Saturday, October 13, 2001
Bengals Notebook
Time for practice to pay off
By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Coach Dick LeBeau called Sunday's loss at Pittsburgh the Bengals' poorest effort of the season and said the place to fix it was on the practice field. A week of practice ended Friday, and LeBeau declared it a success. But the final test will come Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.
I saw a little more attention to detail and focus, things about what we have to do to play our kind of football, LeBeau said. I just think that all of us don't feel particularly good about how we played our last game. That's a good thing about our business. You get the next game to do something about it.
LeBeau made just one player change in the starting lineup, inserting former Miami University star JoJuan Armour at strong safety, switching starter Cory Hall from strong safety to free safety and putting free safety Chris Carter on the bench.
LeBeau said Carter and Darryl Williams, whose foot injury is improving, will play.
But, LeBeau said, the team's nickel and dime pass-defense setups will remain the same, with cornerback Tom Carter staying in those roles. Second-year cornerbacks Robert Bean and Mark Ro man will stay behind Carter.
ACHES AND PAINS: Defensive end Vaughn Booker, given time off to rest his ailing knees, and linebacker Adrian Ross, who has a thigh injury, returned to practice Friday.
CLOSE SERIES: The Bengals could pull even in the series at 28-28-0 with a victory Sunday against the Browns. It's one of the closest in the NFL between teams that have played more than 50 times.
The closest series are the Packers and Vikings, who are 39-39-1; and the Dolphins and Jets, who are 35-35-1. Next is the Chiefs and Raiders, with the Chiefs leading 42-41-2. Then comes the Bengals and Browns.
Bengals Stories
Xavier will hit court running
Logan ready to shoot or pass
Frazier finds his place at UC
Knight opens first season at Texas Tech
Pitino era at Louisville begins
UK fans greet basketball with high hopes
Cavs-Nets game tonight at Cintas
Miami on roll in MAC
Ohio State defense doing its job
Tested Tigers ready for UK
Baseball playoffs report
Lemon Monroe fifth in state golf tourney
Prep football page
St. Xavier 16, Elder 13
Bigger tests await Willingham
How Top 10 teams fared
Ohio football scores
Kentucky football scores
Indiana football scores
Anderson 29, Amelia 0
Batavia 18, Bethel Tate 8
Beechwood 42, Holy Cross 0
Bellevue 37, Ludlow 0
Boone County 17, Dixie Heights 13
Campbell County 28, Conner 13
Cin. Hills Christian Academy 33, Landmark Christian 16
Cincinnati Country Day 37, Lockland 6
Colerain 42, Middletown 0
East Central 31, La Salle 21
Goshen 21, Norwood 14
Hamilton 17, Oak Hills 14
Harrison 40, Mason 16
Hillsboro 14, Clinton Massie 10
Kings 34, Wilmington 14
Lakota East 21, Sycamore 20
Lebanon 24, Fairborn 0
Lloyd 33, Garrard County 10
Loveland 27, Little Miami 7
Madeira 21, Indian Hill 20
McNicholas 41, Badin 12
Milford 24, Fairfield 19
Moeller 20, Col. St. Francis De Sales 10
Mount Healthy 62, Shroder 0
New Richmond 50, Clermont Northeastern 12
NewCath 63, Dayton 8
North College Hill 49, New Miami 2
Princeton 30, Lakota West 21
Reading 42, Mariemont 6
Roger Bacon 20, Purcell Marian 10
Summit County Day 74, Yellow Springs 13
Talawanda 34, Edgewood 25
Taylor 33, Deer Park 6
Washington Court House 28, Jonathan Alder 15
West Carrollton 12, Monroe 6
Western Hills 27, Woodward 8
Williamsburg 66, Western Brown 8
Winton Woods 24, Turpin 7
Wyoming 49, Finneytown 20
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