Sunday, November 14, 1999Players to watch
• Titans' running back Eddie George may not be having one of those monster years since he's averaging just 70.6 yards rushing per game. But how many times have you heard that about an opposing runner before he played the Bengals?
Pittsburgh's Jerome Bettis logged his first 100-yard game of the year and equalled his touchdowns in the previous 15 games (2) against Cincinnati.
Jacksonville's Fred Taylor came off a month on the injured list and ripped off 100 yards in the first half.
Last week Ricky Watters gave Seattle its first rushing touchdown of the year on their second play from scrimmage.
Beware, Eddie George. He's due at Cinergy Field, where he's had just 97 yards on the ground the previous two seasons.
• Nobody knows who is the Super Bowl favorite or the odds-on choice for MVP. But everyone knows Tennessee rookie left end Jevon Kearse is the NFL's defensive rookie of the year.
He was already named Defensive Rookie of the Month in September and they beter clear the decks for November after he had a forced fumble, two tackles for loss and half a sack last week against Miami. In just eight games, Kearse has established himself as a force with seven tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and 10 quarterback pressures.
“How many guys in this league weigh 270 pounds and run a 4.4 (seconds in the 40-yard dash)?” asks Bengals right tackle Willie Anderson. “He's a freak and he's getting better all the time.”
Anderson also could have asked how many guys have an 86-inch wingspan and have nearly as many sacks (4.5) as passes defensed (3). • Bengals right tackle Willie Anderson has quietly gone about his business the last two weeks.
Two weeks ago, he played against Jacksonville despite a sprained knee and then injured his foot chasing down an interception even though the Bengals were getting blown away. Then with the bad foot and and tender knee last week, he blanked sackmaster Michael Sinclair for a half before Sinclair left injured.
Sinclair leads the NFL in sacks the last four seasons and Anderson knows he's going against a guy today who may lead the league the next four seasons in rookie left end Jevon Kearse.
“He's already one of the top five defensive ends in the league,” Anderson says. “He's a lot better than he was that first game. I've got to keep moving my feet and make sure I play my game and don't let him dictate what I do.”
• Takeo Spikes is the heart of this defense and Brian Simmons is the soul and the inside linebackers are trying to revive a defense reeling from allowing 78 points and 356 yards on the ground the past two weeks.
They not only have to worry about running back Eddie George on the ground, but Spikes and Simmons will draw him many times when the Titans try to isolate George in the open field on screens and swing passes.
The Bengals lost him twice on big passes in Tennessee's final two drives in the opener. George ran in a 17-yard catch with just under five minutes left to cut the Bengals lead to two, and then ignited the winning drive with a nine-yard catch on the first play.
Bengals Stories
Huggins has calm inside the storm
Huggins timeline
East Carolina 48, UC 34
Xavier 91, Athletes in Action 67 looks West
Xavier needs pre-injury Williams
Slow start for McAfee in exhibition
Each roadtrip offers a winning way to forget Bengals
Lakota West girls state soccer champs
Summit wins boys soccer title
MND repeats state volleyball title
Title slips away from Roger Bacon
Ohio 40, Miami 28
Illinois 43, Ohio State 14
Preseason No. 1s keep falling down
Stuff starts trimming roster
MacWilliams makes most of second shot
Michigan sweeps Miami in hockey
Mighty Ducks 3, Saint John 1
Orlando 7, Cyclones 3
NKU advance in NCAA soccer
Young TMC team looks for 6th winning year in row
Players to watch