redlegsfan21
10-24-2006, 04:44 AM
By JOE KAY
CINCINNATI (AP) -Receiver Chris Henry came through a door on one side of the Cincinnati Bengals' football-shaped locker room, saw the media contingent and immediately broke into a brisk jog.
He didn't slow as he passed his locker, didn't even look sideways until he was out of the room and out of range of questions about his return from a two-game suspension, a return that could be a huge boost to an offense that has struggled without him.
Assuming he plays, that is.
Coach Marvin Lewis didn't have much to say Monday about the troubled receiver. Lewis was noncommittal about whether Henry will play next Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.
"He gets an opportunity to come back and practice this week," Lewis said. "He could be down (inactive). He could be on our team and be down."
The Bengals (4-2) have been down without him.
They opened the season with the second-year receiver filling in nicely for an injured T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Then, Henry got in trouble - again. He was a passenger in the vehicle when linebacker Odell Thurman was charged with drunken driving after a victory over Pittsburgh moved the Bengals to 3-0.
Lewis benched Henry for the next game, and the NFL suspended him for the next two. In a separate case, Henry has pleaded guilty to marijuana possession and a gun charge, making him subject to the league's discipline.
Cincinnati went 1-2 without him, scoring 13, 13 and 17 points. Injuries to the offensive line were a major factor during that span as well, but Henry was unquestionably missed.
While Henry was out, the Bengals had their receiving corps further thinned by injuries. Kelley Washington is out with a hamstring injury, and Tab Perry will miss the rest of the season with a hip injury. Antonio Chatman suffered an abdominal injury during a 17-14 win over Carolina on Sunday.
Without its usual complement of pass catchers, the offense had to be a little more conservative against Carolina.
"We didn't use any four-wide receiver sets yesterday," Lewis said Monday. "We kept tight ends on the field more than we have in the past, particularly on third down and even on early downs. Normally, it could have been a receiver in that position."
One near-perfect drive saved the day.
The Bengals failed to get a first down on five of their six first-half possessions. They were a little better in the second half, when the offense finally came together during a 13-play drive for the winning touchdown.
Carson Palmer went 8-of-9 for 93 yards, and connected with Chad Johnson on a 32-yard completion on a fourth-and-1 play that set up the score and made the offense feel a lot better about itself.
"The last two weeks, we were in a funk," guard Eric Steinbach said. "I think this is a turnaround game."
It sure changed the mood in the locker room. The Bengals hadn't won in three weeks - they had their bye between losses - and had everyone asking what was wrong with the defending AFC North champions.
"By beating them, we pretty much stopped the abuse we were taking as a team," safety Dexter Jackson said Monday.
The next step is to get some consistency back in an offense missing the big play.
"We scored what, 17 points?" Houshmandzadeh said. "There's a lot of work to be done."
http://sports.myway.com/news/10242006/v7956.html
CINCINNATI (AP) -Receiver Chris Henry came through a door on one side of the Cincinnati Bengals' football-shaped locker room, saw the media contingent and immediately broke into a brisk jog.
He didn't slow as he passed his locker, didn't even look sideways until he was out of the room and out of range of questions about his return from a two-game suspension, a return that could be a huge boost to an offense that has struggled without him.
Assuming he plays, that is.
Coach Marvin Lewis didn't have much to say Monday about the troubled receiver. Lewis was noncommittal about whether Henry will play next Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.
"He gets an opportunity to come back and practice this week," Lewis said. "He could be down (inactive). He could be on our team and be down."
The Bengals (4-2) have been down without him.
They opened the season with the second-year receiver filling in nicely for an injured T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Then, Henry got in trouble - again. He was a passenger in the vehicle when linebacker Odell Thurman was charged with drunken driving after a victory over Pittsburgh moved the Bengals to 3-0.
Lewis benched Henry for the next game, and the NFL suspended him for the next two. In a separate case, Henry has pleaded guilty to marijuana possession and a gun charge, making him subject to the league's discipline.
Cincinnati went 1-2 without him, scoring 13, 13 and 17 points. Injuries to the offensive line were a major factor during that span as well, but Henry was unquestionably missed.
While Henry was out, the Bengals had their receiving corps further thinned by injuries. Kelley Washington is out with a hamstring injury, and Tab Perry will miss the rest of the season with a hip injury. Antonio Chatman suffered an abdominal injury during a 17-14 win over Carolina on Sunday.
Without its usual complement of pass catchers, the offense had to be a little more conservative against Carolina.
"We didn't use any four-wide receiver sets yesterday," Lewis said Monday. "We kept tight ends on the field more than we have in the past, particularly on third down and even on early downs. Normally, it could have been a receiver in that position."
One near-perfect drive saved the day.
The Bengals failed to get a first down on five of their six first-half possessions. They were a little better in the second half, when the offense finally came together during a 13-play drive for the winning touchdown.
Carson Palmer went 8-of-9 for 93 yards, and connected with Chad Johnson on a 32-yard completion on a fourth-and-1 play that set up the score and made the offense feel a lot better about itself.
"The last two weeks, we were in a funk," guard Eric Steinbach said. "I think this is a turnaround game."
It sure changed the mood in the locker room. The Bengals hadn't won in three weeks - they had their bye between losses - and had everyone asking what was wrong with the defending AFC North champions.
"By beating them, we pretty much stopped the abuse we were taking as a team," safety Dexter Jackson said Monday.
The next step is to get some consistency back in an offense missing the big play.
"We scored what, 17 points?" Houshmandzadeh said. "There's a lot of work to be done."
http://sports.myway.com/news/10242006/v7956.html