Ask Mark

The Bengals know no offseason. Neither do their fans.

Question, from Jon in Mason: Will my seats on the east side of the stadium no longer be used as the perfect spot for getting a suntan on a Sunday afternoon, but to actually watch a winning Bengals team? And if we post a winning record this year, will I finally be able to take off a Monday and Tuesday at work to watch and recover from a Monday Night Football game?

Answer: The Bengals will be a better team. They will be well-prepared and in proper physical condition. Their special teams won't blow up on them at least once a game. That should be good for at least three or four more victories. Chances are good the league would like to feature the Bengals and coach Marvin Lewis in a prime-time slot in 2004. The NFL can't be blamed for confining the Bengals to Sunday afternoon this coming season after their 2-14 record in 2002 and the 30-3 pasting they took at Atlanta on the Sept. 22 Sunday night game.

Q, from Braxton: I heard (rookie fullback) Jeremi Johnson has good blocking and catching ability. How good is his running ability?

A: Johnson had a 5.5-yard rushing average on 286 college carries. He played his first three seasons at Indiana and had a 5.1-yard average in the Big Ten. He also had seven rushing touchdowns as a junior for the Hoosiers.

Johnson transferred to Western Kentucky for his senior season and had a 6.2-yard average on 102 attempts.

Q, from Dave in Montgomery: Having been extremely disappointed in the playing time of our starters in preseason games the last 10 years or so, what are Lewis' plans for his team this year? I pray he doesn't hold them out for fear of injury. This is, after all, a fact of life in games. Our starters need all the time they can get in actual game time to gel as a unit. Playing one or two series in the first two preseason games just doesn't quite cut the mustard. Also, thank you, Mike Brown, for hiring Lewis. The foul smell from the last 12 years has almost blown away.

A: It's difficult to imagine Lewis not having his players ready once the regular season starts. Whether that means a series or two or a full half of play in preseason games remains to be seen. Everything Lewis is doing, he has said, is pointing to the Sept. 7 opener against Denver.

---

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

Return to Bengals front page...