Sunday, December 12, 1999
Players to watch
• With Hyden, Ky., just three hours away and the University of Kentucky 90 minutes south, Cinergy's farewell is Tim Couch's NFL homecoming.
He's given the folks something to be proud of with a gutty rookie season in which he has thrown 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions despite taking more shots than George W. and Al Gore.
Couch has been sacked 49 times and how bad is the running game? His 40-yarder is the Browns' longest run. Bengals' coaches are impressed with his moxie and feet out of the pocket, but they're shocked he's not avoiding more hits.
Of the last five quarterbacks taken with the NFL's first draft pick, Couch's passing rating of 72.5 is better than all but Jeff George's 73.8 rating in 1990 and is slightly ahead of Peyton Manning's 71.2 from last season.
• Rookie right cornerback Daylon McCutcheon has been one of the few bright spots in a veteran secondary generating surprisingly few plays. McCutcheon has the lone interception for cornerbacks, and that was more than two months ago.
When they were perusing cornerbacks in the draft back in April, the Bengals were concerned with the 5-foot-8, 180-pound McCutcheon's size. For the past month, Bengal receivers Darnay Scott and Carl Pickens have bullied slight corners in racking up big numbers.
Pickens ripped the ball away from two different 49er cornerbacks in the end zone last week and Scott has gotten off the line enough to lead the AFC with 18.8 yards per his third-down catches.
Ryan McNeil, the Browns other corner, lost the infamous jump ball to Pickens on the Bengals' last play of their Oct. 10 win.
• Inside backers Takeo Spikes and Brian Simmons may be the heart and soul. Quarterback Jeff Blake may be the trigger man. Receiver Darnay Scott may be the Pro Bowler and receiver Carl Pickens the record setter. But the man who makes the Bengals go is running back Corey Dillon.
They are 9-2 in games he runs 22 or more times, 3-0 this season, including his mauling of the Browns and their NFL-worst run defense for 168 yards back in October.
When Dillon runs it at least 22 times, the Bengals average 28.3 points. He's just 19 yards away from becoming the 11th man in history to rush for 1,000 in each of his first three seasons and 150 away from a career high.
• Veteran left John Copeland has flourished in the Bengals' four-man line.
Last week against the 49ers, he had an interception and a pass defensed. Two weeks ago, he personally stuffed the Steelers' second-half comeback.
Copeland drilled running back Richard Huntley for a two-yard loss on third-and-two and took them out of field-goal range on the next play when he and Michael Bankston shared a sack. In the fourth quarter, he stoned running back Jerome Bettis on third-and-one.
Copeland also a had a clutch fourth quarter against Browns right tackle Orlando Brown in October. On third-and-six from his 15, Copeland sacked Tim Couch and forced a field goal that made it a five-point lead instead of insurmountable nine.
Bengals Stories
Will Griffey wait for Reds?
Bowden didn't want to repeat Herschel Walker deal
Bowden pursuing other deals
UC 74, Mississippi Valley State 48
Huggins looking for killer instinct
Land's eligibility to be evaluated
Xavier 94, Central Michigan 75
Turner sits game under suspension
Shootout week starts today for fans
Miami 71, Notre Dame 55
Miami Notebook
Maryland 72, Kentucky 66
Tougher Woods could make Arizona great
Speedway adds 2nd ARCA race
Cincinnati boys basketball roundup
Ohio boys basketball scores
Cincinnati girls basketball roundup
Ohio girls basketball scores
Padgett runs to 9th place in national meet
Kentucky boys basketball scores
Kentucky girls basketball scores
N.Ky. boys basketball roundup
N.Ky. girls basketball roundup
No. 5 Shelby County downs No. 9 Brossart
St. Xavier wins showdown with Tol. St. Francis
Wrestling rule targets rapid weight loss
Frisk gives football 1 more shot
Hershey 4, Mighty Ducks 2
Orlando 6, Cyclones 3
Stuff 112, Richmond 90
