By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Tuesday's practice

GEORGETOWN, Ky. - Bengals starters will play the first quarter of Sunday's preseason opener at the New York Jets.

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis would not reveal specifics about player rotation or other personnel plans.

"We'll take care of that on Sunday. I'm not going to make that a public thing," Lewis said Tuesday. "It's nobody's business until we do it.

"We want to go out and play football and do the right thing. We're going to play as a team. Our focus doesn't need to change now. It gets to be against another opponent."

The Jets are 0-1 in the preseason after losing 30-14 in the American Bowl at Tokyo last weekend.

ATTENTION GRABBER: Lewis said he is pleased by the early camp performance of safety Rogers Beckett.

"Beckett has been good to throw into our mix," Lewis said. "He's got athletic talent. (And) he's a guy who was put on the street. The urgency in everything he does is greater than before."

Picked up off waivers June 11 from the Chargers, Beckett is third on the Bengals' depth chart at strong safety.

HEY, ROOK: The intensity of direct coaching is way up in this camp.

And rookie linebacker Khalid Abdullah is the focus of much of the attention. He's third on the depth chart at weak-side linebacker but is on the field for special teams.

"I'm glad they expect something from me," said Abdullah, a fifth-round pick who is a fast but under-sized 227 pounds. "They're thinking about me. It means that they like me."

He said he plans on making the most of his special-teams opportunities because he has "a lot to learn to be a linebacker on this level."

Lewis on Tuesday joined in the chorus directing Abdullah, with linebackers coach Ricky Hunley and special teams coach Darrin Simmons.

Lewis wanted Abdullah to get his hips in proper position to defend against a running play.

CAMP VISITOR: Anthony Munoz, the only Bengals player enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, spoke to the team at Lewis' invitation before the morning practice.

"He comes with a great message for the players," Lewis said. "It is to take advantage of every day and make sure that when you're out there that you are taking full advantage of the little things and everything that you have the opportunity to do."

KICKED OFF: Lewis continues to invest large chunks of prime practice time on special teams.

Forty-five minutes of the hour-long afternoon practice Tuesday were spent on the recovery of onside kickoffs, pooch kickoffs and squib kicks.

Neil Rackers also kicked deep into the end zone during the session.

LEAN AND FAST: Right tackle Willie Anderson, an AFC Pro Bowl alternate the past two years, is having an impressive camp.

Anderson reported at 337 pounds, three pounds below his listed weight. He is running well as the lead blocker on sweeps.

A more successful or winning season could translate into more individual honors for Anderson and other Bengals players.

"The team thing is going to come first," Anderson said. "Marvin said there's a lot of players on this team who deserve a lot more recognition than they've had in the past. He said the only way you do it is to kick people's butts continuously and win ballgames."

---

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

Return to Bengals front page...