Bengals versus Steelers, part III

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

cnnsi.com

1/9/06

Palmer absolves von Oelhoffen

Bengals QB won't dwell on tackle in playoff loss


CINCINNATI (AP) -- One replay was all Carson Palmer needed to see.
The Pro Bowl quarterback won't dwell on the play that doomed the Bengals' first playoff appearance in 15 years. He tore a knee ligament on his first pass during a 31-17 loss to Pittsburgh.
Palmer slowly shuffled around the locker room on metal crutches Monday, unsure when he'd have reconstructive surgery and unable to say definitively that he'll be fully recovered in time for training camp.
As for the tackle that led to it all, Palmer said Kimo von Oelhoffen did nothing.
"I don't know Kimo personally," Palmer said. "From what I've heard, he's a classy guy. Football is football. I don't think it was malicious at all. He's a guy with a high motor that plays hard and was playing hard.
"It just happened. I don't think in any way he was trying to do anything. It's just part of the game."
The Steelers lineman was stumbling as he came off a block and lunged at Palmer's legs on his first pass Sunday, crashing into the side of his left knee. Palmer tore the anterior cruciate ligament when the leg bowed.
He couldn't bear to watch the replay.
"I saw it once," he said, with a pained expression. "I didn't need to see it a whole bunch more than that."
Although Palmer absolved von Oelhoffen, coach Marvin Lewis thought the officials should have penalized him for a late hit. No flag was thrown on the play, a 66-yard completion to Chris Henry.
"That kind of play is the play by the rules in place to be a penalty," Lewis said Monday. "The official didn't see it that way. I think everybody who knows Kimo knows he plays hard. He's not a bad player or bad person. He's a good person. But it's unfortunate and it happened."
Palmer expects to have reconstructive surgery soon. Every injury is different, so there's no way to tell precisely when he'll be ready to play again. The typical recovery time is six to nine months.
Although Palmer hopes to be ready for the start of training camp in six months, he knows he can't afford to push too hard in rehabilitation and suffer a setback.
"There's definitely a timeline," he said. "But I'm not going to be stupid about it. I realize I've made a commitment to this organization for the future, and I need to think about that, too.
"I'm not going to do anything that's going to affect me in a couple of years or later on this next football season. I'm going to take precautions. I'm going to work as hard as I can without doing too much."
That means that his backup will have to run the offense during minicamp, and maybe longer. Jon Kitna is a free agent after the season. Lewis declined to talk about Kitna's future on Monday, but Palmer lobbied for him to stay.
Kitna was the starter during Lewis' first season, leading the Bengals to an 8-8 finish while Palmer watched from the sideline as a rookie. Kitna has been the backup each of the last two seasons.
He took over after Palmer got hurt on Sunday and led the Bengals to a 17-14 halftime lead, going 14-of-20 for 109 yards and a touchdown without an interception. In the second half, the Steelers changed coverages and Kitna crumbled, going 10-of-20 for 88 yards with two interceptions and a fumble.
Palmer said Kitna is his main offseason concern.
"I'm not worried about anybody else other than Jon," Palmer said. "He has some opportunities to go and play some other places. I know the organization wants him back. It's a matter of what he wants to do.
"I wish him the best. I want what's best for him. But I'm also selfish, and I want him back."
Palmer's teammates are wondering whether he'll be back for training camp. He set a franchise record and led the NFL with 32 touchdown passes, and made the Pro Bowl in his second year as a starter.
Palmer sat in a locker and shared small talk with his linemen and receivers on Monday, occasionally laughing at a joke. He seemed upbeat, but teammates couldn't help but notice the metal crutches leaning against the side of the locker.
"The guy they're building our franchise around goes down with an ACL," left tackle Levi Jones said. "You don't want that to happen to anybody, but for that guy there to get hurt -- basically, where our team is going to go, he's going to take us. It's definitely hard to see.
"That's definitely a concern. I'm just going to hope and pray for the best."
Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 

[MuckFichigan02]

Chad Johnson and T.J. Alpabet are all smiles and laughs and talking shit until they get there asses handed to them in the playoffs. T.J. said "The better team didn't win and the NFL didn't want the Bengals to play any further." What a crybaby. It's funny that these two didn't think they would see the Steelers again and talked all the shit after the 2nd Steelers-Bengals game. I guess whiny Bengals posts and whiny ass Bengal receivers makes this win even more satisfying.

Yeah i just cant wait til next week when the bitching and moaning about "artificial noise" starts again man its gonna be sweet when the steelHERS give up another touchdown on the first play and decide 'man,we better take him out to or we're in for a royal ass kicking!!!

 

[BuckNutty]

Is this site at all reputable?

POSTED 10:18 p.m. EST, January 9, 2006



CHAD TOOK SWING AT MARVIN

A league source tells us that multiple members of the Cincinnati Bengals witnessed a troubling incident as the team prepared to take the field for the second half of Sunday's playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Per the source, the last few minutes of intermission were ticking away, when the players were startled by the sight and sound of a helmet slamming against the glass pane of the training room door. Inside, receiver Chad Johnson and receivers coach Hue Jackson were engaged in an altercation. At one point, Johnson was seen holding Jackson in a headlock.

Coach Marvin Lewis entered the training room to intervene, and Johnson (per the source) took a swing at him.

Eventually, receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh broke up the skirmish, within a minute or so of the team exiting the locker room for the second half.

On Monday, several members of the team pointed to the Johnson-Jackson-Lewis incident as the catalyst for the loss of a 17-14 halftime lead and, ultimately, a 31-17 defeat.

Word is that Johnson was unhappy with the lack of balls thrown to him in the first half. A total of three passes came his way, with two completions.

In the second half, another three passes were thrown to Johnson, with only two more completions. For the game, Johnson had four catches for 59 yards.

The incident could have an even more lasting impact on the team than quarterback Carson Palmer's torn ACL and MCL. Some players, we're told, don't want to see Johnson back next year, and there's a belief that the team will be less inclined to give in to Johnson's request for a hefty restructuring of a contract that expires after the 2009 season.

So the Chad Johnson saga very well could evolve into the 2006 version of the Terrell Owens fiasco.

If so, it's very bad news for a franchise that otherwise looked to have a very bright future.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

 

[tibor75]

Is this site at all reputable?



http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

Uh, no, Some idiot on the Bengals board every week posts some nonsense from there and usually it's never heard again anywhere.

 

[Folanator]

Maybe Marvin rolled on CJ's knee and said he was pushed.

 

[elliemae]

All I know is, Who dey? We dey.

i like that!

 

[JXC]

i like that!

yeah...that's really original!

Props to the Steelers for finishing strong. Sucks that Palmer got hurt, but the Steeler offense is on a roll. Obviously next week will be the test, and I will be rooting for the Steelers. I love Ben Roethlisberger...I think he is the most underrated QB in the NFL. I'd still rather have Palmer...but who knows what will happen after he comes back from surgery. The Bengals had a great season...and nobody is going to be dissapointed during this offseason. Not that we didn't want more, but this years team really showed a lot, it was a fun season, and winning the AFC North was pretty sweet. Plus the future looks bright...for both teams. It will be a fun battle next year.

 

[AJHawkfan]

Yeah i just cant wait til next week when the bitching and moaning about "artificial noise" starts again

Just for clarification, ESPiN was the origin of that whole story, not the Steelers organization. John Clayton was all over it, thinking they had another scoop. When it turned out to be B.S., they changed their story to make it sound like the Steelers were complaining to the league office.

Yes, the Steelers will probably lose this weekend. They are 9 1/2 point underdogs. They do however have a much better chance of winning than the Bengals do, and as a Steelers fan, that's good enough for me.

For all of you who think the Bengals would have won had Palmer not gotten hurt, the defense still gave up 31 points; and Pittsburgh could have scored more, had they wanted to. For the record, Palmer does not play defense.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

1/10/06

Palmer vows to be ready by camp
QB’s recovery time could be anywhere from 6 to 12 months
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>

</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>AL BEHRMAN | ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Carson Palmer talks with linebacker Nate Webster in the Bengals’ locker room. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


CINCINNATI — The shock of what happened to his left knee hasn’t set in yet for Carson Palmer, but his resolve has.
The day after tearing two ligaments in Cincinnati’s 31-17 playoff loss to Pittsburgh, the Bengals quarterback vowed to return by the start of next season.
"No question," Palmer said yesterday. "I’ll do whatever it takes to be ready to roll. I don’t want to miss anything in training camp. I’m not going to. I’m going to get ready."
The Bengals did not reveal specifics of Palmer’s injury, but they did not contradict reports that the quarterback tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments, and not just the ACL as the Bengals announced Sunday.
The Bengals also did not give a timetable for Palmer’s recovery. But rookie offensive lineman Adam Kieft, who sustained the same injury in training camp, said doctors estimate the rehab time at six to 12 months. Based on that, Palmer could be ready in August or not at all next season.
"It’s really how well your body heals itself," Kieft said. "Carson hasn’t really had much problem with getting injured and when he does, he comes back fast. Six months is not an unrealistic expectation. For him to say he’ll be ready by training camp is realistic."
Palmer will have surgery at an unspecified time.
"Nothing is finalized yet," Palmer said. "But as soon as possible is the plan of attack."
Palmer was injured on his first pass of the game, a 66-yard completion to Chris Henry. Steelers lineman Kimo von Oelhoffen hit him in the knee after Palmer threw.
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said the hit warranted a penalty. Palmer didn’t see any malice in it.
"I don’t know Kimo personally, but from what I’ve heard he’s a classy guy," Palmer said. "He’s a guy with a high motor that plays hard and was playing hard. I don’t think in any way he was trying to do anything. It’s just part of the game."
Replays of the hit were a staple of the sports-highlight shows yesterday.
"I saw it once," Palmer said. "I didn’t need to see it a whole bunch more than that."
Still, he acknowledged that the shock of what happened hasn’t worn off.
"Not really," Palmer said. "I don’t think this thing is going to hit me until I get going on the rehab and start battling on the road back."
For the Bengals, Palmer’s injury puts additional significance on their attempt to re-sign backup Jon Kitna, who becomes a free agent in March.
"That is my No. 1 concern," Palmer said. "He has some opportunities to go and play some other places. I know the organization wants him back. It just depends on what he wants to do. I wish him the best. I want what’s best for him. But I’m also selfish, and I want him back."
Worrying about Kitna’s future and his own was not Palmer’s expected agenda this week. He figured he’d be preparing for a playoff game in Denver.
"I was trying not to, but this whole week I couldn’t stop thinking about next week (when) we were going to be in Denver," Palmer said. "I was starting to look at those NFC teams and watching Washington and thinking about how we were going to match up against them (in the Super Bowl)."
Instead, he faces a much different challenge.
[email protected]

 

[OH10]

I heard my boy Ditka calling out the Steelers on tv today. He referred to the show-boating and shit talking as unacceptable behavior, and that if it happens this weekend, they may regret it. Specifically, I believe he was referring to Joey Porter.

Now Porter is a very good player, just like Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson are pretty darn good players. But he's a fucking jackass, and I hope the Colts offensive line and their backs keep him from getting to Peyton Manning - because I don't want to see him flapping his mammoth grill.

 

[tibor75]

Courtsey of Football Huddles. I also put this in the graphics forum

 

[NFBuck]

Courtsey of Football Huddles. I also put this in the graphics forum

Cowher: Kimo, I want him out of commission
Kimo: But Sensei we can beat these guys.
Cowher: I don't want Them beaten.
Kimo: But I'll get flagged.
Cowher: Out of commission.

 

[Folanator]

For all of you who think the Bengals would have won had Palmer not gotten hurt, the defense still gave up 31 points; and Pittsburgh could have scored more, had they wanted to. For the record, Palmer does not play defense.

I do think we would have put up more than 31 and that is why they play the game. The D got soft partially because the knew they were fucked. Up untill that point they actually kept you in check.

I have simmered down. But next year is gonna be ugly for sure.

 

[7 45 33 48]

I heard my boy Ditka calling out the Steelers on tv today. He referred to the show-boating and shit talking as unacceptable behavior, and that if it happens this weekend, they may regret it. Specifically, I believe he was referring to Joey Porter.

Now Porter is a very good player, just like Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson are pretty darn good players. But he's a fucking jackass, and I hope the Colts offensive line and their backs keep him from getting to Peyton Manning - because I don't want to see him flapping his mammoth grill.

And the Bengals weren't shit talking? Both teams were going at it during the game. They (T.J. and C.J.) were sure vocal before and after both Steeler-Bengal regular season games. These two sure regreted it on Sunday. One was crying like a baby on the sidelines and the other was whining that the NFL was against the Bengals.

Steeler fans with myself included have been all over Porter this season until he had a great stretch in December. Yes he played great in December but I still don't think he should have been in the Pro Bowl, Ike Taylor and Casey Hampton deserved it over him. I like his emotion and he is no doubt the leader of that defense but when you talk smack and don't back it up then Pittsburgh sports fans will be all over you. There are some Steeler fans that don't like that bravado anyways and have been criticizing him since 2003. He did take it to far with it before the game, shut up and play. I like it during the game when he his playing great because there are not a lot of fiery players on this defense. Porter does have the tendenacy to disappear against the better LT because all he wants to do is a speed move. At least before this season I defended him because he was in coverage a lot and is the best all around linebacker on the Steelers.

 

[7 45 33 48]

Just for clarification, ESPiN was the origin of that whole story, not the Steelers organization. John Clayton was all over it, thinking they had another scoop. When it turned out to be B.S., they changed their story to make it sound like the Steelers were complaining to the league office.

Yes, the Steelers will probably lose this weekend. They are 9 1/2 point underdogs. They do however have a much better chance of winning than the Bengals do, and as a Steelers fan, that's good enough for me.

For all of you who think the Bengals would have won had Palmer not gotten hurt, the defense still gave up 31 points; and Pittsburgh could have scored more, had they wanted to. For the record, Palmer does not play defense.

This game will be a blow out from the start if the Steelers play defense in the 1st half like they did against Bengals. The Steelers defense usually starts out slow this season then LeBeau makes adjustments and the defense starts controlling the game. I am sorry come out and attack the Colts receivers, that's how the Patriots have beat them in the playoffs. The Steelers defense actually played pretty well against the Colts on Monday Night except for the first play. The 3 rush, 8 in converage worked well last time and confused Manning.

Also, if the offensive gameplan is brought in from the Monday Night Colts game or from past Cowher playoff blunders (2004 AFCCG, 2001 AFCCG, etc.) then it will get ugly fast. I admit I am not a Cowher fan but he did coach a great game on Sunday. If he reverts back the offensive game plans of the past in the playoffs then the Steelers are screwed. Hopefully this doesn't happen but Cowher's ass usually tightens up the deeper he gets in the playoffs and he goes conservative (run, run, pass).