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The Bengals don't plan to announce any major changes in the immediate aftermath of the season finale at Miami on Sunday. "Don't get your hopes all up on Monday," head coach Marvin Lewis said on Wednesday. "(The media) really, from the comments I've heard, jumped the gun on things. For the most part, we've redone our coaches' contracts each and every year, so you can relax (on their status). "We'll make decisions as we go forward in the offseason, but we're not going to have any earthshaking news that you can run home about. We're going to evaluate our players and coaching. We have to make a better team. We have to build a team that can win games in this division week in and week out.
"That means being able to run the ball more effectively and being able to take care of the football, defend the run, eliminate explosive plays, and make plays on special teams. That's what we're going to look very hard at. We have to make sure we get back on track. I know injuries have played a part, but that's no excuse. When you have injuries, your good players have to step up. We didn't do a good enough job as coaches." Roster moves Tailback DeDe Dorsey (ankle), center Eric Ghiaciuc (foot) and free safety Madieu Williams (thigh) were placed on injured reserve, meaning they'll miss the season finale. The Bengals filled two roster spots by promoting guard Nate Livings off the practice squad and re-signing tailback Quincy Wilson, who was waived on Sept. 1. The final spot on the 53-man active roster remains open. Award winners The Cincinnati Chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America honored wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh and defensive lineman Bryan Robinson on Wednesday. Houshmandzadeh was named by the chapter as the team's Most Valuable Player, while Robinson captured the organization's "Good Guy" award. The writers assigned to cover the Bengals on a daily basis voted on the awards. Past MVPs are quarterback Jon Kitna (2002-03), tailback Rudi Johnson (2004), quarterback Carson Palmer (2005) and offensive tackle Willie Anderson (2006). Robinson becomes the seventh "Good Guy" recipient. Lorenzo Neal, Anderson, Brandon Bennett, Brian Simmons, John Thornton and Houshmandzadeh earned the distinction from 2001-06. The players were presented with plaques during a news conference at Paul Brown Stadium. Motivational speakers Miami Dolphins first-year coach Cam Cameron played football and basketball at Indiana University under Lee Corso, Sam Wyche and Bob Knight. Which coach delivered the best halftime tirade? "It probably depended on what day of the week it was or the opponent," Cameron said. "All three, in their own way, were very caring guys, but also guys that weren't afraid to challenge you. They were tremendous motivators. What would probably surprise you is that Sam Wyche was an intense guy, and in some ways, I might give the edge to Sam." Dayton Daily News http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/pro/bengals/2007/12/26/ddn122707bennotes.html |
