DaytonDailyNews.com

CINCINNATI — Injured Bengals rookie linebacker Keith Rivers is working on his physique and his diet as he continues training for his comeback.

"I'm trying to figure out new ways to make food, blend it up," he said.

The No. 1 draft pick sustained a broken jaw against Pittsburgh on Oct. 19 when he absorbed a vicious block by Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, and his mouth was wired shut the following day.

Some of the wires were extracted last week. The remaining wires, retainers and rubber bands come out next week.

"I lost like 24 pounds," Rivers said. "Right after I got the wires off, I gained nine pounds in two days. It's coming back very fast. I just have to keep working and trying to get back to where I was."

The first real food he ate since the injury?

"French fries," he said, "and that hurt because your teeth aren't used to chewing. Now I can eat almost anything that's soft — macaroni and cheese, pizza, soft stuff like that."

Henderson on IR

Defensive end/outside linebacker Eric Henderson was placed on Injured Reserve, the club's 23rd IR victim this season. He's been sidelined with a neck injury suffered against Jacksonville on Nov. 2.

To fill the void, the Bengals signed rookie defensive end Chris Harrington from the Arizona Cardinals practice squad.

Harrington (6-foot-5, 265 pounds) was Arizona's sixth-round draft pick out of Texas A&M. He played in all four preseason games with 10 tackles and one sack, but got waived on Aug. 30.

Strong rebound

Wide receiver Chad Ocho Cinco predicted a winning season for the Bengals in 2009.

"Yeah, we're going to bounce back," he said. "You want me to guarantee it or just say it? We'll bounce back. Because I said so. Every time I say something, it's right."

Stats of the day

• The Washington Redskins have forced opposing offenses into three-and-out situations on 45 of 141 possessions (31.9 percent of the time) — the second-best mark in the NFL behind Baltimore.

• The Bengals' losses to Baltimore (34-3) and Indianapolis (35-3) were the most lopsided back-to-back defeats in the franchise's 41-year history.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2253 or cludwig@DaytonDailyNews.com.