Tuesday, November 30, 1999
BENGALS NOTEBOOK
Akili may return for last 2 games of this season
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Bengals rookie quarterback Akili Smith's sprained right big toe has taken a turn for the better and he'll do his first drills today indoors to see how close he is to returning to practice.
Smith has been telling trainer Paul Sparling his goal is to return by the Dec.12 game against the Browns, but Monday he admitted he didn't think the rematch against Tim Couch would come off.
“Hopefully I can play in the last two games,” Smith said. “I'd love to be back for Cleveland, but I don't think it's going to happen.”
Smith gets an extra week of rest with the Dec. 19 bye before the Bengals finish in Baltimore and Jacksonville.
A week ago, the Bengals didn't think Smith would play again this season. But Sparling said Smith had a good week.
“It's a gradual progress, and we'll let him practice as symptoms allow,” Sparling said. “We'll see how he responds to (today's drills) on Wednesday.”
TUMULTY OUT: Inside linebacker Tom Tumulty heard the dreaded words Monday when coach Bruce Coslet informed him he was going on injured reserve for the rest of the season. The move momentarily derails Tumulty's 14-month comeback from reconstructive knee surgery after he returned to practice for the past three weeks.
“The worst thing about it is I can't practice,” said Tumulty, who has put himself though a grueling rehab. “There's no swelling in the knee. Dr. (Rob) Heidt told me last week it's the best he's seen it. It's tight. ... But the people closest to me are telling me it's probably for the best.”
The problem is that Tumulty practices well on a Wednesday, but comes up a bit sore the following days. And it's not his knees that bother him, but the muscles around it.
“The coaches told me they'd need me for 25 snaps and special teams and I don't know if I can do that,” Tumulty said. “In the NFL, you can't keep a 54th guy who can play just three plays and then go to the sidelines and get his knee iced and a Gatorade. ... Now I figure I'll just be back at mini-camp and won't look back.”
STEELER TALK: With quarterback Kordell Stewart's career in tatters, some Pittsburgh media pressed Bengals quarterback Jeff Blake Sunday on his interest in coming to the Steelers as a free agent. Blake shrugged off the question, but on Monday he admitted he's looking for a warm weather city and grass field. Translation: Tampa Bay or Miami.
GAME BALLS: Coach Bruce Coslet gave out two game balls on offense, one each to his 100-yard rusher, Corey Dillon, and 100-yard receiver Darnay Scott. Coslet also praised Scott for his blocking and was shaking his head over Scott's 76-yard touchdown catch on the third play of the game.
“Darnay got on his horse. That's probably the fastest I've ever seen Darnay run,” Coslet said. “We still don't know how fast he is. He runs the (40-yard dash) fast at mini-camp, but he doesn't really run (like a pass pattern). So I have no idea how fast he is. He's fast.”
Cornerback Rodney Heath got the defensive game ball for his two interceptions and game-saving pass breakup. Linebacker Canute Curtis got the special teams game ball.
HOME SWEET WHAT? The Bengals have never gone winless at home during a season. With two games left, they're still looking for one in '99.
"We need a home win,” Coslet said. “Everything else is out the window. We need to win at home. Period. Case closed. We owe it to our fans, we owe it to ourselves.”
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BEARCATS NOTEBOOK
