What we learned ...
Calvin Johnson is in a groove: The second-year wideout dominated in Week 1 of the preseason and he did likewise against the Bengals on Sunday. In limited action, Johnson caught three passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. He now has seven catches for 153 yards in a little less than a half of preseason action.
The Lions' CB acquisitions are making a difference: Brian Kelly and Leigh Bodden were brought in to solidify a shaky secondary in the offseason and they played very well in Cincinnati. Kelly had a great hit on Bengals WR Chad Johnson and picked off the pass on the same play, while Bodden was also busy making life miserable on Carson Palmer.
Bengals ailing at wide receiver: Johnson left the game with a shoulder injury after the aforementioned hit. He already missed some of training camp following offseason ankle surgery. The other starting wide receiver, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, has yet to appear in the preseason while dealing with a lingering hamstring ailment. In their absence, backup Marcus Maxwell stepped up with three catches for 37 yards.
Rookie LB Keith Rivers can play: A holdout caused the first-round pick to miss the start of training camp, but he appears to be a quick learner. He was around the ball constantly in the first half for the Bengals, collecting a pair of tackles and displaying good instincts.
