Dayton's Memorial Hall closing
Science experiments at WSU
Students buy goods for annual party
Bengals' O-line going through learning process
Ravens managed only one sack, but line needs improvement to get rushing game going.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals' refurbished offensive line was supposed to look like this:
Center Eric Ghiaciuc flanked by left guard Andrew Whitworth and right guard Bobbie Williams — with bookends Levi Jones and Willie Anderson anchored at left and right tackle.
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But fantasy doesn't match reality.
Nowadays, left to right, the line consists of Whitworth, Stacy Andrews, Ghiaciuc and Williams — with Anderson splitting time with Scott Kooistra. Jones? He's nowhere to be found.
Sunday's lineup at Cleveland remains a mystery. This much is clear: It must improve if the Bengals expect to keep winning.
Quarterback Carson Palmer was sacked only once by the Baltimore Ravens, but the Bengals rushed for only 55 yards and Palmer's 20 completions resulted in 194 yards for a 9.7 average.
"We missed a few things," Bengals offensive line coach Paul Alexander said. "But I give Baltimore credit. They gave us a whole slew of new looks. I was happy Palmer only got sacked once. All I know is that Monday night was a battle. It was just constant adjustment after adjustment. It wasn't pretty all the time, but (the line) hung in there, and I was happy."
Head coach Marvin Lewis put a positive spin on the O-line shuffle:
"We're pretty blessed," he said. "We were seven guys deep, and Levi didn't play an offensive snap. That's eight players who could go in and play winning football. So we feel pretty good about that."
Andrews said the line "will get it rolling, and there's no stopping us after that."
But the line needs time to jell.
"The reality is it's a 16-game season and it's going to be a learning process as we go," Anderson said. "There's new guys in and young guys in. Don't try to match this line with the line of '05 because the experience factor is not there."
Jones, who missed all of training camp with a sore left knee, dressed for the opener, but didn't play.
"I said two weeks ago (my knee) was a nonissue," Jones said. "It'd be one thing if I wasn't trying to get back and wasn't trying to play. But it's what they (the coaches) wanted, so what else can I do?"
Said Lewis: "I believe Levi will play and I believe Levi will probably start at some point."
Battle of Ohio
Who: Bengals (1-0) at Browns (0-1)
When: 1 p.m. Sunday
Radio: WTUE-FM (104.7), WONE-AM (980)
TV: WHIO (CBS, Ch. 7)
