Monday, October 15, 2001
Bengals Notenbook
Browns safely prevented safety
By John Erardi and Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
When officials did not award the Bengals a safety when Browns kickoff returner Benjamin Gay stepped over his goal line and then back into the end zone, the fans rained boos.
Return man Mike Sellers had blocked Gay's path out into the playing field, but was not totally successful. Fans got even louder when, after a Bengals' challenge was not upheld, referee Mike Carey announced that the football had not “completely” passed over the goal line into the playing field. But the officials were right.
“In order to be a safety, the entire ball has to be completely out of the end zone and then (the return man) has to bring it back into the end zone where it will be downed,” Carey said after the game.
“In this case, the complete ball did not get out of the end zone. It never got (entirely) into the field of play (so as to be) brought back into the end zone for a safety...If the ball never gets completely out of the end zone, it can't come back in and break the plane.”
BELIEVE IT: Bengals linebacker Brian Simmons said it best when somebody told him after Sunday's game that they couldn't remember the last time the Bengals had started a season 3-2.
“Right now,” said Simmons.
He said the Bengals' two straight losses coming into Sunday's game had gnawed at the defense. It made them ornery.
“We played (Sunday) like we have something to prove,” Simmons said. “That's how we have to play.”
ROLL CALL: The Bengals' big-play guys have gladiator names — Steele, Roman, Armour.
Defensive tackle Glenn Steele had a big fumble recovery.
“I saw the ball and dove on it,” Steele said. “Once I wrapped it, O.G. (Oliver Gibson) was down in the pile with me, right next to me, and said, "Glenn, you got it?' I said, "Yeah, I got it. It ain't going nowhere.' It's the main thing they teach you. Get on top of it, get it underneath you and don't roll. I guess I got a little carried away when I spiked it, but hey, that's just me. I was enjoying myself.”
Cornerback Mark Roman had a sack: “I wasn't even supposed to go in there on that play. I switched responsibilities with (free safety) Chris Carter. It ended up with a big play, so we rolled with it.”
Strong safety JoJuan Armour (Miami University), got the starting nod so as to bolster the Bengals' porous run defense, and he delivered good hits.
“Besides me telling myself to tackle properly,” Armour said, “veterans like (free safety) Darryl Williams were telling me, "Stay low; when you get tired, you get high.' He's my mentor, the perfect pro athlete. I want what he has — longevity.”
ONE-TWO PUNCH: In addition to Corey Dillon's 140 yards rushing, backup Brandon Bennett ran seven times for 41 yards. He had no rushing attempts last week at Pittsburgh.
“We just keep trying to throw backs at them. We're trying to set it up where Corey beats 'em down, then I beat 'em down, too.” Bennett said.
He makes the most of his carries. He has 18 for 93 yards in five games.
“That has a lot to do with it, because I don't know how many carries I'm going to get,” Bennett said. “Corey comes out, and he might go right back in. And I'm trying to make do with the times and the chances that I get to let people know that we do have another back.”
PLAYMAKER: Peter Warrick's four receptions for 73 yards are his most yards in nine games, since he had 79 in Game 11 last season at New England.
He now has 22 receptions for 198 yards. His 33-yard reception Sunday in the third quarter was his longest since his first game last season.
“I'm a playmaker now. We just got to get these hands going like the Florida State days,” he said.
CROWDED HOUSE: The attendance of 64,217 Sunday was the biggest in 11 games at Paul Brown Stadium, bettering the 64,006 that saw the Browns beat the Bengals 24-7 in the 2000 opener.
SACK HAPPY: The Bengals had three sacks Sunday against Cleveland quarterback Tim Couch and gave up none. The Bengals now have a 13-7 edge in sacks this year, after suffering a 52-26 disadvantage last year.
Bengals left tackle Richmond Webb controlled Browns right end Keith McKenzie all day, and quarterback Jon Kitna had ample time to go 20-for-38 passing 201 yards and a touchdown.
INACTIVES: Bengals inactives were running back Rudi Johnson, linebacker Takeo Spikes, defensive end Jevon Langford, offensive tackle Jamain Stephens, guard Victor Leyva, wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh and defensive tackle Tony Williams.
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Browns safely prevented safety
