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Bengals tidbits

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Cincy

Bengals notebook
Vick will be a challenge for defense; Lewis has never faced Falcons' QB

BY MARK CURNUTTE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
In the battle of heavyweight defensive coaches and singularly-talented offensive players, Marvin Lewis and Michael Vick have never faced each other on the same field.
Lewis' Bengals and Vick's Falcons will play Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium, each team coming in with a 4-2 record.
Vick threw a career high four touchdown passes Sunday in Atlanta's 41-38 overtime victory against Pittsburgh.
"First time I've ever been on the field with Michael Vick," Lewis said Monday. "I'll be excited. Nobody like him. A great challenge for us. It will be fun, exciting."
Vick also ran five times for 40 yards against the Steelers.
"You have to limit his explosiveness. He can throw some BBs and he makes some very accurate throws," Lewis said.
Vick's favorite target is tight end Alge Crumpler, who had three of his four touchdown catches Sunday.
OH, HENRY: Chris Henry has served his two-game NFL suspension and is eligible to play Sunday against Atlanta.
Henry sprinted through the locker room Monday, so he wouldn't have to talk to reporters.
The decision whether Henry plays is Marvin Lewis'.
The Bengals coach didn't have much to say, either.
"He gets an opportunity to come back and practice this week," Lewis said when asked about Henry. "He could be down. He could be on our team and be down (not in uniform)."
The Bengals would have to clear a spot on their 53-man roster for Henry. Fellow wide receiver Kelley Washington will miss the Falcons game because of a hamstring injury, Lewis said.
INJURY UPDATE: Bengals players came out of the game Sunday in relatively good condition.
Linebacker Rashad Jeanty (foot) will be questionable. Safety Dexter Jackson (ankle) and wide receiver Antonio Chatman (groin) will be probable. Chatman said his sore groin injury was aggravated when Carolina players grabbed his "private area" a couple of different times in piles.
Jackson said he was a little sore after playing Sunday for the first time since Week 2, but he makes a positive difference in the defense when he is on the field.
The Bengals will be without four players Sunday for the Atlanta game: center Rich Braham, left tackle Levi Jones, quarterback Anthony Wright and Washington.
HEALTHY DEBUT: Lewis was pleased with tailback Chris Perry's showing Sunday. It was his first game action of the season.
"He did OK physically. He had some rust," Lewis said. "It's the first time he's been hit carrying the ball and actually getting tackled. He'll continue to work."
Perry had five touches against Carolina.
STREAKS: In defeating previously 4-2 Carolina, the Bengals snapped a six-game losing streak at home against teams with winning records. The losses came to New England, Pittsburgh (wild-card game), Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Pittsburgh, dating to the 2004 season.
The previous team with a winning record the Bengals defeated at home was Denver in Week 7 of 2004. The Broncos came in 5-1 and lost 23-10 to the Bengals on Monday Night Football.
E-mail [email protected]
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ABJ

Chad Johnson back to bragging for long-awaited matchup

JOE KAY

Associated Press

CINCINNATI - Chad Johnson's face is on the cover of a national sports magazine. His life story is on the racks of local bookstores. When it comes to ink and paper, the Pro Bowl receiver is everywhere.
Not on the field, though. No matter how he cuts his hair or runs his mouth, the Cincinnati Bengals' man-on-the-cover can't find his way into the end zone.
That's about to change. He guarantees it.
Four days after he moped that coach Marvin Lewis had put a lid on his self-promoting routine, Johnson was back to talking himself up on Wednesday. He promised at least two touchdowns - and two memorable celebrations - against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
"I'm taking a risk," Johnson said, more energized than he had in weeks. "I'm coming out. Coach Lewis has told me to tone it (down). He's told me to be quiet. I've been quiet all year. I haven't said much. I'm back. I'm going to let it rip."
Why the change? It has a lot to do with the guy who's guarding him.
When cornerback DeAngelo Hall had the nerve to talk back to Johnson at the Pro Bowl, a strange bond was formed. The tormenting had begun.
"Chad actually pulled me aside and said I was the first guy to say something back to him in two years," Hall recalled on Wednesday. "I guess I earned some respect from him for that."
Since they first exchanged not-so-sweet-nothings in Hawaii, they've kept up the banter from a distance. They call each other regularly to see how the other is doing, wish them well and get in a few jabs about their looming matchup.
The one that's finally about to happen.
"It started in Hawaii," Johnson said. "He told me he was the best defensive back ever. I said, 'How can you proclaim yourself the best ever when you haven't been against the best?'"
To make his point, Johnson took a marker to his "Who Covered 85 in 2006" list on Wednesday - the one with the Falcons game highlighted in red - and marked the "no" box, a way of saying Hall had already failed. Then, he scrawled in the defender's name, rendering it: DeAngelo Fall.
Once the game is over, Hall will be looking for a job at teammate Willie Anderson's restaurant in Atlanta, Johnson suggested.
That was a new one on Hall.
"That's another great one-liner," an amused Hall said, during a conference call Wednesday with writers in Cincinnati. "I'm a Pro Bowl player. I ain't too worried about finding a job."
There's one thing that could spoil their fun: Hall may not cover him much.
Teams have been giving Johnson double and triple coverage this season, limiting him to one touchdown. The other receivers have gotten a lot more passes and scores as a result, leaving Johnson in the role of disappointed decoy.
He has handled it without complaint, a sign of maturity. In the past, Johnson would plead for passes to come his way.
After his diving 32-yard catch on fourth-and-1 set up the winning touchdown Sunday in a 17-14 victory over Carolina, Johnson said he was being low-key on the field because Lewis insisted it was best for the team that he keep his thoughts to himself.
Silence made him suffer.
"I'm tired of being quiet," he said. "I ain't had no motivation. I ain't had no energy. I ain't had no drive, nothing to look forward to on Sunday. I don't care if they put five people on me, I'm going to get it done this week.
"It's going down this Sunday. I'm celebrating. I'm going to score. I'm going to score more than once."
Lewis broke into a deep laugh when told that Johnson was talking again to get himself out of an emotional slump.
"My gosh!" Lewis said, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his hand across the top of his head. "Sounds like an excuse."
To Falcons coach Jim Mora, it sounded more like mutual respect.
"If they didn't have the respect for each other, they probably wouldn't challenge each other the way they are," Mora said. "So, that's what it's all about - the competition, the battle of the great ones. And that's certainly a battle of great ones."
Exactly what they've been telling each other for months.
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Dispatch

Bengals want to avoid being wowed by Vick
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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RIC FELD ASSOCIATED PRESS Michael Vick is known for his fast feet, but he threw four TD passes against Pittsburgh.
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CINCINNATI ? Bengals defensive end Bryan Robinson likened facing Michael Vick to playing against Barry Sanders. The talent is so breathtaking that the temptation is to stop and watch.
Such is the challenge the Bengals face Sunday when they play the Atlanta Falcons in Paul Brown Stadium. The NFL is a copycat league, but there is no one like Vick.
"It?s almost like Barry Sanders," said Robinson, who as a Chicago Bear played against the former Detroit Lions running back. "You did more watching Barry Sanders than playing against him. What I told the guys is you have to take your shots. If you sit there and wait for him to make the first move, then he?s already lost you."
Vick is a flawed quarterback. He presides over a passing game that ranks last in the NFL. He has completed only 52.4 percent of his passes.
But Vick has a spectacular arm and astonishing speed. He?s so gifted as a runner that the Falcons use the option play as a standard part of their offense, nearly unheard of in the NFL. Vick has run for 441 yards with an average of 8.6 per carry.
"Just don?t give him running lanes," said safety Dexter Jackson, who played against Vick while with Tampa Bay. "Make him beat us with his arm. His legs are phenomenal."
Letting Vick throw is not a foolproof method for success, either. Last week against Pittsburgh, Vick threw for a careerhigh four touchdowns in the Falcons? 41-38 overtime victory.
"He can throw the football if that?s what they want him to do," Robinson said. "But his overall game is to get out there on the perimeter, have his tight end (Alge Crumpler) and wide receivers break free, and if it?s not there, use his own legs."
Bengals defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan said he is stressing the importance of finishing plays and staying disciplined.
Robinson talked about forming a U shape on pass rushes. The defensive ends must not allow Vick to get outside, and the tackles must prevent him from darting up the middle.
But the Bengals understand that it?s impossible to prepare completely for Vick.
"There are some things you can practice for a week," defensive backs coach Kevin Coyle said, "and there?s going to be things that happen in the game that he just does and you just hope you weather the big plays he can generate."
Vick is keeping a low profile this week. He declined a request to speak to Bengals reporters on a conference call, perhaps a reaction to criticism he received recently for saying he wished he could play, if only for one game, in a pass-happy offense like Peyton Manning has.
Questions persist about whether Vick is an ideal fit for the Falcons? West Coast-style offense. But Atlanta coach Jim Mora Jr. had only glowing things to say about coaching his quarterback.
"Oh, it?s a blast," he said. "I mean, it?s the greatest thing going. No. 1, he is a great kid. He?s such a wonderful person. Giving. Caring. Compassionate. Great teammate. Great team member. Leader. All these things that aren?t always portrayed in the national media.
"It just seems that a lot of people like to focus on the things that Mike can?t do or hasn?t shown great consistency doing. For me, it?s always about what he can do. It?s amazing. People say, ?Well, he can?t do ?? I?m like, ?I?ve never seen anything he can?t do. Maybe you haven?t seen it yet, but I have.? "
On Sunday, the Bengals will get their chance.
"It?s going to be a fun, exciting challenge," Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis said.
[email protected]
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Dispatch

Johnson back to bragging
Receiver resumes war of words with Falcons cornerback

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




CINCINNATI ? Chad Johnson couldn?t remain staid forever.
About the only thing that remained flamboyant for the Bengals receiver this season had been his blond Mohawk haircut.
And it was killing him to keep quiet. So yesterday, with a longawaited matchup against Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall just four days away, Johnson returned to his default trashtalking mode.
"Coach (Marvin) Lewis has told me to tone it down," said Johnson, who?s on the Sports Illustrated cover this week. "I?ve been quiet all year. I haven?t said much. I?m back. I?m going to let it rip."
His first order of business was to announce that, in honor of Hispanic Heritage month, he wanted to be referred to as "Ocho-cinco," Spanish for 8-5.
Next, he also renamed the Falcons cornerback.
"DeAngelo Fall. Do not say ?Hall? or I?m going to stop the interview," he said with mock seriousness.
Johnson and Hall have been engaged in a playful war of words since playing against each other at the Pro Bowl last February.
"Every time we see each other in the offseason, on radio shows and TV shows, he continues to talk," Johnson said. "That?s not his game. He can?t do what Ocho-cinco does."
Johnson said he?ll make Hall look so bad that he?ll have to seek employment at the Atlanta Fatburgers restaurant owned by Bengals right tackle Willie Anderson.
Johnson also vowed to score two touchdowns this week and to have a celebration that?ll draw a fine.
"I?m tired of being quiet," said Johnson, who has yet to have a monster game this season. "I ain?t had no motivation. I ain?t had no energy. I ain?t had no drive. Nothing to look forward to on Sunday. I don?t care if they put five people on me. I?m going to get it done this week."
Hall was amused by Johnson?s brash talk.
"Great one-liner," he said when informed of Johnson?s new name for him.
"I?m just going to come out there and play, man."
Warrick works out

Former Bengals receiver Peter Warrick, released after the preseason by Seattle, worked out for Cincinnati coaches Tuesday.
Lewis downplayed the significance of the workout.
"We work out guys every week," Lewis said.
With a depleted receivers corps, the Bengals could use someone who knows their system, but nothing appears imminent.
Bengals bits

After completing a two-week suspension, Chris Henry was back at practice yesterday. Lewis remained noncommittal about whether the receiver would play Sunday. The Bengals have the option of not activating Henry onto the roster until next week. ? Receiver Antonio Chatman (groin) and linebacker Rashad Jeanty (foot) were listed as questionable on the injury report. Quarterback Anthony Wright (appendectomy), left tackle Levi Jones (knee), center Rich Braham (leg) and receiver Kelley Washington (hamstring) are out.
[email protected]
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Dispatch

BENGALS NOTEBOOK
Dirty work doesn?t bother tight end duo
Friday, October 27, 2006
Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
20061027-Pc-B8-0700.jpg

AL BEHRMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS Tight end Reggie Kelly doesn?t get many balls thrown his way, but he was on the receiving end of a 16-yard touchdown pass Sunday in the Bengals? victory.
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CINCINNATI ? It would be understandable if Reggie Kelly and Tony Stewart looked at tight end Alge Crumpler?s role in the Atlanta Falcons offense with a twinge of envy.
Crumpler is the Falcons? leading receiver, with 22 catches for 311 yards. In their 41-38 victory over Pittsburgh last week, he caught six passes for 117 yards and three touchdowns.
Neither Kelly nor Stewart has caught more than three passes in a game this year. In the Bengals? passing game, the tight end is an afterthought.
Kelly and Stewart don?t bemoan that.
"No, there?s no envy," Stewart said.
Kelly estimates that 85 percent to 90 percent of his job is blocking, and he excels at that, as does Stewart.
"They do a great job of blocking all the time," coach Marvin Lewis said. "They?re just what we need."
Coaches and teammates are quick to proclaim both players? value. Before the New England game, quarterback Carson Palmer singled out Kelly as the embodiment of a selfless player.
"He doesn?t get a lot of recognition," Palmer said. "But he understands his role on the team and he?s fine with that. He understands he?s not going to be the guy catching a ton of balls and going to the Pro Bowl. He understands he?s a workhorse who?s behind the team doing his job."
Kelly said he is just thankful to be playing football.
"I?ve tried to always be low-key," he said. "That?s just my personality, I guess. Being a country boy from Mississippi, getting an opportunity to live a childhood dream, I tell you man, I?ve longed for this opportunity. Now that I have it, I want to appreciate it."
Kelly began his NFL career with the Falcons, who traded a 2000 first-round pick to Baltimore for the right to draft him with a 1999 second-round pick. He spent four seasons with the Falcons, the final two with Crumpler, before signing with the Bengals.
"He?s like my little brother," Kelly said of Crumpler. "You know how it is with a big brother and little brother. You want him to do extremely well."
That about sums up Kelly. He?s happy to watch others get the glory. He?s content to know his peers respect him.
"I try to be the ultimate team player," said Kelly, who will be a free agent after the 2006 season. "That?s my goal. If I leave Cincinnati, what I want my teammates and coaches to say about me is that he?s the ultimate teammate, that he did whatever he could, he sacrificed, to help the team win."
Though that usually means blocking, he and Stewart can make opponents pay. Last week against Carolina, Kelly caught three passes for 34 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown. Stewart added two catches, including a 19-yarder in which he gained half the yardage after getting hit. That play got the Bengals out of a second-and-20 hole and sparked the go-ahead touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.
"It?s definitely nice to get some balls," Stewart said. "I?m not going to lie to you. But you never know when your number is going to be called. That?s why me and Reggie always have to be ready."
Injury update

Running back Rudi Johnson (back/probable) was added to the injury report. He did not practice in team drills. Receiver/kick returner Antonio Chatman (groin) was downgraded to doubtful. [email protected]
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Dispatch

Chatman out for rest of season

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG>

Antonio Chatman?s first season with the Bengals has ended prematurely. Cincinnati placed the returner on injured reserve after he reinjured a groin that has bothered him since early in training camp.
Chatman was inactive for the first three weeks. He caught two passes against Tampa Bay and one against Carolina. The Panthers apparently were aware of Chatman?s injury and tried to worsen it.
"They were taking a couple shots to my private area," Chatman said sheepishly on Monday.
When the injury, now described as a sports hernia, didn?t improve this week, the Bengals decided they couldn?t wait for it to heal.
"It was going to be at least six weeks before it was better, if not more," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. "We need the (roster) spot, and we need to move forward."
Chatman?s status leaves a once-deep receiving corps severely depleted. Lewis had been coy about whether Chris Henry would play Sunday, but Chatman?s situation leaves little choice. Lewis said yesterday that Henry, coming off a twogame NFL suspension and onegame Lewis benching before that, would be active.
Cincinnati?s only other healthy receivers behind starters Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh are rookies Reggie McNeal and Glenn Holt. Lewis said rookie safety/specialteamer Ethan Kilmer has been taking snaps at receiver as well. McNeal has spent the practice week playing the role of Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.
The Bengals signed Chatman to a two-year free-agent contract in March after he posted career-best numbers for Green Bay in 2005. He caught 49 passes for 549 yards and averaged 8.5 yards per punt return last year.
Jenkins progressing

Falcons receiver Michael Jenkins, a key part of Ohio State?s 2002 national championship team, has 15 catches for 197 yards and two touchdowns this season.
"He?s really developing," Falcons coach Jim Mora Jr. said. "I like the heck out of him. He?s a special kid."
Mora said Jenkins has become more consistent this season.
"I don?t want to compare him to this guy yet, but he has some of the same characteristics as a guy like Rod Smith at Denver, a guy that kind of just goes about his business, not necessarily flamboyant, but at the end of the day, at the end of his career, you look up and he?s got tremendous numbers and a lot of wins. Now Mike is still a long ways to go, obviously, to be in the same category as Rod Smith, but he?s got some of the same characteristics."
Premature Peko

Bengals rookie defensive tackle Domata Peko of a Michigan State watched the Spartans fall behind Northwestern 38-3 last Saturday before turning off the television in disgust. He didn?t know about Michigan State?s historic rally until his father called him.
"I didn?t believe him at first until I heard it was the No. 1 comeback in NCAA history," he said.
Was he kicking himself for turning off the TV?
"Oh yeah," he said. "But I had faith in them."
When it was pointed out that he would have continued watching if he truly expected a comeback, he could only laugh.
[email protected]
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Dispatch

Falcons? quickness may be speed bump for Bengals

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




It starts with Michael Vick, of course. He?s universally regarded as the fastest quarterback in NFL history.
Then there?s cornerback DeAngelo Hall, who won the "NFL?s Fastest Man" competition in February. In 2005, defensive back Allen Rossum received that honor.
All three play for the Atlanta Falcons, and they give a big taste of what the Bengals will face today. The NFL has long become a game of speed, and the Falcons are one of the fastest teams in the league. If Cincinnati is to win, it must find a way to neutralize that speed.
"Just looking at them on film, they?re flying all over the place," Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer said. "They?re not as big and physical as some of the teams we?ve played, but they?re much faster, much more explosive. They?ve got a lot of movement up front and linebackers that can run east and west and a great secondary behind them."
The Bengals are catching a bit of a break because defensive end John Abraham, one of the top speed-rushers in the NFL, is out after having groin surgery.
"I know our offensive line, and I am looking forward to the matchups we have when he?s not in there," Palmer said.
But the Falcons still have speed to burn. During some idle time in the offseason, Hall said he and some teammates debated whether any other team could beat the Falcons? four fastest players in a 400-yard relay race.
"We were breaking down rosters," Hall said. "We couldn?t find a faster group of guys who could beat us in the NFL."
With players such as Chad Johnson and Deltha O?Neal, the Bengals aren?t a bunch of slugs, either. Under Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati has improved its team speed markedly.
That will be tested today.
"They have speed everywhere," Bengals defensive end Bryan Robinson said. "Atlanta is a fast team. They?re built on speed, and that?s what they do. Watching film, I mean they?re scary."
The Bengals haven?t played Atlanta in 10 years. Lewis has never coached against Vick. He talked all week about how excited he is about the matchup.
Hall wonders about that.
"It?s something no one really, really wants deep down inside," he said. "It?s something that you talk about wanting to see. But when you get out there live in person, it?s amazing how much faster that guy is than anybody else. I?ve seen him run 4.23, and it looked like he was jogging. That guy?s game speed is unreal. I can?t wait to see their defense go against Michael Vick."
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Canton

Vick puts on show in Cincinnati
Monday, October 30, 2006
By JOE KAY AP Sports Writer


CINCINNATI - Michael Vick has found a balance. His passer rating is just as impressive as his 40-yard dash these days.
Vick threw three touchdown passes Sunday, leading the Atlanta Falcons to a 29-27 victory over a Cincinnati Bengals team that had never seen anything quite like the show he put on.
Few teams have.
The mercurial quarterback has led the Falcons to consecutive wins over the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers and the defending AFC North champion Bengals by throwing seven touchdown passes in the last two games.
"I feel I just need the opportunity to throw the ball," said Vick, whose passer rating of 140.6 was the second-highest of his career. "Just give me the chance to do it."
No matter what they did, the Bengals were helpless to run him down or shut him down.
Vick was 20-of-28 for 291 yards and left would-be tacklers scattered all over the field while running for another 55 yards.
"He's a heck of a player," defensive end Bryan Robinson said. "When your goal is to keep him in the pocket and you do that and he still makes the play, that's frustrating."
In the last two games, Vick is 38-of-58 for 523 yards with the seven TDs and just two interceptions. Previously, Vick had never thrown more than four touchdowns in any two-game span of his career.
Carson Palmer made it close, throwing a 55-yard touchdown pass to Chris Henry that cut it to 29-27 with 3:41 to go. But Vick helped the Falcons run the clock down to 19 seconds before a punt pinned the Bengals at their 17-yard line.
Palmer fumbled while being sacked, ending one of his better performance of the season on a downcast note. He was 24-of-36 for 266 yards in his failed quest to keep up with Vick. Bengals receiver Chad Johnson, who promised at least two touchdowns, got one on six catches for a team-high 78 yards.
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