CINCINNATI -- The Tyler Eifert and Andy Dalton connection remains strong.
Eifert had what was perhaps the play of the day on Tuesday at Cincinnati Bengals training camp. Dalton faked the handoff to running back Tra Carson and zoomed a 30-yard pass to Eifert near the sidelines. Eifert, with Adam Jones blanketing him, went airborne to snag the pass, which went right over Jones' outstretched arms. Jones fell to the ground as Eifert ran around him and into the end zone for the touchdown.
Eifert was the Bengals' best red zone threat in 2015, but injuries limited him to just eight games during the 2016 season. He missed training camp last year with an injured ankle, and back surgery kept him out of OTAs this summer.
Eifert made several nice plays over the course of the day Tuesday, making it clear how much he has been missed by Dalton. If Eifert stays healthy, he'll make a significant difference in the Bengals' offensive arsenal this season.
What's next?: The Bengals will now get a day off Wednesday, which couldn't come soon enough after tempers flared in Tuesday's practice.
The early portion of practice saw a scrum that involved most of the team after Vontaze Burfict tackled Giovani Bernard during a drill that allowed contact but no tackling to the ground. Toward the end of practice, Eifert and Shawn Williams pushed and shoved at each other after the conclusion of a play before teammates broke things up.
Other plays of the day: Carl Lawson showed his speed coming around the edge and stopped Joe Mixon for a loss. ... Trey Hopkins and Jake Fisher executed two nice blocks to give Jeremy Hill running room for a potential 20-yard touchdown. ... Marquis Flowers successfully defended a touchdown attempt to Eifert in the corner of the end zone and got a pat on the head from Burfict. ... Dalton went deep to Brandon LaFell, who burned Dre Kirkpatrick with a double move in 7-on-7 drills for a touchdown.
Injury update: Bengals guard Andre Smith returned to practice after sitting out Monday, but did not participate in team drills on Tuesday. Trey Hopkins took his place with the first team unit. Hopkins has gotten extensive snaps at guard with the first team unit for three of the first five days of practice. He filled in for Smith on Monday and also got snaps with the first team on Saturday when Smith worked at right tackle. ... Michael Johnson (undisclosed) and Jake Kumerow (ankle) missed practice for the fourth straight day. ... George Iloka (knee) did not practice and is expected out for several weeks, however, he was in attendance at practice and was walking without the use of crutches. Derron Smith, Brandon Wilson, Cedric Peerman, T.J. Johnson, Tony McRae and Chris Brown did not practice. ... AJ McCarron returned to practice after missing Monday for personal reasons. ... Giovani Bernard returned to practice after taking a rest day Monday.
Kicking competition: Randy Bullock had his first miss of training camp from 44 yards. He made field goals of 35, 43, and 40 yards. Jake Elliott made field goals of 17, 20, 24 and 31 yards. Bullock has made 10-of-11 field goals in camp, and Elliott has made 11-of-12 field goals in camp, with his lone miss coming from 40 yards.