John Clay’s Sidelines

GEORGETOWN — Wandered over to Georgetown College this morning to check out the Cincinnati Bengals’ first practice of the day and found a little company.

UK basketball coach Billy Gillispie was there, as well.

In fact, Gillispie was there with the entire UK coaching staff observing the first Bengals practice of camp that included wide receiver Chad Johnson, trying to work his way back from ankle surgery.

After practice, Gillispie chatted with Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, then took some time to talk to backup quarterback Jordan Palmer, right, who was the quarterback at UTEP during Gillispie’s stay as basketball coach at the El Paso school.

So what was Gillispie doing at camp?

“Observing,” he said. “The organization that you have with such a large number of players is phenomenal to me, and you can definitely learn something from that.”

Gillispie said he met Lewis last year when the Bengals’ coach came to a UK game. He said the two then spent a little time together when Lewis had an off day.

“He seems just like an unbelievable person,” said Lewis. “The thing that strikes you about him is how nice he is and how caring he is. They have really big fish to fry right now and he’s taking time out to say hello. That just tells you what kind of person that he is.”

Gillispie took time to search out Jordan Palmer and tell him hello.

“I saw him I believe from the time he came in as a redshirt freshman (at UTEP),” said Gillispie. “He was held in very high regard and had a fantastic career there. We were talking about some good times and those kinds of things, and how much we both liked El Paso during the time we were there.”

Just to keep up on basketball matters, we did ask Gillispie about the status of freshmen DeAndre Liggins and Kevin Galloway, but the coach re-iterated that he does not talk about players’ individual academics.

Chad Johnson tells ESPN the magazine that he is returning to play for the Bengals, so says the Cincinnati Enquirer.

After demanding a trade and threatening to hold out for the entire season, Chad said he may return as early as this month.

Excerpt: “Am I coming back? Of course I am. I told my coaches I’m going to California to act, but the truth is I may come back to the Bengals as early as June,” Johnson writes. “I may be crazy but I’m not stupid.”

Then Chad went on to say he was frustrated by the losing climate in Cincinnati, and wished he could play in Philadelphia or Cincinnati.

Updated on 11-6 at 6:15 p.m. with nice feature on Glenn by Cincinnnati Enquirer.

A
silver lining in the Cincinnati Bengals’ 2-6 start is ex-UK wide receiver Glenn Holt. The 3rd-year pro returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown Sunday in Cincinnati’s 33-21 loss at Buffalo. It was the second-longest kick return in Bengals history, trailing only Eric Bieniemy’s 102-yard return against the New York Giants in 1997.

Unfortunately, Holt had some teeth knocked out right after scoring. He told the Cincinnati Enquirer, "It was in the celebration. The bad thing was Dhani Jones jumped and hit my helmet at the end and it hit my facemask. I lost my two front teeth."

It’s been that kind of year for the Bengals.

Holt is averaging 25.2 yards on his 35 returns. He has also caught 15 passes for 144 yards and one touchdown.

Though the team for which he plays suffered a mind-blowing defeat Sunday thanks to its dreadful defense, ex-UK receiver Glenn Holt was a definite bright spot for Cincinnati in its 51-45 loss at Cleveland.

Subbing for the injured Tab Petty, Holt caught five Carson Palmer passes for 51 yards and a touchdown. A couple of receptions were made despite vicious hits from Browns defenders. Holt even held on to a 22-yard grab despite taking a leading-with-the-helmet hit from Cleveland’s Rodney Pool, which brought a 15-yard penalty.

If that weren’t enough, Holt also returned a kickoff 65 yards.

"I couldn’t be happier for and more proud for Glenn," quarterback Carson Palmer told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "He even got the snot knocked out of him a couple of times."

Jared Lorenzen did not fare quite as admirably for the New York Giants on Sunday. First of all, after spending the week preparing for what could be his first NFL start, Lorenzen watched as Eli Manning was deemed healthy enough to play despite shoulder woes. When Manning was finally lifted in the fourth quarter of New York’s 35-13 loss to Green Bay, Lorenzen suffered a twisted ankle on his first play. He was replaced by Anthony Wright.

Pro Football Weekly’s 2007 preview, for my money the best pro football yearbook on the market, is at your local newsstand now. Truth be told, the magazine hasn’t fully recovered from the death of ace writer/evaluator Joel Buschbaum. The writing is not quite as sharp or insightful. But the overall package is still an excellent buy.

And this year’s edition predicts that the Cincinnati Bengals will finish 10-6, good enough for second place in the AFC North. Some of PFW’s comments on the Bengals:

• Preview: "No one doubts the Bengals’ ability to win a high-paced, offense-driven game. But are they tough and diligent enough to be Super Bowl contenders?"

• Running backs: "Evaluators say Rudi Johnson is one of the most underrated players at his position."

• Receivers: "At 29, Chad Johnson is in the prime of his career, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down."

• Offensive linemen: "The retirement of C Rich Brahm and the departure of OLG Eric Steinbach weakens this group, but the Bengals believe they have good replacements for both players."

• Defense: "Marvin Lewis’ five drafts in Cincinnati haven’t bolstered the roster with the defensive talent he had anticipated, and as a result, the Bengals have been a below-average defense for much of his tenure."

• Linebackers: "The Bengals have tried to build the depth and talent at this position with mixed results. . . . If (Ahmad Brooks) is ready for a starting role, he could have the impact Odell Thurman had on the defense in 2005."

• Defensive backs: "The Bengals finished tied for last in pass defense in 2006, a result that’s hard to figure when looking at the talent on the roster."

• Overview: If the Bengals falter, "the questions about the direction of the franchise on Marvin Lewis’ watch will be louder than ever."

A sidelight to the Cincinnati Bengals’ important 17-14 win over Carolina yesterday was the league debut of former UK wide out Glenn Holt.

Because of injuries in the Bengals receiving corp, Holt was activated off the practice squad the morning of the game.

"They told me Monday to get myself prepared," said Holt after the game. "They said by the end of the week I might be on the team."

The first person he called was his mother back in Miami, of course.

"It’s just amazing," said Holt. "I’m living my dream."

He played sparingly Sunday, mainly on special teams. In fact, it was on the punt coverage team where Holt was nearly involved in a momentous play. Late in the third quarter, with Cincinnati trailing 14-10, Holt was deep downfield as the "gunner" covering a Kyle Larson punt. In fact, Holt made it to Carolina return man Chris Gamble just as the ball came downward. The ball ended up hitting Holt in the helmet and ricocheting toward the end zone where a mad scramble ensued.

The officials correctly ruled, however, that the ball hitting Holt was an illegal touching violation, giving Carolina possession at the 13-yard line, where Holt was standing at the time of the touch.

"I thought it was going to be a huge play," said Holt. "But it bounced off my head."

The main thing was just getting on the field. An undrafted free agent, Holt signed with the Bengals on May 9. He made enough of an impression during mini-camps to earn an invitation to training camp. He made enough of an impression at training camp to earn a spot on the 8-man practice squad.

"This is the first step," said Holt. "I’ve still got to work hard and keep trying. This is just the first step."

Some unfinished business from Sunday’s Bengals-Patriots game:

Kudos to Marvin Lewis for sitting Chris Henry. The Bengals coach deactivated the team’s troubled wide receiver after Henry, and practice squad member Reggie McNeal, were passengers in Odell Thurman’s SUV the Monday before. Thurman was charged with DUI and has been suspended for the season. According to the police report, Henry stuck his head out the window and vomited on the side of the SUV. Given Henry’s past brushes with the law, this was the final straw. Lewis banished Henry to street clothes on the Cincinnati sideline during the Bengals’ 38-13 loss.

But a thumbs down to Lewis for the way he handled the issue with the media afterward. When asked about the move, Lewis responded that he would only talk about the 45 players he could dress. When asked if Henry wasn’t one of his best 45 players, Lewis said "not today." I like Lewis, but the answer was pure Marvin. First of all, it was disingenuous. Second of all, it insults everyone’s intelligence, including that of the head coach. Lewis is no dummy. Why not just say, "In light of what happened, I felt like it was the right thing to do." Case closed. It’s not that hard.

From Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati for Bengals-Patriots:

• New England rips Cincinnati 38-13.
  • New England has still not lost back-to-back games in 53 straight games.
  • Palmer’s two lost fumbles in the fourth quarter set up 14 New England points. Palmer lost three fumbles last week at Pittsburgh.
  • After scoring on a fourth-down, one-yard run, Corey Dillon fired the football into the stands.
  • Pats’ Jarvis Green pulled a triple-header, sacking, stripping and recovering the fumble from Palmer at the Bengal 13-yard line. That was the first of two lost fumbles by Palmer in the quarter. The first  set up Dillon’s TD and a 31-13 lead.
  • Bengals did hold New England to a field goal early in the quarter and a 24-13 Patriots lead.
  • Attendance of 66,035 is third largest in PBS history.
  • Remember, Chris Henry was deactivated for today’s game.

• New England leads Cincinnati 21-13 at end of third quarter.
  • And the Pats are at the Bengal 6-yard-line as the quarter ends.
  • A New England score and a 15-point lead might be too much to overcome.
  • Maroney has gone over 100 yards rushing for New England, and put a terrific face mask on Kaseviharn during a 41-yard run.
  • Maroney had four carries for 74 yards in the third quarter.
  • What a monster hit by Kevin Kaseviharn that separated Rache Caldwell from his helmet. Kaseviharn was flagged for unnecessary roughness, but the hit was not helmet-to-helmet but shoulder-to-helmet. Didn’t matter. Penalty stuck.
  • One play after Kaseviharn hit, Bengals suddenly could not tackle. Maroney breaks three tackles, leaving battered Bengals strewn all over PBS, for a 25-yard TD and a 21-13 Patriots lead.
  • Big play on 3rd-and-6 from Cincy 42, Palmer stands in the pocket and hits T.J. Whosyourmama for a 32-yard catch-and-run that sets up Rudi Johnson’s two-yard TD run.
  • Adam Vinateri doesn’t live here anymore. Stephen Gostkowski pushed a 48-yard field goal attempt wide right on New England’s first possession of the second half.
  • Announced at halftime that Chad Johnson has a bruised shoulder but will return for the second half.

• New England leads 14-6 at the end of the first half.
  • Patriots scored two touchdowns in the quarter. Laurence Maroney scored on an 11-yard run. Brady hit a wide open Doug Gabriel for a 25-yard touchdown with 1:54 left in the half to stretch the Patriots lead to eight.
  • In four possessions, Bengals gained 9, 6, 13 and 30 yards.
  • Palmer was 12-of-23 for 128 yards in first half.
  • Brady was 7-of-12 for 111 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the first half.
  • Chad Johnson had to be helped to the lockerroom near the end of the half after making a catch, alas out of bounds. Chad appeared to have the wind knocked out of him, or he may have landed on his hip.
  • Bengals seem a step slow. Either that or they have been confused by the New England defense, which turned in a stellar second quarter.
  • Dillon had 25 yards on six carries in the first half.
  • Rudi Johnson gained 41 yards on nine carries.
  • Pats picked up a key first down on a trick play when, on 3rd-and-6 from own 44, Pats snapped the ball to Kevin Faulk, who handed off on a reverse to Chad Jackson for a 10-yard gain.
  • Faulk’s 43-yard punt return set up New England’s second score.
  • Bengals were 1-for-7 on third downs for the half.

• Cincinnati leads 6-0 at end of first quarter.
  • Two Bengals possessions saw home team moving the ball, 58 yards on first drive and 47 on the second. Both were stopped inside the New England 30-yard line, accounting for the two Shayne Graham field goals. First was from 40 yards; second from 45.
  • Corey Dillon, in his first regular season appearance back in Cincinnati, has been roundly booed on each carry.
  • Chad Johnson made three catches in Cincinnati’s first five offensive plays.
  • Carson Palmer was 8-of-13 for 92 yards in the first quarter.
  • Tom Brady was 2-of-5 for 24 yards with a Tory James interception.

My man Dr. Z, not the Chrysler guy but Paul "Dr. Z" Zimmerman of Sports Illustrated and SI.com, places the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 1 in his power rankings this week. Read it here.

Meanwhile, Odell Thurman is gone for the season, thanks to the NFL. Will be interesting to see if the Bengals do anything to troubled wide out Chris Henry, who makes great plays on the field and dumb ones off. Henry and rookie wide out Reggie McNeal were riding with Thurman when the linebacker was pulled over and charged with DUI on Monday. According to the police report, Henry stuck his head out of the window and vomited on the side of the car. Nice.

From press box at Paul Brown Stadium for Browns-Bengals:

Bengals win 34-17.

Browns lead 34-17 with 58 seconds left in the game.

• Palmer is picked again with Leigh Bodden returning the theft 35 yards. That sets up a two-yard TD run by Frye. Too little too late. But more evidence that while Cincinnati will enjoy a lopsided win, the Bengals were not at their best.

• Browns give up the ball on downs with 3:36 left. Bengals will go to 2-0. Browns now 0-2.

Bengals lead 34-10 with 7:08 left in the game.

• Landon Johnson’s interception of a Frye bounce pass — it bounced off of Droughns — sets up another Cincinnati score. Four plays and 26 yards later, Rudi Johnson runs it into the end zone from nine yards out the Bengals lead is 34-10. Blowout of Ohio.

Bengals lead 27-10 with 9:50 left in the game.

• Cincinnati answers with a seven-play, 80-yard drive to push the lead to 27-10. Rudi Johnson scored from a yard out. He now has 21 carries for 118 yards. Key play was an 18-yard pass from Palmer to Kelley Washington on a 3rd-and-six from the 44. Cleveland’s Ralph Brown missed a tackle and off Washington went.

Bengals lead 20-10 with 13:06 left in the game.

• After a day of no offense at all, Cleveland hits the big strike. A Frye bomb to Braylon Edwards nets 75 yards to the Cincinnati 1. Two snaps later, Reuben Droughns scores the visitor’s first touchdown on the day. So the Bengal lead is down to 10. And Cleveland has a bit of momentum.

Bengals lead 20-3 with 14:11 left in the game.

• Forced to settle for a 37-yard field goal from Graham. Blitz for a sack by Browns’ Brodney Pool disrupted the drive. Bengals have allowed four sacks, a byproduct of the changes on the offensive line. No Levi Jones. No Rich Braham.

Bengals lead 17-3 at end of third quarter.

• On final play of the quarter, Palmer finds Chris Henry for a 38-yard gain to the Cleveland 12. Palmer is now over 300 yards passing for the game. Henry is over 100 yards receiving. A Cincinnati score would surely clinch the win, given Cleveland’s ineptness on offense.

• With 6:13 left in third quarter, Bengals still lead 17-3. Browns did put together a nice drive on last possession, but Brian Simmons came through on a blitz to knock ball loose from Charlie Frye and Bengals’ John Thornton recovered at Cincinnati 44. But the Cincinnati offense has generated little this quarter.

• Just announced that David Pollack has been moved to University Hospital for further evaluation. Dexter Jackson and Rich Brahm are both out for the second half.