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September 2009
Bengals safety Roy Williams puttin’ on the hits
The Cincinnati Bengals defense hasn’t had an enforcer in its secondary since David Fulcher wore the tiger stripes. But that all changed when safety Roy Williams joined the club. Three games into the season, Williams is making his presence felt on defense.
Not only is the hard-hitting safety knocking people out this season, but is proving to be no has-been, which some had suggested. There are those who view this season as a comeback year for Williams after missing 13 games in 2008.
Early on, Williams is looking every bit of the five-time Pro Bowl selection he once was in 2003 through 2007, and racking up the punishing hits.
In Week 1 against Denver, Williams welcomed Broncos rookie running back Knowshon Moreno into the league by knocking him silly. Moreno staggered off the field in a daze and spent most of the third quarter on the sideline after the hit.
The following week against Green Bay, Williams laid a wicked shot on Packers’ tight end Donald Lee, who was left sprawled over the field and experienced some numbness in his arms. Williams hit Lee so hard the rest of his family may have felt it.
“Mama Said Knock You Out!”
Against Pittsburgh on Sunday, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger got a little taste of the safety’s hitting ability while trying to make a tackle after throwing an interception. Granted, Roethlisberger didn’t get rocked like Moreno and Lee, but he didn’t enjoy the contact.
The Bengals acquired Williams in the offseason to improve the team’s defense and so far he’s living up to expectations. In fact, Williams’ seek-and-destroy mentality fuels the defense. He leads the team in tackles with 23 and is ranked in the Top 30 among players in that category. All the talk about the player’s ability to pass-cover seems to be an after thought. Williams brings veteran leadership and a winning attitude to the locker room.
Williams said after the game on Sunday that the defense is still learning, but is coming together quickly. He also said that he expects big things from the unit down the road.
The Bengals defense is on the rise in the NFL and currently ranked 16th overall.
Side note: Williams was limited in practice on Wednesday due to a sore forearm but is expected to be ready for Sunday’s game.
TweetBengals defense not taking Browns lightly
The Cincinnati Bengals offense has been the headline grabber over the past several years, but in 2009 it’s the team’s defense looking to grab the spotlight.
The Bengals are coming off perhaps their biggest victory in recent years defeating the World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers 23-20. The Bengals defense is largely responsible. The defense put the clamps down on Pittsburgh’s offense in the second-half, giving quarterback Carson Palmer and Co. the opportunity to finish them off.
Bengal fans are still basking in the glow of the team’s victory. However, the same cannot be said for the players. Their celebration was short-lived, directing their focus toward this week’s match-up against the Cleveland Browns.
After the game on Sunday, Bengals starting defensive tackle Domata Peko talked briefly about the win over Pittsburgh, but was more interested in talking about the game against Cleveland.
“Overall I think we played OK, but we had a lot of mistakes that we must clean up,” Peko said. “We have to learn from our mistakes because Cleveland runs a lot of similar plays as Pittsburgh. We have to pick up on the good things and get our eyes focused on playing the Browns. We can’t afford any mental letdowns against Cleveland.”
There is no doubt the Bengals will be entering a hostile environment in Cleveland. As dreadful as they are, the Browns are not to be taken lightly.
The Bengals offense has struggled early in all three games this season while the defense has fought from start to finish.
“The chemistry of our defense has been built and we’re starting to work well together,” Peko said. “We’re hungry and tired of losing. When you think of Cincinnati, all you think about is offense, offense, offense. But we’re trying to change that so people will look at our defense. It’s going to take us winning games to develop that mentality.”
Peko went on to say that there is a lot of fight in the defense and players are putting in extra time because they’re hungry.
The Bengals, defense can satisfy its hunger by feasting on some Brownies come game day Sunday.
TweetSteelers’ Parker gives props to Bengals defense
The after party lingers on a day after the Cincinnati Bengals upset division rival Pittsburgh Steelers in Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday. Bengal fans tailgated into the wee hours of the morning, celebrating the victory. Some fans didn’t bother to report to work today due to their over excitement or hangover.
This was a classic case of David vs. Goliath with Cincinnati being David of course.
In a nutshell, the Bengals did their best to hand the game over after struggling on offense in the first-half. But the offense came together in the second-half for a dramatic finish. Quarterback Carson Palmer hooked up with wide receiver Andre Caldwell in the end zone with 14 seconds remaining on the clock. The score put the team up by three after a successful two-point conversion for a 23-20 victory. The win put an end to the Steelers dominance over Cincy. This was Cincinnati’s first victory over their arch-nemesis Pittsburgh in six attempts.
Although the Bengals offense may receive all the glory for the victory, it was the team’s defense that kept them in the game.
After the game in the visitor’s locker room on Sunday, Steelers running back “Fast Willie Parker” acknowledged the Bengals defense for its play.
“I think their defense played better in the second-half and that’s why they came out on top,” he said. “You have to give them a lot of credit. They played well and that’s why they beat us.
“Despite the loss, we never gave up. That’s not our M-O. We just have to score seven when we’re in the redzone. We have to bounce back and start playing Steeler football.”
The Steelers offense was 33 percent in red zone efficiency.
Pittsburgh’s game plan coming in was the same as always. Run the football down the team’s throat.
“We wanted to establish our running game early and I think we did that,” Parker said. “We knew that they had a good defense and wasn’t going to give us much. Their defense played really well and with a lot of intensity.”
Parker carried the ball 25 times for 93 yards. He rushed for only 21 yards in the second-half. Parker also caught two passes for 36 receiving yards and a touchdown in the game.
The Bengals defense is starting to gain some respect around the league.
When asked if there was any difference in the Bengals defense from in years past Parker let it be known.
“Yeah, they’re out there playing with a swagger,” he said.
TweetEagles sign former Browns TE Rucker
The Philadelphia Eagles today announced they have signed tight end Martin Rucker to the practice squad and released tight end Rob Myers from the practice squad. The 6-foot-5, 260-pound Rucker was a fourth round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2008, and caught two passes for 17 yards in five games in his rookie season. Rucker was waived by the Browns on September 22, 2009.
TweetBengals sign Murray to practice squad
The Cincinnati Bengals have signed rookie cornerback Rico Murray of Kent State to the practice squad. Murray fills a spot opened yesterday when Tampa Bay signed safety Corey Lynch off the Bengals practice squad to its 53-player roster.
The 5-foot-11, 202-pound Murray played in all four Bengals preseason games and was waived on Sept. 5.
TweetFormer OSU quarterback Art Schlichter to be at Barnes and Noble in Miamisburg
Art Schlichter will be at the Barnes and Noble in Miamisburg (2619 Miamisburg-Centerville Drive) to discuss and sign copies of his new book “Busted the Rise and Fall of Art Schlichter” on Thursday, September 24th at 7pm. Schlichter was a star quarterback for Ohio State University who ended up being chosen by the Baltimore Colts in the first round of the 1982 draft only to be let go a few years later due to his rising gambling problems. Schlichter would end up spending 10 years of his life in 40 different prisons around Ohio, Baltimore, Indiana and Kentucky for fraud and racketeering, crimes he committed as he tried to obtain more money to feed his gripping addiction.
Schlichter’s 22 chapter tell-all highlights the highs and lows of his life: from his glory days at Ohio State to the sad details of his life on the run and then in prison. Schlichter struggles with the desire to gamble on a daily basis and avoids such things as reading point spreads in the newspaper. “It kinda gets the juices flowing so I don’t read them at all,” Schlichter told a large crowd at his book signing last week at a Barnes and Noble in Columbus.
Schlichter said that he wanted to write this book to help others who are struggling with addiction. “I want my life to serve as a warning to others; I truly hope this book can help someone quit gambling or get help for any addiction before things get really ugly for them.”
Schlichter has been out of prison for three years and has been busy with his radio job at WTVN out of Columbus and his assistant coaching position for a high school football team in Indiana. He is also called upon from time to time to help families of addicts conduct interventions for loved ones who are battling to survive. Schlichter does not want anyone to live the life he has had. “I don’t feel bad about spending ten years of my life in prison. I feel bad that I spent ten years of my daughters lives in prison. I missed watching them grow up and that was the worst punishment of all.”
Copies of “Busted, the Rise and Fall of Art Schlichter” are available wherever books are sold. Visit www.orangefrazer.com for more information.
TweetHenry disappearing from Bengals offense
Now that fans have had some time to let the Bengals’ devastating loss against Denver sink in, it’s time to address some unanswered questions.
One of the biggest questions being asked concerns the whereabouts of receiver Chris Henry on offense.
After catching the first pass of the game, Henry was pretty much nonexistent. Instead, he could be seen on the sidelines for a good portion of the game with a towel draped over his head. Henry finished the game with one catch for 18 yards. The sporadic playing time sparked questions from reporters after Sunday’s game.
During a postgame interview with the media, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis addressed the situation of looks not being there for Henry.
“I think one ball and one catch is a pretty good day,” Lewis said. “You can’t tell who is going to get the ball thrown to them. They’re playing the coverage and the quarterback is going to deliver the ball based on the coverage. You aren’t going to be able to dictate the number of balls a receiver is going to catch in a day.”
I think starting quarterback Carson Palmer gave a more definitive answer of Henry being a non-factor.
“They weren’t going to let the ball go over their heads,” Palmer said. “They played two deep safeties — as deep as a safety that I’ve ever seen. Their mindset was to not let us throw the ball downfield. We tried to a number of times, but you just can’t force it. We had Chris on a number of deep routes, but if he’s double covered …
“You have to take your shots when the shots are there. You can’t take shots just to take shots. They came with that mindset, and they did a good job. They have two really good cover corners and an experienced safety in (Brian) Dawkins. They lined up 25 yards deep and started backpedaling. They weren’t going to let the ball go over their heads. They wanted to keep the ball in front of them, and they did a good job of that.”
Taking into consideration what Palmer said, I believe it’s the offensive coordinator’s responsibility to make adjustments in these types of situations. If the Broncos defense was playing two-deep, then you use that to your advantage by working the underneath stuff and running the ball. You run Henry long all day long in order to open those things up.
The Bengals offense didn’t play with a sense of urgency until its back was against the wall. I believe the offense is becoming too predictable and a change is desperately needed in some of the play-calling. Also, players need to better execute when called upon, especially on third down.
If the lethargic play of the offense continues, it won’t be long before fans start calling for someone’s job.
So what is Chris Henry saying about his lack of playing time?
“I don’t know what to tell you man,” Henry said after the game. “I’m just going to go to work every day like I’ve been doing. If they play me, they play me. I was kind of disappointed, but have to keep going.”
Henry was nursing a sore thigh leading up to the game, but it had nothing to do with his lack of playing time.
“The thigh didn’t limit my ability to play,” he said. “I don’t know what happened. I just didn’t get to play a lot.”
If training camp and preseason are true competitions to earn a position, shouldn’t Henry be starting opposite Chad Ochocinco? In training camp he outperformed Laveranues Coles, who Sunday dropped passes like they were scalding hot.
Henry caught a touchdown pass in every preseason game and led the team in receiving with 224 yards and four touchdowns. More amazing is that he accomplished the feat despite limited playing time after Game 2 against New England. Yet Coles was named starter.
Things that make you go hmmm…
TweetLocker Room Chat: Bengals vs. Broncos
CINCINNATI — The bizarre play on Sunday that led Denver to a 12-7 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals became an instant highlight reel. Personally, I had never seen anything like it. In fact, I’m still in shock much like the 62,831 fans who were in attendance.
In case you missed it, Broncos’ wide receiver Brandon Stokley caught a deflected pass and went 87 yards for the touchdown with 11 seconds remaining on the clock, placing a dagger in the heart of the Bengals.
Players in the Bengals locker room afterward were left speechless and stunned.
A dejected defensive tackle Tank Johnson showed a lot of class wanting to place the blame for the loss on his broad shoulders.
“Honestly, on that last play I have got to push the pocket,” Johnson said. “The quarterback had too much time to step up and make that throw. That put the defensive backs on an island so that’s on me. I was matched up one-on-one and have to win those battles.”
Johnson said the play was unreal and the type of thing that just doesn’t happen, but it happened to them. Johnson added that it’s really hard to come to grips with the devastating loss.
Defensive end Jonathan Fanene, who recorded the team’s first sack of the season, was walking around the locker room in a daze. When I put the recorder in his face he stared at me momentarily before muttering these words…
“It was unbelievable,” Fanene said. “I can’t really tell you or explain what happen, but you seen it, I saw it and so did everyone else. Leon [Hall] hit the ball in the air and the receiver caught it and took it to the house. It was a good play for them but bad for us.”
Rookie linebacker Rey Maualuga who shined in his pro debut described the play as a fairytale.
“That was like a Cinderella ending for those guys,” Maualuga said. “It was like the USC game when they marched down the field scoring with a few seconds left to beat Ohio State. When do you ever see that type of thing happen? That’s some NCAA type stuff or Madden. They did a good job and they won. We beat ourselves. We have to come back tomorrow watch more film, get coached up and start over.”
The Bengals will be looking to get on the winning track when they travel to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers in Week 2.
Watch the heartbreaking play…
TweetPregame: Bengals vs. Broncos
CINCINNATI — Today’s match-up between the Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos has been the most anticipated season opener for Bengal fans in recent history. Some estimated 62,831 fans decked out in their orange and black flocked to Paul brown Stadium to get a gander at the 2009 Bengals.
On my way into PBS, I stopped to interview Sophie Jones, a die-hard Bengals fan, to get her prospective on today’s game.
“I am looking forward to seeing some of the rookies like Bernard Scott and Rey Maualuga show their stuff,” Jones said. “They looked very good during the preseason games and I am betting that they are going to play full tilt today due to the fact that it is the first real game. The team has a lot of young and talented players and I’m hoping they can channel their energy and talent into a winning season.”
Let’s hope she’s right.
WARM-UPS
Denver quarterback Kyle Orton will start the game despite a dislocated index finger. He’s on the field wearing a glove on his injured hand and appears to be throwing the ball well.
Rookie running back Knowshon Moreno sprinted out onto the field during warm-ups after being listed as questionable. He’s expect to see some action today.
BENGALS INACTIVES
QB Jordan Palmer, CB David Jones, RB DeDe Dorsey, S Tom Nelson, OT Scott Kooistra, TE Chase Coffman, WR Jerome Simpson, DE Frostee Rucker
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