"Fake Game 3 is supposed to throw light on the darkness of quasi-NFL football in August. Teams play their starters longer. They use more of their playbooks. If the first two games are for deciding who to cut, and the fourth game is to keep starters away from injured reserve, then the third game is supposed to be the dress rehearsal.

The Bengals looked competent Thursday, which was far, far more than could be said of their opponents, the Carolina Panthers, who might or might not have gotten off their airplane at CVG Wednesday night.

As for the rookie quarterbacks, Carolina's kid made Cincinnati's kid look like Tom Brady. Take nothing from Andy Dalton: He was efficient and accurate. Save one bad handoff, he played a clean, aware first half. But it took the foggy first half of Cam Newton to illuminate just how un-rookie-like Dalton appeared.

Newton followed the rookie QB book: Drop back, look confused, take off. His legs did account for the Panthers only TD. But even that 16-yard rumble was a burst off a broken play. The rest of the time, Newton looked like an American in Moscow, trying to read the phone book.

The Bengals had some to do with that. The rush was consistently threatening. Rey Maualuga was everywhere. That said, Newton was lost. If you didn't know you were watching Cam Newton, you'd wonder why Cam Newton was on the field."