Thursday morning reader e-mail

It's Steelers week. The game Sunday a Paul Brown Stadium should be a good one.

Time for some reader e-mail:

Question from Andrew: Why don't you tell Chad Johnson to still tell the fans to bring the
money and give it to the Freestore/FoodBank? Something like $1/$5 match for every touchdown or something to challenge the fans to give more to this worthwhile cause. I just thought that this could be spun off positively with the upcoming holidays and so many in need.

Answer: You just suggested it. Good idea.

Question, from Bob in West Chester: Can we get an update on Dennis Weathersby? Will he be able to play next year? How is his rehab coming?

Answer: Saw Dennis the other day. He is back in Cincinnati and working out regularly at
the stadium. He hopes to play next season but is unsure if he will be able to, following the auto
crash in April in which he suffered the serious head injury. He said he is working on some other physical ailments, mainly a shoulder.

Question, from Lynchburg, Va.: I think Redskins quarterbacks let the Bengals get away
with one.

The good news is that the Bengals won when things went against them: Two questionable roughing-the-passer calls, a no-call pass interference on Chad Johnson, three missed deep passes to open receivers, five dropped interceptions by the defense and three turnovers. Usually these things are described in Bengals losses. Could these Bengals be turning a corner or are they just playing bad offensive teams?

Answer: Good observations. Yes, the Bengals have played two bad offensive teams the past
couple of weeks in Dallas and Washington, but they held them to a combined 13 points. Earlier in the season, or in previous seasons, the Cowboys and Redskins would have "gotten healthy" against the Bengals.

The Bengals are improving, for sure. But the level of completition was decidedly lower against those two NFC East teams. The Steelers will be a good barometer of where the Bengals truly are.

Question, from Jake in Mason: Do you think the addition of Langston Moore on the line has opened it up for the defensive ends? Second question: With Moore in the linebackers are not being hit by offensive linemen, do you concur?

Answer: Good things are happening in the front seven, so Moore is a part of it. He is a
hungry, aggressive player. He wants to learn and is getting better. Probably the biggest improvement is the overall knowledge the young players have gained.

Credit the coaches -- coordinator Leslie Frazier, defensive line coach Jay Hayes, linebackers
coach Ricky Hunley and Marvin Lewis -- for getting the most out of their linemen and linebackers.

Moore has played well. So has rookie end Robert Geaters. Duane Clemons is invaluable with
his ability to play well at tackle, creating the team's best pass-rush front four with Geathers
at left end. Rookie linebacker Landon Johnson has stayed healthy and improved each week at middle linebacker, not his natural position.

Cornerbacks Tory James and Deltha O'Neal are doing a better job, too, which allows coaches to leave them isolated on the outside and do more creative things with the other nine defenders.

But, again, hold the Steelers to 10 or 13 points, and don't let them run all over the
you, and then the Bengals will have really proven something.