PROFILES » When Andrew Luck gazes over Cincinnati’s defense

Sunday L.J. Collier Jersey , he’ll see some of the league’s top pass rushers.Defensive tackle Geno Atkins often gets the interior push. Michael Johnson, Carlos Dunlap and Carl Lawson routinely bring the outside pressure.So with Luck making his first start in more than 20 months, the Cincinnati Bengals hope to make life miserable as the Colts‘ quarterback re-acclimates himself to regular-season life in the NFL.“My biggest concern, they have a really good front seven,” Luck said. “It’s always a tough defense. Geno Atkins is a heck of a player, (Carlos) Dunlap on the edge, got guys that can cover. So it’s always a challenge.”Circumstances could make this season opener even more challenging for Indy.Longtime left tackle Anthony Castonzo missed the entire preseason with a hamstring injury and was limited in practice earlier this week. Denzelle Good, who appeared to be the favorite at right tackle, hasn’t played since hurting his left knee in the third preseason game.Then there’s rookie left guard Quenton Nelson, the No. 6 pick. He’s likely to draw the assignment on Atkins, and there’s no assurance second-year running back Marlon Mack will return from a hamstring injury that has kept him off the field since the preseason opener. If Mack can’t play, rookies Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines may be asked to help protect Luck, one of the league’s highest-paid players.No, it’s not an ideal start for a quarterback who missed the 2017 season while recovering from surgery on his throwing shoulder.But the Colts may not have a choice.“We will do everything we can do to neutralize the pass rush �? no matter what five guys are up front,” new coach Frank Reich said. “And that will be No. 1 on the pass game agenda each week: How do you protect the passer?”The Bengals, who have lost eight straight in Indy http://www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-marquise-blair-jersey , have other concerns.They’re expecting to face a crowd eager to welcome back Luck and capable of making enough noise to slow down the pass rushers.“I think everybody there is going to be excited,” Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. “We know the kind of player that he is. I guess if you’re going to play Andrew Luck, you’d rather be playing him now than Week 12.”NEW STRIPESThe Bengals debut their redesigned offense under coordinator Bill Lazor after giving a few previews during the preseason. They made more of an effort to get big plays, something missing last season. Andy Dalton looked comfortable with the new playbook in his limited preseason time, completing 71 percent of his passes with four touchdowns, one interception �? the receiver fell on his route �? and a passer rating of 130.9.“I feel real comfortable with the way I played,” Dalton said.DOUBLE DOSELast year, in Philadelphia, Reich took advantage of a plethora of solid tight ends. Expect more of the same this season in Indy.The Colts signed free agent Eric Ebron, Detroit’s first-round pick in 2014, to help stretch the field as Pro Bowler Jack Doyle continues to exploit the middle. Indy also has former basketball player Eric Swoope and Ryan Hewitt, a former Bengal, on the roster. All four could play Sunday.NEW O-LINEThe offensive line was the biggest issue in Cincinnati’s offense finishing last in the league in 2017. That unit has been overhauled, leaving only one returning starter, left guard Clint Boling.It’ll be the first time that left tackle Cordy Glenn, rookie center Billy Price T.J. Hockenson Jersey , right guard Alex Redmond and right tackle Bobby Hart play together in a regular-season game.RECORD WATCHAdam Vinatieri’s 23rd NFL season could be the most remarkable of his career.The four-time Super Bowl champion needs seven field goals to break Morten Andersen’s record (565), five field goals from the 40-49-yard range to take over the top spot from Gary Anderson and 58 points to break Andersen’s mark of 2,544.How has he done it? By keeping things in perspective.“You definitely want to start off on the right note,” he said. “We know how important it is, we know how much our owner wants to win this first game. We know how important it is to win at home in front of our home crowd, all the above.”NO BURFICTFor the fourth straight season, the Bengals will be without linebacker Vontaze Burfict at the outset.He missed the first six games of 2015 while recovering from a knee injury and has been suspended for the start of each of the past three.This time, Burfict will miss the first four games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancers. WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Billed as a chance to get Canadian football fans a close-up look at NFL superstars like Aaron Rodgers, Thursday night’s exhibition between the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers sure gave them something they’ve never seen.Daniel Carson kicked a 33-yard field goal with 8 seconds remaining, and the Oakland Raiders earned a bizarre 22-21 preseason victory over the Green Bay Packers on a field that was shortened to 80 yards over concerns about player safety.End zones were marked by bright orange pylons at the 10-yard lines and there were no kickoffs. The field was reconfigured because of concerns about the areas where the goal posts for the CFL’s Winnipeg franchise are usually located.Packers CoverageBucks�? Wes Matthews loves Wisconsin, is a Vikings fanPreview: Packers look to slow Vikings’ revitalized run gameTop Tweets: Yelich thanks fans for support after season-ending injuryAmos sparks rebuilt Packers defense in debutPackers to be tested again by familiar foe in Zimmer, VikingsPackers’ new-look defense carries offense in season openerPackers Snap Counts: New coach LaFleur gets TEs involvedUpon Further Review: Packers at BearsPHOTOS: Packers at BearsDefense leads the way as Packers top Bears in openerBefore warmups, game officials and staff from both clubs were on the field examining the patches of turf that covered the spots where the goal posts for 110-yard CFL games were removed. The goal posts were moved from spots that would have been inside the NFL end zones.Packers coach Matt LaFleur decided to sit 33 players, including star quarterback Aaron Rodgers and running back Aaron Jones. Rodgers hasn’t played in the preseason.Oakland didn’t play starters including quarterback Derek Carr or receiver Antonio Brown.“We were going to have all our starters play, and it was just one of those deals Jahlani Tavai Jersey ,” LaFleur said. “We certainly have all played on much worse surfaces in our life, but it was just one of those deals where they weren’t playing their starters and so we just decided to sit them.”Packers quarterback Tim Boyle said he checked out a turf-covered spot during warmup.“It was just a little raised,” Boyle said. “But it’s something you don’t really want to play around with, especially guys who, this is their living. This puts food on the table for them, so you don’t want to mess around with injuries.”Oakland coach Jon Gruden said the playing surface didn’t concern him.“I’m not going to make a big deal about the field,” Gruden said. “We liked the field. We thought the field was perfectly ready to roll. You’ll have to ask Green Bay about that.”The Raiders decided to move one of their two home exhibition games to Winnipeg in a move that saved them $500,000 in rent at the Oakland Coliseum. The team is planning to move to Las Vegas in 2020.It was the first NFL game in Canada since the Buffalo Bills faced the Atlanta Falcons in December 2013 to finish a run of eight games in Toronto.Tim Boyle, Rodgers’ backup, threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Trevor Davis and a 26-yarder to Jake Kumerow. Tra Carson ran for a touchdown for the Packers, and Green Bay led 21-10 at halftime.The Raiders’ Nathan Peterman threw two touchdown passes, including a 17-yarder to De’Mornay Pierson-El in the fourth quarter that cut Green Bay’s lead to 21-19. His 2-point conversion attempt was intercepted. Peterman finished 23 of 37 for 210 yards.UP NEXTPackers: Conclude their preseason schedule by hosting the Kansas City Chiefs next Thursday night.Raiders: At Seattle next Thursday night.