Monday, October 11, 1999'Money player' Pickens pays off
BY TOM GROESCHEN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
CLEVELAND — This is why Bengals President Mike Brown shelled out $23 million for Carl Pickens.
![[pickens]](http://bengals.enquirer.com/img/photos/1999/10/101199pickens2_200x137.jpg)
Carl Pickens grabs a 5-yard TD pass in the second quarter.
(AP photo)
| ZOOM |The Bengals' franchise player won the game for Cincinnati here Sunday, catching two touchdown passes, including the game-winning 2-yard lob from Akili Smith with five seconds left.
Pickens, who held out of training camp after saying he would never play for the Bengals again, signed a five-year, $23-million deal just two days before the season opener.
“We all know he's a money player,” tight end Tony McGee said. “You put him in the right situation, give him the opportunity to make plays, and he'll do it.”
Before Sunday, Pickens had just 12 catches this season for 119 yards (9.9 average) and no touchdowns. He was on pace to catch just 48 passes, after averaging 81 receptions per year since 1994.
But now, he apparently is back to what he once was, the 7-foot high jumper who renders cornerbacks helpless on the Bengals' patented high lobs to him in the end zone.
“This is just like Carl said, that this (Browns game) is really his first game of the year, after four preseason games,” McGee said. “You've kind of got to look at it that way.”
The unpredictable Pickens dressed hurriedly after Sunday's game, and avoided several reporters' attempts to question him. The Browns' public relations staff did obtain some quickie quotes from him, including:
“It was a great win for us, and it is about time.”
On the play of Akili Smith:
“He played a great game, and we need to build on this.”
Smith said the lob pass was put in by the Bengals at halftime. Pickens had caught a 5-yard TD pass from Smith that cut Cleveland's lead to 14-12 just before the half.
“We knew we had a mismatch with Carl, but they did not have the corner out there that we were looking for,” Smith said. “We were looking for the rookie, (Daylon) McCutcheon, but they had (Ryan) McNeil, who is a veteran and has been in the league for six or seven years. I put it up there and Carl made the catch.”
Coach Bruce Coslet said the play was more than just a two-man show.
“It was a pretty nice throw, but I think Carl went up and got it,” Coslet said. “If you look at that play, (Smith) had plenty of separation between him and his line so he could step into his throw. It all starts up front with the line doing their job.”
Pickens didn't have a big statistical game Sunday, with seven catches for just 38 yards. But he pushed his career total to 492 catches, extending his team lead over the retired Cris Collinsworth (417).
“He's one of the elite receivers in the league,” guard Brian DeMarco said. “He's got the intangibles to do special things like he did today. We're glad he came back, believe me.”
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'Money player' Pickens pays off