Monday morning questions, comments

Some readers are beginning to question Marvin Lewis' personnel decisions and preparation, especially on defense.

Question, from Alex: Why were the Bengals permitted to leave the locker room at the
begining of the Ravens game? Is there not a rule in the NFL that when the coach fails to prepare a team for a game that they don't have to come out? Corey Dillion was terrible, and it is good
that he left. Who do we blame it on now?

Answer: The Bengals are a rebuilding team. The Band Aids applied last year worked well, maybe a little too well. Lewis is building for the future while trying to compete now. There are going to be serious growing teams. Preparation was not the problem Sunday in the 23-9 loss to Baltimore.

Question, from Jeff: Does anyone ever question Bob Bratkowski's play calling or offensive philosophies? He is so pass happy, that we continue to go away from the run. I'd rather the game be in Rudi Johnson's hands than Carson Palmer's.

Answer: It was in both. Bratkowski continues to emphasize a balanced offense. The Bengals trailed 17-3 at the half against Baltimore, and they ran 16 times in the second half. There wasn't a sense that the offense was out of balance. Rudi Johnson ran the 23 times; that's not abandoning the run.

There are red zone problems, and some of that can be attributed to wide receiver Peter Warrick being out with an injury. The problem, which is greatly detailed in this morning's Enquirer, is the Bengals defense -- especially against the run.

A look back at Sunday's newpaper ...

A reader wrote to take exception to comments made by Calvert Smith of the NAACP's
Cincinnati branch. In a story about Marvin Lewis' impact on the community as an African-American coach, a Bengals first, Smith was quoted as saying that Lewis is "heads and shoulders above any coach (the Bengals) have had."

To be fair to Smith, there was some contextual information edited out immediately above Smith's comments in the story. He had referenced the three or four previous coaches in reference to Dick LeBeau, Bruce Coslet and Dave Shula, all of whom finished well below .500 in career records as Bengals coaches. Smith was not referring to Forrest Gregg or Paul Brown or any of the earlier coaches.

Thursday morning e-mail from readers

The Miami game is still fresh in some readers' minds as they look forward to the
Baltimore game on Sunday.

Question, from John in Mt. Carmel: My knowledge of football wouldn't fill a thimble, so
this question: Why was Carson Palmer able to move the Bengals downfield on the last drive of the game, when he had failed to do that for the other 58 minutes? What was different?

Answer: The defense had dropped back into a prevent, hoping to stop the longer pass. The
offensive line also did an outstanding job of picking up blitzing linebackers on the last drive.
The irony is Palmer had his longest completion of the night, 20 yards to Chad Johnson, to set up
the winning field goal.

Question, from Ted in Newburgh, Ind.: We missed one with Kelly Gregg, who has become a
decent player. I believe he was a fifth-rounder in Cincinnati a few years ago?

Answer: Gregg was the Bengals' sixth-round pick from Oklahoma in 1999, the infamous Akili
Smith at No. 3 overall draft. Gregg has a knee injury and is questionable for the game Sunday.

The Ravens won't rush him back because they like Gregg's backup, Maake Kemoeatu. The Ravens defensive line doesn't get much attention, compared to its linebackers and secondary, but Gregg and ends Marques Douglas and Anthony Weaver do a good job of pushing the offensive line and keeping the linebackers clean to make plays.

Question, from Tom in Saylor Park: It wasn't very pretty but it was a "W" any way you
look at it.

Answer: You're right. At the end of the season, no one will pick apart the Miami game and
point out the flaws. Coach Marvin Lewis sets a constructive example for his team that fans can loosely follow: Be thankful the team won, correct what needs to be fixed and move on.

By the way, today is Marvin Lewis' 46th birthday, an anniversary he shares with the great Bruce Springsteen, who is 55.

Bengals inactives for Miami game tonight

By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer (7:20 p.m.)

Bengals strong safety Rogers Beckett was one of the team's inactive players for the game tonight against Miami.

Rookie Madieu Williams will start in place of Beckett. And Kevin Kaesviharn will start at
free safety in place of the injured Kim Herring. Center Rich Braham and wide receiver Peter Warrick were expected to start, even though they did not practice last week.

Miami will be missing two starters on defense, cornerback Patrick Surtain and tackle Tim
Bowens. Both were declared inactive with injuries. Backup cornerback Reggie Howard of the
Dolphins also was inactive because of injury, pushing rookie Will Poole into the starting lineup.

Other Bengals inactives are defensive linemen Matthias Askew and Robert Geathers, offensive tackle Stacy Andrews, linebacker Caleb Miller, and guard-center Larry Moore.

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

Friday morning reader e-mail ...

A few e-mails from Enquirer readers on Friday morning:

Question, from Ken in Butler County: Feels like a big mistake not taking the top center
in the draft (Jake Grove), who went to Oakland. Picking Chris Perry felt like a defensive
manuever because Corey Dillon was gone. Can (Scott Kooistra) play center? Maybe (Jerry) Fontenot can work; he definitely has the experience short-term -- while a longer term choice is developed.

The defensive line not getting Warren Sapp feels like the biggest non-move in the
offseason. Perhaps the Bengals can get creative and create a defense the rest of the league would have to adjust to? Just expressing my frustration and offering suggestions.

Answer: No one could have predicted the flood of injuries that has hit, especially on the
offensive line and at linebacker.

Look for center Rich Braham to get back as quickly as possible. He is one of the
toughest, most resilient players in the NFL. Fontenot was an excellent pickup. He is a player
similar to Braham with his no-nonsense, professional approach to the game. If the Bengals would have to switch them back and forth -- essentially going with two part-time starters --
quarterback Carson Palmer should not have much trouble adjusting.

Give Marvin Lewis the benefit of the doubt on the defense. As he says, "It is what it
is." Look for him to push hard to get it fixed. It's not gadgets that will make it better,
especially against the run. Getting Brian Simmons back at outside linebacker will help. Lewis'
scheme is about discipline and assignment, not running all over the field. Sapp would have definitely helped. The Bengals had him but blinked.

The Bengals had to rid themselves of Dillon, and the player they drafted with the 56th
overall pick obtained from New England, defensive back Madieu Williams, has star potential.

The inability to reach a long-term deal with Rudi Johnson almost forced the Bengals to draft a
pro-ready tailback, and that was Perry. If running backs coach Jim Anderson saw something in
Perry, that's all the convincing fans should need. Anderson's track record is among the best. Right now, Perry does look like a luxury pick. Perhaps a defensive tackle would have been
a better choice in the first round, but draft experts say don't go too far down a list in a
specific position.

Question, from Ryan: Do you think the mass injuries the Bengals have suffered on both
sides of the ball can be attributed to a training camp where players were pushed too hard?

Answer: No. Most of the injuries suffered by Bengals players were full-speed game
injuries to ankles and arms.

Question, from Anurag in Blue Ash: With (Madieu) Williams getting beaten as badly as he
did in his first game (not that it was entirely his fault, they should have had help near him the
whole game), what do you think we need to do until Deltha (O'Neal) gets better in terms of
filling that spot?

Answer: O'Neal should be back and starting Sunday night. He is a big question mark. The
scouting report out of Denver is he is not a good cover corner. But Lewis obviously sees
something in him. Let's see how it works.

As stated above, Williams has great potential and the intelligence and work ethic to
develop his talent. He's a keeper.

Fans should also look forward to watching Keiwan Ratliff develop at cornerback. This team is rebuilding, although Lewis dismisses that label. Lewis is trying to rebuild and compete at the same time, and the injuries have made his task that much more difficult.

Lewis' attitude is admirable. He expects each of his 53 players to contribute and
perform. He doesn't feel sorry for himself. He continually adjusts and looks ahead. It's
refreshing change from the woe-is-me attitude displayed at times by some Bengals coaches in the past 15-20 years.

Readers not happy with Bengals defense

Some reader e-mail on Wednesday morning.

Question, from Mary Lou in Akron: If Plan A was to stop the run, what's Plan B?

Answer: You're refering to the interview with defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier from last week, in which he said the Bengals defense could be more aggressive if it stopped the run
and dictated tempo. Week 1 was not so good.

Including the Monday night game between Carolina and Green Bay, the Bengals are dead last
in the NFL in rush defense. The Jets got them for 219 yards. Coach Marvin Lewis, like all good leaders, took responsibility on Monday for the poor run defense. He said to put the blame on him. OK. The players on defense are largely his. Only four remain from Dick LeBeau's opening-day roster in 2002.

And actions do speak loudly. If there weren't perceived problems at defensive tackle in the
offseason, why would the Bengals have gone after Warren Sapp so aggressively and then counted on Daryl Gardener to become available? But the Jets said they attacked the Bengals perimeter -- the outside linebackers, the cornerbacks, the strong safety. The likely return of outside linebacker Brian Simmons should help.

The Bengals had better be able to stop Miami on the ground. The Dolphins are 29th in the league in rushing, having gained just 65 yards in Week 1. After the unexpected retirement of Ricky Williams, they are hurting. Travis Minor rushed for 25 yards on five carries against Tennessee on Saturday. The Bengals will probably get a look at Lamar Gordon, acquired
from St. Louis a couple of weeks ago.

Question, from David in Finneytown: Pardon my ignorance here, but why can't the Bengals make a trade to help themselves out on defense? We look around the league and see teams clamoring for help at the quarterback position.

The Miami Dolphins immediately come to mind. After Jon Kitna's 2003 season, I can say that there are probably 10-12 quarterbacks (tops) in the league who are capable of putting up better numbers. That leaves 20 NFL teams (or so) with quarterbacks that are not of Kitna's caliber. I
think it's safe to assume there's three or four out of that 20 that are in the market for a
trade. I understand the importance of having a viable backup QB, especially with a (young)
quarterback. But, I think, the immediate needs on defense outweigh the risk exposure in shopping Kitna around. Thoughts?

Answer: Good question. Lewis, who will never show weakness, said he is confident he has the players on defense to stop the run and the pass. Even though he is not the coordinator, his reputation as a top defensive coach is not being helped by his team's performance. Nobody expected this. He might be of the mind, though, that you don't fix one position by creating a weakness at another.

Kitna is invaluable off the field, as Palmer's tutor. And the Bengals are a twisted ankle away from needing Kitna to play. He is probably the best No. 2 quarterback in the league right now. If Palmer were hurt, and the Bengals had traded Kitna, they'd be forced to go with rookie seventh-round pick Casey Bramlet.

But you do bring up a good point: The run defense is not good now, and it seems to be getting worse, not better -- as evidenced by the last five games. The draft might have forced the Bengals to keep two defensive lineman -- fourth-round picks Matthias Askew and Robert Geathers -- who are not yet ready to contribute. Both entered the draft early and have been injured throughout the preseason.

Reader e-mail after Jets game

Back from New Jersey. We stayed in a hotel in Jersey City, across the Hudson River from Lower Manhattan. We were directly across from the World Trade Center site. The blue beams of light -- the memorial -- were illuminated Saturday night, the third anniversary of the terrorist attacks. It was a clear night. The shafts of light reached high into the dark sky until they merged into one. The view was unforgettable.

Now, back to football and the Bengals.

Here are a couple of Monday morning e-mails from Enquirer readers:

Question, from Bob: Just a general question that I would like to get your thoughts on. Isit really fair to rank a defense based on the yardage allowed as opposed to, say, scores allowed? In Sunday's case, it was brought up numerous times that Curtis Martin torched the Bengals
for 196 yards, but no one brought up that out of those 196 yards, he only visited the end zone
once. That, to me, seems to be the more significant of the two numbers. I don't care if someone
breaks out and rushes for 600 yards (I know this is a stretch) but if they don't get into the end
zone, wouldn't that be considered a defensive victory? Your thoughts?

Answer: Well, failure to stop the run is an indicator of big problems on the defense.
Success on the ground -- the Jets had 13 rushing first downs -- allows an offense to maintain
possession and eat time. The had about a 90-second edge in time of possession, and it kept Carson Palmer and the Bengals offense off the field.

Running the ball well gives an offense flexibility. It slows down the pass run when an offense does attempt to throw the ball.

Bengals defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said stopping the run is the No. 1 priority
this season: "It gives you a chance to be a lot more aggressive on defense with some of the things you can do," Frazier said last week of tough run defense. "If you can force them to be a little more predictable on offense, now you can start calling the game you want to. If they're running the football on you effectively, it gets you on the heels and, of course, keeps your offense off the field."

Question, from M. Welsh: "They played their hearts out." What game was Marvin Lewis
watching? The defense looked worse than last year. They will be luckily to go 8-8. They can't
stop anyone. Here we go again.

Answer: Lewis says the problems with the defense can be fixed. Let's see. It will surely be a test of his tag as a defensive mastermind.

Bengals name inactives, lineup changes for Jets game

By Mark Curnutte
Enquirer staff writer
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (11:44 a.m.) -- The Bengals named their inactive players this morning in advance of their opener against the Jets here at the Meadowlands.
The list of inactive players includes starting weak-side linebacker Brian Simmons (knee)
and cornerback Deltha O'Neal (ankle). Rookie Caleb Miller will start in Simmons' spot, and rookie Madieu Williams will be at left cornerback.
The other change in the starting lineup will be tight end Tony Stewart in place of Reggie
Kelly.
The other inactives against the Jets: rookie running back Chris Perry (hamstring), rookie
cornerback Greg Brooks, fullback James Lynch (hamstring), rookie offensive lineman Stacy Andrews (ankle) and defensive end Robert Geathers (ankle). Rookie Casey Bramlet was designated as the emergency third quarterback. In other injury news, guard Eric Steinbach will play but will not start. Larry Moore will start at left guard.
E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

Welcome to Enquirer Bengals blog

Welcome to the Enquirer Bengals blog. It will be updated daily with a variety of material designed to keep you up to the minute on the Bengals. Look here for news, analysis and regularly posted answers to reader e-mail questions, which will replace the weekly forum that ran on the Enquirer's Web site on Wednesdays.
This space will evolve as the season unfolds to keep you entertained and informed.
Here are a couple of e-mails that came in earlier today.
Question, from Steve in Mt. Lookout: What kind of numbers do you predict Kelley
Washington putting up this year? With Peter Warrick still not 100 percent, do you think Kelley
will get more looks early in the season? He showed a lot of potential last year, especially
during the end of the season. And you gotta love the "Squirrel."
Answer: We can live without the dance, but to each his own. Washington looks like a small tight end and runs like a wide receiver. He had 22 receptions and made three starts last season. He can find the end zone, as his four touchdowns show.
Warrick might not be too limited, even early. But the top four receivers -- Chad Johnson,
Warrick, Washington and T.J. Houshmandzadeh -- could each surpass 40 catches if they stay
healthy. Johnson and Warrick should be up around 80 each. Washington could be especially
effective in the red zone because of his size (6-feet-3, 218 pounds). Coach Marvin Lewis has
commented how committed Washington has been in the offseason to elevate his game. If he gets open, Carson Palmer will get him the ball.
Question, from Anurag in Blue Ash: With the amount of injuries we have come across within
our running game, passing game, and defense -- what do you think our final record will come down to? We are playing a number of better teams than last year. I am hoping for at least another 8-8 season.
Answer: It's hard to predict, but 8-8 might be a good year. Lewis is trying to rebuild
and compete at the same time, and that combination is a difficult task. The team is younger.
Palmer is a first-time starter. Rudi Johnson will be expected to start all 16 games as the
featured tailback. The defense has been inconsistent at best.
Don't underestimate Lewis, though. Who would have predicted 8-8 in 2003? Still, the view
from here is 7-9 or 8-8, 9-7 at the best. The Bengals have to have a positive turnover differential and stop the run consistently.

Interview on Jets Web site

An employee of the New York Jets official Web site called the other day and wanted to discuss the upcoming Bengals-Jets game with a reporter who covers the Bengals. The Q&A interview was posted today. The link:
http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/index.php?content_id=1478&sections_id=#1478.

Bengals waive WR Mann, create practice squad

By Mark Curnutte
Enquirer staff writer
The Bengals continued to tweak their roster today, Monday, Sept. 6.
The club acquired cornerback Rashad Bauman off waivers from Washington. He is a third-year NFL player with 28 games and three starts in 2002 and 2003. He has 40 NFL tackles and one interception.
To make room for Bauman on the 53-man roster, the Bengals waived rookie wide receiver Maurice Mann, their fifth-round draft pick.
The Bengals also signed seven players to their practice squad:
*Allen Augustin, linebacker, rookie;
*Jamall Broussard, wide receiver, rookie;
*Pete Lougheed, offensive lineman, first-year player;
*Elton Patterson, defensive end, second-year player;
*Cliff Russell, wide receiver, second-year player;
*Greg Scott, defensive end, second-year player;
*Larry Stevens, linebacker, rookie.
All of the practice squad players were with the Bengals in training camp, except Russell. He played three games for the Redskins in 2003 and was signed to the practice squad after being released by Washington and clearing waivers.
If Mann clears waivers, he will likely be signed to fill the eighth and final spot on the Bengals practice squad.
E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com