Three backs to share load

By Mark Curnutte
mcurnutte@enquirer.com
Rudi Johnson’s hamstring might have been strained.

But the running back’s self-confidence was unaffected by his four-week battle with the first major injury since he became the Bengals’ featured tailback.

Johnson, who missed three of the past four games, practiced today for the first time on a Wednesday since Sept. 19. He was injured four days later during the game at Seattle.

Kenny Watson made four starts and averaged 85.2 yards a game. He did not practice Wednesday because of the concussion he suffered at the end of the Steelers game Sunday. Watson will be back today.

"I'm going to go out and play just like I normally play," Johnson said when asked today if he and Watson would share carries. "That's why I made sure I was going to come back 100 percent before I stepped onto the field. … My leg is fine."

Coaches will check on the health of both running backs at the end of the week and then decide how to proceed.

"We'll just integrate them both into the gameplan and go from there," head coach Marvin Lewis said.

Johnson’s hamstring could fatigue quickly if he plays too much.


"We want to make sure we’re not going to overload Rudi at this point, either, so we have to use both guys, actually use all three players," Lewis said in reference to Johnson, Watson and DeDe Dorsey. "We'll use all three backs and try to five everybody a little piece of the pie."

Quarterback Carson Palmer likes having both Johnson and Watson to turn to.


"They're both too good of players not to," Palmer said. "It's always a good thing when you're not sure which running back you want to play because Kenny does so many good things and Rudi does so many good things. They're so different it fives us a great change-of-pace."

Regardless of who's carrying it, the Bengals will want to run the ball Sunday at Buffalo. The Bills are 24th in the NFL in rush defense at 127.9 yards a game. Lewis called it a priority. The Bengals have averaged more than 4 yards a carry in each of the past three games. The return of starting center Eric Ghiaciuc has helped, Lewis said.

"We've huddled more, which is important," Lewis said of turning away from the no-huddle offense. "We’ve had more called plays."

Johnson, who has rushed for more than 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns in each of the previous three seasons, wants to get back into the action.

"As long as I'm getting my groove, yeah," Johnson said, yes, he's OK with using two running backs. "But everybody’s going to need to get into their groove."


Johnson returns to Buffalo, where he made his first NFL start Oct. 5, 2003. He carried 20 times for 69 yards and one touchdown in place of the injured Corey Dillon. The Bengals lost 22-16 in overtime. They head back to western New York this season in dire need of a victory, having lost five of six and limping with a 2-5 record.


"We didn't win the game," Johnson said of his first start. "We're trying to get to get a win. Whatever is called upon, we have to go out and do it."

Johnson had played in 64 consecutive games, starting 53 times, before missing the New England game Oct. 1. Sitting out was difficult. Johnson tried to come back after the bye week, Oct. 14, at Kansas City. He carried four times for eight yards.

"It was frustrating," offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski said of Johnson’s layoff. "He was in getting treatment on a regular basis and in the meeting room mentally preparing."

Johnson now is as physically ready as he is mentally prepared.


With Watson running well – "He did a great job. Kenny filled in well. He did a lot of great things," Johnson said – there have been whispers around the edge of the team and among fans. Rudi might be done. He has lost a step. He’s 28 now and showing a lot of wear. Johnson will hear none of it, though he rushed more times, 1,039, from 2004 though 2006 than any running back in the NFL. This year he has run 62 times for 185 yards (3.0) and no touchdowns.

"I don't care what they say. Have I ever?" Johnson said with a hearty laugh. "Have I ever? That's one thing about me. I don't care what anybody says about me. I know how I play. I'm not worried about that all. I came here with Corey Dillon in front of me. I don't care what nobody is saying. It’s something that happens.

"You go through certain things in your career and your life. You just have to bounce back from it. I'm up to the task. That's nothing but a small thing to me."

Then there’s the matter of Lewis' decision not to go for the first down and touchdown on fourth-and-1 from the Steelers 2-yard line Sunday.


"Yes, I would try to get him to go for it," said Johnson, who would lobby Lewis to run him. "At the end of the day, it's his call."


Faced with the same decision Sunday, what might Lewis do?


"I would try to get him to go for it," Johnson said. "I think he would."

Rudi back at practice

UPDATED: 3:08 p.m. -- Bengals injury report:

Out
OT Willie Anderson, knee
LB Ahmad Brooks, groin

Did Not Participate in Practice
LB Caleb Miller, back
DE Justin Smith, hamstring
DT John Thornton, neck
HB Kenny Watson, head

Limited Participation in Practice
S Herana-Daze Jones, shoulder

Full Participation in Practice
HB Rudi Johnson, hamstring

Bills injury report
Did Not Participate in Practice
QB Trent Edwards, wrist
LB Leon Joe, back

Limited Participation in Practice
DE Ryan Denney, foot
CB Ashton Youboty, ankle

Full Participation in Practice
WR Sam Wiken, hamstring
S Jim Leonhard, calf
TE Ryan Neufeld, thigh

UPDATED: 2:27 p.m. -- Marvin Lewis said this afternoon that Rudi Johnson, Kenny Watson and DeDe Dorsey would "all get a piece of the pie" Sunday at Buffalo in the running game. Lewis said right tackle Willie Anderson and linebacker Ahmad Brooks are out with knee and groin injuries, respectively.

Watson (concussion), defensive tackle John Thornton (stinger) and defensive end Justin Smith, all of whom did not practice today, would be back in practice Thursday.

Johnson said he was 100 percent and ready to play. He said he doesn't pay attention to whispers that he might have lost a step or that Watson should be starting ahead of him.

"When has any of that every bothered me?" Johnson said.

ORIGINAL POST: Tailback Rudi Johnson, who has missed three of the past four games with a hamstring injury, is back on the field practicing on a Wednesday for the first time since Sept. 19. Johnson had played in the previous 64 games in a row prior to being inactive Oct. 1 against New England. He played briefly at Kansas City on Oct. 14 but missed the Jets and Steelers games the past two Sundays.

Johnson is expected to play Sunday at Buffalo.

The Bengals will be trying to snap a five-game road losing streak. They have not won away from home since winning at Cleveland on Nov. 26, 2006. The Bengals lost in Cleveland, 51-45, on Sept. 16 -- one of their three losses in a row away from home this year. They are 0-3 on the road in 2007 and 2-2 at home.

Meanwhile, Kenny Watson, who has started the past four games, is not practicing because of the concussion he suffered at the end of the Steelers game Sunday.

Also practicing are wide receiver Antonio Chatman and defensive end Frostee Rucker, who often are on the injury report.

Not practicing: defensive tackle John Thornton (stinger), defensive end Justin Smith (injury or reason not known) and linebacker Ahmad Brooks (groin).

Wide receiver Chris Henry is practicing. His suspension is scheduled to end with the Bengals game Sunday at Buffalo -- Cincinnati's eighth game -- and Henry is eligible to play Nov. 11 at Baltimore.

Tailback Chris Perry, still on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, went out later for practice. Word around the Bengals is he will not officially practice until next week, which will start his three-week window before the Bengals would have to make a decision on a roster spot for Perry.

Bengals-Bills stat line

This game is very winnable for the Bengals. They have to win, really. Then they head to Baltimore, where they have had great success and are not intimidated by the Ravens.

But it would be tough to win in Baltimore if the Bengals lose at Buffalo and head there at 2-6.

Bengals / Bills NFL rankings (Per game average points or yards)
Points scored 6 (25.2) / 29 (13.9)
Points allowed 31 (30.1) / 13 (19.3)
Total offense 5 (360.9) / 31 (246.0)
Rush offense 21 (97.0) / 20 (100.3)
Pass offense 5 (263.9) / 31 (145.7)
Total defense 31 (385.4) / 30 (381.3)
Rush defense 28 (139.0) / 24 (127.9)
Pass defense 28 / (246.4) / 29 (253.4)
Turnover differential T-20 (minus-1) / T-4 (plus-7)

Upon further review ...

... Marvin Lewis said this afternoon that he would kick the field goal again.

Trailing 14-3 late in the second quarter, the Bengals were fourth-and-1 from the Steelers 2-yard line. Lewis initially was going to run a play. Then he called timeout and asked for a measurement. Then he sent Shayne Graham in to kick a 20-yard field, pulling the Bengals to within 14-6. Then the Steelers scored a touchdown at the end of a 67-yard line to go up 21-6 at the half.

The Steelers won 24-13.

"I still feel we're going to possess the ball three more times, by taking the points," Lewis said. "We have an opportunity to stop them, get the ball back before halftime then have the ball coming out in the third quarter. So I'm probably going to still kick the field goal at that point with where we were in the game. It was a good yard that way. I have to go with how I'm getting information. We weren't sure, we had a little bit of rundown on the play clock because they didn't get the ball spotted exactly right away. If you look at the tape, once I called timeout, it was a little bit further. But again, I have to go with what is there. It's easy to look back on it now, particularly after they score a touchdown, and think that makes a difference. ... It was important to get points."

So on fourth-and-1 you'd do it again, same way?

"Yes."

On Sunday, in his post-game news conference, Lewis mentioned the decision in his opening statement -- before he could be asked about it by a reporter -- and said: "In hindsight, we should have gone for it on fourth down rather than take the points. I didn't anticipate them driving down and getting a touchdown before halftime. Since we got the ball in the second half, I thought it was important to put up points at that point in the football game. Looking back on it, if we had scored a touchdown, it might have been more significant. But that is the decision I made based on that. We dug ourselves such a hole in the first half."

INJURIES: Lewis said defensive tackle John Thornton had a stinger, was "better today," and "we'll see Wednesday" how he is for the game Sunday at Buffalo.

Safety Herana-Daze Jones, a major special teams contributor, injured his shoulder and is being examined today. And tailback Kenny Watson suffered a concussion, which "subsided today," and Watson is undergoing normal procedures.

Lewis did not anticipate that right tackle Willie Anderson would play Sunday at Buffalo but would have a better chance to play the following week at Baltimore.

PLAYOFFS: The Bengals are 2-5 and have an uphill climb to make the playoffs. Are the playoffs still the goal for the team?

"We can’t worry. The playoffs are possible. The playoffs are there. The playoffs are not out of reach," Lewis said. "But we don’t need to worry about them. We need to worry about win number three in Buffalo this week. That’s what’s important. This is the game that counts. We don’t need to look ahead. If we take care of ourselves, we’ll be fine. And at this point, we can still do that. Let’s take care of what we have to take care of, and do our jobs."

Lewis on fourth-down decision

"In hindsight, we should have gone for it on fourth down rather than take the points," Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said after the game, a 24-13 loss to the Steelers. "I didn't anticipate them driving down and getting a touchdown before halftime. Since we got the ball in the second half, I thought it was important to put up points at that point in the football game. Looking back on it, if we had scored a touchdown, it might have been more significant. But that is the decision I made based on that. We dug ourselves such a hole in the first half."

Lewis said he asked for a measurement during the timeout, and it was a "good yard" short.

Final: Steelers 24-13

Watson fumbles, injured

The Bengals drove back down the field into the red zone. Tailback Kenny Watson took a shovel pass from Palmer and ran to the 15-yard line, where he was stripped by linebacker James Harrison. Harrison was credited with the forced fumble and recovery. Watson was injured when left tackle Levi Jones accidentally smacked Watson’s face mask with his knee while running for the loose ball. The Bengals challenged the call that Watson was not down by contact and lost.
Watson rushed 19 times for 88 yards before the injury.

The Steelers lead 24-13 with 2:27 remaining. The Bengals just used their second timeout.

Steelers answer, up 24-13

Jeff Reed kicked a 40-yard field goal with 6:09 remaining in the fourth quarter to extend the Steelers' lead to 24-13.

The Steelers ate 6:53 of clock in driving 48 yards in 11 plays.

T.J. scores on 8-yard TD catch

The Bengals turned Deltha O'Neal's interception into points, driving 88 yards on 17 plays. Carson Palmer hit T.J. Houshmandzadeh on an 8-yard touchdown pass. The Bengals now trail 21-13 with 13:02 left in the game.

The Bengals came in third this season in points off turnovers with 57. They now have 64. The Lions came in first in points scored off turnovers with 66, following by the Giants with 61.

The 17-play drive, which at 8:07 of clock, was the longest in terms of plays this season.

The touchdown is Houshmandzadeh's ninth of the season, tying his single-season career high from 2006.

Houshmandzadeh has a touchdown catch in each of the seven games this season.

Bengals set attendance record

The attendance of 66,188 is a single-game Bengals franchise home record, bettering the 66,113 drawn for the New England game Oct. 1.

It is the 32nd consecutive home sellout for the Bengals, dating to 2003.

O'Neal picks scrambling Roethlisberger

The Bengals are at midfield following an interception by cornerback Deltha O'Neal.

Parker from 1; Steelers up 21-6

The Steelers went 67 yards on nine plays, scoring with 4 seconds remaining in the first half. Willie Parker ran in from 1 on a misdirection play.

Parker has run 12 times for 79 yards and one touchdown. His average is 6.6 yards a carry.

Ben Roethlisberger is 13-for-18 passing for 167 yards and two touchdowns. His passer rating is 138.0.

The Bengals were showered with boos when they left the field for the locker room.

For the Bengals, Carson Palmer is 14-for-16 passing for 114 yards in the first half.

Field goal draws boos

Shayne Graham kicked his second field goal, from 20 yards, with 2:16 left in the half.

The Bengals were fourth and 1 from the 2, and coach Marvin Lewis first decided to go for the first down. Then he called timeout. Then he decided to kick the field goal.

Fans booed.

The Steelers are up 14-6. There seems to be a lack of institutional confidence.

Steelers go up 14-3

The Steelers marched 80 yards in 12 plays, taking 7:30, to go up 14-3. Ben Roethlisberger threw 7 yards to Hines Ward on third and goal. The Bengals also allowed a third-down conversion on a third-and-4 play on their 26-yard line. Roethlisberger threw 23 yards to tight end Heath Miller.

Roethlisberger is 10-for-12 passing for 136 yards and two touchdowns. His passer rating is a near-perfect 153.5.

The Steelers have run 10 times for 45 yards.

Steelers up 7-3

Ben Roethlisberger threw a 21-yard touchdown to Hines Ward to give the Steelers a 7-3 lead with 2:42 remaining. The Bengals only had 10 defensive players on the field for the touchdown.

Ward turned rookie cornerback Leon Hall around on a double-move. Hall also was victimized on a 42-yard bomb from Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis challenged the catch, but the ruling on the field stood.

Pittsburgh drove 80 yards in five plays, taking only 2:29.

The TD catch was the 60th of Wards' career. He joins John Stallworth (63) as the only Steelers receivers in Steelers history with 60 career touchdowns receptions.

Bengals' drive ends with FG

The Bengals lead 3-0 on a 31-yard Shayne Graham field goal.

The Bengals drove 69 yards on 13 plays, eating 6:43 of the clock.

Carson Palmer was 6-for-7 passing for 60 yards. On third-and-10 from the 13, Palmer threw incomplete for T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the end zone. The Bengals converted 1 of 2 third downs.

Steelers fullback Dan Krieder has left the game with an ankle injury. His return is questionable.

5:11 remains in the quarter.

Bengals make third-down stop

The Bengals defense forced an incomplete pass on third-and-5 from the Steelers 45-yard line, forcing a punt. The Bengals are first-and-10 on their 18. No score; 11:55 remaining in the first.

Rudi out again

Tailback Rudi Johnson, who has battled a hamstring injury since the Sept. 23 game at Seattle, is inactive today for the Steelers game.

As previously announced last week, right tackle Willie Anderson (knee), middle linebacker Ahmad Brooks and backup linebacker Caleb Miller (back) are out.

The other Cincinnati inactive players are wide receiver Marcus Maxwell, cornerback David Jones and defensive end Frostee Rucker. Jeff Rowe is the designated third quarterback.

Changes in the starting lineup:

-- Stacy Andrews will start at right tackle for Anderson.

-- Anthony Schlegel will start at middle linebacker for Brooks.

-- Kenny Watson will make his fourth consecutive start for Rudi Johnson as the featured tailback.

-- Robert Geathers will start at strong-side linebacker in place of Rashad Jeanty, who is active for the second game in a row.

-- Bryan Robinson will start at defensive end in place of Geathers.

In the strange-sight department: Bengals legend Ken Anderson, now Steelers quarterbacks coach, is on the field in a black-and-gold Steelers jacket and cap and warming up with starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

The Bengals are wearing their all-black uniforms today.

The Steelers inactive list is headed by defensive end Aaron Smith (knee). Also out are wide receiver Willie Reid, cornerback Bryant McFadden, safety Ryan Clark, running back Gary Russell, guard Darnell Stapleton and tackle Trai Essex. Brian St. Pierre is the third quarterback.

Roster move at WR

The Bengals just announced that they have signed wide receiver Marcus Maxwell from their practice squad and waived wide receiver Courtney Roby. Roby, signed Oct. 16 as a free agent, was active for the Jets game but did not play.

Maxwell is a second-year NFL player. He signed a three-year contract. He was signed to the Cincinnati practice squad on Oct. 4. He entered the NFL in 2005 as a seventh-round draft choice of the San Francisco 49ers. He played in four games as a rookie (no offensive statistics). He was waived in San Francisco’s 2006 final cuts and signed to the 49ers practice squad. He was with the 49ers in the 2007 preseason, with one catch for 11 yards, and was waived by San Francisco on Aug. 28.

Firday injury report; both teams

Bengals
Out
OT Willie Anderson, knee
LB Ahmad Brooks, groin
LB Caleb Miller (DNP), back

Doubtful
RB Rudi Johnson (DNP), hamstring

Questionable
WR Antonio Chatman (FP), hamstrin

Probable
S Dexter Jackson (FP), hip
WR Chad Johnson (FP), ankle
LB Corey Mays (FP), hamstring

(DNP) - did not practice
(FP) - full practice

Steelers
Out
DE Aaron Smith (DNP), knee

Doubtful
S Ryan Clark (DNP), abdomen
CB Bryant McFadden (LP), ankle

(LP) - limited practice

Watson wins 'ground player'

Bengals tailback Kenny Watson is the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week for games of Oct. 21-22, an honor which brings a $5,000 donation from FedEx to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

Watson won the award in fan voting on nfl.com, outpolling running backs Brandon Jacobs of the New York Giants and Larry Johnson of the Kansas City Chiefs. Each week, for both its Ground and Air awards, FedEx makes a $5,000 donation to the major children’s hospital in the city of the winning player’s team.

Watson rushed for 130 yards on 31 carries and scored three touchdowns in the Bengals’ 38-31 win over the New York Jets. He added 27 yards on three pass receptions.

"It's not about awards," Watson said. "It's about playing and doing the job."

UPDATED:
Wide receivers Chad Johnson (ankle) and Antonio Chatman (hamstring) were on the field and practicing this morning. Tailback Rudi Johnson did not have his jersey or helmet on but participated in light warm-up drills. Linebacker Caleb Miller (back) did not practice, either.

Chatman was excused from practice Thursday for personal reasons.

Linebacker Ahmad Brooks, out for the fifth consecutive game with a groin injury, caught head coach Marvin Lewis' ire for not getting on the field on time for the start of the 11 a.m. practice.

Asked after practice, at about 12:45 this afternoon, whether Rudi Johnson would play Sunday, Lewis said, "We'll see. Why do we ask these questions?"

Looking ahead to Sunday ...

The Bengals will play well. The Steelers will play better.

Pittsburgh has too much balance on both sides of the ball.

Steelers 31, Bengals 23

Lyrics of the Day

Elizabeth Ann (Mueller) Curnutte
Aug. 16, 1929-Oct. 26, 2006


But take good care of your mother
And remember to be kind
When the pain of another will serve you to remind
That there are those who feel themselves exiled
On whom the fortune never smiled
And upon whose life the heartache has been piled
They're just looking for another
Lonely child
-- Jackson Browne,
"The Lonely Child"


God is in the roses
the petals and thorns
storms out on the ocean
the souls who will be born
and every drop of rain that falls
falls for those who mourn
God is in the roses
and the thorns.
-- Rosanne Cash,
"God is in the Roses"

Thursday injury report

Bengals injury report for Thursday:

Out
OT Willie Anderson, knee
LB Ahmad Brooks, groin

Did Not Participate in Practice
WR Antonio Chatman (excused), hamstring
WR Chad Johnson, ankle
HB Rudi Johnson, hamstring
LB Caleb Miller, back

Limited Participation in Practice
LB Corey Mays, hamstring

Full Participation in Practice
S Dexter Jackson, hip

Steelers injury report:

Did Not Participate in Practice
S Ryan Clark, abdomen
DE Aaron Smith, knee

Limited Participation in Practice
LB Clint Kriewaldt, shoulder
CB Bryant McFadden, ankle

No Rudi, Ahmad

The Bengals are practicing inside Paul Brown Stadium on the game field.

Linebackers Ahmad Brooks (groin) and Caleb Miller (back) and tailback Rudi Johnson (hamstring) are not practicing.

The early portions of practice were spent on special teams and scout teams on the Steelers offense and defense.

Willie out for Steelers

The Bengals just moved their injury report for today. The big news is right tackle Willie Anderson is listed as out with a knee injury. Anderson missed the Kansas City game Oct. 14. Stacy Andrews started at right tackle against the Chiefs and is expected to make the start Sunday against the Steelers.

OUT
OT Willie Anderson, knee
LB Ahmad Brooks, groin

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE
S Dexter Jackson, hip
HB Rudi Johnson, hamstring
LB Caleb Miller, back

LIMITED IN PRACTICE
WR Antonio Chatman, hamstring
LB Corey Mays, hamstring

Ben: Anderson helps

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said in a noon-hour phone interview with reporters that cover the Bengals that first-year Steelers quarterbacks coach Ken Anderson has helped his game.

Though Anderson has not changed or worked with Roethlisberger's throwing mechanics, the quarterback said Anderson has helped him analyze and learn from his performances in post-game study.

Anderson is a former Bengals quarterback and assistant coach.

Roethlisberger said he is reminded daily that Anderson has "plenty of NFL experience."

The two played Anderson's accuracy game in training camp, in which they throw footballs into trash cans.

"He got beat in training camp," Roethlisberger said. "He still throws a pretty ball, but he's getting old."

Steelers first-year coach Mike Tomlin said Anderson has helped Roethlishberger. "He's a been-there, done-that guy," Tomlin said.

Tomlin coached defensive backs at the University of Cincinnati in 1999 and 2000 and said, "I'm a migrant worker. I enjoyed my time in Cincinnati. My wife and I loved living in the city."

Linebackers still out

The Bengals are back to work this morning inside Paul Brown Stadium, practicing on the game field for the game Sunday against the Steelers.

Not practicing: linebackers Ahmad Brooks (groin) and Caleb Miller (back), tailback Rudi Johnson (hamstring) and right tackle Willie Anderson (knee).

Did not see safety Dexter Jackson, who injured a hip Sunday against the Jets.

Wide receiver Chris Henry, who has two games remaining on the eight-game NFL suspension (then he must apply for reinstatement) is on the field practicing.

Tailback Chris Perry remains on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. He was on the sideline and wearing pads and his helmet -- and working with strength and conditioning coach Chip Morton.

Henry back in practice

The NFL is allowing wide receiver Chris Henry to begin practicing, though two games remain on his eight-game league suspension for violating its personal conduct policy.

Henry will practice this morning when the Bengals take the field in preparation for the game Sunday against the Steelers.

The league and Bengals had no additional comment. But the fact the NFL is allowing Henry to practice at this point appears to be a positive sign that his application for reinstatement has a good chance of being approved. Henry could play as early Nov. 11 at Baltimore.

"Two weeks is going to help him a lot," Bengals offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski said. "It’s going to certainly be a lot better than if he was only allowed to practice the week of the Baltimore game. It would be very hard for him to play. I think this two weeks gives him a chance to do some things in the Baltimore game. We’ll see how it goes, see what kind of shape he’s in and all of that."

Coach Marvin Lewis said Henry dislocated his ring finger in practice. Lewis said he also took the league's permission for Henry to practice as a sign that the third-year receiver has done everything he was required to in order to meet league requirements and guidelines.

UPDATED:
The Bengals just moved their injury report for today. The big news is right tackle Willie Anderson is listed as out with a knee injury. Anderson missed the Kansas City game Oct. 14. Stacy Andrews started at right tackle against the Chiefs and is expected to make the start Sunday against the Steelers.

OUT
OT Willie Anderson, knee
LB Ahmad Brooks, groin

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE
S Dexter Jackson, hip
HB Rudi Johnson, hamstring
LB Caleb Miller, back

LIMITED IN PRACTICE
WR Antonio Chatman, hamstring
LB Corey Mays, hamstring

Draft changes

The NFL announced several revisions to its annual college draft today to streamline the selection process for clubs and fans.

The changes were announced by Commissioner Roger Goodell at a league meeting in Philadelphia.

Beginning with next year’s draft, only Rounds 1-2 will take place on Saturday (April 26), the first day of the draft. Previously, the first three rounds of the draft were conducted on Saturday.

The time allocated for each club to make its selection in Rounds 1-2 also has been changed.

Instead of 15 minutes for each pick in Round 1, clubs will now be allowed 10 minutes. In Round 2, the selection time has been shortened to seven minutes from 10 minutes.

The draft also will begin later on Saturday -- at 3:00 p.m. rather than at noon.

Round 3 will be moved to Sunday and remain at five minutes per selection. Rounds 3-7 will be conducted on Sunday, with each selection allocated at five minutes.

The draft on Sunday now will begin at 10:00 a.m. rather than 11:00 a.m.

"We believe these changes will make for a more streamlined and efficient draft," Goodell said.

The 2008 NFL Draft will be conducted on Saturday and Sunday, April 26-27 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City and televised by ESPN.

On Chad and Marvin

Some thoughts on the Chad Johnson situation and head coach Marvin Lewis' handling of it and the media:

-- Chad Johnson isn't the Bengals' biggest problem. He's far from the Bengals' biggest problem. Chad Johnson doesn't draft players, manage the salary cap or decide which end-of-career, bargain-basement free agents to pursue. I'm sure Chad Johnson would have loved for his team to aggressively pursue and sign linebacker Adalius Thomas, who ended up with the Patriots.

-- Chad Johnson is not the head coach, nor the offensive coordinator. Nor the defensive coordinator, for that matter.

-- If Chad Johnson were to be traded, T.J. Houshmandzadeh's productivity would decrease. Houshmandzadeh is an excellent receiver, a man worthy of respect for the self-made nature of his climb to stardom, but Johnson attracts a great deal of attention from defenses that helps create space and mismatches for Houshmandzadeh.

-- If you think Chris Henry could step and replace Johnson, you're wrong. Henry has proven not to be dependable. And Henry is one misstep from a even greater NFL discipline. Commissioner Roger Goodell said as much, and further punishment could include banishment.

-- Chad Johnson is not nearly the disruption that Terrell Owens or other wide receivers have been on their respective teams. Johnson works incredibly hard at practice and shows up to work on time every day.

-- Chad Johnson, last time I checked, doesn't play defense for the Bengals. And the defense, far and away, remains the biggest problem on this team. It shows no signs more signs of sustainable improvement now than it did in 2003 or 2004.

-- Is Chad Johnson a scape goat, or as Emmitt Smith said Sunday on ESPN, an "escapegoat," for all of the Bengals' problems? Is Johnson a convenient distraction being used by the organization to deflect attention from the real issues of front office management and coaching? If Johnson is an internal problem, is the degree of that issue being exaggerated to deflect attention from an under-achieving team and coaching staff? I'm just asking the question here.

-- That said, Chad Johnson might very well be an internal disruption in the locker room. But I would say he has contributed much more to the organization than he has taken. I think he has made the Brown family a ton of money.

-- I think, and this is a possible attitude in the Bengals front office, that Drew Rosenhaus, Johnson's agent, is the choreographer of many of Johnson's antics -- the puppeteer, to some extent.

-- ESPN's Chris Mortensen is one of the top NFL reporters in the country. He wouldn't make up a Bengals source like the one that he said told him that the Bengals have discussed the possibility of trading Chad Johnson.

-- This is fact, not a complaint: Marvin Lewis is one of those NFL head coaches who treats the national media differently -- more favorably -- than the local media. It happens in other markets around the league; these coaches think they get more bang for their buck going nationally. Lewis has his pet national reporters, ones he receives with hugs (Michael Smith of ESPN, for example) on their visits, reporters that have "helped" him in the past, and he talks to them frequently. I don't want a hug, if that's what some of you are thinking. I just want relatively honest answers.

It's Lewis' prerogative to talk to whom he chooses. But he also insults his team's customers when he fails to communicate honestly with them -- hiding behind an often-bogus cloak of protecting competitive advantage -- through the local media, the primary source of information for Bengals' fans.

I don't take what I think is his evasive, often condescending attitude with us personally. I don't. He can answer our questions any way he chooses. In fact, I receive a lot of e-mail and phone calls from readers who want to know how the local media contingent resists telling Lewis to stick it sideways when he says we (and his customers) are too stupid to understand the basics of football or otherwise attempts to insult us.

For those radio listeners who think the only contact one of the beat reporters has with Lewis is during his news conferences, you're wrong. I can't speak for the other reporters, but the majority of my contact with Lewis is done on the side when there are no cameras or microphones around, one-on-one as often as possible. And for the most part, he is accessible. When I have something important to ask him, unless there is no other chance to talk to him that day, I won't ask it in a news conference.

And, finally, I have told this to Marvin directly: I respect him. I understand what he is trying to do with the Bengals; I don't think he gets much help upstairs, and while he might not need a general manager, he does need more sets of eyes in the scouting department (beyond the good scouts the club already has) to provide him with more and better information on players. I also think he is an intelligent man with an admirable work ethic. But I won't kiss his butt. If I did, I wouldn't be -- and I'm going to use one of his pet slogans -- doing my job. The relationship between newspaper reporter and source, by definition, is frequently awkward.

In fact, he sent word through a Bengals public relations employee that he disagreed with the thesis of my Sunday story -- that the high number of hamstring and groin pulls/strains suffered by Bengals players since Sept. 7 are largely preventable. OK, we can agree to disagree. I stand by the story. I approached Lewis about it directly last week. I asked to speak to his strength and conditioning coach, Chip Morton. I offered them plenty of time and space to tell their side. Morton declined in the end. But Lewis did talk.

Trading Chad?

By Mark Curnutte

Marvin Lewis didn't actually deny the rumor today that the Bengals might consider trading wide receiver Chad Johnson in the offseason.

Johnson, chased down Monday afternoon by a half dozen reporters in the players’ parking lot adjacent to Paul Brown Stadium, didn’t snuff out trade talk.

"There is always truth in something," Johnson said when asked about an ESPN report that the Bengals are thinking of trading him in the offseason.

On the network’s pre-game show Sunday, NFL reporter Chris Mortensen said that a "prominent member of the Bengals organization recently told me recently that the organization does have a decision to make on Chad Johnson, that he is so passionate and proud that if they decided to discipline him for some of those antics they believe he might shut it down.

"So how he finishes the rest of the year and the Bengals finish could bring them to a crossroads discussion on whether to even trade Chad Johnson in the offseason."

At his news conference, less than 24 hours after the Bengals defeated the Jets 38-31 to improve to 2-4, Lewis didn’t directly answer the question: Is there any truth to reports you might be looking to trade Chad Johnson?

"Did that come from anyone here?" said Lewis, who is the Bengals’ "one voice," per team policy, to the media.

Told by a reporter that ESPN cited an official inside the Bengals organization, Lewis said, "Is there a source inside this organization? Not the last time I checked. I don’t think there (are) any sources inside this organization."

Did ESPN talk to you?

"No."

Johnson actually has been more low-key on the field than in previous seasons. True, he slipped on a home-made hall-of-fame jacket after a touchdown in the opener Sept. 10 and jumped into Cleveland’s Dawg Pound on Sept. 16. Since then, Johnson has been quiet. He and quarterback Carson Palmer confronted each other after an interception in the New England game, and the question of whether Johnson ran the correct route on a Palmer interception Oct. 14 at Kansas City was asked in the post-game.

After the humiliating loss to New England on Monday night, Oct., 1, Lewis pointed out that some of his players needed to be less selfish and more mature and team-oriented. Those comments were connected immediately to Johnson, based on the receiver’s on-field behavior during the New England loss.

Now here’s the report of a possible trade.

"It doesn't bother me. There is always truth to things that are said," Johnson said. "Always, there's always some truth to it."

Would you be surprised to be traded?

"No. No. Exactly, that's the business part of it," he said. "That wouldn't surprise me."

Johnson’s contract might make a trade financially difficult for the Bengals. The team and Johnson signed a minimum one-year contract extension in April 2006 that added a year to Johnson’s contract, through 2010, and gave the Bengals an option for 2011. Johnson was paid a $5 million signing bonus and a $5 million base salary for 2006. The Bengals have through 2010 to absorb $1 million per year of Johnson’s singing bonus on their salary cap. If they traded him after the 2007 season, the Bengals would have to absorb the remaining $3 million on the cap in 2008.

Johnson has been stung by the comments that he is a selfish player and negatively affecting his team in the locker room.

Lewis defended his receiver later in his afternoon news conference.

"He set out this year to block better. I'm very happy with that," Lewis said of Johnson. "And he's seen the ball get spread out more, and he's had no issue with that. He knows that in order for him to have the success he's having, we need to be able to do other things correctly.

"The biggest thing we continue to try to impress upon our guys … is that the opportunities we want come from making first downs. If we don't convert on third down, I’ve told them, none of you are getting any shots at anything."

Johnson was stung, too, he said, by a columnist Paul Daugherty’s comments in the Oct. 21 Cincinnati Enquirer. He asked if Johnson’s antics were worth the trouble.

"And to write what he wrote yesterday, which I'm sure all of you saw, you've got to be kidding. You've got to be kidding me. You've got to be kidding me. It is what it is," Johnson said of Daugherty, who wrote a book about Johnson last year.

"Everything I've done has always been positive, it's always been fun. It's never been a me, me, me thing. It's how Chad plays the game. … I've been playing it the same way the past four years. I celebrate. I have fun with it. It is a dirty business. And to get the business side of it off my mind, I go out and have fun with it like I'm a little kid."

Johnson is having a solid season. He said he and fellow wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh were praised for their downfield blocking in the Jets game, when the Bengals ran for a season high 177 yards. Johnson had just six receptions against the Jets, but he gained 102 yards, including a team long 56-yard catch. Johnson has 680 yards and three touchdown catches. Still, as a speed receiver, in January, Johnson will turn 30 – an age when receivers start to lose a step.

Johnson doesn’t appear worried, if he should be traded, that he wouldn’t be welcomed elsewhere.

"You know what's funny, every player -- you've got 31 teams in the NFL beside us – every player, every coach loves eighty-five," he said in reference to his jersey number. "I guarantee that. Every coach and every player would love to have eighty-five on their team because they know what I bring to the table."

Lewis on Chad rumor

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis this afternoon was asked if there were any truth to a rumor reported by ESPN that the Bengals are thinking of trading wide receiver Chad Johnson in the offseason. The network cited unnamed sources inside the organization.

"I don't think there's any sources inside this organization," was the extent of Lewis' answer.

Lewis also praised his star wide receiver.

"He has been a team player," Lewis said of Johnson. "He set out this year to be a better blocker. We've been happy with that. The biggest thing we impress upon our guys (here Lewis referenced the team's skilled offensive players, such as Chad and Rudi Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Carson Palmer) there are more opportunities when we convert our third downs. Yesterday (7 of 10 on third down against the Jets) was the first step in that direction."

Johnson, walking to his car in the players parking lot, said there is truth in everything that is said.

"There is always truth in something," he said.

You heard the trade rumor. Does that bother you?

"There’s always truth to something," he said.

How much truth?

"That’s the key."

Johnson also said he would not be surprised if he were traded because "this is a dirty business."

Earlier, Lewis held his news conference:

Asked if tailback Chris Perry would come off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list this week, practice and possibly play against the Steelers, Lewis said, "There's a chance."

Asked if there's a chance suspended Chris Henry, like Tank Johnson in Dallas, would be allowed to practice before his suspension were over, Lewis said, "There's a chance." Henry has two games remaining on his NFL suspension for violating its personal conduct policy. He was in the locker room Monday. He has to apply for reinstatement.

In terms of injuries, Lewis said that tailback Rudi Johnson (hamstring), linebacker Caleb Miller (back), wide receiver Antonio Chatman (hamstring) and linebacker Corey Mays (hamstring) might be ready to play against the Steelers.

However, linebacker Ahmad Brooks (groin), "might be the furthest away," Lewis said.

Safety Dexter Jackson (hip) and offensive tackle Willie Anderson (knee) were "banged up" during the Jets game and, though Lewis was not specific, appear that they will be ready to play.

Morning after musings

A little more than 12 hours after the Bengals snapped their four-game losing streak with a 38-31 victory over a bad Jets team, here are some observations:

-- When all else fails, blame the media. Now we're the bad guys, the haters. Marvin Lewis says the media is making up stories. We told him to run the ball, and he agreed. OK. It's the Bengals against the world, is how Chad Johnson described Lewis' message to his team. Thing is, outside of the fan base, football fans in general, and those with a financial interest in the organization, the world doesn't really care whether the Bengals win or lose. They're very entertaining. (Now I'm talking to myself, so no one can say I'm insulting them: It's entertainment, stupid.)

-- I just thought back to a sports literature class I had at Miami University with former English Department chair Bob Johnson. We discussed the evolution of activity -- play, game and sport. Play is for the simple enjoyment of participation. Game is organized. Sport is business.

-- It's Steelers Week. Lewis is always the most uptight the week before playing Pittsburgh. Should be even more anti-media talk this week. The Bengals are in their trench.

-- Good things happen to good people department: Kenny Watson.

-- The Jets really aren't that good. They're bad. Eric Mangini, now 1-6, a year after making the playoffs as a rookie coach with a 10-6 record, is under fire. He could lose his job. Lewis, in his fifth year, 2-4, two seasons removed from a playoff berth, is safe. Mike Brown will not fire him. Brown believes he has the coach and quarterback in Carson Palmer, the two most important positions in the program, to be competitive for a long time. He's right.

-- ESPN is reporting that the Bengals are looking to trade Chad Johnson because his alleged selfishness and me-first attitude is hurting the team. I haven't heard anything like that. The Bengals got Johnson to sign an under-market contract extension a couple of years ago. I would doubt he's going anywhere. I will see what I can find out.

-- When it comes to Chad Johnson, whom has always been polite and cooperative with me, I'm just not sure what's real and what's part of the act. You almost need a full-time reporter to cover Johnson alone, which I guess is what his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, wants.

-- I am reminded, in closing, of something my former Enquirer colleague Tim Sullivan said often and wrote: You can't feel sorry for people making as much money as those people involved in professional sports these days. It's referred to around the beat as the "Sully Rule." You wish some of these guys well because you appreciate what they offer as people. Others are over-sized children, pampered since they first showed the ability to run faster or hit or throw a ball with great skill.

Bengals win 38-31

Kenny Watson rushed for 130 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries, leading the Bengals to a 31-23 victory this afternoon over the Jets. It snapped a four-game Cincinnati losing streak and improved its record to 2-4. Cornerback Johnathan Joseph intercepted a Chad Pennington pass late and returned the ball 42 yards for a touchdown.



The Jets fell to 1-6.

Bengals lead 24-23

Kenny Watson ran one yard for his second touchdown, putting the Bengals up 24-23 with 13:31 remaining.

The Bengals drove 57 yards on seven plays, after a 20-yard New York punt.

Watson has 108 yards on 23 carries for two touchdowns.

Jets 23, Bengals 17, end of third

Bengals draw within six

The Bengals scored to close within six on a three-yard touchdown pass from Carson Palmer to T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Houshmandzadeh has four receptions for 43 yards and one touchdown, his eighth.

Kenny Watson has run 20 times for 99 yards and is closing in on his third 100-yard game and first with the Bengals.

The Bengals drove 76 yards on 14 plays.

The Bengals defense has allowed New York to score on each of its five possessions -- three field goals and two touchdowns.

Bengals burn second timeout after hold

The Bengals are driving, but a 13-yard DeDe Dorsey run was nullified by a holding penalty in the middle of the line. ... Kenny Watson has 80 yards on 16 carries. ... Chad Johnson has three receptions for 102 yards.

The Bengals are first and 20 on the Jets 33-yard line with 6:38 remaining in the third quarter. New York leads 23-10.

Jets extend lead

New York scored for the fifth time in five possessions, opening the second half with a 43-yard Mike Nugent field goal. The Jets now lead 23-10.

Offense botches last drive of half

The Jets lead 20-10 at the half.

The Bengals tried to spike the ball twice but ended up being called for intentional grounding, which is a loss of down and a 10-second run off. The Bengals had 1 second left.

In the first half, the Jets had 170 passing yards and two touchdowns. Last week, in the 16-9 loss the Eagles, the Jets had 109 total yards passing for the game.

CBs whiff on TD

Starting cornerbacks Deltha O'Neal and Johnathan Joseph missed tackles on wide receiver Laveranues Coles, who ran 36 yards after the catch for a touchdown. The Jets are leading 20-10 with 49 seconds remaining in the half.

The Jets were third-and-four from 36 when Chad Pennington threw a dump pass to the right side for Coles. O'Neal dove with a forearm and missed Coles. Joseph's arm tackle couldn't bring him down.

Coles has four receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns in the half.

The Jets drove 80 yards in eight plays after the Bengals had scored to close to 13-10.

Bengals close to 13-10

Kenny Watson ran three yards for a touchdown with 2:08 remaining to pull the Bengals to within 13-10. Watson has run 10 times for 44 yards. DeDe Dorsey has spelled Watson with his first NFL carries and has three runs for 13 yards.

The Bengals drove 76 yards in 11 plays, consuming 7:03 on the possession.

Poteat picks Palmer

Jets cornerback Hank Poteat took the ball away from wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh at the 25-yard line for an interception. It is Carson Palmer's ninth interception.

The Jets couldn't convert a third down, and Mike Nugent kicked a 35-yard field goal for a 13-3 lead with 9:11 left in the second quarter.

Jets up 10-3

Mike Nugent kicked a 24-yard field goal to cap a 15-play, 60-yard drive that ate 9:09.

Chad Pennington is 6-for-7 passing for 104 yards and one touchdown.

Jets up 7-3 at end of first quarter

The Jets are first and five on the Bengals 30-yard line at the end of the first quarter.

New York converted a fourth-and-one play on the Bengals 46 to extend the drive.

Left tackle Levi Jones was penalized for two false start penalties, and defensive end Justin Smith was whistled for being offside.

Jets quarterback Chad Pennington, in danger of losing his job, was 5-for-5 passing for 97 yards, one touchdown and a 158.3 passer rating.

Bengals score on 20-yard Graham field goal

The Bengals marched 80 yards in seven plays for a 20-yard field goal by Shayne Graham.

The Jets lead 7-3 with 5:47 left in the first quarter.

Carson Palmer threw 56 yards to Chad Johnson to set the Bengals up deep in Jets territory. Left tackle Levi Jones was called for a second false start penalty. On third and one from the 2-yard line, Palmer threw a fade to the left corner that went through Johnson's hands.

The Bengals were 1 of 2 on third down, making them 1 of 3 for the game and 2 of 21 for the past two-plus games.

Jets up 7-0

Chad Pennington just threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to Laveranues Coles to cap a quick, three-play, 80-yard drive. Pennington was 2-for-2 passing for 79 yards.

Coles ran past cornerback Deltha O'Neal on a post pattern. There was no safety help. There was no pressure on Pennington. Outside linebacker Robert Geathers was blocked on a blitz from the right edge.

Bengals fail on third down

The Bengals were third and five from the Jets 36-yard line. Then left tackle Levi Jones was penalized for a false start. On third and 10, Jets linebacker Bryan Thomas blitzed and sacked Carson Palmer for an eight-yard loss.

The Bengals offense is now 1 of 19 on third down since the start of the New England game.

Bengals win toss, driving

The Bengals are second and 10 on the Jets 41-yard line with 13:27 remaining. The big play on the drive was a 17-yard completion from Carson Palmer to Glenn Holt.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh had his wind knocked out and will return.

Must-win game

The Bengals are trying to become just the sixth team to open the season 1-4 since 1990 and still make the playoffs. That year the NFL expanded to its 12-team postseason format.

The 1992 Chargers, 1993 Oilers, 2002 Jets and Titans and 2004 Packers all started 1-4 and made the playoffs; 78 other teams that started 1-4 from 1990 through 2006 did not.

Those five teams all won their sixth games to improve to 2-4 en route to the postseason.

Rudi won't play today

Tailback Rudi Johnson (hamstring) is one of the Bengals inactive players today for the 4:05 game against the Jets.

Also inactive are cornerback David Jones, linebackers Corey Mays, Ahmad Brooks and Caleb Miller, center Dan Santucci and wide receiver Antonio Chatman.

Jeff Rowe is the third quarterback.

Starting lineup changes:

-- Kenny Watson will start at tailback for Johnson.

-- Bryan Robinson will start at left defensive end for Robert Geathers.

-- Geathers will start at strong-side linebacker ahead of Rashad Jeanty, who is active today for the first time this season.

-- Anthony Schlegel will start at middle linebacker in place of Brooks, who has a strained groin.

Miller has a back injury. Mays and Chatman are out with a hamstring.

The Edge: Bengals 27, Jets 23

WHO HAS THE EDGE?

QUARTERBACK: BENGALS
RUNNING BACKS: JETS
RECEIVERS/TE: BENGALS
OFFENSIVE LINE: BENGALS
DEFENSIVE LINE: JETS
LINEBACKERS: JETS
SECONDARY: BENGALS
SPECIAL TEAMS: EVEN
COACHING: BENGALS
CURNUTTE'S PREDICTION: BENGALS 27, JETS 23

Two hall-of-famers

If you don't want to read something that has nothing to do with the Bengals, please stop now.

(There's no Bengals news today, by the way. There's plenty in the paper Sunday.)

Today, I was invited for the second year in a row to attend the second annual fundraiser lunch and silent auction for the pediatric AIDS group FACE, For Aids Children Everywhere. It was held at Carrabba's Italian Grill in Crestview Hills. The food and kitchen and wait staff were donated to FACE without charge.

I added the story at the end of this blog posting that I wrote about FACE founder Kelly Chambers and her organization for The Enquirer in 1999 . I posted it last year, too. Some readers took offense to it. I don't care. It's my blog. Expand your horizons.

Kelly has lived with HIV and AIDS longer than any woman in this region.

Kelly has buried one child. Two weeks ago she buried her 44-year-old husband, who died suddenly.

Last year, $18,000 was raised. It was used to provide holiday meals and gifts for families infected or affected by AIDS. Children in these often-impoverished families were provided with memory-making outings to museums, aquariums and the symphony.

I live in a world of false heroes as a sports reporter. I help to create them and make them filthy rich. Kelly Chambers is a real-life hero, a woman who pushes ahead for the good of others. She takes her sadness and channels it into concern for other people. There is little, if any, self-pity. I am humbled and honored to call her my friend.

You would be fortunate to know her, too.

At the lunch, through connections with another FACE supporter, baseball hall-of-fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins made an appearance and spoke. He has a charitable foundation based in Canada that has been part of efforts to raise more than $500,000 for juvenile diabetes research and treatment in Louisville. Jenkins was in the region and made the drive to Crestview Hills for the FACE event. He spoke. He talked about how former Giants first baseman Willie McCovey hit him hard and how, in San Francisco, on a night Jenkins would pitch for the Cubs, that McCovey sent a Limo to the Cubs hotel so Jenkins wouldn't be late to Candlestick Park.

Jenkins won 284 games in his 19-year career. He spoke glowingly about the Big Red Machine and his admiration for the likes of Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez.

Jenkins has used his hall-of-fame celebrity to promote good causes around the continent, both in his native Canada and adopted home country, the United States.

He is more eloquent in his post-baseball life than anything he did on the mound all those years. And, now 63, he seems to understand that.

But the greatest hall-of-famer I saw today was Kelly Chambers, suffering incredibly in this life, yet never taking her focus off those with whom she shares her affliction. Her devotion to them, I think, has kept her alive all these years and allows her to move on, in pain, of course, from the death of her beloved husband.

"Kids told me that Santa doesn't visit their house because they have AIDS," she said in her remarks today. "I decided, after I buried my daughter, that would never happen to them again."

March 21, 1999

HEADLINE: One of the Faces of AIDS

By MARK CURNUTTE
The Cincinnati Enquirer

This is an obituary about somebody who's still alive.

That's the idea two callers had. The somebody is Kelly Chambers.

"She's a person who deserves to read her obit," one said.

Kelly is 30. She has been HIV-positive since 1986, the year she graduated from Oak Hills High School.

"Unprotected sex," she said. "I know who I got it from."

Crystal Chambers, Kelly's daughter, died from AIDS on Nov. 16, 1991. She was 14 months. They were at home in Cleves. Kelly was holding her. Sesame Street was on TV. Kelly didn't know she was HIV-positive until Crystal was 6 months old. Kelly found out from doctors treating her daughter at Children's Hospital Medical Center. The baby is HIV-positive, they said. Dad is negative. Mom is positive.

Kelly ran from the room. Her cries echoed in the hallway. "Oh, I've killed you."

Now Kelly's time is running out. "It is," she whispered when her mother turned her back to answer the phone in the Holmes Hospital office they share. Dixie Sucher doesn't like to hear Kelly talk that way. Dixie is vice president of Kelly's organization, For AIDS Children Everywhere. They call it FACE. FACE has assisted children in more than 150 HIV-positive families --"infected or affected," Kelly said -- with peer counseling, groceries, household and hygiene products, clothing, recreational outings, holiday and birthday gifts and transportation to clinic appointments and group meetings."

And I can tell you each one of their names," Kelly said.

It's what she has done through FACE that has won her admirers. She didn't crawl in a hole.

"Almost," she said.

Why not? "I said I'd follow her down," Dixie said.

"I couldn't have that," said Kelly, who instead redirected her grief into helping other people like her and her daughter. Dying mothers with dying children.Kelly co-founded the group in January 1992 with another HIV-positive mother who'd lost a baby to AIDS.Kelly and her FACE co-founder were soul sisters. They helped each other cope with their children's deaths. They buried the girls beside each other in the infant section of Spring Grove Cemetery. The women also picked out their plots together, too. They are side-by-side, not more than 50 feet away from their daughters' graves. But the two women are now estranged. Kelly's co-founder, who thinks she got AIDS from IV drug use, took a sabbatical from FACE in October 1996. In November 1997, with her name still associated with FACE, the woman broke into the group's office in Holmes' basement, took money and checks made out to Kelly and signed Kelly's name to them.

Kelly had to sell her car and several belongings to buy gifts to give to youngsters at FACE's annual Christmas party. Kelly filed a complaint, and the woman is now serving a one-year sentence for theft and possession of drugs, according to Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction records.

Kelly has no plans to reconcile with the co-founder. She won't let heartache slow her.

"In my condition, I can't let anyone bring me down, emotionally or physically," she said.

Now it's Kelly and Dixie. They don't take a dime from FACE. Their hospital office is donated space, and it's a busy place. There are boxes of tissues everywhere. Health books and directories are squeezed onto shelves, competing for space with photographs of Crystal and bumper stickers: "My next office will have a window." "Fight AIDS. Not people with AIDS."

Dixie, who's in her late-40s and lives in Delhi Township, quit her job with a cleaning service to work with Kelly. She will take over when Kelly dies. "I wanted to be with her to watch her," Dixie said.

Kelly has had full-blown AIDS since 1994. An infection took the hearing from her left ear; she turns her right ear toward people to hear them speak. She has constant leg pain. She and her doctor decided to take a break from her medicine,which is rotting some of her teeth. She used to have a round face beneath her strawberry-blond hair. Over the past two years, AIDS has whittled her once-full figure into a stick.

"Please put some weight on her," Dixie said to a photographer taking Kelly's picture.

Kelly's relationships with the people around her changed after she went public with her AIDS. So did her circle.

"I lost all my friends when I told them I had AIDS," she said. "I told them I had cancer originally. One friend, I knew her since we were 4, she told me she couldn't watch me die piece by piece, the way we watched Crystal die. But I have made new friends."

And admirers. Aside from its 13 directors, FACE's board has eight high-profile honorary members. That list includes Cincinnati Mayor Roxanne Qualls and Dr. Peter Frame, director of University Hospital's Infectious Disease Clinic and Kelly's doctor. FACE is thought to be the only group of its kind nationally.

"There is an organization in Texas for women and children with AIDS, but it wasn't set up by women with AIDS," said Pam Daniel, a nurse in the infectious disease clinic who met Kelly when Crystal was hospitalized at Children's."I liken FACE to what people who come through drug treatment say. There are two kinds of counselors: People who've gone to school and people who are recovering. The people who are recovering are the ones who get the respect. I'm as empathetic as I can be, but I can't understand."

Kelly does.

"AIDS drains your bank account," she said. "It can make a wealthy person a poor person. Before I got hooked up with the government, my meds were costing me $2,800 a month."

Beyond money, dying women and children have many emotional needs.

"Isolation and fear. I felt like I was the only woman in the world with a baby who died of AIDS," Kelly said. "When I formed FACE, there was not another group geared toward women and children. I was alone. It hurt. I didn't want another woman to hurt the way I did.

"We don't judge. It doesn't matter how you got it."

Many people with HIV and AIDS marvel at Kelly's ability to put them first. FACE is short on bureaucracy and long on personal touch. Eric Gamble, 30, of Lincoln Heights met Kelly when the mother of his child was diagnosed with HIV. The woman died in 1996.

"Kelly tried to do everything to comfort her," said Mr. Gamble, who is also HIV-positive and sees a specialist every two weeks at Holmes. His child, now 4, is HIV-negative.

"Kelly got us food, toys, money at times when I was in a bind," he said. "She gets close to you when nobody else will, you know.

"Whenever I'm at the clinic, I stop in to see her. She lifts my spirits."

Good times are few for families with an HIV-positive or AIDS-stricken child.

Kelly knows this, too. That's why FACE tries to create what she calls "Memory Making Outings."As a mom, she is sustained by the memory of Crystal's first birthday. The party is part of a manuscript Kelly has written and would like to get published about her daughter's life and death.

"We had aunts, uncles, friends, tons of presents and cake," Kelly said. "Crystal stuck her hand in the cake. It was a great day. We didn't have to go to the hospital. She could be a normal kid. There was no needles and no probing. Nobody stuck her. There was no crying, no spinal tap, no IV. She screamed because she was happy. She was happy."

The tears flow down Kelly's face, but she keeps talking.

"Sometimes, that's all us moms have -- memories. A lot of our kids are so sick, and their parents are so poor and sick, that their outing with us might be their last adventure.

"She pulls a scrapbook from a shelf. FACE took a dozen kids to Sea World in Aurora, Ohio, in 1995. They petted dolphins, ate pizza, stayed overnight in a hotel and forgot about hospitals for a couple of days. A handmade thank-you card falls from between the scrapbook's pages. It is made of orange construction paper, folded in half, and has a yellow paper flower on the front."Thank you," the little girl wrote. "I like my doll. I like my game."

On the back, she cut the shape of a school bus from a sheet of lined notebook paper.

"That's her on the bus going to Sea World," Kelly said. "She died a month after that trip."

FACE takes children to sporting events. The Mighty Ducks and Cyclones hockey teams are generous with free tickets and souvenirs. FACE has a Christmas party every year for children and their families. Santa gives each child a new toy. Local Marines involved in the Toys for Tots program have donated dozens of new games, dolls, trucks and balls. Cincinnati's gay, lesbian and bisexual community has been supportive from the beginning. Loveland and McAuley high school students and the Wellness group at the University of Cincinnati are some who have organized canned food drives.Dixie keeps organized an adjacent storage room in the Holmes Hospital basement. There's not much in there right now.

"We need everything," Dixie said. "We gave everything away."

The budget is so small that the organization, as a tax-exempt nonprofit, does not have to file a financial form. FACE receives no public money; it operates entirely on private donations and within the last year has turned around about $20,000 in goods (food, clothing,birthday and holiday gifts for children, household items) and services(transportation and trips)."We've survived this long by begging," Kelly said.

Pam Katz is a three-year FACE board member and Blue Ash CPA who volunteered to do the group's books.

"I don't know how Kelly and Dixie do everything they do," she said. "Kelly's legacy will be how she touched children who were infected or affected and by educating huge numbers of people -- like me -- who had questions in the beginning about AIDS based on lack of information."

Kelly is a tireless public speaker and will address 60 first-year students in Northern Kentucky University's nursing program in April. It will be the fourth consecutive year she has been there.

"She came over one year with pneumonia," said Frances Mosser, an associate professor of nursing at NKU and Kelly's contact. It's one of 13 times Kelly has had pneumonia since 1994."She was weak and had chills, and we tried to send her home," Ms. Mosser said. "But she wanted to speak. So we sat her down and wrapped a blanket around her. She spoke and answered questions for more than an hour."

Kelly is Catholic. Her faith is strong.

"I was angry with God for having Crystal endure so much pain before taking her," she said. "I was angry that somebody in my family circle would be infected. But it's not his fault. It's nobody's fault.

"He gave me the strength I have today. I should honor him. I hope I am doing his work.

"I don't read the Bible. I don't go to church. I believe in God. I believe in life after death. I believe church is anywhere you choose to pray. There are times you pray, `Come get me now. I'm tired of suffering.' Then you have good days.

"I believe this has happened for a reason. I took something ugly and bad and turned it into something good, and not just for myself, but for everyone I have met. If I can take a teen-aged girl and make her realize she's not invincible and prevent her from getting AIDS, I've done something good."

Clarence and Kelly Chambers have been married for more than 10 years. He's HIV-negative and works for his father on the family farm near Brookville, Ind. He supports her work. At Kelly's request, he has even talked to some fathers of HIV-positive children. But Clarence doesn't have a lot to say publicly. Kelly has a lot to say about her husband. "I'm the luckiest woman in the world," she said. "We wanted four kids, two boys and two girls. I wanted to stay home and be a mom."

She worked as a waitress before Crystal was born. Then Kelly stayed home.Then she and her husband found out why their baby was always sick.

"When our daughter was in the ICU, I told him, `Divorce me. Get a healthy wife who can give you healthy children.' He told me no. He said his vows were for better or worse, sickness or health. . . ."

More tears. More talk. She's fervently trying to make the most of the time she has left.Kelly and Clarence are legal guardians of another child. The child's parents had AIDS. The mother committed suicide. The father died in Kelly's arms.

"I've seen people who had nobody," Kelly said. "People have been afraid to say they had AIDS, even to their own family. This man was alone. I climbed into his bed at the hospice and put his head in my lap. I stroked his hair and said, `I've got your baby. I'll take care of your baby. Your baby will be OK. Go ahead if you want to. It's OK.' Then he took a deep breath and died."

Clarence will care for the child after Kelly dies. There's only one problem with writing Kelly Chambers' obituary ahead of time. She has a lot of life left in her, even if her time is short.

The news last week wasn't good. Her T-cell count is down, and T-cells are what ward off infection. Kelly had to go back on her AIDS medicine cocktail. It has major side effects, and she had been off it since Dec. 22.

"I have to take pills to go to sleep," she said. "I have to take pills to wake up. I have to take pills to go to the bathroom."

There are many side effects.

"The meds got her teeth," Dixie said. "She's missing one of the front ones. I want her to get it fixed before she goes out again, so she can smile."

Still, she's working to come up with money to take another group of dying children to Sea World this summer. She needs at least $2,000. FACE's storage room is bare, and there are always phone calls to make to ask for donations. She maintains a busy speaking schedule; Aiken High School is up next.

Kelly pauses long enough in the FACE office on a winter afternoon to talk about herself. The woman who has made wishes come true for more than 100 dying children has a couple of wishes of her own. Three to be exact. She'd like to go on an Alaskan cruise and see whales in their natural habitat. She'd like to meet Diana Ross and have her sing and dedicate the song "Do You Know Where You're Going To?" to her.

Kelly also wants to go bungee jumping.

"That's the last thing," she said. "When they tell me I have two weeks to live, that's what I'm doing."

How to help
What: For AIDS Children Everywhere (FACE).
Where: P.O. Box 19783, Cincinnati 45219. The office is in the basement of Holmes Hospital, corner of Eden and Bethesda avenues, Corryville.
Mission: It is a nonprofit, tax-exempt agency dedicated to providing services to children and their families who are infected or affected by HIV-AIDS. It is in need of nonperishable food items and nonfood items that are not covered by food stamps, such as diapers and household and personal hygiene items.
Information: 584-3571.

Rudi doubtful; A. Brooks out

UPDATED: 2:05 p.m.

Linebacker Ahmad Brooks (groin), wide receiver Antonio Chatman (hamstring) and linebacker Caleb Miller (back) did not practice today and are out for the game Sunday against the Jets.

Tailback Rudi Johnson (hamstring) and linebacker Corey Mays (hamstring) were listed as doubtful, and neither player practiced. Coach Marvin Lewis said he would make a decision Sunday on Johnson.

Right tackle Willie Anderson (knee) is questionable and practiced in limited fashion.

The following seven players are probable and did practice full today: safety Dexter Jackson (knee), linebacker Rashad Jeanty (shin), wide receiver Chad Johnson (ankle), tight end Reggie Kelly (ankle), defensive end Jonathan Fanene (knee), cornerback Deltha O'Neal (back) and safety Madieu Williams (back).

------------------------
POSTED AT 12:50 p.m.

The Bengals wrapped up on-field work early this afternoon in preparation for the Jets game Sunday.

Linebacker Ahmad Brooks (groin) and tailback Rudi Johnson (hamstring) didn't practice. Wide receiver Chad Johnson (ankle), who was given the day off Thursday, was back on the field practicing today.

Rudi Johnson is doubtful for the game, and coach Marvin Lewis said Johnson's playing status for the Jets would be a game-time decision Sunday.

Tailback Chris Perry (ankle) did not practice and has not started to practice. The Bengals have not begun the three-week window before having to make a decision on a roster spot should they bring Perry to the 53-man roster.

Looking toward Sunday ...

... I see the Bengals pulling out a 27-23 victory against the Jets. I can't believe I'm picking them, but as was the case in Kansas City, the Bengals match-up well with New York.

But if the Bengals can't win this one, I see them dropping to 1-6 with a home loss to the Steelers next week before heading to Buffalo.

The Bengals should be able to relieve some of the pressure from its pass offense by running the ball with Kenny Watson and Rudi Johnson against the Jets.

Of course, the $64,000 question remains can the Bengals slow down Thomas Jones and the Jets run game?

Observations:

-- Marvin Lewis might have done one of his best coaching jobs of the season this past week to keep left tackle Levi Jones in the fold. Lewis and Jones clash through the media, at times, but Lewis -- sensing that he could do nothing more to criticize Jones than Jones was already doing to himself -- took a softer approach. Jones appreciated it. Jones is looking for redemption. These are two intelligent, headstrong men.

-- The lack of a solid Cincinnati run game has hurt its offense more than the absence of a "third" receiver.

-- There could be a real desperation in the air Sunday afternoon. Neither the 1-4 Bengals nor the 1-5 Jets could have seen themselves in such a dire place this early in the season. The teams should come out swinging.

Chris Perry works out; no move yet

UPDATED, 2 p.m.:

Tailback Chris Perry, on the physically unable to perform list since the start of the season, wore shoulder pads and a helmet this morning at practice. He appeared to be practicing but officially did not. Today is the second day he is eligible to practice, under NFL rules governing the PUP list. He remains on the PUP list, coach Marvin Lewis said afterwards.

The three-week window in which Perry can practice without forcing a roster move has not yet begun.

Also this morning, starting tailback Rudi Johnson (hamstring) was on the sideline working out with a strength and conditioning coach. Linebacker Ahmad Brooks (groin) sprinted on the sideline under supervision of another trainer. Linebacker Caleb Miller (back) and wide receiver Chad Johnson (ankle) did not practice. Lewis said Johnson had a sore ankle and was given the day off from practice.

Right tackle Willie Anderson practiced and worked with the starting offensive line: left tackle Levi Jones, left guard Andrew Whitworth, center Eric Ghiaciuc and right guard Bobbie Williams.

Anderson and Jones both said today they would start Sunday against the Jets. Jones said he appreciated the opportunity to keep his job after playing poorly Sunday at Kansas City.

Safety Madieu Williams (back) and tight end Reggie Kelly (ankle) both practiced. Wide receiver Antonio Chatman (hamstring) and linebacker Corey Mays (hamstring) did not.

Official injury report for Thursday:

Did not practice
LB Ahmad Brooks, groin
WR Antonio Chatman, hamstring
WR Chad Johnson, ankle
HB Rudi Johnson, hamstring
LB Corey Mays, hamstring
LB Caleb Miller, back

Limited participation
OT Willie Anderson, knee
S Dexter Jackson, knee
TE Reggie Kelly, ankle
CB Deltha O'Neal, back

Full participation
LB Rashad Jeanty, shin
DE Jonathan Fanene, knee
S Madieu Williams, back

Wednesday injury report, notes

Bengals official injury report for Wednesday:

Did Not Participate in Practice
LB Ahmad Brooks, groin
WR Antonio Chatman, hamstring
HB Rudi Johnson, hamstring
TE Reggie Kelly, ankle
LB Corey Mays, hamstring
LB Caleb Miller, back
S Madieu Williams, back

Limited Participation in Practice
OT Willie Anderson, knee

Full Participation in Practice
LB Rashad Jeanty, shin
DE Jonathan Fanene, knee

-- Head coach Marvin Lewis said he was pleased to see Jeanty on the field today and said Miller had the chance to return Thursday. Lewis also said he was not surprised that Anderson has come back quickly.

-- Lewis said Robert Geathers (an end) is now a linebacker and will play linebacker Sunday against the Jets. "He is a linebacker now," Lewis said. "As permanent as right now can be. ... Robert has all the athletic skills you want."

-- Lewis and quarterback Carson Palmer said the offense worked extra in practice today on third-down plays. They are 1 for 18 converting third downs in the past two games.

-- Wide receiver Tab Perry, out for the season after being placed Tuesday on the injured reserve list, had surgery Tuesday on his hip in the hope of getting it "fixed" for good.

-- Safety Ethan Kilmer, placed on IR Tuesday, as well, probably will not need any more surgery on his knee, Lewis said.

-- Levi Jones, coming off his poor showing Sunday, in which he allowed 2.5 sacks to Chiefs end Jared Allen, will start Sunday against the Jets, Lewis said. "He's a pro, very prideful young man," Lewis said of Jones. "We're counting on him to bounce back."

-- Palmer quote: "We're disappointed but not depressed" by the 1-4 start.

Fact or fiction?

Jets center Nick Mangold, who is from Centerville, outside of Dayton, and then went onto play at Ohio State, was the New York player on the conference call with Bengals beat writers today.

Mangold heaped praise on the Bengals and, at one point, said, "The Bengals have a great defense. They fly around the ball."

The Bengals are last in the NFL in points allowed per game (31.2), 30th in yards allowed (393.2), 29th in rush defense (145.8) and 28th in pass yards (247.4).

Mangold and Jets coach Eric Mangini talked about Bengals linebacker Anthony Schlegel, who was drafted with Mangold in 2006 out of Ohio State.

"He has a thick head," Mangold said of Schlegel, waived on cut-down day by the Jets and signed a day later by the Bengals.

Mangini on Schlegel: "Oftentimes you wish you could keep more guys, and Anthony Schlegel is an impressive, impressive person. Incredibly smart, great, great instincts, and just loves the game of football. I really like him as a person and got to spend a lot of time with him, and obviously we drafted him where we drafted him. I couldn’t be happier for Anthony for the opportunity he’s got. He’s really a great guy."

LB help: Jeanty practicing

After watching linebacker after linebacker fall to injury, the Bengals actually welcomed one back into the fold this morning. Rashad Jeanty, the projected preseason starter at strong-side linebacker, is practicing for the first time since August. He had surgery on his lower leg before the season and has not played.

But middle linebacker Ahmad Brooks (groin) is not practicing. Neither is fellow linebacker Caleb Miller (back).

Right tackle Willie Anderson (heel, knee) is on the field in uniform and practicing. He did not play Sunday at Kansas City.

Running backs Rudi Johnson (hamstring) and Chris Perry (ankle) are working on the side with strength and conditioning coaches. Johnson was limited at Kansas City but is expected to work more Sunday against the Jets. Perry has been on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and is eligible to practice beginning this week. Coach Marvin Lewis was non-committal Monday when asked if Perry would be in uniform Sunday. Putting him on the 53-man roster would require a transaction.

Also today, the Bengals signed linebacker Kevis Coley to the practice squad. Coley, who played at Southern Mississippi, is a first-year NFL player. He entered the NFL as a college free agent with the Giants in 2006. He did not start 2006 with an NFL team but was on Jacksonville’s practice squad for the season’s last eight games. He did not begin the 2007 preseason on an NFL roster, but was signed by Jacksonville on Aug. 26 and released by the Jaguars in final cuts on Sept. 1.

Linebacker tries out

Jim Maxwell, a linerbacker from Gardner-Webb, received a tryout today with the Bengals.

T. Perry, Kilmer out for season

By Mark Curnutte
mcurnutte@enquirer.com

In moves that directly affect the Bengals' efforts to upgrade their woeful special teams, the club this afternoon announced it had placed wide receiver Tab Perry and safety Ethan Kilmer on the season-ending injured reserve list.

Perry and Kilmer were counted on as vital members of the kickoff and punt return and coverage units.

Perry appeared in just two games this season. He was the No. 1 kickoff return man, a dependable cover man and had been elevated to the team's No. 3 wide receiver while Chris Henry served his eight-game NFL suspension.

Perry had one catch for seven yards and had returned seven kickoffs for a 20.7-yard average.

To fill the hole at wide receiver, the Bengals today signed Courtney Roby to a two-year contract. Roby is a third-year NFL player. He was a third-round draft pick by Tennessee in 2005. Over the 2005-06 seasons, he played in 25 games with six starts for the Titans, with 23 receptions for 317 yards and one touchdown. He caught 21 passes for 289 yards with one score as a rookie. He also returned 22 kickoffs for a 22.5-yard average, all as a rookie. He played in all four 2007 preseason games for the Titans and had six catches for 65 yards. He was waived Sept. 1.

Kilmer, as a rookie in 2006, was second with 18 special teams tackle and was a gunner -- a key outside coverage man who runs downfield at the snap -- on the punt coverage unit that was ranked first in the NFL. He suffered a knee injury at the start of training camp. The Bengals kept a spot for him on the 53-man roster and hoped he would be ready by the bye. He wasn't.

In addition, the Bengals returned cornerback Johnathan Joseph to the roster. He had missed the Kansas City game because of a one-game NFL suspension for violating the substance abuse policy.

The Bengals last week had signed second-year safety John Busing to take Joseph's roster spot. Busing played at Kansas City and stays on the active roster, in essence, to replace Kilmer.

Injured players improving

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis was not confrontational or angry during his Monday news conference within the past hour. He did avoid answering some questions directly but did say that he puts more pressure on himself internally than any fan or boss could, in the wake of his team's 1-4 start.

Lewis said that the team suffered two notable injuries Sunday at Kansas City. Wide receiver Antonio Chatman (hamstring) and linebacker Corey Mays (hamstring) were injured but still have a chance to returning to the field for the Jets game Sunday afternoon.

Out will be right tackle Willie Anderson (heel, knee), safety Ethan Kilmer (knee) and wide receiver Tab Perry (hip).

"We'll see where Ahmad (Brooks, groin) is," Lewis said.

Lewis did say linebackers Caleb Miller (back) and Rashad Jeanty (calf) have an opportunity to practice this week.

Lewis also said tailback Rudi Johnson (hamstring) "came though the game" but experienced tightness in the hamstring during the third quarter. Johnson said Sunday he did not aggravate the leg.

Tight end Reggie Kelly suffered a sprained left ankle but returned to the game and said afterward that he was fine.

Other points of interest:

-- "Carson (Palmer) puts a lot of pressure on himself all the time," Lewis said of the quarterback, who threw two more interceptions and lost a fumble Sunday against the Chiefs.

-- Asked how only five of 83 teams since 1990 -- when the playoff format was expanded to six teams in each conference -- have started 1-4 and made the playoffs, Lewis said, "We get a chance to do something special."

-- Running back Chris Perry, who is eligible to return from the physically unbable to perform (PUP) list this week, said he has not been told yet by coaches whether he will be back in time for the Jets game. Lewis declined to speculate about Perry's immediate future or the team's plans for the running back this week.

Lewis: Welcome, Dusty Baker

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said he has yet to meet Dusty Baker, introduced earlier today as Reds manager, but added that he is "flattered" that Cincinnati has two African-American head coaches.

"It's not a black thing nor a white thing," Lewis said. "Let's win a lot of football and baseball games."

Lewis referred to Baker as "accomplished" and said that he knew the Reds ownership, the Castellini family, is happy to have Baker in the fold and wants to win badly.

Fan mail for Marvin

Mr. Curnutte,

To compare Marvin Lewis to Dick LeBeau or Bruce Coslet is ridiculous.

Sometimes you have to find positives in negatives. If you listen to that press conference Marvin offered no excuses or consolation in losing the football game, just in starting to do things the right way.

Next time you want to compare Marvin to previous Bengals coaches ask yourself a couple of questions:

How many winning seasons did Shula/Coslet/LeBeau have?

How many times did they make it to the playoffs?

How many times did they lose 4 or more games in a row (this marks the first time in 5 years for the Marvin)?

How many losing seasons does Marvin have?

Who would be a better coach for the Bengals right now than Marvin?

How many teams would be interested in hiring him if he were let go?

Maybe the media should just openly admit they don't like Marvin because he doesn't pander to their delusions of self-importance.

Sincerely,

Ben

Kicker Huston released

The Bengals today released kicker Josh Huston from the practice squad. Huston had been signed to the practice squad on Wednesday of last week.

Playoff longshots

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Bengals are 1-4 and have a slim chance to make the playoffs.

Of the 83 teams to start 1-4 between 1990 and 2006, only five have qualified for the postseason.

They are the 1992 Chargers, 1993 Houston Oilers, 2002 Jets and Tennessee Titans and 2004 Packers.

Stat of the day: Third down

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Offensively, with their 1-for-11 showing on third down today, the Bengals are 1 of 18 on third down in the past two games. The Patriots and Chiefs (7 for 16) are now a combined 14 for 28 converting third down plays in the past two games against the Cincinnati defense.

After the game, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said, "What I told our football team in there just now, I thought for the first time this football season we played like a football team in the second half of this game. And though we didn't come out and win this football game today, I thought we made some progress and some signs of a football team, not a bunch of individual guys."

Is it me, or does that sound a lot like Dick LeBeau trying to plug emotional holes as his 2002 team spriralized down to a 2-14 record?

In summary:

-- The Bengals have lost four in a row under Lewis for the first time in his 69 regular season games;

-- They have lost seven of their past eight and 12 of their past 18.

Carson to T.J. from 30

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Bengals drove 90 yards on eight plays, with Carson Palmer throwing 30 yards to T.J. Houshmandzadeh for a touchdown. It brings the Bengals back within 10 of the Chiefs, 27-17, with 5:03 left in the game.

Tight end Tony Gonzalez had grabbed a 27-yard touchdown from Damon Huard on the previous possession for Kansas City.

Houshmandzadeh's touchdown, his second of the game, gives him seven in five games. His five receptions for 100 yards push his season numbers to 44 for 460.

Graham FG from 33

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Shayne Graham has kicked a 33-yard field goal to pull the Bengals to within 20-10. There are 13:54 remaining in the game.

Chiefs turn ball over

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Wide receiver Jeff Webb fumbled a reception after a hit by linebacker Dhani Jones. End Frostee Rucker, playing in his second NFL game, recovered at the Bengasl 48-yard line. The Bengals are in Kansas City territory with less than one minute remaining in the third quarter.

Starting tight end Reggie Kelly has returned to the game after suffering a left ankle sprain.

The third quarter just ended with the Bengals first and 10 on the Kansas City 22-yard line. The Chiefs lead 20-7.

The third quarter was scoreless.

Chiefs stuff Bengals on fourth down

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A fourth-down run by Kenny Watson with less than one yard to go failed to move the ball. The Chiefs take over on Cincinnati's 36-yard line with 8:10 left in the third quarter.

Kansas City leads 20-7.

TE Kelly out with injury

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Tight end Reggie Kelly has suffered what appears to be a lower left leg injury and has left the game.

Update: Kelly has a sprained left ankle. His return is questionable.

Another ugly stat

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Chiefs are 7 of 12 converting third downs. The Bengals are 0 for 6.

Bengals three and out

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- So much for getting the opening kickoff of the second half.

The Bengals punted on fourth and four from the 26, after Carson Palmer was sacked for the fourth time.

Kansas City has the ball first down on its 30-yard line.

No team in recent memory has put this much pressure on Palmer.

Halftime stats ugly

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Chiefs had possession for 20:06 in the first half.

Kansas City has 14 first downs to the Bengals' six.

Kansas City has 166 total yards, compared to 88 for the Bengals. Carson Palmer has been sacked three times.

Larry Johnson has 106 of Kansas City's 109 rush yards. The Bengals have 45 yards on the ground.

Chad Johnson has three catches for 27 yards. T.J. Houshmandzadeh has one catch for a 42-yard touchdown.

Flat Bengals losing 20-7 at the half

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Dave Rayner's 20-yard field goal extended the Chiefs' lead to 20-7 at the half.

The Chiefs drove 58 yards for the field goal on the last play of the half. The drive used the final 1:28 of the half.

The Bengals had first down on their 15 at the two-minute warning, with 1:52 remaining in the half. Their possession used 13 seconds. The Bengals line can not protect Palmer from Kansas City's pass rush.

Chiefs offense off floor

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Chiefs had scored just 16 points in the first half of their first five games. They have 17 today in the first half against the Bengals.

Larry Johnson has scored Kansas City's first rush touchdown of the season. He has run 14 times for 83 yards.

Chiefs score off turnover

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Larry Johnson ran eight yards around left end for a touchdown to give Kansas City a 17-7 lead over the Bengals with 6:27 left in the second quarter. It was a six-play, 44-yard drive after a Carson Palmer interception at the 44.

Johnson has scored the last 34 rushing touchdowns by the Chiefs.

Bengals give ball back

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Cornerback Patrick Surtain intercepted a Carson Palmer pass intended for Chad Johnson on a deep out. The Bengals were third and 14 on their 32-yard line.

Bengals safety Dexter Jackson went to the locker room for an IV and will return.

Kansas City is first down on the Bengals 44-yard line. There is 9:57 remaining in the second quarter. Pressure on Palmer has increased throughout the game.

Bengals get ball back

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Another big break for the Bengals. Larry Johnson ran 34 yards through the Bengals defense but lost the ball at the 1 when cornerback Deltha O'Neal knocked the ball loose. The ball kicked through the end zone for a touchback.

The Bengals have the ball first down on the 20 with 11:04 remaining in the second quarter.

Again, Levi Jones has been benched after getting beat for three sacks by end Jared Allen in the first 17 minutes.

Andrew Whitworth is at left tackle. Scott Kooistra is playing left guard.

Allen gets third sack, forces fumble

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Jared Allen's third sack in 17 minues, all victimizing left tackle Levi Jones, caused a fumble by Carson Palmer. Chiefs tackle Ron Edwards recovered.

The Bengals appeared to get the ball back on a forced fumble by end/linebacker Robert Geathers at the end of a 13-yard reception by wide receiver Samie Parker. Geathers also recovered at the 32-yard line.

But Chiefs coach Herm Edwards challenged, and the call was overturned. Kansas City has a thgird and 10 from the Bengals 45-yard line.

Jones is being taken out of the game. Left guard Andrew Whitworth will moveto left tackle, and Scott Kooistra will play left guard.

DE Allen beats Jones -- again

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Bengals received a gift first down when Chiefs cornerback Benny Sapp was penalized for a personal foul at the end of a third-down play. The Bengals are first and 10 on the 30-yard line at the start of the second quarter.

Left tackle Levi Jones was beaten badly for a second time by end Jared Allen on a bull rush, resulting in a seven-yard sack. Tight end Reggie Kelly is lining up outside of Jones to help with Allen, who had two sacks in the first quarter.

Bengals can't cover TE Gonzalez

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Tony Gonzalez caught his record 63rd career touchdown for a tight end, from three yards, pushing the Chiefs to a 10-7 lead with 53 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

On second and goal from the 1, safety Madieu Williams and tackle Michael Myers dropped Larry Johnson for a two-yard loss on a run play. But linebacker Dhani Jones and safety Herana-Daze Jones could not cover Gonzalez on a fade to the far right corner.

Jared Allen beats Levi for sack

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Chiefs end Jared Allen beat Bengals left tackle Levi Jones on third and four, forcing the Bengals to punt. Eddie Drummond returned the punt 17 yards. After two Larry Johnson runs for 24 yards, the Chiefs are first and 10 on the Cincinnati 20.

Bengals force punt

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Linebacker Landon Johnson and end Justin Smith shared a sack of Damon Huard, helping give the Bengals' defense a three-and-out possession. After a long punt and a favorable bounce, the Bengals have first down on their 18-yard line.

Cincinnati leads 7-3 with 6:25 remaining in the first quarter.

Bengals strike back, up 7-3

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Carson Palmer threw 42 yards to T.J. Houshmandzadeh for a touchdown, giving the Bengals a 7-3 lead with 7:39 left in the first quarter.

Houshmandzadeh caught a curl at the 25, eluded a poor tackle attempt and ran the final yards for the score. It is his sixth TD catch of the season and the team's long reception at 42 yards.

The Bengals needed only four plays to move 73 yards. Tailback Kenny Watson ran twice for 24 yards. Chad Johnson had a seven-yard catch.

The TD pass is Palmer's 11th.

Chiefs up 3-0, 9:39 left in first

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Dave Rayner's 32-yard field goal capped the Chiefs' opening drive. Kansas City leads 3-0. The Bengals have yet to touch the ball offensively.

The Chiefs took 12 plays to move 49 yards over 5:21. Tackle Domata Peko batted down Damon Huard's pass on third and seven from the 14-yard line. The Chiefs were helped by two penalties. Madieu Williams was penalized 15 yards on the tackle on the opening kickoff. And cornerback Blue Adams was penalized 15 yards for hitting Huard in the head on a blitz on a second-and-16 play from the Kansas City 43-yard line.

Bengals end Justin Smith collected a sack on the first series. It was his first of the season and fifth this year for the team.

Bengals inactives; Watson to start at RB

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Out for the Bengals are right tackle Willie Anderson, safety Ethan Kilmer, linebackers Ahmad Brooks, Rashad Jeanty and Caleb Miller, defensive end Jonathan Fanene and wide receiver Tab Perry.

Anderson's consecutive starts streak of 116 games comes to an end. Stacy Andrews will start at right tackle. Other lineup changes are Kenny Watson at running back ahead of Rudi Johnson. Johnson, who missed the New England game with a hamstring injury, is expected to play.

Jeff Rowe is the designated third quarterback.

Dhani Jones will start at strong-side linebacker and Anthony Schlegel will start at middle linebacker.

Damon Huard will start at quarterback for the Chiefs, despite the injury to his throwing shoulder last Sunday against Jacksonville. Huard comes in 97-for-149 passing for 1,029 yards, four touchdowns and six interceptions, good for a 77.3 passer rating.

By comparison, Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer is 101-for-160 passing for 1,171 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions, good for a 90.4 passer rating.

Game key: The Chiefs will try to get tailback Larry Johnson untracked against a poor Bengals run defense. Johnson is averaging just 3.3 yards a carry and has no touchdowns. The Bengals, 29th in the NFL against the run at 152 yards a game, have allowed an individual 100-yard rusher in the past three games -- all losses. Jamal Lewis went for 216 for the Browns, Shaun Alexander for 100 for the Seahawks, and Sammy Morris 117 for the Patriots.

My pick: Bengals 24, Chiefs 17.

Update: Rudi Johnson probable

Bengals tailback Rudi Johnson was back in uniform Friday, practiced and was listed as probable for the game Sunday at Kansas City.

Before the workout started, he stretched near his stationary bike. He missed the Patriots game with a hamstring injury he suffered in Seattle in Week 3.

The Friday injury report lists:

-- Linebackers Ahmad Brooks (groin) and Caleb Miller (back) as doubtful; they did not practice today.

-- Defensive ends Jonathan Fanene (knee) and Frostee Rucker (hand) as questionable. Fanene did not practice today; Rucker was limited.

-- Safety Dexter Jackson (illness), Johnson (hamstring) and center Alex Stepanovich (knee) are probable and all three practiced fully.

Coach Marvin Lewis said he would make the decision at game time whether to activate Johnson. Chances are the Bengals will alternate Johnson with Kenny Watson -- who ran well in a start against New England -- in an attempt to get their 26th-ranked rush offense going. They average just 83.3 yards a game.