Bengals tidbits

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Cincy

First game vs. Browns took toll
Bengals notebook
BY MARK CURNUTTE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Looking back to Week 2, the Bengals won the war. Cleveland won a lot of little battles and cost the Bengals four players - three of whom haven't returned from injury.
The Bengals won 34-17, but ...
Outside linebacker David Pollack suffered a fracture of the C-6 vertebra while tackling Browns running back Reuben Droughns; Pollack is on the injured reserve list and might not play football again.
Center Rich Braham was wheeled off the field on a cart with what the team is calling a "deep knee bruise." He is out Sunday for the ninth consecutive game but could be active before the season ends.
Wide receiver/special teams star Tab Perry injured a hip and was placed on season-ending IR. Coach Marvin Lewis said Wednesday that Perry is expected to make a complete recovery and will be ready for offseason workouts in March.
And strong safety Dexter Jackson sprained an ankle and missed three games before returning to play in one game and start three more before missing the New Orleans game with an Achilles' tendon injury.
"We lost some guys in the game that haven't been able to play since," Lewis said Wednesday, four days before the Bengals will be in Cleveland. "That's part of football. We had to adjust and move on. Every team's got to do that."
THE HIT: Wide receiver Chad Johnson was leveled late in the first Browns game by safety Brian Russell. Johnson was unable to talk to the media afterward, because he didn't appear to know where he was.
Johnson knows he'll meet up with Russell on the field Sunday. What will Johnson say?
"I'm sorry," said Johnson.
Why are you sorry?
"Yeah, I just don't feel like getting hit like that no more," Johnson said.
On Wednesday, Russell recalled the hit professionally.
"Obviously with Chad, we have to know where he is at all of the time in the formations, and we do," Russell said.
"If you can hit a receiver, you're going to hit him as hard as you can. That's the way it is, but first and foremost we have to defend the guy, because he's been going crazy the past couple of weeks and he can really end the game early if you let him."
Johnson has 17 receptions for five touchdowns and a two-game NFL-record 450 receiving yards the past two weeks.
THANKSGIVING, PART I: Lewis' favorite part of dinner is, he said, "the cranberry sauce."
PART II: Johnson said he has a Thanksgiving tradition.
"Filet-O-Fish, six years straight, McDonald's every Thanksgiving - my Thanksgiving since football season's been in has been by myself," he said.
The day will start, he said, "with a long prayer, just giving thanks for all of the things that I have, health being one of them," Johnson said. "I'm dead serious. My family is too big to bring up here, so they all do their thing there."
INJURY UPDATES: Jackson (Achilles') remained questionable but practiced Wednesday. Four other players are questionable and did not practice: linebacker Brian Simmons (neck), cornerback Deltha O'Neal (shoulder), cornerback Keiwan Ratliff (ribs) and left tackle Levi Jones (knee).
LEGACY: The Bengals signed long snapper Adam Johnson to the practice squad. The team lost fullback Naufahu Tahi from its practice squad; he was signed to the Vikings' 53-man roster.
Johnson, at 6 feet 5, 235 pounds, played at the University of Buffalo and was on the Kansas City Chiefs' practice squad from the beginning of the season until his release Oct. 17. Johnson first entered the NFL as a college free agent with Carolina in 2004 and was on the Panthers' practice squad that season. He was out of the NFL during the 2005 season.
His uncle, Bob Johnson, was the first player drafted by the Bengals in 1968 from the University of Tennessee. He played 12 seasons with the Bengals (1968-79).
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Cincy

BENGALS NOTEBOOK
Perry having trouble just getting on field

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




CINCINNATI ? It wasn?t a great weekend for Chris Perry.
First, the former Michigan running back watched his Wolverines lose to Ohio State.
Then Perry touched the ball only once from scrimmage, an insignificant 5-yard reception, in the Bengals? 31-16 victory over New Orleans on Sunday.
Perry knew he?d probably have to accept a secondary role this season. The 2004 firstround pick was slow to heal from knee and ankle surgeries and missed the first five games. With Rudi Johnson established as the workhorse, Perry figured to be no more than the thirddown back.
But he?s not even that. Kenny Watson continues to hold that role. In five games, Perry has only 18 touches from scrimmage. He has nine rushes and nine catches for 89 yards.
"You have to ask the coaches," Perry said when asked about his role. "I?m just using my opportunities to the best of my ability."
Coach Marvin Lewis said Perry has done nothing wrong. It?s just that he hasn?t done enough to supplant Watson.
"It?s hard to make a wholesale change unless the guy proves where he is," Lewis said. "Chris has worked hard. He?s done a good job with what he?s been given. Last week, he didn?t get to touch the ball as much as he did the other weeks. This is a new week. He?ll get a better opportunity. Every week we want to get Chris the ball in his hands. There?s no question about that."
Roster move

The Bengals lost fullback Naufahu Tahi off their practice squad when the Minnesota Vikings signed him to their 53-man roster. To replace Tahi, the Bengals signed long snapper Adam Johnson. He is the nephew of Bob Johnson, a center the expansion Bengals made their first draft pick in 1968.
Special-teams coach Darrin Simmons said Johnson?s signing should not be interpreted as a sign the Bengals are unhappy with veteran long-snapper Brad St. Louis.
Injury report

The Bengals listed 13 players on their injury report. Center Rich Braham and guard Bobby Williams are out. Receiver Kelley Washington (hamstring) is doubtful. Five players are questionable: safety Dexter Jackson (Achilles), cornerback Deltha O?Neal (shoulder), left tackle Levi Jones (knee), cornerback Keiwan Ratliff (ribs) and linebacker Brian Simmons (neck). Only Jackson participated in team drills.
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Dispatch

The Bengals did
the right thing by re-signing Levi Jones, Willie Anderson and Bobbie Williams, but now that the team?s brass has shelled out all that money, team officials might be second-guessing themselves.
Rookie tackle Andrew Whitworth has been playing well, and his best spot is probably right tackle, where Anderson just re-upped for three years. Third-year lineman Stacy Andrews did a good job of filling in for Williams, who was out with an appendectomy, and again, Williams was just resigned for three years. If Eric Steinbach leaves, the Bengals probably would plug Whitworth into his left guard spot. But Andrews will be a restricted free agent, and while the team likely would match any offer, it doesn?t look like the Bengals have a place for him to play. Then again, having too many good offensive linemen is a good problem.

 

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Dispatch

BENGALS NOTEBOOK
Understudy lands part
Andrews gets second start after two years spent learning game
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

</IMG>


For more than two seasons, Stacy Andrews quietly crammed for such an assignment.
The Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman was thrust into the lineup Sunday as the replacement for right guard Bobbie Williams, who had an emergency appendectomy four days earlier.
It was, excluding preseason, the first time Andrews had started a game. In the postgame locker room, he was pleased with how he had done in Cincinnati?s 31-16 victory over New Orleans.
Sometimes, film review reveals a lot of flaws. Not in Andrews? case.
"He was terrific," Bengals offensive line coach Paul Alexander said. "He really was. He was poised. He did a real nice job in pass protection and in the run game. He probably had our best performance on Sunday. Who would figure? "
Andrews will get his second start Sunday against Cleveland.
He is the quintessential project. The Bengals drafted him out of Ole Miss even though his career consisted of five games as a backup his senior season.
"Basketball was my No. 1 love," Andrews said. "I had a few scholarship offers for basketball, but as I also did pretty well with the discus, I started getting better offers for track. Ole Miss offered the best scholarship, so I took it."
The track athletes worked out in the same building as the football players. Then-Rebels offensive line coach John Latina took note of Andrews? size and athleticism and badgered him to try football. For two years, Andrews put him off before relenting as a junior.
He began as a defensive tackle and asked to switch to offense midway through his first season, in part because he saw younger brother Shawn have success there at Arkansas.
"I was like, ?Hmm, my brother is doing good at offensive tackle. I?m a big guy, an athletic guy. Let me try it.? "
Andrews was not an instant success story.
"I was like a baby learning something new," he said.
The Bengals decided to take a chance on his potential.
"He?s a freak, just the strength and explosiveness and balance," Alexander said.
It became a matter of Andrews? knowledge of football catching up to his raw ability. His first two seasons essentially were glorified redshirt years.
"I had the project tag my first and second year, but I knew this would be the year I?d be ready to go out and take care of business," he said.
On Sunday, he finally had his coming-out party.
"He works his tail off," Alexander said. "He studies harder than anyone. He?s very, very committed to being a great football player. I was so happy for him, I really was.
"The best part is, he looked really aware. He didn?t look like he was just a great athlete out there on the field. He looked like a heckuva football player."
He?s no Vick

Carson Palmer was able to laugh about a failed quarterback draw Sunday. On thirdand-goal from the New Orleans 3, Palmer was stuffed when he improvised on the play.
"When I got home, my wife said, ?Who called that play? Was that no-huddle? Was that you calling that play?? I said no. Of course, I put all the blame on ?Brat? on that."
It was offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski?s call, but Palmer blamed himself.
"Looking back on film, I should have followed my blockers and probably could have gotten into the end zone or at least close to the end zone," he said. "Maybe I need to go up in J.A.?s (running backs coach Jim Anderson) meeting and sit with the running backs and learn how to read blocks and follow the fullback through the hole."
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Dispatch

Bengals defense, Browns offense look for redemption

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




The numbers don?t lie. Or do they?
The game today between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals is more than a renewal of the Battle of Ohio. In terms of the Bengals defense and Browns offense, it?s a case of the movable object meeting the resistible force.
After yielding 1,026 yards the past two weeks, the Bengals defense has plummeted to last in the NFL in yards allowed (342.5 per game). The Browns offense has done its best to (not) keep pace, ranking nextto-last (256.9 average), ahead of only moribund Oakland.
The outcome today could tip with which team defies its ranking.
Bengals players had a hard time grasping that no other defense has given up more yards.
"I don?t feel we?re the 32 ndranked defense," defensive end Bryan Robinson said. "I feel we?re a much better defense. But the reality is we?re last going into this game. Just talking to (fellow linemen) Sam (Adams), John (Thornton) and Justin (Smith), we have six games to go to right the ship and maybe get in the top 15 and make it more respectable."
Though Cincinnati?s defense has certainly had its share of clunkers, not every game has been a disaster. In half of their games, the Bengals have limited opponents to 17 points or fewer.
"Yardage has never been a big thing," Adams said. "Points are what you want to look at.
"If you can hold them to field goals, they can move the ball up and down the field, especially with the prolific offense we have here. For the most part, they?re going to give us 21. If we can hold (the opposition) under that, it?s a done deal. But you want to be dominant on defense."
Points may be more important than yards, but the potent Bengals offense has not been able to spend as much time on the field because the defense has a hard time getting off it. Cincinnati has given up a league-high 226 first downs.
Like the Bengals, the Browns believe their offensive ranking is misleading. Cleveland?s woes, they believe, can be partly pinned on former offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon. Some Browns fans suspect that the Carthon playbook was so amateurish, it was scribbled in crayon.
Though receiver Braylon Edwards implicitly criticized new offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson?s red-zone playcalling, at least the Browns seem to be attempting to play to their strengths offensively.
"I still think we?re in the stages of trying to re-identify ourselves," Browns coach Romeo Crennel said. "Jeff had a few different ideas of what he wanted the offense to be, and he knew he wouldn?t be able to get it all done (all at once), so he?s been trying to piecemeal it together, week by week.
"Overall, I think that we?re able to move the ball somewhat consistently, but we just haven?t been able to put many points on the board. We?ve ended up kicking field goals, rather than scoring touchdowns. But I think in time that?s going to come."
For the Browns offense and Bengals defense, today would be an optimum time to show they?re not as bad as they look on paper.
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Dispatch

Rivalry unraveled
Bengals masterful in one-sided win over squabbling Browns
Monday, November 27, 2006
Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Bengals linebacker Caleb Miller wraps up Browns receiver Dennis Northcutt on a first-half completion.

NEAL C . LAURON DISPATCH Bengals receiver Chris Henry (15) and quarterback Carson Palmer celebrate after teaming up on a 10-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.


CLEVELAND ? For approximately, oh, 12 seconds, the Browns looked like they might threaten the Cincinnati Bengals yesterday.
That?s how long it took Cleveland?s Joshua Cribbs to take the opening kickoff and return it to the Cincinnati end zone. But even Cribbs knew the play wouldn?t count; he saw the flag for holding.
For the Browns, their first gasp was their last. The Bengals dominated from that point on for a 30-0 victory in a Cleveland Browns Stadium that was almost deserted by the end.
It was Cincinnati?s first shutout since Dec. 3, 1989 ? also against the Browns ? and its largest margin of victory over Cleveland since 1978 (48-16).
"We did not play well today, and there is no denying that," Browns receiver Joe Jurevicius said. "The product that we put out there today was not acceptable."
That Cincinnati won was not surprising. The Bengals (6-5) have won five straight over their in-state rivals and now lead the Battle of Ohio series by one game. But for all their struggles this season, the Browns (3-8) had found a way to keep most of their games close.
Not yesterday. Cincinnati?s offense continued its recent resurgence. It drove for touchdowns on its first two possessions and added a 24-yard field goal just before halftime to make it 17-0. To end any suspense, the Bengals took the second-half kickoff and drove 70 yards for another touchdown.
"We?re trying to get back to the mind-set we had in the first three games and even the preseason," Bengals right tackle Willie Anderson said. "We?re going back to fundamentals and just being an attack-mode football team."
Cincinnati?s defense squandered a 21-point halftime lead against San Diego two weeks ago. Cleveland is no San Diego.
The Bengals defense, the lowest ranked in the NFL, didn?t allow the Browns past the Cincinnati 28-yard line. The Bengals sacked quarterback Charlie Frye four times and forced five turnovers. The closest Cleveland came to scoring was a missed 48-yard field goal attempt by Phil Dawson in the second quarter.
"Everybody on the defense, it seemed, was making plays," said cornerback Tory James, who had interceptions on back-to-back series in the third quarter.
While the Browns are in disarray, the Bengals finally resemble the team they expected to be when they won their first three games. A team that played on its heels during a monthlong swoon is again the aggressor. When Cincinnati faced a fourth-and-goal from the 1 on its opening drive, coach Marvin Lewis didn?t hesitate to go for it. Rudi Johnson plowed in for the touchdown.
During the Bengals? recent dominance of the Browns, Johnson has done a lot of the heavy lifting. On Cincinnati?s first drive, Johnson?s first three carries gained 27 yards.
Cleveland quickly adjusted its strategy and limited Johnson to 37 yards on 22 carries the rest of the game.
"Rudi was gashing them," Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer said, "and they made the decision they weren?t going to let us do that to them all game long and put another guy in the box."
That just made the Bengals pick another poison ? the passing game. Palmer played pitch-and-catch with ease to his receivers. Chris Henry caught two nifty touchdown passes in the corner of the end zone. Chad Johnson continued his hot run by catching seven passes for 123 yards.
"They?re down on DBs," Palmer said. "We caught them at a good time. They?re down to their fourth, fifth and sixth corners, and Chad did a great job of getting open and making plays."
The Bengals know their next test will be much tougher. On Thursday, Cincinnati plays host to AFC North-leading Baltimore, which all but ended Pittsburgh?s chances of repeating as Super Bowl champion with a 27-0 thrashing yesterday.
"It?s just one game," Bengals safety Dexter Jackson said. "You can?t be happy with one or two games. Consistency is doing it every week. We have to do it against the better teams also to be where we need to be. This was a stepping stone."
That the Bengals would refer to their Ohio brethren as a mere stepping stone says it all.
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Dispatch

Perry?s season ends with broken leg
Monday, November 27, 2006
Bill Rabinowitz and James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH



CLEVELAND ? A frustrating season ended yesterday for Cincinnati Bengals running back Chris Perry.
At the end of a 10-yard carry, Perry?s only run of the game, he suffered a broken leg when he was tackled by linebacker Andra Davis and safety Sean Jones.
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said Perry will have surgery, with a screw inserted to facilitate healing.
Perry declined comment.
"It hurts," Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer said. "It?s a bad time for that to come. We?re finally getting healthy. To lose him, it?s tough. Your heart goes out to him. He?s had a lot of injuries and really can?t catch a break."
Perry missed the first five games because of offseason ankle surgery. Expected to be a major complementary piece of the Bengals? offensive puzzle, Perry had only 19 touches from scrimmage in six games.
. 500 or worse

The Cleveland Browns guaranteed themselves a seventh non-winning season since 1999 with the 30-0 loss yesterday.
The loss would seem to be an indicator that the Browns are spiraling in the wrong direction, but there was still some optimism in the locker room.
"It?s not in my makeup, nor is it in the majority of the guys in this, to give up," receiver Joe Jurevicius said. "You don?t get to this level by quitting. You?re always going to face tough times. This is about as tough as it gets."
Graham?s streak ends

Kicker Shayne Graham had not missed an extra-point kick in 186 attempts, 153 with the Bengals. That streak ended, but it wasn?t his fault.
Brad St. Louis snapped the ball high, and holder Kyle Larson had to reach to place it down, ruining Graham?s timing. The Browns? Simon Fraser blocked the kick.
Chad reaches 1,000

Chad Johnson?s 123-yard receiving game put him over 1,000 for the fifth straight season. The Bengals receiver has 1,055 receiving yards. At his current pace, he will end the season with 1,535, which would be a career high.
No beef between Butler / Edwards

Browns reserve offensive tackle Kelly Butler was one of the first players who caught the wrath of receiver Braylon Edwards.
Edwards was walking toward the sideline in the third quarter when he began venting his frustration toward his offensive teammates. Butler shouted back before walking away but said after the game that their qualms will be left on the field.
"We were just a little frustrated, that?s all that was," Butler said. "We?re just two competitors out there wanting to win, and if you?re not a competitor and you don?t want to win, you shouldn?t be out there."
Bodden out

Browns starting cornerback Leigh Bodden sat out his third straight game because of a sprained ankle, missing his much-anticipated matchup against Johnson.
Bodden has played well against Johnson the past two seasons.
Cleveland instead used cornerback Daven Holly against Johnson, who got the better of that matchup.
Extra points

According to a television report, Browns defensive coordinator Todd Grantham will be offered the Michigan State coaching job. Browns coach Romeo Crennel said after the game that he was not informed of anything involving Grantham. ?. Jason Wright got the start at running back for the Browns. He finished with 12 yards on five carries. Reuben Droughns, trying to recover from a strained foot, had two carries for 4 yards. ? Browns defensive end Orpheus Roye suffered a knee injury in the second quarter and didn?t return. Offensive tackle Ryan Tucker was bothered by an illness in the first half and didn?t return. ... Kevin Kaesviharn?s two interceptions give him six for the season, the most for a Bengals safety since David Fulcher had eight in 1989.

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Dispatch

Shutout vindicates defense
Bengals? low-ranked unit gets boost against Browns

Monday, November 27, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

</IMG> Bengals cornerback Tory James eludes Browns receiver Braylon Edwards after making one of his two interceptions.


CLEVELAND ? The Cincinnati Bengals defense has been so criticized this season that it should apply for a copyright on the term "much maligned."
Last in the NFL in yards allowed (377.6 per game), Cincinnati found the perfect tonic in the Cleveland Browns offense yesterday.
The Bengals allowed only 203 yards in the team?s first shutout in 17 years, a 30-0 victory.
The Bengals heard all week about having the lowest-ranked defense.
"People tested their pride, and the defensive guys are a prideful group," Bengals offensive tackle Willie Anderson said.
So the defensive unit took its medicine and responded when it mattered.
"Of course you care," defensive tackle Sam Adams said. "You?re garbage if you?re last. If they tell you they don?t care, they?re lying."
The Bengals had taken some solace that they had held opponents to 17 points or fewer in half of their games. But their inability to stop drives quickly limited the offense?s opportunities. Yesterday, the Bengals didn?t allow any of Cleveland?s 11 possessions to last longer than seven plays. The Bengals? time-of-possession advantage was more than 15 minutes.
"Third down has been our Achilles? heel all year, and we were able to get off the field today," defensive end Justin Smith said. "It was guys trusting each other, knowing where to be."
Five of those possessions ended in turnovers. After a three-game turnover drought, Cincinnati has caused nine turnovers the past two weeks. Cornerback Tory James and safety Kevin Kaesviharn each had two interceptions.
Some of the defensive success should be attributed to Cleveland?s ineptitude. The Browns abandoned the running game early and didn?t throw to Braylon Edwards once in the first half.
Rookie cornerback Johnathan Joseph was beaten on a 43-yard pass to Dennis Northcutt, but the Bengals didn?t allow another play longer than 22 yards.
Once the Bengals built a comfortable lead, it might have been tempting for the defense to relax if it hadn?t had the collapse against San Diego two weeks ago.
"You can?t ever let your guard down," Smith said. "They can strike at any time. They have tons of good receivers and running backs. You take it one series at a time."
By the fourth quarter, the Bengals could taste a shutout. The Browns drove to the Cincinnati 28-yard line before linebacker Caleb Miller and Kaesviharn sacked Charlie Frye on consecutive plays. Madieu Williams then forced a fumble by Northcutt on a draw play and Smith recovered.
"It?s huge," Smith said of the shutout. "It?s something we knew we could do all along. It just goes to show it?s about execution. When you?re able to execute, that?s the result."
Just because they were able to dominate a feeble offense doesn?t mean the Bengals think they?ve solved all of their defensive problems.
"Today, it?s good," Adams said. "In the grand scheme of things, we have a long way to go. We?re still giving up big plays and have to get better against the rush. We have to improve on those things that can get you beat against good teams that take advantage of that."
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[Fungo Squiggly]

CLEVELAND ? A frustrating season ended yesterday for Cincinnati Bengals running back Chris Perry.
At the end of a 10-yard carry, Perry?s only run of the game, he suffered a broken leg when he was tackled by linebacker Andra Davis and safety Sean Jones.
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said Perry will have surgery, with a screw inserted to facilitate healing.
Perry declined comment.
"It hurts," Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer said. "It?s a bad time for that to come. We?re finally getting healthy. To lose him, it?s tough. Your heart goes out to him. He?s had a lot of injuries and really can?t catch a break."
Perry missed the first five games because of offseason ankle surgery. Expected to be a major complementary piece of the Bengals? offensive puzzle, Perry had only 19 touches from scrimmage in six games.

*Paging Doctorb Tibor.....there is a lady with a broken leg anxiously awaiting your arrival in the OR*

 

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Dispatch

Bengals planned ahead for short week
Cincinnati, Baltimore to play Thursday night
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

</IMG>


Marvin Lewis yesterday blew up the notion that NFL teams must have blinders on during the season.
You know the drill: Teams forget last week as if it were ancient history, concentrate on this week as if it were the Super Bowl and remain oblivious to next week as if it were next season.
The Bengals coach usually adheres to the there?s-no-time-like-the-present ethic, but this week is an exception. Instead of six days between games, Cincinnati has only three before facing the AFC North-leading Baltimore Ravens in Paul Brown Stadium on Thursday night.
"I planned for it before the season and during the bye week," Lewis said. "Over the last three weeks, we?ve been planning for this as coaches.
"We began to adjust the things we do and how we do it. I began talking to the team this week and the fact that this was coming up. These guys are creatures of habit, so they adjust better when they know things are going to adjust on them."
With a compressed schedule, yesterday was an atypical Monday, usually a light day physically.
"We?ll have organized work today," Lewis said yesterday. "Today was Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday all in one."
The Bengals caught a bit of a break with their perfunctory 30-0 win over the Browns on Sunday. Some offensive starters watched the last half of the fourth quarter. Backup quarterback Anthony Wright, for example, threw his first pass of the season.
Still, despite the Browns? feeble showing, it wasn?t exactly two-hand touch out there.
"(Sunday) night needed to be a rest night," Lewis said. "Obviously, we want to get the blood flowing back through the body today to get the aches and pains out. It?s important so we can have a spirited day tomorrow."
Ravens coach Brian Billick, known for keeping physical practices to a minimum, gave his players time off until noon today. Then again, Baltimore (9-2) is three games ahead of the second-place Bengals. The Ravens can start thinking long term.
The Bengals don?t have that luxury. Barring a Baltimore collapse, Cincinnati (6-5) will be fighting several other teams hovering near .500 for a wild card.
In terms of game-planning, it probably helps both teams to be playing a divisional opponent.
"We know them," defensive end Justin Smith said. "We play them twice. Their personnel hasn?t changed a whole lot over the years as far as their key guys. They know us as well. "
The Bengals put themselves in their current hole in part because of a 26-20 loss at Baltimore on Nov. 5. Cincinnati never recovered from a 14-0 deficit caused by two turnovers.
The memory of that game makes the idea of a quick turnaround this week more palatable.
"It?s a short week and it can?t get here soon enough," quarterback Carson Palmer said Sunday. "We went out there and played crappy against them. When you put what we did on film, you?re embarrassed and ashamed of the way you played. Now we have a chance to right that."
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Dispatch

BENGALS NOTEBOOK
Injured Braham must earn job back
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH



Bengals center Rich Braham, who has been out since suffering a fractured left leg in the season?s second week, might be ready for Thursday?s game against Baltimore.
Coach Marvin Lewis said yesterday the 13-year veteran will be listed as questionable against the Ravens.
Braham was sorely missed early in the season. His linemates had come to depend on his uncanny knack for reading defensive tendencies, and the line struggled when secondyear player Eric Ghiaciuc replaced him. But Ghiaciuc has played well lately, and now the Bengals must weigh the benefits of Braham returning with the potential drawbacks of disrupting the line?s continuity.
"When Rich has an opportunity to come back and play, he has to prove he?s ready to do that," Lewis said. "Otherwise, we stay status quo."
The Bengals line, which Lewis said will again be without left tackle Levi Jones (knee) and right guard Bobbie Williams (appendectomy), will need to be at its best against Baltimore. The Ravens defense, which sacked Pittsburgh?s Ben Roethlisberger nine times in a 27-0 win Sunday, punishes opponents for missed assignments.
Perry has surgery

Running back Chris Perry had surgery on his fractured right fibula. The Bengals didn?t immediately place him on injured reserve, but that?s a formality.
Perry had been handling kickoff returns, a job originally held by Tab Perry, who is also out for the year. Undrafted rookie Glenn Holt returned kickoffs Sunday after Perry went down. Lewis declined to say whether that would continue.
More injuries

Defensive tackle John Thornton probably will miss Thursday?s game because of a knee injury suffered during pregame Sunday. Thornton started but played sparingly.
Backup tight end Tony Stewart is questionable because of a kidney bruise, as is linebacker Brian Simmons (neck), receiver Kelley Washington (hamstring) and cornerback Deltha O?Neal (shoulder).
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ABJ

Bengals say they're better than Ravens

JOE KAY

Associated Press

CINCINNATI - T.J. Houshmandzadeh sure sounded silly.
A few minutes after the Baltimore Ravens beat his Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 5, the prideful receiver insisted that the better team had lost.
"Deep down, we know we're better than Baltimore and they know it," Houshmandzadeh said. "We've got better players than they do."
Three weeks later, he's not backing down from a boast that sounds even sillier in light of what's happened since then.
The Ravens (9-2) have won five in a row, leaving themselves one victory away from snatching the AFC North title from the Bengals (6-5). They can become the first team to clinch a playoff spot by winning in Cincinnati on Thursday night.
Given what's happened in the last three games, no one can dispute that the Ravens are the class of the division. Right, T.J.?
"I still feel that way, but it doesn't matter what I say, we still have to play," Houshmandzadeh said. "I think we're better than them. We'll find out."
Sure will.
The Ravens know their three-game lead on the Bengals - and the chance to clinch a title on their field - speak for themselves. Safety Ed Reed chortled when Houshmandzadeh's comments were brought up.
"Keep your mouth shut, man," Reed said. "Play football. I heard it. It is what it is. The game speaks for itself. If you think you're a better team, then come out and let's play football, man."
First, Cincinnati had a little more talking to do.
The Bengals were still trying to get their act together on offense when they lost 26-20 in Baltimore. They went 1-for-10 on third-down conversions against one of the league's toughest defenses.
That turned out to be a turning point. In the last three games, quarterback Carson Palmer has thrown nine touchdown passes and put up three consecutive passer ratings of at least 120 for the first time in his career.
When he watched film of the first Ravens game in preparation for the rematch, Palmer cringed and felt embarrassed.
"When I say it hurts, I mean it literally hurts watching what we did against them the last time," said Palmer, who was only 12-of-26 with two interceptions in the loss. "We didn't play well at all. I feel we've come a long way and made a lot of progress offensively. They'll be seeing a different unit, a unit they've seen in years past but not in this past game."
The Bengals seem to have embraced Houshmandzadeh's defiant tone.
"Just watching that film, you could see we beat ourselves," center Eric Ghiaciuc said. "There's a lot of things that we didn't do that we should have done that would have made the outcome of that game a lot different. We're a better team than that, and we need to play that way."
Of course, the Ravens have become a better team, too.
That victory over the Bengals was the second of what has grown into a five-game winning streak. Baltimore played by far its best game of the season last Sunday, beating Pittsburgh 27-0 in a performance so dominating that even coach Brian Billick was taken aback.
"It sounds a little braggadocios - which I know I'm not prone to do - but you look at the first half of that game ..." he said. "I came out at halftime and looked up at the board and saw we had 220 yards of offense and 17 points and they had 36 yards of total offense, and I really did look at it and say, 'Oh, boy, somebody's having a rough day, what game is that? Wait a minute, that's us.'"
Yes, it was them. And, it wasn't a fluke.
The Ravens' defense leads the league in interceptions, ranks second in sacks and is third in points allowed. The offense has settled into a comfort zone behind quarterback Steve McNair, who is 10-3 career against the Bengals as a starter.
The teams' recent upswings and all of that boastful talk out of Cincinnati have created the aura of a showdown for the division title - which, essentially, it is.
"There is no other team in the league that I would much rather be playing than the Cincinnati Bengals," Reed said. "I'm sure they feel the same way."
They do.
"We realize what's at stake," Palmer said. "We don't need to talk about it."

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Memories of Ravens haunting
Bengals were embarrassed by loss earlier this season
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

GAIL BURTON ASSOCIATED PRESS Quarterback Carson Palmer on the Bengals? loss to the Ravens earlier this month: "When I say it hurts, I mean it literally hurts watching what we did against them the last time."

CINCINNATI ? The Bengals are three games behind the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North and have already lost once to their division rivals.
Some teams in that situation might lack confidence. That?s not an issue for Cincinnati, which plays host to Baltimore on Thursday night in Paul Brown Stadium.
The Bengals say all the right things about respecting the Ravens defense, a punishing unit ranked second in the NFL.
It?s just that they believe their back-on-track offense should trump Baltimore defense.
"We?ve been so much more successful since we?ve played them and done a lot of different things, put in some new stuff and made great adjustments," Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer said. "But we don?t need confidence against these guys. We?ve handled them in the past. It?s not a confidence issue. It?s an execution issue."
Cincinnati converted only 1 of 10 thirddown chances in Baltimore?s 26-20 victory Nov. 5.
"That?s embarrassing," Palmer said.
That?s a word he and others have used to describe the overall performance in the earlier matchup.
"Playing these guys this week, that?s the film we?re looking at a lot," Palmer said. "It hurts looking at because it?s embarrassing.
"When I say it hurts, I mean it literally hurts watching what we did against them the last time. They?ll be seeing a different unit, a unit they?ve seen in years past but not in this past game."
The Bengals have had success against the Ravens. Palmer engineered his first big comeback victory against the Ravens two years ago, and the Bengals scored 42 points against them in Paul Brown Stadium last year.
"We didn?t take advantage of a lot of the opportunities we had," center Eric Ghiaciuc said of the Nov. 5 game. "Looking at the film, you can see we beat ourselves."
The Bengals fell behind 14-0 five minutes into the game after Chris Perry fumbled the opening kickoff and Palmer?s high pass off Chad Johnson?s hands was intercepted and returned for a touchdown.
The Bengals twice closed to within six points but didn?t come close to taking the lead. Their best chance ended on an incompletion, after which T.J. Houshmandzadeh slammed his helmet to the ground because he was upset that no interference was called.
Afterward, Houshmandzadeh said the Bengals remained the superior team and that the Ravens believed that, as well.
Not surprisingly, word has gotten back to Baltimore.
"Keep your mouth shut, man," Ravens safety Ed Reed said in a conference call with Bengals media. "Play football.
"That?s all right. I heard it. It is what it is. The game speaks for itself. If you think you?re a better team, then come out and let?s play football. And I know T.J. is going to do that."
Houshmandzadeh hasn?t backed down.
"I still feel that way," he said. "I?m not going to say I don?t. I still feel that way, but it doesn?t matter what I say. We still have to play football. I think we?re better than them. We?ll find out."
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

BENGALS NOTEBOOK
Braham unable to finish practice
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH



CINCINNATI ? The optimism that Bengals center Rich Braham might play for the first time in 10 games hit a snag yesterday.
Offensive line coach Paul Alexander said Braham was unable to finish practice. Coach Marvin Lewis said Monday that Braham would be listed as questionable for a game Thursday night against Baltimore, and that remained his designation on the post-practice injury report.
Braham is trying to return from a fracture at the top of his left tibia (leg) suffered against Cleveland on Sept. 17.
Eric Ghiaciuc has filled in and has improved after a shaky start that resulted in a temporary benching. Still, it?s clear that Bengals players believe Braham would make a difference because of his football intelligence.
"Of course. That?s our leader," running back Rudi Johnson said before practice. "That?s the guy who sets the tone up front and makes sure everybody is in the right place at the right time. If we get that guy back, that?s a big plus. I?m hoping and wishing he can come back Thursday night."
Asked whether he was concerned that Braham?s return might affect the line?s continuity, Johnson shook his head.
"He?s been there," he said. "That?s a rock. That?s not going to change.
"I hope he can play. I have my fingers crossed. If he can play, he?s going to make everybody else?s job easier. Ghiaciuc has made tremendous progress from when he first came in until now. But, at the same time, you know where that rock?s at."
Other injury updates

Linebacker Brian Simmons (neck), who has missed the past four games, is listed as probable and practiced yesterday. Cornerback Deltha O?Neal (shoulder), tight end Tony Stewart (hip) and receiver Kelley Washington (hamstring) did not participate in drills and are listed as questionable.
Perry on IR ; Fanene activated

As expected, the Bengals placed running back Chris Perry (fractured leg) on injured reserve.
They activated defensive end Jonathan Fanene to the roster. He had been on the physically unable to perform list because of a hamstring injury.
The Bengals signed fullback Chris Manderino to their practice squad after releasing long-snapper Adam Johnson.
Beer sales limited

Fans at Thursday night?s game will be limited to one beer per person per transaction, and beer will not be sold after the third quarter as part of a new policy for regular-season night games, the team announced. Gates will open at 6 p.m., two hours before kickoff. The usual opening time is 90 minutes before kickoff.
Bengals-operated parking lots will open at 4 p.m. The lots are Lots 1, 1 Upper, A, B, C, D, E and the Freedom Center Garage.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Bengals realize what?s at stake against Ravens
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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CINCINNATI ? The luster from AFC North championship faded quickly for the Bengals last season during Pittsburgh?s Super Bowl run.
What?s the point of gloating about winning a division when your rival takes home the big prize?
Still, the division title was a point of pride for the Bengals, especially after a 15-year drought. If Cincinnati (6-5) is to have any hope of defending that championship, it will have to beat the Baltimore Ravens tonight in Paul Brown Stadium.
The Ravens (9-2) would clinch the division with a victory. The Bengals have downplayed that aspect of the game. They know the odds are against them repeating even if they win. They need to win just to keep their wild-card hopes viable. Besides, the memory of playing poorly in a 26-20 loss to Baltimore on Nov. 5 remains fresh.
"I don?t think we need any extra motivation other than just thinking about beating the Ravens," Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer said. "We realize what?s at stake."
The Bengals have regrouped after losing five of six games to win their past two, including a 30-0 whipping of the Browns on Sunday.
The Ravens, winners of five straight, are coming off arguably an even more impressive victory. Baltimore all but ended the Steelers? playoff chances with a 27-0 victory so thorough it seemed to stun even Ravens coach Brian Billick.
"It sounds a little braggadocios, which I know I?m not prone to do," Billick said, a wink at his reputation for arrogance. "But you look at the first half of that game. Steve McNair was 13 of 17 and one was a kill and one was a throwaway to stop the clock. We ran for 100 yards on a team that doesn?t give up 100 yards, and this was just in a half.
"I came out at halftime and looked up at the board and saw we had 220 yards of offense and 17 points and they had 36 yards of total offense. I really did look at it and said, ?Oh boy, somebody?s having a tough day. What game is that? Wait a minute, that?s us.? "
So how have the Ravens become so dominant after fading to 6-10 last season? Their defense, the team?s strength since its 2000 Super Bowl team, is exceptionally fast and athletic. Their two defensive leaders, linebacker Ray Lewis and safety Ed Reed, are healthy. Several other players, such as linebackers Adalius Thomas and Bart Scott, have emerged as bona fide standouts.
"They?re probably the best in the league at confusing you and beating guys one-on-one," Bengals right tackle Willie Anderson said.
Offensively, the Ravens have gotten a boost from the acquisition of McNair at quarterback and an improved receiving corps. The offensive line remains a relative weakness, but Jamal Lewis has rebounded from a poor 2005 season.
Billick, who was nearly fired after last year, deserves some credit as well. The five-game winning streak has come after he fired offensive coordinator Jim Fassel and assumed play-calling responsibilities.
"We?re just kind of doing what we did before," Billick said. "We?re just doing it better."
Billick was hired in 1999 largely because of his history as a successful offensive coordinator. That reputation has taken a beating in Baltimore, and Billick isn?t looking for vindication.
"Because the minute we stub our toes, they?ll want to throw me under the bus," he said.
The Ravens? bus is rolling now, and the Bengals have to slow it.
"We have a chance to hopefully get back into it with some help if we win this game," Cincinnati receiver T. J. Houshmandzadeh said. "But all of that doesn?t matter if we don?t win this game. This is a first-place team and we need a win." [email protected]