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Palmer, Lewis say they love the seventh-round pick's passion and work ethic as he approaches team record. There's a lot to like about Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The smooth route-running., great hands and deceptive speed — just to name a few. "He brings a lot of fire, grit and attitude," head coach Marvin Lewis said. "He works his tail off. That's what I like about him. Sometimes, we've got to control the rage a little bit. But you know he's got it in him. He's going to fight 'em to the end." Houshmandzadeh, a seventh-round draft pick from Oregon State in 2001, is on the verge of bringing a record to the Bengals' history book. Armed with 96 catches, he needs five more to break the club's single-season receptions mark of 100 set by Carl Pickens in 1996. Houshmandzadeh also can become the first Bengal to claim an NFL season receptions title. His league-high 96 catches lead New England's Wes Welker (93) and Baltimore's Derrick Mason (88) with three games to go.
That's plenty of time to shatter Pickens' record ... and throw one of his famous temper tantrums. Houshmandzadeh's latest eruption took place in a 24-10 loss at Pittsburgh on Dec. 2. He called his five-catch, 42-yard performance the worst of his career because he couldn't harness his anger at the officials for refusing to call holding on the Steelers. He got pulled from the game late. "I love his fire, I love his intensity, I love his passion," quarterback Carson Palmer said. "Sometimes it gets the best of him. T.J. is a mature player, a veteran. I'm just glad that T.J. recognized it, realized he was wrong and will try not to do that next time." Lewis' first season as head coach (2003) was the year Houshmandzadeh suffered a severely pulled hamstring in the preseason. The injury kept him sidelined for 14 games. But he's responded with four strong seasons of 73, 78, 90 and 96 receptions for 978, 956, 1,081 and 966 yards. "He's had to overcome a lot," Lewis said. "He had shown enough spark for us to keep him around (in 2003) when he was injured. He's worked his tail off now to overcome some of the setbacks for him physically early in his career." Growing up in Barstow, Calif., 120 miles northeast of Los Angeles, Houshmandzadeh's knowledge of the Bengals was limited to SportsCenter highlights. "The Bengals weren't on TV too much," he said. "All I remember is (quarterback) Jeff Blake throwing the high ball to Pickens. I know he was one of the better receivers at the time." Willie not retiring: Right tackle Willie Anderson insists he'll play for the Bengals again, even though a chronic foot problem and a knee injury have wiped out his season. Anderson didn't practice on Wednesday, an indication he probably won't be ready for Saturday's game in San Francisco. The 32-year-old lineman hasn't played since Oct. 21, when he hurt his right knee in a victory over the Jets. Anderson revealed Wednesday that he suffered a bone bruise and a sprained ligament when Reggie Kelly's helmet accidentally hit him in the knee while making a block. Dayton Daily News http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/pro/bengals/2007/12/12/ddn121307bengals.html |
