Billy Price was ready to show off his strength at the NFL combine. During the bench press Jordan Evans Jersey Limited , the center from Ohio State felt a pain in his chest and thought his chances were ruined.It all turned out far better than he'd hope on Thursday night.The Bengals took the center with the 21st overall pick, another addition to their biggest problem area. After watching four quarterbacks go higher in the round, they got someone to protect their own. And as it turned out, he comes from right up the road.Price grew up in eastern Ohio — his stepfather was from Pittsburgh so he says he "unfortunately" grew up as a Steelers fan — and hoped he could stay in-state in the NFL, although it was a long shot. The chest injury was a severe setback to his chances of getting chosen high in the draft."The injury happens and the next thing you're thinking, 'Shoot, I'm done,'" Price said in a conference call. "Your stomach just drops. Man, it's like who knows what's going to happen?"After spending time with him at the combine, the Bengals were convinced he was a good fit as they try to dig their offense out of an all-time low. Cincinnati finished last in the league in yards in 2017 — it had never done so poorly — and the running game was among the worst in club history.The main problem was a line that couldn't protect Andy Dalton or open holes for the running game. They knew what had to change.The Bengals' draft maneuvering started a month ago when they traded the No. 12 overall pick to Buffalo for the 21st pick and left tackle Cordy Glenn , a significant upgrade. They lost center Russell Bodine in the offseason — he signed a two-year deal with Buffalo — and needed someone to anchor the middle of the line.In their minds Nick Vigil Jersey , Price was a first-round pick even though he's recovering from the chest injury. He's expected to be ready for training camp. Their meeting at the combine left that much of an impression."He walks out of that room and everyone was, 'Wow, this is the guy you want to have on your team,'" offensive coordinator Bill Lazor said.Price won't have to go far for their reunion. He was sitting outside his family's home in Youngstown, Ohio during his conference call, only a five-hour drive across Ohio's interstates."It's just an unbelievable feeling right now," he said. "This is exactly what I wanted in this draft, to be able to go high and stay home in Ohio. It's unreal right now."The pick showed how much Cincinnati has made the offensive line its top priority in the offseason. The Bengals hadn't taken a center with their first overall pick since 1983 when they got Dave Rimington. The only other time they took a center with their first pick was the 1968 expansion draft, when they got Bob Johnson.The Bengals kept Lazor as coordinator — he was the interim last season after Ken Zampese was fired two games into the season. Lazor has been given wide latitude to overhaul the offense, and players have noted the many changes in style.But none of it will work if they don't have a dependable line."He can really solidify the front of that pocket," offensive line coach Frank Pollack said. "It's important. He can be a great add for us."The Bengals are hoping to get a lot more out of their top pick than they did last season Andy Dalton Jersey , when they also chose someone coming off an injury.Receiver John Ross was recovering from shoulder surgery when the Bengals drafted him ninth overall. He suffered another shoulder injury during the season and wound up playing in only three games. Ross didn't have a catch, and the only time he touched the ball was on a reverse ended with a fumble. Ross is expected to be fully recovered from his shoulder injury next season. Drew Brees and the Saints rocked Paul Brown Stadium from the opening drive, scoring every time they got the ball except for the last one.Then they cranked up the music in the locker room until the cinderblock walls were vibrating, too.For New Orleans, it was as much fun as it gets in the NFL.Brees threw three touchdown passes in a blistering first half, moving ahead of Brett Favre for second place on the career list, and New Orleans rolled to its eighth straight victory Sunday, 51-14 over the Cincinnati Bengals.Then they blasted the music.“It’s a good time,” said Brees, who was 22 of 25 for 265 yards and a near-perfect passer rating of 150.4. “We know how to have fun when it’s time to have fun.”Brees led the Saints to touchdowns on all five first-half possessions with a nearly perfect performance 鈥?only two incompletions. His聽17-yard TD to Michael Thomaswith 2 seconds left in the half gave him 509 career touchdown passes, one more than Favre.Up next: Peyton Manning’s record 539.“If you play long enough A.J. Green Jersey , I guess those things happen,” Brees said. “I consider myself very grateful, very blessed.“Just take ’em one at a time, keep plugging along, and hopefully there’s more to go”Brees had his way with the聽Bengals’ historically bad defense聽, even聽diving over the pileto score a 1-yard touchdown. Cincinnati (5-4) became the first team in the Super Bowl era to give up 500 yards in three consecutive games; New Orleans finished with 509.The Bengals matched the most lopsided defeat in franchise history and gave up the second-most points in club history. In the first half alone, the Saints piled up 311 yards and had 21 first downs on 40 plays. Brees was 18 of 20 for 214 yards with three touchdowns in the opening half.“I’m kind of in shock after a loss like that,” linebacker Jordan Evans said.In the last four games, the Bengals have given up 481, 551, 576 and 509 yards. They’re on pace to give up the most yards in NFL history.“Obviously Geno Atkins Jersey , your confidence gets shaken,” coach Marvin Lewis said. “I just addressed that with them. They have to focus and get determined. It’s their job to do it right.”Mark Ingram and聽Alvin Kamara recognized Dez Bryant聽by crossing their arms after scoring touchdowns. The former Cowboys receiver signed with the Saints on Wednesday but tore an Achilles tendon in his second practice.“Two days is not a lot of time, and yet there’s a lot of respect,” coach Sean Payton said.The Saints sent the Rams to their first loss last week, 45-35, and kept the momentum with their highest-scoring game of the season. Ingram had 13 rushes for 104 yards, and Kamara scored twice as New Orleans picked up 244 yards on the ground.“Look, this was a good game, but it wasn’t a perfect game,” Payton said.Pretty close. The only time New Orleans failed to score was when it took a knee at the Bengals 31-yard line to end matters.What’s it like playing in an offense like that?“It’s heaven,” Kamara said.Another encouraging sign for the Saints: Their struggling defense held in check a Bengals offense missing A.J. Green Tyler Eifert Jersey , out indefinitely with an injured toe on his right foot. Andy Dalton went 12 of 20 for 153 yards with two interceptions, including one that Marcus Williams returned 78 yards to set up Brees’ third touchdown throw.“We all had a hand in it,” Dalton said.BAD HISTORYIt’s the fourth time the Bengals have lost a game by 37 points in their history. The club record for points allowed was 52 against Carolina in 2002. The 28 points allowed in the second quarter matched the club record.RED-ZONEDNew Orleans had allowed touchdowns on 20 of opponents’ 28 drives inside the 20-yard line, which ranked 28th out of 32 teams in red zone efficiency. The Bengals managed to get inside the 20-yard line only once, on their opening touchdown drive.LOCKED INBrees has an 89 percent completion percentage when targeting Michael Thomas this season. Thomas finished with eight catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns, including a diving 7-yard catch in the end zone.PRODUCTIVE THOMASThomas has 274 catches in 40 career games, surpassing Odell Beckham Jr., who held the mark for most receptions in NFL history through 40 outings.INJURIESSaints: LT Terron Armstead suffered a shoulder injury in the second quarter.Bengals: CB Dre Kirkpatrick suffered a concussion in the second quarter and didn’t return.UP NEXTSaints: host the Eagles next Sunday.Bengals: play at Baltimore next Sunday. The beat the Ravens earlier this year.