Sunday, August 01, 1999
BENGALS NOTEBOOK
Blake sits out with splint
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Jeff Blake puts pressure on his right fingers during practice Saturday.
(AP photo)
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GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Jeff Blake is unbowed after avoiding a major injury in Friday night's first practice of Bengals training camp.
Blake sat out Saturday's practice with a splint on his right index finger, but the starting quarterback expects to be back in there today. He tried to squeeze the ball before Saturday morning's skills sessons, but when he had some pain he was told him to lay off for a day or two.
Blake strained a tendon af ter he released a pass and his finger got jammed on the lower arm of defensive lineman Kimo von Oelhoffen. Coach Bruce Coslet reminded the defense before Saturday's practice to run past a quarterback who is highly visible wearing an orange pullover. But Friday's play showed how stuff happens in football because it wasn't really anyone's fault as von Oelhoffen got pushed into Blake as he tried to avoid him.
Cope-ing
A much bulkier and stronger defensive end John Copeland looks terrific, and if you're wondering what he'd been like if he worked out all his career like he has the past two off-seasons, so is Copeland.
Corey Sawyer, right, talks with Takeo Spikes during practice.
(AP photo)
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Copeland has been solid, but the club has always expected a little more from their 1993 first-round pick they wanted to spend more time in the weight rom to build up his upper body. He may give it to them as recovers from the Achilles injury that robbed him of all but the last month of last season.
“I did enough to get by,” he said, “but I really started to get into it and enjoy a lot more. I can feel the difference. When I hit the guy. I'm hitting with more impact.”
Copeland has one of the few offseason workout bonuses on the team.
Punt for dough
Punter Brad Costello has had some impressive punts during the first two days, drilling one about 70 yards Saturday.
During Friday night's practice, defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau exclaimed to Coslet, “He's punting like Yale Lary.”
Eric Kresser looks back to hand the ball off to an oncoming rusher.
(Thomas E. Witte photo)
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Lary was LeBeau's fellow defensive back on the Detroit Lions who led the NFL in punting three times and whose 48.9 average in 1963 is the second best season of all-time next to Sammy Baugh's 51.4 in 1940.
“It's real important,” Coslet said. “He'll probably punt 70 to 80 times and that's going to be our most used offensive play. That's the only one that will consistently average 35 to 40 yards.”
Chalk talk
Left cornerback Corey Sawyer picked off a pass for a touchdown during practice, just like he did last season to beat the Lions in overtime before blowing out his knee and missing the last 13 weeks.
“Right now I'm just trying to sharpen up and get the rust off from missing so much time last year,” Sawyer said. “I'm concentrating on the basics like footwork and angles and not worrying about much else.”
Position watch
With Akili Smith unsigned and Jeff Blake shelved, backup Eric Kresser and rookie Scott Covington took all the snaps Saturday.
Coslet continues to say Kresser has the best throwing motion on the club. You have to figure one of them's not going to stick because Kresser isn't eligible for the practice squad and Covington would most likely get picked up on waivers if they tried to hide him there.
Injury report
OLB James Francis missed practice with a sore knee and is day-to-day. An MRI showed there is no tear of the cartilage, which he tore last season.
Quote
“Everybody sign at least 10 autographs before you go in (to the locker room)” — Special teams coach Al Roberts and linebackers coach Mark Duffner told the players after the finished their sprints.
Contract update
Some changes in language could get second-round pick Charles Fisher signed as soon as today.
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