Veteran receiver Darnay Scott might have been the player the Bengals could have least afforded to lose from their offense. On Sunday, they lost the one player from their defense that is almost irreplaceable.

        Linebacker Brian Simmons will miss 10-to-12 weeks after tearing cartilage in his right knee in the Bengals' 24-7 loss to Cleveland. He will have surgery today and is unlike ly to play the rest of the season.

        The top candidates to replace Simmons are already on the roster.

        Undrafted college free agent Armegis Spearman replaced Simmons and played 15 plays in the fourth quarter. He had four tackles and made no errors, linebackers coach Mark Duffner said Monday.

        “We should be OK,” Duffner said.

        The other potential replacements are veterans Adrian Ross — who started 10 games last season — and Billy Granville. A longshot is Miami University prod uct JoJuan Armour, who played linebacker in college but was moved to safety in the NFL. He is a member of the Bengals' practice squad.

        “I told the backup linebackers they're no longer backups,” coach Bruce Colset said. “We're going to fing our who's going to be the best.”

        The Bengals are against moving outside linebacker Takeo Spikes to Simmons' position in the middle. Coslet and Duffner said moving Spikes would mean having to teach two players new positions.

        Spikes will do whatever coaches tell him, he said, but on Monday, at least, his thoughts were primarily on his running mate.

        “The main thing is we're so used to playing with each other that we don't even have to say anything on the field,” said Spikes, who was drafted in the first round with Simmons in 1998. “I just can't go out there and make up for what he did. If I did that, I would overwork myself and not be able to do what I have to do.”

        The helmet of a Browns player hit Simmons' knee on the second to the last play of the third quarter. He stayed in game for the next play but couldn't move his knee. Spikes had leg cramps on the same play and came to the sideline to have tape cut off, and for a few moments, it appeared the Bengals might have lost both linebackers to injury.

        “I just got to take it in stride and have faith in the next player who comes in and play his position,” Spikes said.

        Neither Ross, Spearman nor Granville had a lot to say Monday to reporters. Granville was inactive for the Cleveland game. Ross has played mainly on special teams but was credited for the tackle on the 4th-and-2 play on the Browns' first drive Sunday.

        “I don't know what we're going to do right now, said Ross, a former free agent from Colorado State who started 10 games at right outside linebacker last season before the Bengals switched to a three-linebacker defense. He had 18 tackles in those starts.

        “It's a big loss,” Ross said of Simmons. “He's probably one of the best linebackers in the league. He's a big part of what we do.”

        Simmons, who had the Bengals only sack Sunday, was one of the best players on a defense that allowed the most points in the NFL the last two seasons — 452 and 460 points. Like Scott, who broke his leg during training camp, Simmons was counted on to take pressure off young, developing players around him.

        Spikes feel the added responsibility to play even better with Simmons out.

        “I got to be more active. I've got to be around the ball every time,” he said. “It's been put on my back. I can't get injured You get a little nick, you got to fight through it and worry about it after the game.”

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