Sunday, January 02, 2000
Bengals bring controversy into finale
Pickens' remarks created tension
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
JACKSONVILLE — The Bengals must not have been Y2K compliant, because they begin the new century in a bunker under siege.
Not only do they end the black cloud season on the road here against one of the NFL's best teams at ALLTEL Stadium, but they get the Jaguars flush off a humiliating loss to Tennessee that makes today's game Super Bowl important. Jacksonville is bidding to win the AFC Central, secure home-field advantage for the playoffs and soothe seething coach Tom Coughlin.
The Jags tried to help the Bengals by giving quarterback Jay Fielder his first NFL start because of a knee injury to Pro Bowl quarterback Mark Brunell, but that wasn't interesting enough for Cincinnati.
Wide receiver Carl Pickens revealed a locker-room split last week when he said several players questioned management's decision to bring back coach Bruce Coslet next season and then issued an apology hours later.
Throw in that their best offensive lineman, right tackle Willie Anderson (ankle) won't play, left tackle Rod Jones is doubtful with a questionable knee and Pro Bowl running back Corey Dillon might not play with a swollen kneecap and the Bengals have to be feeling nostalgic about the good ol' '90s.
“I don't think so,” said Dillon, when asked if the Pickens-Coslet rift hurts the team to day. “What do words have to do with actually going out and playing? If words hurt you, then maybe you shouldn't be playing the game.”
You can get 53 different opinions. Cornerback Artrell Hawkins probably said it best.
“It obviously created a little tension in the locker room with it blowing up in the press,” Hawkins said. “We're working on it not affecting us.”
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