The Bengals are a somewhat banged-up outfit as they head into this Saturday’s home game against New Orleans. But they still see a light at the end of the preseason tunnel, focusing on the regular-season opener at Baltimore.

“We’re looking for more consistency, and to get some guys back from the injured list,” head coach Marvin Lewis said after a 27-10 loss to Detroit that evened Cincinnati’s preseason record at 1-1. “But we’ve done well in some areas we’ve emphasized, particularly running the ball, and we’re developing guys in a lot of areas. We are doing what you want to do in preseason.”

The Saints lead the Bengals 5-1 in preseason play, including 3-1 in games at Cincinnati. The Bengals lead the regular-season series by a 6-5 margin. New Orleans has won the last five preseason meetings, the most recent a 27-19 decision at Cincinnati last season. The Bengals’ only preseason win over New Orleans was in the first game of the preseason series, 20-0 at Cincinnati in 1975.