Slants and Screens

Old friend Jeff Blake, who threw the NFL’s prettiest deep ball in the last decade of the 20th century and was at the center of a Bengals rebirth known as “Blakemania,” stopped by Sunday, and made sure he talked to his successors Burrow and Joe Flacco. He has been Ruler of the Jungle at a game, but he had yet to see a practice.

“It’s beautiful here,” Blake said. “To be right next to the stadium and the people able to get downtown to watch, that’s beautiful for the players.”

Blake, 55, was in the NFL for 14 seasons, but, no, he never ran across Flacco. His last year was with the Bears in 2005, three years before the Ravens drafted Flacco.

“I told him to keep going as long as they give you a paycheck,” Blake said.

As for Burrow, Blake said, “He looks great. He puts up great numbers. He’s taken his team to a Super Bowl, and that’s very hard to do. It’s very hard to take any team to a Super Bowl, and he’s young enough to be able to do it again.”

Taylor pointed to the field and graciously offered him to throw one, but Blake had to decline. He has neuropathy in his pinky finger and can no longer grip a ball.

But he’s on the lookout for the next Burrow at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., where he’s in charge of the quarterbacks. He’s loving life. He can walk to the beach, he’s 15 minutes from the school and he can fish all he wants.

He started 100 games for four teams, but it was in Cincinnati where in a span of a season he went from the waiver wire to Waikiki and a Pro Bowl berth. After 66 starts, Blake considers himself a Bengal.

“I think people say my name and they link me with the Bengals,” Blake said. “I had fun on the field being with my guys (Carl) Pickens and Darnay (Scott) and having a really god time with them and how the people enjoyed the atmosphere we started while we were here.” …

The backup offensive line has been re-shuffled in the quest to find a swing tackle. Jalen Rivers and Ford have basically switched spots with Rivers going to left tackle and Ford to right guard. Both have played those spots here, so it’s not crazy, and they both don’t mind moving around.

It will be recalled when Rivers arrived in last year’s draft in the fifth pick round, he was a left tackle all the way through the first preseason game. At the University of Miami, he had 29 starts at left tackle in his final two years after playing left guard his first two years.

“I have a history of playing both,” Rivers said. “It’s wonderful for me to be able to show I can play both if they put me in at any given moment.” …

Also visiting Sunday were former running backs coach Jim Anderson, the longest serving Bengals coach of all-time with 29 seasons, former defensive tackle John Thornton and former safety Robert Jackson …