatility.  I don't think it will happen, but a lot could change in the next couple of weeks.
• Speaking of wide receivers, John Standeford really played well.  He is a big long shot to make the team, but he is making his case on the field.
• Chad Johnson strained his left shoulder when Brian Kelly ripped the ball out of his hands for an interception.  Johnson left the game and went into the locker room to get x-rays and an MRI (both turned out to be negative).
  

• The Lions followed their normal routine on Tuesday by having both practices outside.  The morning session was in full pads and the special teams practice was in helmets and shorts.
• Tuesday was the final day of Lions practices being open to the public.  According to the Lions, over 8,000 fans made their way to the team's facility during the 25 open practices this year.  (That number includes the fan day event)
• If Aveion Cason can handle both kick and punt return duties then there is a good chance the Lions will only keep four wide receivers on their active roster this season.  I'd say it's more likely that there will be five WRs, but if Cason does a good enough job as the returner or if the Lions need to keep a player at another position for depth reasons, then four it is.
• Gosder Cherilus probably will be the Lions' starting right tackle this season, but he recently practiced at left tackle just in case he ever needs to switch positions.
• Offensive lineman Manny Ramirez was told to leave the field by an OL coach for not doing a drill "fast enough" and because the coach was "cranky."
• Linebacker Gilbert Gardner and tight end Michael Gaines missed practice due to injuries.
• Safety Daniel Bullocks finally returned to practice on Monday.  That was his first practice in nearly a year as he has been out since August 25, 2007.
• Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio has the Lions in the 24th spot in his preseason power rankings.

• Gosder Cherilus did not have an ideal start to his NFL career as he was called for a couple false starts and a holding penalty during last night's game.  Cherilus wasn't alone when it came to getting penalties as there were 6 total called on the Lions, but it's never a good thing when one player accounts for half of them.
• I know Lions coaches want to run the ball more this year, but if the running game this season is going to look like it did last night then I hope Jon Kitna never hands the ball off.  No matter who was in the game at running back, it seemed like even gaining a single yard was like pulling teeth.  For evidence of that, take a look at who the Lions' leading rusher was.  Drum roll please... Drew Stanton.  That's right, in only three plays Drew Stanton was able to rush for more yards than any running back did.  Now that is alarming.
• There were three players that sustained injuries in last night's game: Stanley Wilson, Gilbert Gardner; and Jason Hanson.  If you read the post below that contains quotes from Rod Marinelli then you already know what happened to each, but in case you haven't, I'll bring you up to speed. 
  
  Wilson hurt his Achilles; Gardner sustained a concussion, and Hanson strained his left thigh.  Out of those three, Wilson is the one we should watch the closest as it seems like his injury is the most serious.  Then again, anytime there is an issue with Jason Hanson it is a cause for concern.  I guess stay tuned for further updates on each of these three players.
• All of Detroit's quarterbacks played well for the most part.  Their combined passing totals produced a great stat line, and I saw something I liked from each of them.  Jon Kitna kept his mistakes to a minimum.  Out of all the passes he made, only one was poorly thrown in my opinion (the one that went behind Roy Williams).  Dan Orlovsky looked comfortable in the pocket and was hitting his targets with stellar accuracy.  And Drew Stanton made plays by running when he couldn't find anyone open.
• Going back to Stanton really quickly, I will say that he needs to stay in the pocket longer than he did in yesterday's game.  I'm not going to criticize him too much since this was the first time he even got in an NFL game, but he needs to be more patient before taking off and running downfield.
• The player of the game without a doubt was Calvin Johnson.  He was all over the field making plays and he made it look easy.  I hope this is a sign of things to come, because if it is, he and Roy Williams are going to make for a hell of a wide receiver duo.
• Defensively, the rookies showed a lot of promise.  Jordon Dizon made a couple of nice plays.  Cliff Avril seemed to do a nice job of pass rushing.  And Andre Fluellen came up with a huge sack toward the end of the game that helped put the nail in New York's coffin.
• I have a feeling that this game put cornerback Dovonte Edwards and running back Brian Calhoun one step closer to being cut.  Edwards was being targeted by Giants QBs every time he was on the field and they were abusing him quite a bit.  And Calhoun simply just didn't look very impressive when he was in the game at running back.  Not only is Aveion Cason more versatile with his ability to return kicks, but Artose Pinner looked much better in his limited time on the field at running back.  I'd say that Calhoun is gone for sure at this point.
• Leon Joe surprised me and had an outstanding game.  His name was called quite a bit and in the end he finished with a team-high 6 tackles.  Joe is a linebacker that was recently signed after being released by the Buccaneers, and although his chances of making the team are slim, playing like this certainly won't hurt.
• To view highlights of last night's win or to look through stats from the game, head on over to NFL.com.

Lions rookie right tackle Gosder Cherilus will not face a suspension or anything like that for being involved in a Boston bar brawl last July.  It was originally thought that he might have a personal conduct review since his legal issues weren't resolved until just recently, but that won't be the case.

Cherilus, though, will not be disciplined by the league for his role in Boston bar fight in July 2007. In early July this year, Cherilus was sentenced to one-year of probation and ordered to pay the victim $52,000 in medical expenses.

Earlier today, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello cleared up the situation.

"No discipline for Cherilus because incident occurred prior to his NFL career,'' Aiello wrote in an e-mail.

• The fifth day of Lions training camp was pretty much the same as the previous four.  The team wore full pads in the morning and shells in the afternoon, and both sessions were outdoors.  Also, the PUP list still is the same.
• Detroit's two practices today will be open to the general public.  Gates open a half hour before the practices start (8:35 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.), and only the first 700 fans will be allowed in.  The morning session is a full practice, but the afternoon one is special teams only.
  
  If you happen to attend one of the practices, make sure to share your thoughts on the experience by writing a FanPost, leaving a comment, or sending me an e-mail.
• Brett Favre called Matt Millen shortly after retiring wondering if he (Favre) could still play.  Favre and Millen also exchanged texts a few weeks ago, and the conversation was, well, interesting to say the least.

  "The next time was probably three weeks ago,'' Millen said. "We texted back and forth. I told him I had a groundhog getting into my vegetable garden so I shot him. He said "Mmm, make a stew.'''

  Millen finally said that Favre wanted to know if he could call the Lions GM for advice, and intelligently, Favre never did.  Who honestly would take football advice from Matt Millen anyways?
• Paris Lenon is still the Lions' starting middle linebacker.
• Rookie defensive end Cliff Avril has been pretty impressive in practice so far.
• Rod Marinelli wants fans to make noise when they attend open practices.
• With 2008 being the final year of his contract, defensive tackle Shaun Cody is getting serious about his play this season.
• Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan's Sirius Satellite Radio show will be broadcast live from Lions training camp today.
• I didn't see this story until recently, but right tackle Gosder Cherilus wanted to be signed in time for the start of training camp.  Although he does have some character issues due to his involvement in a bar brawl last summer, I have to respect his football attitude.  He didn't want to fall behind at all, which is why he was at practice from the very start.  I wish Jordon Dizon would have felt the same way.
• FSN Detroit won't air Rod Marinelli's weekly press conferences this season.  Their contract with the Lions was up and was not renewed.

• The Lions placed safety Daniel Bullocks, tight end Dan Campbell, wide receiver Shaun McDonald, and offensive guard Edwin Mulitalo on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.  The good news is that Ernie Sims was not on the PUP list, meaning his injury isn't too severe.  Detroit did still limit Sims somewhat as a precaution as you can never be too careful when dealing with your best linebacker.
• The four players mentioned above that are on the PUP list may return to practice full time shortly.  A player on the PUP list can be placed on the active roster at any time.  Once individual workouts are evaluated, if a player is healthy enough to practice, chances are he would be taken off the PUP list quickly.  That may be the case with at least one of the players currently on the PUP list, so stay tuned.
  
• Both of Detroit's two practices were held outside yesterday.  The morning session was conducted in full pads and in the afternoon players were in shells (only shoulder pads and helmets).
• Detroit filled the void created at linebacker by Caleb Campbell's departure by signing Leon Joe.  Joe has played in the NFL for four years.  Three were with Chicago before Joe played with the Bills last season.
• Rod Marinelli was surprised by Jordon Dizon's arrest.  He doesn't want something similar to happen to rookie running back Kevin Smith, so Marinelli is constantly stressing the importance of staying out of trouble to him.
• Speaking of Kevin Smith, aside from being told to stay out of trouble, he is also finding out about the need to run lower.  Although his upright style at UCF put him in the record books, in the NFL running like that is a good way to get injured.
• Takeo Spikes doesn't appear to be interested in signing very quickly, but Detroit has offered him a contract to join the Lions.  It's a waiting game now to see if Spikes takes the deal.
• Offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus has an endorsement deal with Under Armour.
• Center Dominic Raiola and defensive tackle Cory Redding were pumped to get practice started.
• Jamie Samuelsen believes Lions fans will not like what they see this season.  I hope that's not the case, but based on previous seasons I can't disagree.
• MLive has audio of Matt Millen's appearance on WDFN.
• Tom Kowalski ran down a list of tidbits from the Lions' morning practice.
• The Free Press has posted a couple of photo galleries and a short video from the Lions' first day of training camp.
• For more pictures and video, as well as audio, check out the training camp section on DetroitLions.com.

It's nice when the Lions don't have to break the bank to pay first-round draft picks.

First-round draft pick Gosder Cherilus inked a five-year contract worth slightly less than $15 million, but $8.9 million of that will come in guaranteed dollars. The bonuses will be paid out over the first two years of the deal.

Cherilus, who was the 17th overall pick in the draft, is likely to earn more than $12.5 million over the life of the contract with the rest of it coming in the form of incentives, including some Pro Bowl bonuses.

That's not bad at all, and the Lions' decision to trade down two spots turned out to be a great move as it'll save them some money in the long run.

• Lions players report to Allen Park today to signal the beginning of training camp.  It doesn't officially start until tomorrow morning when the Lions have their first practice, but to compare it to Christmas, the presents are under the tree waiting to be unwrapped.  Once the pads start popping, we'll know football is finally back.
• Four players may start training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.  Those players are tight end Dan Campbell, linebacker Ernie Sims, safety Daniel Bullocks, and wide receiver Shaun McDonald, who are all dealing with injuries. 
  
  The reason for a player being on the PUP list is because he doesn't count against the active roster.  If he's injured and can't practice, then the Lions (or any team) can use his absence as a way to bring in another player to occupy the void.  Once the player is healthy enough to get back on the football field, he is simply taken off the PUP list and that's that.  The whole deal with the PUP list gets much more complicated once the season rolls around as the rules change a bit, but for now we won't worry about that.
• The Lions will not sign a fourth quarterback for training camp.  Why?  Well, Lions coaches want Dan Orlovsky and Drew Stanton to get as many reps as possible, and Detroit wants to fill up roster spots at other positions.
• Mike O'Hara took a look at some issues the Lions will face when training camp begins.  The last one he mentioned is that Detroit is having trouble selling tickets, meaning that blackouts are a real possibility for home games this season.  There were a few home games last year that were nearly blacked out, but the Lions always ended up getting all of their tickets sold one way or another.  This year, though, could prove to be much different as it is already evident that tickets aren't selling.
  
  If the Lions don't have a sellout at some point this season, not only would it mean that the game would be blacked out locally, but it would be the first non-sellout since Ford Field opened in 2002.  Maybe that will send a message to William Clay Ford that it's time for some changes.
• Dan Orlovsky is ready to battle Drew Stanton for the right to be Jon Kitna's backup.
• Yahoo! Sports' Michael Silver ranked all 32 NFL owners, and William Clay Ford came in at 24th.  That is way, way too high as WCF is one of the worst owners in the league.  I mean, seriously, the man has kept Matt Millen around for this long.  He should be near the bottom of this list if not at the very bottom.
• The Sporting News continued to rank NFL players based on position, and the latest list was for defensive backs.  Leigh Bodden, a corner the Lions acquired in the Shaun Rogers deal, was 18th on the list.
• Former Lion Lomas Brown is excited to work with rookie offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus during training camp.

Linebacker Jordon Dizon was arrested six days before the 2008 NFL Draft for a variety of driving charges, including suspicion of drunk driving.  Although the arrest happened way back in April, the public never learned about the incident until late last month.  The Lions were in the same boat as they had no knowledge of any arrest when they drafted Dizon in the second-round.

"We do all the background checks right up to the draft and none of that came through,'' Millen said.

A source close to the situation said that Dizon's arrest might not have been "in the system'' because it wasn't processed immediately.

Millen would not speculate on how news of the arrest might have affected Detroit's decision to draft him, but said that head coach Rod Marinelli addressed the situation with Dizon.

"As soon as it happened, he and Rod had a nice long talk about it,'' Millen said.

As much as I'd like to bash Millen and the Lions for not knowing about the arrest, I'm going to go easy on them this time.  Since Dizon was arrested the week of the draft, it would be pretty tough to learn about the charges before draft day arrives, especially when we didn't even find out about them until June.

On the flipside, no free pass is given for drafting Gosder Cherilus despite his involvement in a bar brawl as that happened last summer.  Obviously Detroit felt that the slip up was a onetime thing and that Cherilus will behave himself.  It's either that or they just didn't do their homework, which I suppose is a very possible explanation.  Either way, both Cherilus and Dizon are on a short leash now with both the NFL and Rod Marinelli.

With training camp officially getting started Thursday, the Lions were beginning to run out of time to sign their rookies.  Third-round pick Cliff Avril already signed earlier this month, but he was the only Lions rookie to do so; that is, until today.  Six other Lions rookies were signed to contracts today, meaning all but two have officially joined the team.  The six rookies that signed today are listed below.

Third-rounders: HB Kevin Smith (Central Florida), DT Andre Fluellen (Florida State)
Fifth-rounders: WR Kenneth Moore (Wake Forest), FB Jerome Felton (Furman)
Seventh-rounders: DT Landon Cohen (Ohio), LB Caleb Campbell (Army)

Including Avril, seven of the Lions' nine draft picks now have contracts.  That leaves offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus and linebacker Jordon Dizon as the only Lions rookies without deals.  I hope talks progress over night and into tomorrow as it's important to get every single rookie signed by the time training camp starts.  That way nobody has to miss any practice, which is especially vital for Cherilus and Dizon as they will contend for starting jobs.  Even one day missed is big as every second on the field counts.

Pride of Detroit will have the latest on any signings that happen, so keep checking back to see if Cherilus and Dizon get a deal done.