It is a testament to the respect teammates have for Carson Palmer that they had his back after he threw four interceptions in Cincinnati's 35-27 loss yesterday to Arizona. "You can't throw the blame on Carson," tight end Reggie Kelly said. "We all had a hand in this loss. We all made a lot of mistakes, whether dropped balls or penalties or whatever. You can't put the blame on No. 9. He's done a great job of keeping us in every game this year. As long as he continues to play the way he plays, I'm right behind him."
Defensive tackle John Thornton mentioned Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning, who threw six interceptions last week. "He (Palmer) just had a tough game," Thornton said. "He's allowed to do that. He's a great player, but it happens to everybody."
Even the game's back judge couldn't quite stay impartial on this ineptitude. In an assessment that would get little argument from anyone who watched Sunday's effort — especially the Paul Brown Stadium fans who booed the home team's play before tromping out early — he called the Bengals "lousy."
More specifically, he called one certain Cincinnati Bengal — left guard Andrew Whitworth — lousy. At least that's the claim of the 339-pound lineman, flagged twice for holding in a game riddled with costly mistakes, selfish displays and continuing ineptitude by the Bengals, who lost to Arizona 35-27 on Sunday, their seventh defeat in 10 games this season. Tony Steratore, the back judge seen jawing with Whitworth during the game, couldn't be reached for comment afterward. As for Whitworth, he claimed after he questioned the calls, "(Steratore) got offended ... and said some things I thought were inappropriate for a ref to say. He acted really unprofessional. He said 'that's lousy' and 'you're lousy,' stuff like that."
Growlzone.com 2007 Best Bengals Bar/Restaurant Contest Is Back, and Better Than Ever!
Last year we took over 20,000 votes and GameDay Café just edge out Putters to win Growlzone.com’s First Annual Best Bengals Bar/Restaurant Contest. This year the contest is even bigger and the stakes are even higher. Can GameDay Café keep its title or will they be knocked out by the competition. Can Putters Tavern move up to gain the top spot?
The contest is simple. The top 3 bars from last year are automatically into the final running. We have the nominations for this year that you feel are the best bars/restaurants in Greater Cincinnati to watch a Bengals game at. Meaning the best bar to watch a Bengals game at based on the crowd, fan support, atmosphere, food, televisions, fun etc. Growlzone readers can start voting this week. We will make sure each bar knows they are in the finals to win Best Cincinnati Bengals Bar! Each bar or restaurant is allowed to do whatever it wants to generate votes for the contest. Fans can vote one time each, each day starting this week. At the end of the contest, the bar with the most votes becomes the Growlzone.com Best Bengals Bar for 2007.
Antrel Rolle had three interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns, as the Arizona Cardinals fended off the Cincinnati Bengals, 35-27, at Paul Brown Stadium.
Rolle's third pick of the day came in the closing moments to seal the win, and nearly put him in the record books. The first-round pick out of Miami took Carson Palmer's errant pass and sprinted into the end zone, seemingly giving him an NFL-high three TD interception returns in one game. Antonio Smith was whistled for a personal foul on the return, however, to nullify the score.
Cardinals (4-5) at Bengals (3-6) Kickoff: 1 p.m., Paul Brown Stadium (65,500, FieldTurf)
Line: Bengals by TV: Fox
Story line: The Bengals hope to win consecutive games for the first time this season. Cincinnati's defense looked good last week against Baltimore, allowing only a meaningless late touchdown. Now that defense must prove last week wasn't due only to the Ravens' offensive ineptitude. Both teams feature outstanding receiving corps. While Edgerrin James has had a productive season for Arizona, the Bengals must get their run game untracked.
What's at stake? Because of their awful start, the Bengals have already reached the must-win part of their schedule if they're to have any chance of contending for the playoffs. Otherwise, what's at stake is their draft positioning for 2008.
What you need to know about today's Bengals-Cardinals game at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati:
Both teams are feeling good after victories last week. The Bengals took care of business in Baltimore, winning 21-7, and Arizona cooled off the hot Detroit Lions, 31-21, to halt a three-game losing streak. The home team has dominated this series, and the Bengals look to keep their momentum as they approach a critical two-game set against Tennessee (6-3) and Pittsburgh (7-2).
Scouting the Bengals: They finally got a boost from the defense and special teams, riding seven Shayne Graham field goals and forcing six turnovers against the Ravens. The point of emphasis all week has been to improve the 28th-ranked rush offense, whose average has fallen to 86.3 yards per game after outings of 28 yards at Buffalo and 70 at Baltimore. Quarterback Carson Palmer has plenty of options through the air (Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chris Henry), but the club desperately wants tailback Rudi Johnson to get his first rushing touchdown of the year.
Fans attending Paul Brown Stadium today are in for a treat because the aerial circus is in town. Quarterbacks Kurt Warner of Arizona and Carson Palmer of Cincinnati will be at the controls in a game that features two of the NFL's best sets of wide receivers. There's Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chris Henry for the Bengals, and Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Bryant Johnson for the Cardinals. "Our guys, as competitive as they are, want to be the best trio," Palmer said. "Knowing the pride they have, our guys want to show them up."
Rudi's ready: When Bengals tailback Rudi Johnson gets to the red zone, he usually sees green. "That's money time," he said. "When I get down there, I'm licking my chops." Trouble is, Johnson hasn't scored a rushing touchdown this year. He's stuck on 45 for his career. And the Bengals are sick of hearing about their 28th-ranked rushing offense. "We haven't been opening up holes and taking care of business," left tackle Levi Jones said. "We have to get back to that."
Two scars — one six inches, the other two inches — decorate the outside of Chris Perry's right ankle, courtesy of a fracture and dislocation suffered at Cleveland on Nov. 26, 2006. But the Bengals tailback sports another scar, too. It's branded on his psyche. It's Ohio State's recent domination of his beloved Michigan Wolverines. Perry is in his second week of practice with the Bengals on a roster exemption, but remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list. When his three-week practice window ends, the club has to make a move — activate him to the 53-man roster, place him on Injured Reserve or release him. Perry addressed his rehab, his Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State coach Jim Tressel in a question and answer session:
Q. How often have you heard about Appalachian State this year? A. I've heard it a lot. Last time I checked, I wasn't there when they lost that game. But they've bounced back. Most teams couldn't do what they did.
