By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

After fumbling punt returns in two consecutive games, T.J. Houshmandzadeh might be replaced by Bengals coach Dick LeBeau.

"We want to see who we've got," LeBeau said Monday. "I have always been a very strong proponent of letting people fight through difficulties. If you don't get another opportunity, you don't get that chance.

"We've had two errors (fumbles) in the last two weeks, and sometimes people can benefit from stepping out from under the gun, and then coming back in later."

Houshmandzadeh, a second-year wide receiver, fumbled in the fourth quarter against the Browns two weeks ago, a mistake that allowed Cleveland to kill two more minutes of clock.

Sunday, Houshmandzadeh fumbled at Pittsburgh with the Bengals up 21-20 in the fourth quarter. The Steelers kicked a field goal to take the lead.

"I haven't had a good time to talk to T.J.," LeBeau said. "I think he has demonstrated that he has the capability of being a pretty good weapon for us. At the same time, you have to have ball security."

Wide receiver Peter Warrick could see action as the Bengals' punt returner, LeBeau said.

The Bengals are last in the NFL with a 4.0-yard punt-return average.

BENNETT BETTER: Brandon Bennett, who has climbed to second in the AFC with a 26.1-yard average on kickoff returns, remains questionable for Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Bennett has a hyperextended right knee.

"They said I was lucky not to tear everything," he said. "All my tendons, every one of them, I sprained all of them."

STAT CHECK: Two Bengals are moving up the AFC's statistical rankings.

Running back Corey Dillon is fifth with 948 rushing yards.

Wide receiver Chad Johnson is 11th with 713 receiving yards. He is the first Bengals wide receiver since Carl Pickens (1994) to have three 100-yard receiving games in a row.

E-mail: mcurnutte@enquirer.com