Bengals quarterback Akili Smith had surgery to fix a torn left hamstring Wednesday, and the team expects him to be ready for training camp.

        Smith tore part of the hamstring from the bone when he was tackled during a 15-14 loss to the New York Jets on Dec. 16. A magnetic resonance imaging test the next day found the severity of the injury, which ended his season.

        Smith is expected to compete with Jon Kitna for the starting job next season. Kitna has the lowest passer rating in the NFL and has thrown 20 interceptions, third-most in the league.

        The Bengals (4-10) have scored the fewest points in the league (177). They've scored only 57 points while losing their last seven games, their worst such slump in 23 years.

        In the closing minutes of a 16-0 loss Sunday in Baltimore, Kitna and rookie receiver Chad Johnson got into a shouting match on the sideline. Johnson dropped two long passes in the second half.

        Johnson said after the game that he was upset by something Kitna said to him. Neither has given any specifics.

        Near the end of practice Wednesday, Kitna and Johnson had a long talk away from the main group of players. Kitna motioned with his hand, apparently showing Johnson how he should run patterns.

        Kitna said the only thing that will bring him and the receivers closer is a win.

        “We're going to have to have some success in games, really,” Kitna said. “You can talk about it all you want. You can have a little powwow or a meeting, but that is not going to solve it. You solve it by having those things happening positively in games.”

Second chance yields first place SULLIVAN: Bengals better? Just barely Akili Smith has surgery on hamstring Bettis questionable for Bengals game Reinard Wilson finally making impact Bengals notebook: Kitna, Johnson patch things up NFL notebook: Carter takes Moss' words personally

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