Saturday, December 22, 2001
Bengals notebook: Kitna to start at QB against Ravens
But Foley out again at LB
By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Quarterback Scott Mitchell and linebacker Steve Foley are out for Sunday's game at Baltimore.
The left-handed Mitchell went from possibly starting to being out when he strained his right rib cage while making a throw during Wednesday's practice.
Foley missed last week's game because of back spasms.
Against the Ravens, Jon Kitna will get his 13th start in 14 games. He has struggled during the Bengals' six-game losing streak, throwing 10 interceptions and just two touchdown passes.
Scott Covington, who was drafted by the Bengals in 1999, was re-signed Thursday and will be Kitna's backup. Covington spent training camp with the Bengals this season before being waived, then re-signed and was waived again in September.
The Bengals don't plan to designate an emergency third quarterback.
Wide receiver Peter Warrick, a former prep quarterback in Florida, could be used. Warrick took practice snaps Thursday and Friday.
Canute Curtis will get another start in place of Foley at outside linebacker.
AKILI SURGERY:
Quarterback Akili Smith, who tore his left hamstring Sunday, will have surgery Wednesday at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center to reattach the muscle group to the bone. Dr. Angelo Colosimo will perform the operation.
Smith is expected to require six months to completely heal from the injury.
DIAMOND IN ROUGH:
In exactly two months, cornerback Kevin Kaesviharn has gone from teaching high school physical education in South Dakota to earning his first NFL start.
Kaesviharn, signed to the practice squad Oct.23, will start Sunday against the Ravens in place of Mark Roman, who was put on injured reserve Thursday after breaking a finger during Wednesday's practice.
Roman was the third cornerback lost with a season-ending injury, joining former starter Rodney Heath (hamstring) and now-waived Tom Carter (knee). Sunday's other starting cornerback, Artrell Hawkins, missed two games with a sprained ankle.
“Kevin's been one of the pluses this year,” said Bengals coach Dick LeBeau, a former cornerback and former secondary coach. “He has good ball skills. He has good field presence.”
Kaesviharn's interception and 29-yard return against Jacksonsville set up the Bengals' only touchdown in the 14-10 loss.
It also gave him interceptions in three professional football leagues. He had three in the spring for the XFL's San Francisco Demons and 14 over the summer of 2000 for the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League.
Kaesviharn has nine tackles, three passes defensed, and five special-teams tackles in his seven NFL games.
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Bengals notebook: Kitna to start at QB against Ravens
