BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Defensive end John Copeland's season debut is going to wait another week.
Copeland was activated this week after missing all season with a torn Achilles, but the Bengals decided he wasn't ready to play in a game and won't dress him Sunday.
Expect wide receiver Darnay Scott (turf toe) to be made a game-day inactive.
Trainer Paul Sparling said, "Darnay doesn't look good at all. It's an injury very tough on speed guys."
Also deactivated for Sunday are G Scott Shaw, DL Glen Steele and OLB Steve Foley.
Long snapper Greg Truitt (shoulder, ankle) is healthy for the first time in five games.
Third-down blues
The Bengals will have to come up with something else to combat their woes on third-and-short and fourth and short.
Last week they brought backup quarterback Jeff Blake into the game on short yardage and the only first down they got was on a penalty. They can't go to Blake this week until the fourth quarter because he's the emergency quarterback at No. 3.
How bad on third and short? When it's 3rd-and-2, or 3rd-and-1, the Bengals are a brutal 45.8 percent (11-for-24). Consider that the Jets, Denver and Buffalo have a success rate between 44.6 and 43.9 percent on ALL their third-down tries.
Ambrose to shop
Cornerback Ashley Ambrose's agent thinks the Bengals have sent his client a message by not trying to negotiate a long-term contract before the season ends.
Kennard McGuire said Friday it's doubtful there would be any talks with the club after the season and before free agency begins Feb. 12.
"I'm not shutting the door on anything," McGuire said Friday. "But I would think if it got to that point, you would just wait and see what your value is on the open market. They seem to be saying that he's not one of their top priorities."
Health check
Ambrose's health is certainly a top priority this week.
In an NFL far, far away, Bengals defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau set the durability record for cornerbacks by playing in 171 straight games with the Detroit Lions.
He only wishes his players were stalking the record. There's a slight chance the NFL's Iron Corner could go into Sunday's game against Baltimore with his top three cornerbacks out with injury. No. 3 corner Corey Sawyer has been shelved for the season with a knee injury, and the two starters, Ambrose (knee) and rookie Artrell Hawkins (ankle) barely practiced Friday.
But they looked better than they did Thursday, which had LeBeau hopeful the game-time decision on both players would be a good one. "Artrell, I think, is going to make it," LeBeau said. "I've got hope for Ashley. He can do a lot more (Friday). You have to be able to run and change direction."
Hawkins believes he can pivot and push off on the ankle, but he did very little of that Friday when he worked about seven or eight snaps, saving it for Sunday. He smiled when LeBeau's record was mentioned.
"I remember him telling us about the record early in the season," Hawkins said. "I can't stop now. I want to be able to match that streak. It's amazing. That's a lot of years. I've only played 10 games, and I might miss Sunday."
It's a good thing the Ravens don't use three wideouts as much as they used to on first and second down. But they still go in three-receiver sets on third down, when they also occasionally use four receivers. If Ambrose and Hawkins can't go, the Bengals would line up with starters Thomas Randolph and rookie Roosevelt Blackmon, and converted safety Tremain Mack as the No. 3 corner.
This and that
If you think the Bengals gave left tackle Kevin Sargent a lot of help last week by sliding left guard Rich Braham to the Vikings' John Randle, expect more of the same this week.
Sargent is matched against Baltimore defensive end Mike McCrary, the AFC sack leader with 12.5. On Sept. 27 in Baltimore, McCrary had one sack in a game Sargent hurt his leg and was replaced by Anthony Brown.
"AB played him pretty well," said offensive line coach Paul Alexander. "No question McCrary is playing at a Pro Bowl level. He's arguably the best defensive player in our conference."
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