Tuesday, September 21, 1999BENGALS NOTEBOOK
Coslet: Pickens still not ready
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati EnquirerCoach Bruce Coslet reiterated his unhappiness with the receivers in Sunday's 34-7 loss to the Chargers.
After Coslet said he'd start Carl Pickens earlier in the week, Willie Jackson got the first few snaps. While Coslet said there was no particular reason for that, and Pickens played about 40 snaps to Jackson's 20, Coslet admitted Pickens isn't ready after six months of not running patterns.
“We didn't run the type of patterns that we're used to seeing from our guys, for whatever reason,” Coslet said. “The depth in several instances were wrong, not enough burst, not enough separation. It's very uncharacteristic of the group of receivers we have ... That's not the Carl Pickens we signed to a ($23 million) five-year contract.”
Coslet said Smith's interception on a pass intended to Pickens could be blamed on both. Pickens didn't run a good route and Smith led him too far to the sideline.
Pickens and receiver Darnay Scott declined comment.
POSITIVE SIGN: Bengals right tackle Willie Anderson is looking for a sign, any good sign for the 0-2 Bengals. He thinks he found a couple in Akili Smith's huddle during the second half of Sunday's game.
One of the thing the Bengals liked about Smith is his personality, which he is starting to flash.
“He came back in the huddle after taking a sack on a bootleg and said, "My fault. I should have thrown it. That's not on you guys, that's on me,'” Anderson said. “Then he got on (rookie fullback) Nick Williams for doing something. I thought, that's a sign. I was watching (Cleveland rookie quarterback) Tim Couch and they both have confidence.”
As for Williams, Smith said, “He needs to speed up out here. He's got to burst through on certain plays to get that block and get Corey (Dillon) through.”
Smith said he'll get more verbal this week if he's playing.
None of which surprises rookie receiver Damon Griffin, Smith's Oregon teammate.
“I just look at him and I know he's going to be OK,” Griffin said. “It's a learning process. But the NFL is all about the mental part and he's still the best competitor I know.”
BLAKE SPEAKS: Quarterback Jeff Blake told former Jet guard Matt O'Dwyer Monday,“if you were still in New York, you'd be 0-2, too.
“I was just trying to lighten it up, but the point is the Jets aren't a bad team and we aren't either,” Blake said. “They'll come out of it and so will we.”
Blake on locker room tantrums to shake up a team: “I tried that and got laughed at (after a 29-27 loss to the Giants two years ago). I've cried. I've tried everything.”
INJURY UPDATE: SS Greg Myers (sprained right ankle) will be limited this week. . . FB Brian Milne (sprained knee) expects to play this week after being deactivated Sunday: “I didn't want to hurt the team. It was OK at Spinney Field, but taking on Junior Seau in a lead block is a different story.”
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