Dallas Cowboys vs. Cincinnati Bengals: NFL Hall of Fame Game Observations

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The NFL season is officially one step closer to starting with the kickoff of the preseason with the Hall of Fame game at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, OH.

While the first team offenses and defense played only a couple of drives fro each team, the Dallas Cowboys beat the Cincinnati Bengals 16-7.

The game was nearly a shutout for the Cowboys until Bengals rookie receiver Jordan Shipley had a fantastic punt return, using his speed and making defenders miss, to bring the Bengals to the two yard line.

But this is not a typical game recap, because you can go to any other sports source to find those, this is my personal observations since I was the lucky recipient of receiving press credentials to cover the game exclusively for Bleacher Report.

It also helps that I live in Cleveland which is only an hour away too.

Without further adieu, here are my observations of the Hall of Fame Game.

(I do apologize to Cowboys fans, but I was on the sideline of the Bengals for the game and most of my observations are of the Bengals because they were closer.)

Carson Palmer Was Throwing Passes Pre-Game Developing Chemistry

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Nearly an hour and a half before the start of the game, Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer could be seen throwing passes to both Terrell Owens and Jordan Shipley.

Both receivers need to develop chemistry with Palmer and he needs to be able to trust that they will run the proper routes when called and be in the right spot to catch the ball.

This was refreshing to see Palmer taking the time to throw to both Owens and Shipley and it brought back thoughts of playing catch in the backyard because all three were laughing at times and having a fun time warming up.

A Bigger Barber

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Cowboys running back Marion Barber looked noticeably bulkier.

This may be a result of a new power role on the offense or it could be just Barber trying to get stronger as he gets older to be able to take the pounding of playing in the NFL.

Adam Jones Take Three

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The Bengals are Jones's third team and could possibly be his final chance in the NFL as well after playing with the Titans and Cowboys in the past.

Not showing too much rust, since he has not played football since 2008, Jones was seen playing well into the third quarter and despite bobbling a punt he looked pretty solid.

In the first quarter, Jones was up against Cowboys receiver Roy Williams, and on the Cowboys' first drive, Jones shut down Williams nicely especially when the Bengals defense was backed up into their own endzone.

A Sicko Player

Cowboys backup tight end Scott Sicko put on a show hauling in five passes.

Granted it was against backups and third stringers, but Sicko has begun to cement a roster spot on the Cowboys behind incumbent Jason Witten.

While I was watching Sicko, he was able to come off the line and he just had a nose for the open spots in the defense.

This could have been a product of the Bengals having bad defensive depth, but Sicko made many Bengals defenders feel sick to their stomach on Sunday night.

Dhani Tackles Being a Mentor

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Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones may be a star on the Travel Channel's "Dhani Tackles The Globe," but he also showed me that he is a star on the Bengals as a leader on the defense.

I could see Jones watching the second and third string defensive players throughout the entire game.

He was talking to the other players and younger guys too.

Jones is a true leader because it is rare to watch a veteran stay in tune with a preseason game for it entirety.

Another Mentor

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During pre-game warm ups veteran tight end Reggie Kelly and rookie tight end Jermaine Gresham were inseparable.

All throughout the pre-game I watched and saw Kelly talking with Gresham and he seemed to be absorbing the veteran's knowledge.

Since the Bengals used a first round pick on Gresham they really need him to catch up quickly and become an impact tight end that they need on offense.

Kelly is the key to getting Gresham to that next step.

Tony Romo Looked on Target

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Romo saw minimal reps in the first quarter, but he threw very well and was on target with his passes.

There was a specific incomplete pass just past midfield, when he tried to connect with receiver Williams, but I could tell that Williams ran the wrong route and was not where Romo expected him to be.

Otherwise, Romo looked like he was already in regular season form.

Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco

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While Dhani Jones was teaching his fellow defensive teammates, Owens and Ochocinco could be seen just "hanging out."

No mentoring, no talking with the younger receivers like Shipley or Quan Crosby to give them guidance.

Both Owens and Ochocinco could be seen sitting together chit-chatting and laughing.

Owens was also signing autographs for fans during the second half of the game on the sidelines.

They may be a deadly duo when on the field together, but they are definitely not teachers.

Marvin Lewis Post-Game Comments

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Lewis came into the press conference room with myself and some of the other members of the press to address the game.

Very somber in both his tone and body language, I could tell Lewis was very disappointed with how his team played on Sunday.

"The offense played as a group with new people but the execution was not good," said Lewis. " We need to play crisper and tighter in some areas."

Then Lewis moved on to talk about his backup quarterbacks and their horrid performances.

"JT [O'Sullivan] had an opportunity and he did not take advantage of it," said Lewis.

Special teams were also an issue for the Bengals.

"Our punting was bad and we gave them field position," said Lewis.

Then the question came, and I was waiting for it to be asked because I did not want to be the one to do it.

"Terrell needs to get in sync with Carson, but that is up to him and Carson to work out," said Lewis when asked about how Owens' chemistry with Palmer was.

Finally, when asked about Adam Jones and Shipley's performances in the game, Lewis mentioned that Shipley's punt return was great, but he had to go back to the tape for both of the players to really get a good look at them from this game.

The Bengals Cheerleaders Helped Me Through The Second Half—Satire

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As in many preseason games, the second half can be a bit long and tedious trying to watch the backups make a name for themselves to the coaching staff in order to secure a roster spot on the team.

Sadly, the Cowboys cheerleaders did not show and I was a bit disappointed, but the Bengals cheerleaders were present and when the action on the field slowed down the cheerleaders were still doing their thing and dancing on the sidelines.

Thank you Bengals for bringing them along for the trip North to Canton otherwise my second half experience would have taken twice as long as it did, figuratively speaking.