Cincinnati Bengals
Notes: Bengals back off after busy week
By Scott Priestle, CNATI.com Posted December 23, 2009 1:27 PM ET
Between a trip to San Diego for a game last week and a trip to New Orleans for a funeral Tuesday, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis gathered his players Monday and told them, "I got you this week." He repeated it Wednesday.
The language struck a chord with Chad Ochocinco, for he tells the coaches those exact words before every game. "It got me hyped," he said.
The message struck a chord with other players. Essentially, Lewis was telling them he recognizes the strain they've faced and he will adjust the practice schedule accordingly; those players who need a break will get it.
"That's a head coach's main job, to get his team ready to play on Sunday," quarterback Carson Palmer said.
Palmer said Lewis has improved in that area throughout his tenure as head coach. Strength coach Chip Morton echoed those sentiments earlier this season.
Lewis disagreed. If practices seem shorter this season, he said, it is because players know the system better and have made fewer mistakes, which means the coaches do not have to repeat themselves as often.
That said, Lewis acknowledged that he has asked the assistant coaches to back off certain players as the season has dragged on. It is a common practice throughout the league.
"There are certain players that of a nine-, 10-play sequence of plays in practice, they don't need seven of those plays any more. They can get by with five of those plays, and we can get another player in there for four of those plays," Lewis said. "At this point in the year, that's how we should be doing it. I want them out of here, off their feet. I want them to have a chance to take a deep breath and relax a little bit."
Palmer said Lewis has gotten better at reading his players.
"He knows when to back off, he knows when to put shoulder pads on, he knows when to hold us longer for meetings, he knows when to get us out of practice earlier," Palmer said. "To have been here through Marvin's first day, first year to now seventh year, it's really cool to see how great of a coach he's becoming and how great of a coach he's become."
PEKO COULD PLAY -- Defensive tackle Domata Peko did his rehabilitation work on the field yesterday, and Lewis said the plan is for him to participate in practice on a limited basis Thursday and more Friday, with an eye toward playing Sunday. Peko has missed the past two games following surgery on his right knee.
Safety Chris Crocker (ankle) remains sidelined, but Lewis said every other player should be available Sunday against Kansas City.
"We're as healthy as you can expect to be at this point," Lewis said.
Running back Bernard Scott (turf toe) should be back on Sunday, he said. Scott practiced last week, but the coaches determined he wasn't making the cuts he needed to to play.
"I'm feeling much better," Scott said on Wednesday. "My main focus will be that of special teams, but whatever I can do to help the team."
It didn't avoid Scott's notice that the Chiefs allowed two kickoffs to be returned for 100 or more yards against Cleveland.
"I saw that," Scott said, "It put a smile on my face."
MOVING ON -- Assistant offensive line coach Bob Surace has been named the head coach at Princeton University. He will work for the Bengals for the remainder of the season, but the extent of his duties has not been determined.
"We will work with the Bengals to accommodate what works best for the Bengals and for Princeton, until the Bengals' season is completed," Princeton athletic director Gary Walters said in a statement.
Surace was an All-Ivy League center at Princeton in the 1980s. He has been on the Bengals staff since 2002.
REMEMBERING HENRY -- The Bengals will honor the late Chris Henry in a pregame ceremony Sunday, and all fans in attendance will receive a commemorative "15" decal.
Many members of the organization flew to New Orleans on Tuesday for Henry's funeral. Ochocinco said he was impressed by the speech Henry's mother delivered.
"If she can get it together," Ochocinco said, "so can I."
Categories: Cincinnati Bengals, Featured Stories, News
Tags: Bengals, Bob Surace, Carson Palmer, Chad Ochocinco, Chris Crocker, Chris Henry, Domata Peko, Marvin Lewis
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