CINCINNATI -- The same words kept coming out of the mouths of every Cincinnati Bengals coach, linemen, both offensive and defensive, and anybody else associated with the team here this week.
"Geno can't be blocked."
For Bengals observers, those four words might be only slightly less important than "Dalton has taken the next step."
Geno is Geno Atkins, Cincinnati's best defensive player, but a player who spent 2014 trying to come back from major knee surgery and basically looked like a shell of the player he used to be. Atkins, at his best, is a penetrating, quick, strong inside player who commands the double team.
He spent 2014 getting blocked, not getting a lot of push inside and not commanding the double, which meant those single blocks elsewhere that freed guys to rush the passer weren't as frequent. The sack numbers for the Bengals plummeted from 43 in 2013 to 20 in 2014, which was last in the league.
This was from a defense that was expected to be a top-level unit, but injuries, defections and below-average play of Atkins led to problems.
"The three-technique (Atkins' spot) is so important in our defense," Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said. "When Geno is playing at a high level, it makes everybody else that much better. That's part of why we struggled last year."
Don't expect a repeat performance.
Atkins is killing it in practice so far, his explosive ability all the way back, making it brutal on those lined up against him.
"He's better than he was before the injury," Guenther said. "Those guys say he's ruining practice when he's out there."
Guard Kevin Zeitler, who has to battle him in practice, echoed those same thoughts.
"He's back," Zeitler said. "If we can block Geno the way he's playing, we can block anybody." After the second workout with the New York Giants here this week, I talked some line play with Zeitler. I told him Atkins was killing the Giants, too.
"That's good to know," Zeitler said. "It's not just us having problems."
Atkins, for his part, has played it low key this season. He isn't talking to the media, or at least hasn't yet. I've talked several times with him in the past, including at the Pro bowl last January, but when I asked to do so this week as he came off the practice field, it was a no-go.
"No comment," he said. "I am off the clock."
It wasn't a nasty brush off, by any means. So that was fine by me. Atkins has been a bit of a media recluse since coming into the league, and now his focus is simply on getting back to playing at a high level. He will let his play do his talking -- for now.
Atkins tore the ACL on Halloween of 2013 against the Dolphins. The rehab process hurt his weight room time, which, in turn, influenced his power at the point of attack. His quickness also seemed to wane.
Atkins barely resembled the player who was a 2012 All-Pro, a player who received a five-year, $55-million deal before the 2013 season. There were rumblings that maybe he would never be the same player.
At the end of last season, Guenther publicly said Atkins was "just a guy." The reality was that was true. But publicly it sounded like Guenther was calling Atkins out. I asked Atkins about that at the Pro Bowl, and he brushed it off. Said it didn't influence him in any way, but one has to wonder.
That is all behind now. There is no lasting animosity and Guenther had nothing but praise for Atkins.
"He's our best player," Guenther said. "He's come back in great shape. He's responded. When he came back in the spring, the quickness was back. You could see he was Geno again."
Against the Giants this week, there were times where Atkins exploded into offensive linemen and pushed them deep into the pocket. He destroyed guard Adam Gettis in one drill.
Get used it. The guy has been a one-man wrecking crew this summer in Cincinnati. Healthy again, Atkins is poised for a big season.
Geno can't be blocked isn't just lip service. I saw it with my own eyes. Atkins is back.
Observations from Bengals camp:
Rex in effect: If you are looking for a deep fantasy sleeper, take a shot at running back/receiver Rex Burkhead. He has trimmed his body down, and will be used in a bunch of different ways. During one recent practice, Burkhead had the highest GPS monitoring of any player in camp. That means he saw the field a lot. The Bengals hope to be able to use him to cause match-up problems and Marvin Lewis raved about his quickness from the slot. Yes, the Bengals have A.J. Green, Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu, but there is a real thought that Burkead will get plenty of chances.
Johnson's happy return: I Talked a bit with injured defensive end Michael Johnson, who is thrilled to be back in Cincinnati after a bad season with the Bucs. Johnson signed that big deal as a free agent with Tampa Bay, but was released this past spring. Johnson said he had a high-ankle sprain in Tampa Bay's first game and also had issues with Achilles tendonitis for much of the season. Tampa Bay wanted him to restructure his deal, but Johnson declined. He said he was nearly traded to Cleveland, but they backed out. Now he's back with the team that drafted him, which should help the defense. Johnson did suffer a knee injury early in camp that will keep him on the sideline for a month or so, but he's just relieved it wasn't a lot worse. At first, he thought it might be an ACL. With Atkins back at a high level, and Johnson back after his Tampa Bay disaster, the Bengals will be tough up front again.
Block the Twinkies: Tackles Andrew Whitworth and Andre Smith have lost a combined 50 pounds or so. Both are free agents after the season and with two rookie tackles being taken in the May draft with the first two picks, they both could be gone. I asked Whitworth why he dropped the weight, and he said he wanted less wear and tear on his joints. I get the sneaky suspicion the Bengals will find a way to keep Whitworth, who is still playing at a high level. For now, those veterans will be key to what happens on offense.
Cornered: The Bengals corners had a couple of good practices against the Giants. Dre' Kirkpatrick, now in his third season, did a nice job on Odell Beckham. Adam Jones, formerly the guy known as Pacman, is starting on the other side. He made a bunch of plays. With Leon Hall and 2014 first-round pick Darqueze Dennard, the Bengals are loaded at corners. Rookies Troy Hill and Josh Shaw are two others. This team always seems to find good ones.
