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The Cincinnati Bengals could be renamed The Outlaws. Make that ‘‘The Outstanding Outlaws.’’ That’s the upside for the reborn Bengals. The downside is the number of rogues who dot the roster, reminiscent of the Buddy Parker-coached Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1960s. The difference is that those Steelers were losers. The 2006 Bengals are 3-0, and since Marvin Lewis took over as head coach four years ago, they haven’t suffered a losing season. Before Lewis arrived, they’d endured 11 straight years of losing.
The old Bengals were so bad they couldn’t get arrested. The new Bengals have developed a long rap sheet. Linebacker Odell Thurman, banned for the season’s first four games for violating the NFL substance abuse policy, was the latest player t nabbed. Suspended Wednesday following an arrest on a drunk driving charge, he’s now out for the season. Thurman was the sixth Bengal arrested this year. One of the first things new commissioner Roger Goodell did was visit the Bengals to stress that it’s their duty to be good citizens. Usually off-field meltdowns kill a team on the field. Not so in this case. Cincinnati beat Pittsburgh on the road last week, and is favored to dispose of the Patriots on Sunday at home. So is too much made of behavior off the field, and how it affects a team’s success on the field? ‘‘No, I don’t think too much is made of it,’’ Lewis said. ‘‘I think (players) have a responsibility to act as good people and good citizens. We’re disappointed in some of these actions and there have been some poor decisions made.’’ Lewis said the core of his team remains stable, and that players recently drafted or signed as free agents haven’t been problems. ‘‘This has (involved) very peripheral people, and really people that haven’t been part of the team,’’ the coach said of the dirty half-dozen. Lewis has some of the best young talent in the league, especially on offense. Quarterback Carson Palmer heads the group, which has a tall, fast receiving corps led by Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. ‘‘All I’ve tried to do is make sure that we put together a professional football team,’’ he said. ‘‘That means a team that knows how to learn, prepare and execute. I want players who like football.’’ Lewis approved the trade of running back Corey Dillon to the Patriots after his rookie year as coach. It was a bold move, but a good one. They used the draft choice to pick Madieu Williams, their outstanding starting safety. Chad Johnson, the most outspoken Bengal, said the team has grown because the head coach demands so much more than past coaches. ‘‘The big thing is the players bought into the formula the coach brought here,’’ Johnson said. ‘‘That is most important because you know in past history, and in past years, we would lay down. The first year I was here they were 2-14, but when Coach Lewis came in everyone trusted what he said.’’ The Bengals made it to the playoffs last year with an 11-5 record, but Palmer was knocked out of a playoff game against Pittsburgh by a knee injury and Cincinnati lost. Palmer, who has moved into the elite category among NFL quarterbacks, sees Lewis doing what Bill Belichick has done with the Patriots - building a team for the long haul. ‘‘No question about that,’’ said Palmer. ‘‘It’s been something fun to see, and I am fortune to be part of it. A guy like (running back) Rudi Johnson ...had a phenomenal year. T.J Houshmandzadeh, a seventh-round pick, had close to 1,000 yards (receiving) going into the last year of his contract, and we kept him around.’’ Palmer said the Patriots are still a measuring stick in the NFL. ‘‘Pittsburgh is first because they are defending champs, but the Patriots are a great organization and a phenomenal football team.’’ Copyright 2006 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Friday, September 29, 2006 http://ledger.southofboston.com/articles/2006/09/29/sports/sports01.txt |
