By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Bengals have Steelers Week. They have Browns Week. Wednesday was the third day of Takeo Week.

On Sunday at Buffalo, the Bengals face their former star linebacker and unquestioned team leader of the past five years. Spikes spoke Wednesday to Bengals beat writers on the weekly opponent conference call.

A sampling of Spikes' responses:

AWARD FINALISTS

Bengals quarterback Jon Kitna is one of three finalists for the FedEx Express NFL Player of the Week Award. Kitna had a 125.1 passer rating in the Bengals 21-14 victory at Cleveland on Sunday. He was 23-for-31 passing for three touchdowns and no interceptions. Quarterbacks Gus Frerotte of Minnesota and Peyton Manning of Indianapolis also were nominated. The award will be announced Thursday.

Question: Did your decision to pursue free agency and not re-enlist for more time with the Bengals and new coach Marvin Lewis have something to do with the Bengals embarking on another rebuilding process?

Answer: "I personally felt like my tank was running low as far as some of the stuff you had to put up with around there, and then week in and week out getting yourself pumped up mentally thinking you have a chance to win and then be disappointed most of the time."

Q: Are you surprised by the power Lewis has in the organization and what he has been able to do?

A: "What has he done? The only thing I know is what the record (1-3) is right now."

Q: What about Lewis' overhaul of the strength and conditioning program, a known problem?

A: "That was key. I know that was one of the things that kind of eased the guys' minds and made them feel better. It helps coming in and not going into the same gloomy old weight room the way it used to be."

Q: Was your mind made up to pursue free agency, regardless of what Lewis told you?

A: "I felt like my time was over. I did my time and, like I told him, he had some personal goals that he wanted to accomplish in life and I had some at the same time. I felt that me being there with him and him being there with me, I think we would kind of be cutting short each other of our personal goals."

Q: Is it hard not to get more pumped up this week as opposed to other weeks?

A: "Yeah, it's a natural reflex for me because of the situation of where I was at and where I'm at now."

LEWIS SAYS: The attention being paid to Spikes and former Bengals coaches Dick LeBeau and Tim Krumrie - working now on the Bills' staff - is normal in the NFL. Lewis said reporters and fans in Baltimore and Pittsburgh, two of his former haunts, would be talking to him in upcoming weeks.

But it has been clear since Spikes chose to leave Cincinnati that he is a subject Lewis prefers not to discuss.

"Those guys contributed a lot to the Cincinnati Bengals organization in their time here, and they should be commended," Lewis said Wednesday. "They had the opportunity to go other places and to better things, and they're casting their lot there now."

SOD SQUAD: Four semi-tractor trailer trucks jammed the west parking lot at Paul Brown Stadium. Inside, the grounds crew had laid the majority of the new grass.

INJURY REPORT: Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh (hamstring), tailback Corey Dillon (groin) and linebacker Riall Johnson (calf) did not practice and are listed as questionable.

REUNION: Tight end Matt Schobel (hamstring) did practice in pads and is hoping to play at Buffalo, where older brother Aaron is a starting Bills defensive end.

"I want to play every week," Matt Schobel said. "It's been irritating. I started the season playing pretty good. I felt like when we went out to Oakland I was a little dehydrated. I never had a problem with the right leg. I don't look at it as a chronic hamstring problem."

The Schobels are one of 15 sets of brothers in the NFL.

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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