By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The pressure Sunday will be squarely on Jon Kitna.

The Bengals' rush offense is struggling. He will be playing against his former team and a coach, Mike Holmgren, who knows his strengths and weaknesses. And Kitna, the Bengals quarterback, will be throwing against a defense that is ranked eighth against the pass.

Rookie Marcus Trufant, the Seahawks' first-round pick (11th overall) has started all six games and has one interception and a team-high seven passes broken up. He also has a personal tie to Kitna.

Both are from Tacoma, Wash., and Kitna's wife, Jennifer, was one of Trufant's gym teachers at Wilson High School. Trufant didn't know Jon personally, but he knew of him as an NFL quarterback and "tough competitor" from rival Lincoln High.

As for Jennifer Kitna, "She wasn't that tough," Trufant said with a laugh. "She was a real cool lady, and I enjoyed having her as a teacher."

Trufant on Kitna: "It's going to be a cool experience to play against him. He was around the same barber shop I used to go to."

Holmgren on Trufant: "I'm one of those who has said, 'Let's not anoint him yet.' But he has been playing very, very well for us."

As Kitna goes, so go the Bengals. In their two victories, he has six touchdown passes and no interceptions. He has three TDs and six picks in the four losses.

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