By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Three Bengals players, including tailback Corey Dillon, returned to practice Thursday.

Dillon (groin) remains questionable for Sunday's game at Arizona. Safety Marquand Manuel (hamstring) and tailback Brandon Bennett (back) also returned to practice, but also remained questionable.

Guard Matt O'Dwyer (foot) was downgraded to questionable.

Coach Marvin Lewis said Dillon had a good practice and was "fine."

CHA-CHING: Wide receiver Chad Johnson has been one of the Bengals' most consistent players this season - averaging five receptions a game.

The third-year receiver also has been consistent with the league office, which has seen fit to fine Johnson after each of the Bengals seven games, Johnson said Thursday.

This week, Johnson was fined $5,000 for what game officials said was a throat-slash gesture after scoring the winning touchdown Sunday against Seattle.

The fine is believed to be the second one for an inappropriate end zone celebration. He and Peter Warrick were each fined after their snap-shot routine against the Browns in Cleveland.

Johnson was hit twice for wearing shoes with too much orange.

After learning of the latest fine on Thursday, Johnson jokingly was walking around the locker room asking anyone who would listen if they had the cell phone number of NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

LIGHTS, CAMERA: At 3-4, the Bengals are becoming a popular story with the national sports media.

On Thursday, camera crews filmed Lewis, quarterback Jon Kitna and linebacker Brian Simmons for an ESPN SportsCenter report and filmed Lewis for an appearance on Pardon the Interruption with Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon.

BEAVER COLONY: The Bengals now have five former Oregon State Beavers on their roster.

The five - wide receivers Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, cornerbacks Dennis Weathersby and Terrell Roberts, and linebacker LaDairus Jackson were teammates on the 2000 Oregon State squad which finished with an 11-1 record, a No. 4 national ranking and Fiesta Bowl victory over Notre Dame.

Jackson was acquired off waivers Oct. 22 from Washington. Johnson, Houshmandzadeh and Weathersby are Cincinnati draft picks, and Roberts was signed as a rookie free agent by the Bengals. That's 9.4 percent of the roster from OSU.

FOUR IN EIGHT: With Arizona State playing Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium, the Bengals-Cardinals game Sunday will be the fourth game in eight days at ASU's home field.

The Cardinals were home last Sunday, and Monday's game between the Chargers and Dolphins was moved to Tempe, Ariz., because of San Diego-area wildfires.

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com