Cincinnati, OH -- (Sports Network) - Drew Brees went 14-for-22 with 199 yards and a touchdown as the New Orleans Saints blanked the Cincinnati Bengals, 13-0, in preseason action.

Brees played the first half and guided the Saints (2-1) to scores on their first two possessions. Ronnie Ghent caught the lone touchdown of the game while Martin Gramatica and Taylor Mehlhaff each connected on a field goal in the win.

Carson Palmer played the first half and went 11-for-16 with 105 yards, but was sacked three times and suffered a bloody nose late in the first half. Ben Utecht caught four passes for 49 yards in the loss for the Bengals (1-2), who managed just 165 yards in total offense.

The Bengals played the game with a depleted receiver corps as Chad Johnson (shoulder), T.J. Houshmandzadeh (hamstring) and rookie Andre Caldwell (foot) all sat out.

The Bengals re-signed troubled receiver Chris Henry earlier in the week, but he did not play.

The Saints got on the board on their first possession as Gramatica connected on a 42-yard field goal to cap a nine-play, 55-yard drive.

Later in the first, Brees found Ghent in the end zone from a yard out for a 10-0 lead with 6:03 left in the opening quarter.

Neither team got on the board in the second as New Orleans held its 10-point lead heading into the locker room.

New Orleans got the only points of the third quarter on a 45-yard field goal from Mehlhaff to take a 13-0 lead with under three minutes left in the frame.

Neither team was able to put points on the board in the fourth as the Saints held on for the win.