Cincinnati Bengals
Notes: Henry on IR, Kooistra back
By C. Trent Rosecrans, CNATI.com Posted November 9, 2009 1:48 PM ET
The Cincinnati Bengals placed Chris Henry on injured reserve on Monday and re-signed offensive lineman Scott Kooistra.
Henry underwent surgery on his left arm Monday morning, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said.
Henry fractured his left forearm on a 20-yard pass play in the second quarter of the Bengals' 17-7 victory over the Ravens on Sunday.
"We're fortunate that's one of our positions where Chris is our fourth guy and we're able to move forward and next guy up and go, you know," Lewis said. "He felt bad. He was excited to play yesterday, I don't know that I've ever seen him that excited to play and it's unfortunate he got hurt. You could tell he felt good after the time off and getting his legs back and under him. He felt good about it, with being sick before the Bear game, and then the week off, he probably had two weeks in a row and it gave him a chance to get his legs rejuvenated, so it's unfortunate, but that's the way it is."
Jerome Simpson and Quan Cosby will likely get more snaps in practice, but it's possible practice squad receiver Maurice Purify will be signed to the active roster, Lewis said.
On Sunday, Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer told the postgame radio show that Purify was the best fit to take over for Henry, but for that to happen, the Bengals would need to cut a player.
One thing to keep in mind with Purify is that he played well on special teams in the preseason and would be an asset on special teams.
Kooistra was released last week by the Bengals, the only NFL team of his seven-year career. Kooistra played in two games this season and was inactive for five.
GOOD NEWS FOR RIVERS, MATHIS - Lewis said the injuries suffered by linebacker Keith Rivers (right calf) and Evan Mathis (left ankle) were not as severe as they first thought.
Mathis said his injury is likely a "week-to-week thing," but he wouldn't rule out this week.
"It's not as bad as it could have been," Mathis said.
Lewis said he'll wait to make any decisions on those players until later in the week.
"It would have to be a matter as time goes on this week and how they come in on Wednesday," Lewis said.
The Bengals are fortunate that both players have backups who are former starters, Nate Livings and Brandon Johnson.
"(We're) fortunate to have some depth," Lewis said. "(Those) two guys that have played and had been at some point starters on the football team that now are backups. (They were able to) step in for guys who got injured. Both guys fared well when they got in those situations."
STOUT D -- The Bengals' rush defense is ranked No. 2 in the NFL, trailing only the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Bengals have allowed 83.9 yards rushing per game, the Steelers allow only 76.6.
The Bengals are ranked 14th in the league in total defense, allowing 325.5 yards per game.
SMITH PROGRESSING -- It was Lewis who originally pointed toward Sunday's game with the Ravens as the possible debut of first-round pick Andre Smith, but Smith was not active for the game.
"Andre's doing a great job, really fine job," Lewis said. "But Andre doesn't play guard, last I checked."
The newly re-signed Kooistra plays guard and tackle.
RAVENS NOTHING SPECIAL - Lewis seemed annoyed by questions about sweeping the Ravens, noting the Bengals swept the Ravens twice before in the Marvin Lewis era, 2007 and 2005.
"We swept Baltimore in other seasons past, we just didn't do it a year ago. And I think that's what I think some of the guys who have been around here are kind of aware of. Everybody seemed to make it a bigger game than it was," Lewis said. "It was another game in our division, it's a division football game and that's what it was, it was no more, no less. For whatever reason, people thought we were playing the '68 Packers, and we weren't."
For the record, the 1968 Packers were 6-7-1.
"It was another game in our division, and that's what it's all about," Lewis said. "They're a good football team, a good, physical football team that can throw the football and they have great, in my opinion, very good wide receivers and the quarterback's playing very well, they've got a great back in (Ray) Rice and another guy in (Willis) McGahee, a great fullback (Le'Ron McClain), and they play obviously great defense. So it was a good win, it was a hard-fought, tough win, but when you go out here on Sundays in the NFL, that's what it's all about. You've got to go play. As I told you, the team that took care of the ball was going to more than likely win the football game, and that's the way it's been in our games versus the Ravens."
However, Lewis did go out on a limb and acknowledge that wins over division opponents are "good."
"It's one of our goals is to win the division and in order to win the division you need to beat the division teams. You can't win the division and skirt around beating these three teams," Lewis said. "We know how physical these guys are. We take pride in this division. It didn't surprise me that Baltimore beat Denver. It wouldn't surprise me if Pittsburgh beats Denver. I expect them to be 6-2 when we go to Pittsburgh on Sunday. We expect the teams in this division to play well when they go outside the division. You have to man up when you come over here and that's the way it's going to be."
BACK TO SCHOOL - Bengals safety Chinedum Ndukwe will be participating in the NFL's Take a Player to School program on Tuesday, when he picks up 1st grader John Wharton and accompanies him Ockerman Elementary School in Florence, Ky.
Ndukwe will speak to students about the importance of good health.
Categories: Cincinnati Bengals, Featured Stories, News
Tags: Brandon Johnson, Chinedum Ndukwe, Chris Henry, Evan Mathis, Jerome Simpson, Marvin Lewis, Maurice Purify, Nate Livings, Quan Cosby, Scott Kooistra
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