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BENGALS NOTES
Bresnahan says he's on hot seat
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
CINCINNATI — Bengals defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan won't be relaxing in a cushy recliner or a comfy chaise lounge anytime soon.
As the man in charge of the NFL's 30th ranked defensive unit, he believes his fanny is firmly on the hot seat.
Extras
"That goes right on me, and I'll be the first one to accept responsibility," Bresnahan said. "The pressure is on and it should be. It's time to take our game to a new level.
"We have to carry our weight and let the offensive side do what they do — put points on the board. Hopefully, we'll give them a lot of opportunities to do that."
Bresnahan is counting on middle linebacker Ahmad Brooks to make a major impact.
"It's time to really let him fly around and do the things he's capable of doing," Bresnahan said.
Like intercepting passes, sacking quarterbacks and stone-walling tailbacks.
Bresnahan's message to his unit: "Everybody's got to step up. It's time to play and have fun doing it. If you make a mistake, learn from it and move on. But don't fear making a mistake because if you do that, you'll never let it go."
Depth chart
The Bengals list Stacy Andrews as the No. 1 left guard ahead of Andrew Whitworth; Domata Peko and John Thornton as the starting defensive tackles ahead of Michael Myers and Kenderick Allen, and Landon Johnson as the starting weakside linebacker ahead of Ed Hartwell.
Relegating veteran free agents Myers (Denver), Allen (Green Bay) and Hartwell (Atlanta) to second string is a clear sign that head coach Marvin Lewis wants production, and he isn't giving any free passes into the starting lineup.
Injury report
Lewis said left offensive tackle Levi Jones (left knee) and right cornerback Johnathan Joseph (left foot) "are mending well," but the jury is out until they undergo physical exams at training camp.
"Our health status is pretty good, and we'll leave it at that," Lewis said. "We'll let you know a little bit more on their status on Friday (during a 1:15 p.m. news conference)."
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2253 or cludwig@DaytonDailyNews.com.
