Ask Mark

        The Bengals set a franchise record with 48 sacks this season, and the Giants' Michael Strahan set the NFL single-season individual record with 22.5. Sacks are on readers' minds.

        Question, from Erik in Duluth, Ga.: The 2001 ESPN Sports Almanac states under single-season sack stats the following: “Cincinnati's Coy Bacon is widely, although not officially, credited with 26 sacks during the 1976 season.”

        Your article states only 22. Do you have any insight on the discrepancy?

        Answer: I have talked about this with Coy, who insists he had 26. But the Bengals media guide lists Bacon getting 22 sacks in 1976, the season the Bengals had 46 sacks as a team in 14 games.

        Q, from Tom in Charlotte, N.C.: I was reading your article from Sunday about the Bengals' schedule for next (season). In it, you alluded to the fact the Bengals' schedule would include the Panthers and Chargers. I thought (schedules) no longer would be determined by how a team did the (season) before. What is the recipe for determining an NFL schedule?

        A: Coinciding with expansion in 2002, the NFL unveiled a plan last year designed to eliminate strength-of-schedule imbalances that have occurred within divisions in past years. Each of the four teams in a division will play 14 common opponents.

        In addition to the six games each team will play within its division, it will play the four teams from another division within its conference on a rotating, three-year cycle. The Bengals, as a member of the new AFC North, will play against the AFC South (Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee) next season.

        Each team also will play four teams from a division in the other conference on a rotating, four-year cycle. Next season, the AFC North plays the NFC South (Carolina, New Orleans, Atlanta and Tampa Bay).

        Plus, each team will play two intraconference games based on the previous season's standings. Because the Bengals already play the AFC South and because their record (6-10) is worse than those of their AFC North rivals (Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Cleveland), the Bengals will play the last-place teams in the AFC East (Buffalo) and AFC West (San Diego).

        Q, from Dan in Lakeside Park, N.Y.: What are the Bengals doing to improve their marketability to free agents? There are some key areas that are going to need this in this offseason, especially the offensive line.

        A: The biggest boost to attracting free agents is to win. The Bengals won two more games than in 2000. Having head coach Dick LeBeau as the Welcome Wagon leader didn't hurt, either. He put a positive, engaging personality on the organization.

        Money is part of the equation, too. The Bengals don't have the salary cap room they did in free agency last year. Some free agents used the Bengals' interest as leverage to get more money from their chosen destinations (see Grbac, Elvis).

        Q, from Paul in Loveland: Winning seems to change everything. We Bengals fans were talking playoffs at 4-3 and were crushed by seven straight losses.

        However, shouldn't we be pleased with this season? Last year, the Bengals sat at 4-12, and if anyone asked, we'd have all been pleased to go 6-10. That, and considering the fact that they lost by a combined four points to the Jets and Buccaneers, both playoff teams, I have to think that we are getting there.

        Couple those factors with trying to understand a new, complex offensive system with young wide receivers, and the story is not surprising.

        A: You make some good points, similar to what LeBeau and Bengals president Mike Brown have said in recent weeks.

        Q, from Larry in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.: Why wasn't Reinard Wilson the starter for the Bengals?

        A: Wilson's specialty is rushing the passer, and he had a team-high nine sacks, which will help him as an unrestricted free agent. He was not deemed as good against the run as Vaughn Booker, who started when healthy ahead of Wilson. Bernard Whittington also started because he was better against the run. Wilson was a third-down and passing-down player.

        Q, from Sam in Zanesville: Is there any truth to the rumor that the Bengals are shopping their first-round pick to the Patriots for Drew Bledsoe? It doesn't sound like a bad idea to me, even if Bledsoe does have a big contract.

        A: No, I haven't heard that rumor, other than from readers who would like to see it happen. The Bengals aren't willing to get rid of young players who would help create room for Bledsoe's contract. Brown appears ready to go to camp with Jon Kitna, Akili Smith, Scott Covington, possibly Scott Mitchell and a rookie quarterback.

        Q, from Brad in Cincinnati: Why do we only hear about (Takeo) Spikes and (Brian) Simmons on the defense? What about Oliver Gibson and Tony Williams? You never hear these guys getting the credit for keeping the offensive linemen off the linebackers and allowing them to make plays. These guys deserve as much credit as the linebackers.

        You look at the teams that have the great linebackers, and all of them have defensive tackles that are noteworthy. Bears — Washington, Traylor; Ravens — Siragusa, Adams.

        A: Actually, I pointed out the importance of the play of Williams and Gibson several times this season. Williams was the most important free-agent signing last year.

        He teamed with Gibson to eat a lot of space in the middle of the line. In addition to keeping Spikes and Simmons clean to make plays, the beef in the middle also prevented some teams from double-teaming speed-rushing defensive ends Wilson and Justin Smith with guards.

        In fact, the play of Williams and Gibson in the middle allowed the Bengals to put a great deal of pressure on quarterbacks, which helped the depleted secondary hold its own and allowed Cincinnati to become the league's ninth-ranked pass defense.

        Q, from Chris in Macon, Mo. (originally from Trenton): Do you think, with all the struggles that Neil Rackers has had this season, the Bengals will bring in some free agent place-kickers or use a low draft pick on one?

        I watch all the Bengals games via satellite, and I don't see the “strong kickoff” that the coaches say that he has. I would rather have a mediocre kicker with a higher accuracy than a strong, inconsistent one.

        A: Rackers will be back, and he will be challenged again by a free agent, as he was before the 2001 season by Richie Cunningham. I don't see the Bengals spending even a low-round draft pick on a kicker.

        The Bengals are hoping Rackers has turned the corner. He ended the season by making four straight field goals, dating from his missed extra point. Brown has said Rackers has kicked on the worst field in the NFL, and Brown noted other kickers do no better at Paul Brown Stadium than Rackers.

        Also, the inconsistent kickoffs were often coaching decisions. To compensate for a poor kickoff-coverage team, Rackers was told to squib-kick. He started the season with several touchbacks.

        Q, from Zach in Villa Hills: After seeing (Oregon's) Joey Harrington play against Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl, he looks like the real deal. What are the chances of the Bengals getting him in the draft?

        He is a pure pocket passer (which quarterbacks coach Ken Anderson tries to make every QB into) and with the receivers we have, he would have a field day here, (especially) if the line continues to hold up.

        A: Brown won't spend big money on another quarterback this year. He has confidence in Kitna or Smith as his starter next season. In spite of his high interception total, 22, Kitna looked good in the final two games.

        Word out of Houston is, the expansion Texans are seriously considering making Harrington the first pick of the draft. The Bengals will draft 10th, and even the next-best quarterback in the draft, Fresno State's David Carr, will be gone by then.

        Mark Curnutte covers the Bengals for the Enquirer. He can be reached here. The Bengals Q&A will move to Sundays in the offseason, starting Jan.20.

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