Saturday, October 30, 1999
BENGALS NOTEBOOK
Anderson, Copeland may not play
BY TOM GROESCHEN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Bengals face the unenviable prospect of having their best offensive and defensive linemen subpar for Sunday's game with 5-1 Jacksonville.
Right tackle Willie Anderson's sprained right knee ligament improved Friday, although coach Bruce Coslet stopped short of naming Anderson a starter.
Defensive end John Copeland, the Bengals' sacks leader with 31/2, has a sprained shoulder but is expected to play.
The situation is more acute on the offensive line, where Anderson is dearly needed against the NFL's No.1-ranked defense.
“He'll be active; I'll tell you that,” Coslet said. “Even if we have to tape his legs straight and finish the game with him, that's where we are right now with our offensive line depth.”
Right guard Brian DeMarco is out two to four weeks after having surgery on both elbows this week, so the Bengals need every man they can get. Veteran Jay Leeuwenburg, obtained off waivers from Indianapolis in September, will start in place of DeMarco.
YEAST RETURNING: Rookie receiver Craig Yeast is expected to play for the first time since the season opener.
Yeast has been bothered by a high ankle sprain, which he suffered on the fourth day of training camp. He played in the opener at Tennessee, but the club didn't like how he ran on the ankle. He has been deactivated each week since.
“Our intention is to have him active (Sunday),” Coslet said. “Last week he started showing signs of coming closer to full-go. This week, he's looked pretty good.”
A JUNGLE DOWN THERE: Place-kicker Doug Pelfrey, a Bengal since 1993, said the 1-6 Bengals badly need some excitement.
“We need a shot of some fun, like when Jeff Blake came in 1994,” Pelfrey said.
That was the year Blakemania resurrected a dying franchise, with Blake's long passes electrifying the city from midseason on.
“I think the majority of fans want us to do well,” Pelfrey said. “They don't come down hoping we'll lose. But I guess if someone pays $40, they also want to get their $40 worth of booing in. For a home game, we can't afford to have an away crowd.”
Pelfrey, who grew up in Northern Kentucky, remembers the Bengalmania that swept the city in both the 1981 and '88 Super Bowl seasons. He knows that when the Bengals are hot, there's nothing quite like it in Cincinnati.
“The fact that people keep coming out, that's a tribute to our fans,” he said. “We need our fans right now to support us.”
GOOD WEEK: Coslet said the Bengals had a good week of practice, although he knows that is an old refrain.
“We'll see how that plays out on Sunday,” he said.
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE?: Coslet responded quickly when someone mentioned Friday that, on paper, it seems impossible for the Bengals to beat 12-point favorite Jacksonville.
“Nothing is impossible,” he said. “Why play the game, then? Just give me the day off.”
Then: “We'll show up and play.”
BOO-DAY: The Bengals are encouraging fans attending Sunday's game to wear Halloween costumes, but the team emphasizes that the costumes should be in good taste. Face masks and projectiles will not be permitted in the stadium.
The fans in the best costumes will be brought to the field and featured on the video board during timeouts. Those fans also will receive gifts from the Bengals.
Bengals Stories
Reds face Indians twice in 2000
2000 Reds schedule
Xavier guards best friends
UC-Miami brings out best in rivals
PREP FOOTBALL PAGE
New blood invigorates OSU defense
Avon not just for running elite
CYCLONES 3, LONG BEACH 2
Stuff sign Louisville's Sanders
Notre Dame ousted in Kentucky volleyball
