The Cincinnati Bengals held their first practice on Spanish soil on Thursday, November 5, at the Ciudad del Fútbol in Las Rozas, the Spanish football federation’s training campus about 20 miles north-west of Madrid. It was also the day head coach Zac Taylor met local and international reporters for the first time since the team landed on Wednesday. Madrid is one hour behind Cairo, so Sunday’s kickoff against the Atlanta Falcons at the Santiago Bernabéu is at 3:30 p.m. in Madrid and 4:30 p.m. in Cairo.
The Bengals post two clips from their first practice in Madrid. Video by the Bengals.
Turner and Johnson are on the field
The first injury question of the week was about cornerback DJ Turner II (heel) and edge rusher Cedric Johnson (ankle), who both left Sunday’s overtime win over Tennessee in the fourth quarter. A Wednesday estimate had projected both as non-participants, along with safety Kyle Dugger (quad), because the team did not practise that day. On Thursday, a Cincinnati columnist at the session reported that Turner and Johnson were both stretching with the team at the start of practice.
A reporter at practice posts video of the Bengals’ stretch period, with Turner and Johnson on the field.
Taylor said a few players would be limited on Thursday but did not name them, so he did not rule out either player. The official Thursday participation list was not yet available at the time of writing. Edge rusher Cashius Howell, who had wrist surgery on Sunday night, is on injured reserve and is out for at least a month.
Taylor: “a normal Thursday,” and an ask for Who Dey across Spain
Taylor said the day should feel routine, with practice on Thursday and Friday as usual and a stadium walkthrough on Saturday. “This is a game that’s different because it’s overseas, but it would be a shame if we didn’t treat it like the others,” he said, in remarks reported in Spanish by wire services and translated here. “This game counts like any other.” He said the team arrived on Wednesday morning, has walked around the city a little, shopped and eaten at restaurants, and is still adjusting to the six-hour time change. “Sleep is something we can’t control,” he said.
Much of the news conference was about Spain. Asked what he knows about Spanish sport, Taylor said, “Spain are the world champions of football,” a reference to the national team that trains at the campus the Bengals are using, and that he had tried to see the World Cup trophy but was told it is travelling from place to place. He said he likes both Madrid clubs and, asked about the Bernabéu, called the soccer tradition there “unbelievable.” The team will see the stadium for the first time on Saturday.
He also used the platform to market the team. “Our colors stand out. I think our logo is iconic, to me. I like seeing that all over the world,” Taylor said. “So I would encourage the Spanish fans to buy as much Bengals gear as they can, and wear it proudly.” He added: “Say ‘Who Dey’. That’s our saying. Let’s get everyone in Spain yelling ‘Who Dey’ every time they see anyone wearing orange and black.” He said the team has “a couple of players who are known worldwide,” a clear nod to quarterback Joe Burrow and receiver Ja’Marr Chase, and, asked whether a week abroad could serve as a rehearsal for a Super Bowl run, which also means a long stay in one city, said he hopes it is “a sign.” “We’ll know in a couple of months,” he said. He ended in Spanish: “Me encanta Madrid.”
The Falcons’ Thursday
Atlanta, the home team in Madrid, is again working out of Real Madrid’s Ciudad Real Madrid campus. After a Wednesday walkthrough, head coach Kevin Stefanski said a full-speed practice would come on Thursday or Friday, and that he wants to see how pass rusher James Pearce Jr. responds before setting his snap count for the first game of his season. Pearce was a full participant on the estimated Wednesday report. Linebackers Divine Deablo and Yasir Abdullah and running back Brian Robinson Jr. were limited, and receiver Zachariah Branch did not take part and is out for Sunday. Our day-one story has the rest of the Falcons’ first day.
New on the fan calendar: Falcons House, the fan walk and Ocean Rock’s hours
The NFL’s updated Madrid fan-events page adds the clubs’ own plans. The Falcons have a fan gathering on Saturday and a walk to the stadium on Sunday, and the Bengals’ official bar has published its hours for the week. Bengals-themed Menina sculpture photos are at Plaza de España on Friday and Saturday. The NFL’s free House and Experience programmes are covered in our Madrid fan-week story, and the Bengals’ travel details are in our Bengals travel story.
| Date | What is happening | Madrid time | Cairo time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu Nov 5 | Bengals’ first Madrid practice at Las Rozas; Ocean Rock Bar opens for Who Dey Nation | Bar 17:00–03:30 | Bar 18:00–04:30 |
| Fri Nov 6 | Bengals’ second practice; Bengals party at Florida Park in the Retiro; Bengals-themed Menina at Plaza de España | Party 20:00–23:00; Menina 10:00–19:00 | Party 21:00–00:00; Menina 11:00–20:00 |
| Sat Nov 7 | Falcons House at Irish Rover; Bengals fan meetup at Ocean Rock Bar; Bengals’ stadium walkthrough | Falcons House 13:00–17:00; bar from 15:00 | Falcons House 14:00–18:00; bar from 16:00 |
| Sun Nov 8 | Dirty Birds Fan Walk from Mira Miranda to the Bernabéu; stadium fan zone for ticket holders; Bengals watch party at Ocean Rock Bar; kickoff | Walk 13:00–13:15; fan zone 12:30–15:00; kickoff 15:30 | Walk 14:00–14:15; fan zone 13:30–16:00; kickoff 16:30 |
The full Week 9 slate in Cairo time is in our Week 9 schedule.
Details come from the Bengals’ and the NFL’s event pages, the Bengals’ and Falcons’ own posts and Spanish and Cincinnati reports from Madrid on Thursday.
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