Thursday, November 25, 1999
Blake's focus here, for now
QB, Bengals expect he'll play elsewhere next year
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Jeff Blake loves playing the Steelers. Sometimes he's won (three starts) and sometimes he's lost (five starts), but he's always liked competing against one of the NFL's top defenses. So it's fitting his five-game farewell tour begins Sunday at Three Rivers Stadium.
Blake said Wednesday he hasn't thought about the future. But even though there's a good possibility the Bengals' quarterback of the future, Akili Smith, won't play the rest of the year with his severely sprained right big toe, Blake and management drop plenty of hints indicating neither will be surprised if Blake isn't back next season.
Blake on running back Corey Dillon: “I'd like to get him 100 yards at least once with me before I leave.”
Bengals President Mike Brown on keeping Blake around since Smith has lost so much time this season to injury and holdout: “There's no reason to think Akili won't be fine in the future, certainly for next year.
“We're counting on him. We put our bet down and we're going to play it out. The choice is (Blake's). It's hard for someone to go from the No.1 spot to the No.2 spot. I'm sure that plays in Jeff's mind, and I would understand if it made him reluctant about returning here.”
Blake, a strip of tape with the words “Steeler Week” on his helmet, says he'll simply play out the season as hard as possible. And he said there is plenty of incentive, since some of the teams he will be playing against could call in February.
Wednesday, coach Bruce Coslet silenced any notion that Blake would be benched so backups Scott Covington and Eric Kresser can get work. And Brown doesn't think this year has been a total loss for Smith and won't consider him a rookie next season.
“He will have been with us for the whole season. That's a big learning experience,” Brown said. “He's played as much as most rookie quarterbacks. It's very rare that they play as much as Peyton Manning last year and (Tim) Couch this year. It's not all brand new to him and that will benefit him.”
Smith said he still has pain in his injured toe when he tries to throw or run, and is keeping in mind what a foot specialist told him last week — that Heath Shuler had the same injury and ruined an offseason by coming back too early.
“When I'm healthy, I'll be out there,” Smith said.
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