Sunday, August 20, 2000
BENGALS NOTEBOOK
Players: Opening night 'electrifying'
By Tom Groeschen and John Erardi
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Bengals players seemed energized by their new Paul Brown Stadium digs Saturday night. A victory and 56,180 enthusiastic fans can do that for you.
It started with a military jet flyover and ended with a fireworks display. And the Bengals made it fun by winning 24-20.
“Man, I was pumped when those jets went over,” cornerback Rodney Heath said. “What was that, the Stealth fighters? The only other time I've seen that was last year when we opened the Tennessee stadium. It's just a whole different atmosphere here now.”
The players had little love for their erstwhile home down the pike, Cinergy Field. The old park produced two Super Bowl teams in the 1980s but mostly misery in the 1990s.
Rookie receiver Peter Warrick, who scored the first Bengal touchdown in “PBS” Saturday, could play a large role in making this a happier home.
Warrick punctuated his TD with what he dubbed, “The Paul Brown Leap,” a takeoff on the Lambeau Leap of Green Bay. Warrick scored on a 14-yard reverse and then jumped into the arms of fans behind the end zone.
“That was planned,” Warrick said. “It was a great feeling having the crowd back you up like that.”
Naturally, players were euphoric.
“It was electrifying,” said Heath, who watched and played in many games at Riverfront/Cinergy. “The old place could get loud, but we're starting over in here. This is a good building block.”
Running back Corey Dillon already had called the stadium “the best in the NFL.” He repeated that Saturday night.
“It's wonderful,” he said. “We grabbed a win for these fans. It was a must-win. The thing I loved the most was that nobody got down when we got behind. We came back and wound up winning.”
Quarterback Akili Smith said he loved it all, including the much-maligned “Wave” performed by fans several times.
“The fans were going crazy the whole time, and that's what it's all about,” Smith said. “They got a good impression from us, and we came out with a big win.”
Hometown product Heath was thrilled to get the first Bengals interception in the stadium.
“It makes it sweet,” he said. “I was jacked up. I'll tell you, we're trying to rebuild, and this is a first step. We've got to get away from that, "Here we go again' mentality, and I think this will help. You want to win at home, and this was a good start.”
DILLON RETURNS: Dillon made his first preseason appearance and gained 16 yards on seven carries (2.3-yard average). His longest run was 4 yards.
Dillon ended his contract holdout Aug.10 but by all reports is in good playing shape.
“I'm just about where I need to be,” he said. “It felt good to be back. I was loosening up and getting back to my old mode.”
Dillon saw limited time, as expected.
“Once the season starts, I'll be ready to go,” he said.
THE OTHER SIDE: Bears coach Dick Jauron credited the Bengals' offense, to a degree.
“It looked to me like sloppy tackling at times,” he said. “I didn't feel we got any pressure on the passer. I thought the Bengals executed well. They have talented players, they are well-coached, so it wasn't all us.”
Still, Jauron knew he had lost to one of the NFL's lesser lights.
“We're certainly better than that,” he said.
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Players: Opening night 'electrifying'