Bengals hire Carrier to coach defensive backs

By Ken Paxson | Monday, February 13, 2012, 12:51 PM

The Bengals have signed Mark Carrier as defensive backs coach and promoted Paul Guenther to the position of linebackers coach, according to a press release from the team.

Carrier is entering his seventh year as an NFL position coach. He spent the last two seasons (2010-11) as defensive line coach for the New York Jets and was defensive backs coach for the Baltimore Ravens from 2006-09. As a player, he was a standout safety over 11 seasons for Chicago, Detroit and Washington, earning three Pro Bowl selections. He was a first-round draft choice (sixth overall) by Chicago in 1990. He played in college at Southern California and is a native of Lake Charles, La.

“Mark is a great choice for us as he moves back to his old position, coaching the defensive secondary,” said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. “He experienced success as a coach with two fine NFL defenses, and he will do very well with our group.” Guenther is entering his 10th season as an NFL coach, including the last eight with Cincinnati. In 2011, he was an assistant in a dual role, working with special teams and defensive backs.

Guenther was also in a dual role from 2006-10, and those five seasons saw him working with special teams and linebackers. He played LB at Ursinus College and later was a record-setting head coach for four years (1997-2001) at Ursinus. His hometown is Richboro, Pa.

“Paul is very deserving of this opportunity to continue advancing and to coach a position of his own,” Lewis said. “Mike Zimmer (Bengals defensive coordinator) and I both have high confidence levels working with Paul, and we’re excited about what he can bring our defense in this new role.”

In 2011, Carrier’s defensive line helped the Jets finish fifth in the NFL in fewest yards allowed per game (312.1), fifth in fewest yards allowed per play (5.0) and seventh in fewest yards allowed per rushing play (3.9). In 2010, the Jets finished third in the NFL in fewest rushing yards allowed and third in fewest yards per rushing play. During Carrier’s term as defensive backs coach in Baltimore, the Ravens had the NFL’s second-most interceptions (93), with S Ed Reed performing as one of the league’s premier players.

Guenther last season helped coach the Bengals defense to a No. 7 NFL ranking (316.3 yards allowed per game). He has worked closely with Mike Zimmer, particularly on blitz techniques, and last season the Bengals ranked fifth in the NFL in sacks (45). In 2010, he helped tutor a starting LB trio that finished 1-2-3 on the team in tackles.

As defensive backs coach, Carrier replaces Kevin Coyle, who on Jan. 27 accepted the defensive coordinator position with the Miami Dolphins. As linebackers coach, Guenther replaces Jeff FitzGerald, who held the position for the Bengals from 2008-11.

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Former Bengals QB Cook dead at 65

By Ken Paxson | Friday, January 27, 2012, 11:49 AM

Former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Greg Cook, who was born in Dayton, died Thursday night in Cincinnati after an illness, according to a release issued by the team Friday, Jan. 27.

Cook was one of the brightest prospects in Bengals history, but he saw significant playing time only as a rookie in 1969. His career was derailed by a shoulder injury during that season, when he had joined the Bengals as the fifth overall pick in the NFL/AFL draft. Cook was from Chillicothe, Ohio, and was a nationally recognized college star at the University of Cincinnati.

Cook was declared by the American Football League as its 1969 passing champion, based on average league ranking over several categories. Particularly gifted on long passes, he posted a league-leading average of 9.41 yards per attempt, a figure which remains a Bengals record. He was named AFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by Associated Press and United Press International.

But in Game 3 of 1969, on Sept. 28 at Kansas City, Cook suffered a shoulder injury while helping lead the second-year Bengals to a win that brought their profile to a new height in Cincinnati. The Bengals triumphed 24-19 over a Chiefs team that would go on to win Super Bowl IV, and Cincinnati moved to a 3-0 record.

Cook missed the next three games but returned to action later in the ’69 season. He totaled 11 games, passing 106-for-197 for 1854 yards with 15 TDs and 11 interceptions. But his injury later required several surgeries, beginning with the 1970 offseason, and he never was able to return to full action. He remained a member of the Bengals through 1974, but his only action after ’69 was a brief appearance in one game in 1973.

“Greg was the single most talented player we’ve ever had with the Bengals,” said Bengals president Mike Brown. “His career was tragically short due to the injury. Had he been able to stay healthy, I believe he would have been the player of his era in the NFL.

“Greg was a personal friend to me,” Brown added. “He was a good person whose company I enjoyed over all his years as a player and after that. I feel a great loss at his passing.”

At the time the Bengals drafted Cook, general manager and head coach Paul Brown said, “We believe this young man is the best quarterback prospect in the country.”

Cook was born in Dayton, Ohio, but identified his hometown as Chillicothe, Ohio, where he spent most of his growing-up years. He was a multi-sport star at Chillicothe High School. He left the University of Cincinnati football program with 15 outright school records and a share of two others.

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Bengals move training camp to PBS

By Ken Paxson | Friday, January 20, 2012, 01:26 PM

The Bengals’ 2012 training camp will be conducted at the team’s facility at Paul Brown Stadium, officials announced Friday, Jan. 20.

The club will offer fan access not available in-season at PBS, and sessions will run from late July through mid-August.

The Bengals will end a 15-year run of conducting training camp at Georgetown (Ky.) College, and this will be the first time the team has ever trained at its home facility.

“Georgetown has been a great place for us, but this is the best way for our team to get ready for the 2012 regular season,” said head coach Marvin Lewis. “We going to be right in our home, and that’s where you’re best suited with the way the (NFL) rules have changed. We also hope to see some fans who maybe haven’t had a chance to see us at camp before, and we’re excited to join all the great activities that are happening in the summertime in our downtown.”

The Bengals will work to create open environments at PBS, incorporating the training camp tradition of greater access for fans to interact with players. Special events and attractions not available away from PBS are also in the works. The camp’s practice schedule will be released at a later date, well in advance of opening day.

“Some very positive opportunities both for fans and the local economy will now be available, and we are excited to bring the benefits to Greater Cincinnati,” said Katie Blackburn, Bengals vice-president. “We think fans will like what we have to offer.”

Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory added, “It’s great to have the Bengals’ training camp as a major addition to the downtown summer scene. With all of the excitement from last year’s playoff finish, the timing couldn’t be better.”

Greg Hartman, Hamilton County Commission president, said, “Everything is coming together at The Banks, and the addition of Bengals training camp will provide just one more reason for people to come downtown. This is another example of converting the promises of The Banks into a reality.”

The decision to train in Cincinnati was influenced by the NFL’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement agreed to last summer, which significantly reduces the number of on-field practice sessions allowed during the training camp period. By staying at PBS, Bengals coaches will now have the advantage of the team’s home facilities, weight and training facilities, and technology for working with players between practices, assets in which the Club has invested more than $1 million in recent years.

“The new rules bring an aspect that the Bengals and Georgetown College must adjust to,” said Bengals president Mike Brown. “But people who know me know that I will personally miss going away to camp very much. Georgetown is a special place for the Bengals and will remain so. I thank Bill Crouch (Georgetown College president) for working with us to make the arrangement happen. The people we have worked with over the years have been unfailingly helpful and knowledgeable. They have become our dear friends and will remain so.”

For the Bengals’ first 29 seasons (1968-96), the team conducted training camp at Wilmington (Ohio) College.

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Dalton, Crocker honored by pro football writers

By Maggie Short | Monday, January 9, 2012, 04:26 PM

This was just announced by the Cincinnati Bengals:

The Cincinnati Chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America today named QB Andy Dalton as the Bengals’ 2011 Most Valuable Player FS Chris Crocker as recipient of the organization’s annual “Good Guy” award.

The voters are the beat writers who cover the team on a daily basis. Dalton is the first rookie MVP in the 10 seasons the organization has handed out the award. He is the third quarterback to do so, joining Jon Kitna (2002-03) and Carson Palmer (2005).

Besides Palmer and Kitna, other past MVP winners were HB Rudi Johnson (2004), OT Willie Anderson (2006), WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (2007-08), CBs Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph (2009) and OT Andrew Whitworth (2010).

Dalton was the Bengals first rookie starting quarterback in an opener since Greg Cook in 1969 and has broken all of Cook’s records this year. Dalton is also the first quarterback since the merger to pass for 20 touchdowns and lead his team to at least eight wins.

“In a year where there was no offseason coaching due to the lockout and in which he had to replace one of the pillars of the franchise, Dalton’s development and poise under pressure has been extraordinary,” said PFWA spokesman Joe Reedy, Bengals beat writer for The Cincinnati Enquirer.

“Since the early part of the season, players have remarked how Dalton has the poise of a four- or five-year veteran in the huddle. In a season like this, it is hard to separate Dalton and A.J. Green, since you can’t mention one without the other, but in the end Dalton’s leadership and ability to lead a new offense won out.”

Crocker is the 10th recipient of the organization’s “Good Guy” award, given for excellent relations with local media.

“Chris has always been one of the go-to guys in the locker room and has set an example as a team leader to help us bring our readers the information that they so strongly desire,” Reedy said. “His candor and perspective during the week and following games has been much appreciated. As a nine-year veteran, ‘Crock’ has also been an invaluable resource on league matters during the season and when the lockout was taking place.”

The chapter also expressed its appreciation to OT Andrew Whitworth and NT Domata Peko for their help during the lockout.

“During a time when not many players were talking and very few allowed access to their workouts, both players understood how important it was to allow readers to see how they were trying to prepare for the season when it started,” Reedy said.

Past “Good Guy” winners have been FB Lorenzo Neal, OT Willie Anderson, HB Brandon Bennett, LB Brian Simmons, DT John Thornton, WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, DT Bryan Robinson, G Bobbie Williams, QB Carson Palmer and HB Cedric Benson.

Anderson, Houshmandzadeh and Palmer are the only players to win both the MVP and the Good Guy awards.

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Bengals-Ravens game a sellout

By Maggie Short | Wednesday, December 28, 2011, 10:06 AM

Sunday’s Cincinnati Bengals’ home game against the Baltimore Ravens is a sellout, the Bengals ticket office announced today.

The game at 4:15 p.m. will be televised in the Bengals home market on CBS affiliates WKRC-TV (Channel 12) in Cincinnati, WHIO-TV (7) in Dayton and WKYT-TV (27) in Lexington, Ky.

“Our fans have made a tremendous response this week to our sales efforts, and we thank the entire community for its support of the Bengals,” said Katie Blackburn, the team’s executive vice-president. “We’re pleased that the game will be on television for everyone, and we look forward to the fans at Paul Brown Stadium giving us a great home field advantage for a very important game against Baltimore.”

The Baltimore game is a marquee NFL contest this weekend, moved to 4:15 p.m. from an original kickoff time of 1 p.m. to reach a wider television audience.

The Bengals can clinch a playoff spot with a victory, and Baltimore is out to claim a division championship and first-round playoff bye.

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A.J. Green voted to Pro Bowl; 1st rookie WR in since ‘03 season

By Maggie Short | Wednesday, December 28, 2011, 08:32 AM

Bengals rookie WR A.J. Green has been voted to the AFC team for this season’s Pro Bowl game, the NFL announced Tuesday. The game will be played on Sunday, Jan. 29, televised nationally on NBC beginning at 7 p.m.

Green, from the University of Georgia, was the Bengals’ first-round selection (fourth overall) in the 2011 draft. He is the first rookie WR voted to the Pro Bowl since the 2003 season, when Anquan Boldin of the Arizona Cardinals made the list, and he is the first Bengals rookie at any position voted to the Pro Bowl since WR Cris Collinsworth in the 1981 season.

The Bengals also had seven players voted as Pro Bowl alternates. DT Geno Atkins, QB Andy Dalton and K Mike Nugent were voted first alternates, OT Andrew Whitworth is a second alternate, TE Jermaine Gresham is a third alternate, and HB Cedric Benson and NT Domata Peko are fifth alternates.

The alternates are selected for the Pro Bowl when roster replacements are needed due to injuries or other reasons. This year’s Pro Bowl will be played a week in advance of Super Bowl XLVI, so Pro Bowl selections on the two Super Bowl teams will be replaced from the alternates’ ranks.

Green has played in 14 of the Bengals’ 15 games, missing one due to injury, and he leads the team in receptions (63), receiving yards (1031) and touchdowns (seven). He ranks tied for 12th in the AFC in receptions, and he ranks seventh in receiving yards, but his performance has transcended those numbers. As he did in college, he has made spectacular plays on a regular basis, using his size (6-4, 207), speed and superior hands to frequently beat double coverage for contested catches. He leads the NFL this season in catches of 35 or more yards (11).

“As I’ve said before, A.J. is the best first-round draft pick that I’ve ever been around,” said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. “He has shown the other players in this league, and the fans, that he deserved this honor. I have not seen a receiver better than he is at getting to the ball.”

Pro Bowl spots are determined based on voting by players, coaches and fans, with each group’s vote having equal weight.

Besides Cris Collinsworth in the 1981 season, other Bengals rookies in the Pro Bowl have been WR Isaac Curtis (1973) and CB Lemar Parrish (1970). Additionally, four Bengals rookies were in the American Football League All-Star Game — LB Bill Bergey (1969) and C Bob Johnson, RB Paul Robinson and TE Bob Trumpy in 1968.

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Bengals lose Caldwell, add former UC star

By Ken Paxson | Tuesday, December 27, 2011, 04:00 PM

A sports hernia has ended the season for wide receiver Andre Caldwell, who played in 13 games for the Bengals this season before missing the last two.

Caldwell has been placed on the Reserve/Injured list, opening the door for former University of Cincinnati star wideout Armon Binns, who was promoted to the roster from the practice squad.

Binns (6-3, 210) is in his rookie NFL season. He was signed to the practice squad on Sept. 20. He entered the NFL on July 28 with Jacksonville as a college free agent. He played in three Jaguars preseason games, with three receptions for 20 yards and one touchdown, and was waived on Sept. 3. A native of Pasadena, Calif., he was a four-year letterman (2007-10) at UC, with 75 receptions for 1101 yards and 10 TDs in 2010.

Caldwell, a fourth-year NFL player, ends the season with 37 receptions for 317 yards and three touchdowns.

Another former UC player, wide receiver Vidal Hazelton, replaced Binns on the practice squad. Hazelton (6-2, 218) is also in his rookie NFL season. He entered the NFL on July 27 with San Diego as a college free agent. He played in two Chargers preseason games (no statistics) and was waived on Aug. 31.

A native of Staten Island, N.Y., he began his college career at Southern California from 2006-08. He transferred to the University of Cincinnati and began play in 2010, but he suffered a knee injury in the season opener and was out for the remainder of the season.

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