Dick LeBeau oversees Wednesday's practice. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        Dick LeBeau's promised lineup changes were put on hold Wednesday by injuries to several players.

        The Bengals coach does plan to insert JoJuan Armour into the starting lineup at strong safety today. Armour will return to practice after sitting out Wednesday with a twisted ankle.

        Cory Hall, who started Sunday at strong safety, will move back to free safety.

        “It gives us two good tacklers,” LeBeau said. “It gives us the two guys with the most experience.”

        LeBeau made the same personnel move after the Week 4 loss last year at Pittsburgh when the Steelers rushed for 275 yards. The Bengals held eight of 12 teams to fewer than 100 yards rushing at the end of last season.

        The Bengals moved Hall to strong safety to make room for second-round draft pick Lamont Thompson at free safety. But Thompson lost his job to Mark Roman at the end of the preseason, and Roman started at free safety Sunday when the Chargers rushed for 241 yards in their 34-6 victory.

        “In a sense, you have two strong safeties out there,” Hall said.

        At 220 pounds, Armour was a college linebacker at Miami University.

        LeBeau and defensive coordinator Mark Duffner wanted to use Thompson or Roman, a converted cornerback, at free safety to increase the interceptions made by Bengals defensive backs.

        Neither Hall nor Armour had an interception last season. Thompson, who has been hesitant in the defense, led the nation with 10 interceptions last season at Washington State.

        But the need to plug holes in the run defense appears to have superseded he goal of more interceptions — at least for the time being.

        Other players missing practice Wednesday were linebacker Canute Curtis, defensive end Vaughn Booker, running back Brandon Bennett and wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

        Curtis and Houshmandzadeh are expected to return to practice today, trainer Paul Sparling said. Booker and Bennett will not and are “iffy” for Sunday's game at Cleveland.

        Adrian Ross played with the first-team linebackers, and Bernard Whittington was at left defensive end.

        “I have eight players right now who are very iffy,” LeBeau said. “So there probably won't be a lot of lineup changes. We are going to be fighting and scraping to get our regular guys up and ready to go.”

        LeBeau did follow through on his word to make players run more during practice. Players ran two gassers — 200-yard sprints across the field — and also had to lift weights after practice. LeBeau previously had alternated days for running and lifting.

        Practice went about 15 minutes longer than it had last week.

        “That's for a collective statement,” LeBeau said. “I want our players to understand we got to do things a little bit differently.”

        Several players said LeBeau got his message across since Sunday's loss — play well or be replaced.

        “It's a gut check for everybody,” left tackle Richmond Webb said. “It's, "Hey, if you don't tighten up, you're going to be over there watching.”'

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