Thursday, December 27, 2001
Kitna, Johnson patch things up
Foley, Mitchell doubtful Sunday
By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Quarterback Jon Kitna and wide receiver Chad Johnson, who argued and had to be separated at the end of Sunday's game, talked at length at the end of Wednesday's practice.
Kitna was motioning with his hands, showing Johnson where to run on specific pass routes. Johnson nodded a few times.
Before practice, Johnson was asked if there were lingering problems between he and Kitna.
“Things have been back to normal,” Johnson said.
Kitna didn't deny his relationship with the receivers was damaged but said he knew how it could be repaired.
“We're going to have to have some success in games, really,” he said. “You can talk about it all you want, but that's not going to solve it. You solve it by having those things happening positively in games.”
VISITOR:
Former Bengals defensive coordinator Larry Peccatiello, who was on Dave Shula's and Bruce Coslet's staffs from 1994 through '96, visited with Bengals president Mike Brown. Brown showed Peccatiello around the stadium, and Peccatiello talked with coach Dick LeBeau after practice.
INJURY UPDATE:
Bengals linebacker Steve Foley (back) and quarterback Scott Mitchell (ribs) are doubtful for Sunday's game with Pittsburgh. For the Steelers, running back Jerome Bettis (groin) and guard Rich Tylski (ribs) are questionable.
Bettis has missed the Steelers' past three games but still has 1,072 rushing yards on 225 attempts for a 4.8-yard average.
Steelers coach Bill Cowher on Wednesday seemed to be in no hurry to get Bettis back into the lineup, even though Pittsburgh (12-2) can clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a victory Sunday.
“Health is the determining factor,” Cowher said of Bettis' status. “Given the situation we're in right now and the quality of players we have behind him, we'd certainly like to give him some work before the playoffs, but at the same time not risk him to further injury.”
COORDINATORS' TALE:
Former Steelers wide receivers coach Bob Bratkowski and Pittsburgh tight ends coach Mike Mularkey were the two candidates for the team's vacant offensive coordinator job at the end of last season.
Cowher hired Mularkey, “basically because he had been with me longer and deserved the opportunity,” said Cowher, who also praised Bratkowski.
Bengals coach Dick LeBeau hired Bratkowski as offensive coordinator, and Bratkowski inherited five assistant coaches from an offense that scored a franchise-low 185 points.
Fourteen games into the season, the Bengals are the NFL's lowest-scoring team. They have 177 points and have been shut out three times.
Mularkey was given the chance to shape his own staff, and the Steelers have the third-ranked offense in the league in yards and have scored 301 points. Quarterback Kordell Stewart is an MVP candidate.
“We revamped almost the whole offensive staff, with a new offensive line coach in Russ Grimm. When Bob went down to Cincinnati, we hired Kenny Jackson to coach the wide receivers. We brought in Tommy Clements to coach the quarterbacks.
“(Mularkey) has done a great job of taking the input from guys who've been in different systems and had success there, and encompassing that with his own thoughts and ideas. Certainly his results speak for themselves.”
JOB SECURITY:
LeBeau was asked at his Wednesday news conference if he has received any assurance that he will return as coach next season. He was 4-9 in his first partial season last year and is 4-10 so far, a .296 winning percentage.
“Me, personally? No,” said LeBeau, who's ending the first of a multiyear contract. “I don't know how to answer that other than I think we're doing all right. I wish we would win more games. I think we're on the right track.”
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Bengals notebook: Kitna, Johnson patch things up
