Rudi Johnson has two 100-yard rushing games while starting in Dillon's place.

Ask Mark

Question, from Art in Indiana: Marvin Lewis is in a tough spot with Dillon. He's been great, but not of late. Marvin isn't totally sure that Rudi can do it every Sunday. So, he tolerates Dillon for a while. It's a shame to see Marvin trade away his credibility by letting Dillon off the hook. My guess is the team and fans are tired of it already. The time to draw a line in the sand with Dillon has already passed.

Do you agree with me?

Answer: No, though Dillon possibly has pushed and tested Lewis unlike any other Bengals player. Lewis' public front - which he discussed in some detail Monday - has been to defend Dillon.

While there is one set of rules, Lewis said, he does treat players as individuals. Dillon is frustrated because his groin injury is more debilitating than any he's had to deal with in seven NFL seasons. It's the only injury that's kept him off the field for any extended period of time in his career.

Lewis has not sacrificed his credibility in his handling of the Dillon situation. The media do not know what Lewis has said to him privately, and Lewis is smart to make the effort not to alienate Dillon.

Perhaps it was best that Dillon might have been excused from Sunday's game against Houston. Maybe Lewis told him not to attend the game? Nobody is saying. Lewis hinted Monday that he did excuse Dillon for the weekend.

Dillon has been a challenge for Lewis since Lewis arrived in January. Dillon was the only signed player not to attend the first voluntary minicamp. He was the only player under contract to show up late to training camp, albeit by just a few hours. Dillon expressed his frustration with and to the media on Oct. 22, three days after the season-saving victory against Baltimore.

Still, it's an unflattering commentary on Dillon to contrast his behavior this season to that of Emmitt Smith in Arizona. While Smith is frustrated by an injury - and was humiliated in his return to Dallas - the NFL's all-time leading rusher has acted as an effective mentor, coach and teacher to Marcel Shipp, the Cardinals running back of the future. Smith was on the sideline Nov. 2 against the Bengals and was spotted during the game talking with Shipp and charting plays.

Maybe Dillon has been a positive influence on Rudi Johnson away from media attention.

Rudi Johnson's closest friend and adviser - a mentor, if you will - is teammate Brandon Bennett. Though Bennett has lost his second-string job to Johnson, Bennett continues to work closely with him.

Players are very quiet when Dillon's name comes up any more and, at least publicly, are distancing themselves from commenting on his situation.

Quarterback Jon Kitna was uncharacteristically short with a media member who asked after the Houston game what happens when Dillon comes back.

Lewis has apparently handled the Dillon matter well. The other players seem to understand and don't seem bothered by it. Lewis has said Dillon thinks the media have treated him unfairly. On Monday, Lewis said he wished the media would just leave Dillon alone and let him get healthy.

If Lewis succeeds in getting Dillon right - both physically and emotionally - Dillon could be a huge asset in the final month.

If Dillon does want out of Cincinnati, it would serve him and the Bengals well if he came back with a couple of 100-yard rushing games down the stretch to dispel any thought that he might have lost a step or two or become prone to injury.

Again, nobody's saying, but hoping to spring a healthy Dillon with fresh legs on tired defenses in December might very well be Lewis' plan.

Q, from Erik in Lima: Is the blocking much better for Rudi instead of Corey? And the offense is more balanced without Corey, in my opinion, and less predictable.

A: If you talk to the offensive linemen and other offensive players, they say they block the same no matter who is in the backfield. Dillon never had 43 carries, and it was obvious what the Bengals were going to do offensively against the Texans - Johnson left, Johnson right, Johnson up the middle.

Also, don't forget the 27 100-yard rushing games Dillon produced in his first six seasons -- running behind many of the same linemen.

The groin injury has prevented Dillon from running as hard as he has in years past. Dillon made a lot of sense in comments he made last week: He has tried to play at significantly less than 100 percent, and he can't play his physical game. Perhaps the best course of action is to let the injury heal completely and then try to come back.

The question then becomes a matter of conditioning. Could Dillon return after a long layoff and be in good enough "football-game shape?"

Q, from Bryan in Santa Rosa, Calif.: Being a loyal Bengals fan my whole life and taking much abuse for it, it is good to see a team with potential bringing winning ways back to Cincinnati.

But I am sad to see the disrespect the fans have shown Dillon. Dillon has always said that if you give him the ball he will get you yards, and he has. He has been the bright spot on the worst franchise in pro football the past 10 years, and after injuring his groin, he has lost the respect of the fans. He was not the reason the Bengals lost all those games the past (six) years but he was the reason that they won many of the ones they did.

As much of as a loyalist as I am to Cincinnati sports, I hope next year not to see Dillon in a Bengals uniform or (Ken) Griffey Jr. in a Reds uniform. They both made sacrifices to try and bring winning ways but, because of injuries, both are being disrespected. Their character is much too large to be in a city where the fans lack integrity.

A: You can't discount what Dillon has done for the Bengals, and he has indeed been the only thing fans had to cheer for in many recent seasons.

Fans appear to still respect Dillon's talent and effort on the field. But perceived selfishness and "me-first" attitude are what evidently have turned some fans off.

Q, from Bob: Wouldn't it make a good story to trace players with the surname of Johnson in Bengals history?

Start with center Bob Johnson, the cornerstone of the franchise as the club's first draft choice, then move right down to present-day players Chad, Rudi, Jeremi and Riall.

A: Rookie fullback Jeremi Johnson (Western Kentucky) is the 16th player named Johnson to play for the Bengals.

Alphabetically, the other 15 are:

Bill, running back, 1985-87, Arkansas State; Bob, center, 1968-79, Tennessee; Chad, wide receiver, 2001-present, Oregon State; Donnell, offensive tackle, 1993, Johnson C. Smith; Essex, running back, 1968-75, Grambling;

Jim, defensive back, 1969, South Carolina St.; John, linebacker, 1994, Clemson; Ken, defensive end, 1971-77, Indiana; Lee, punter-kicker, 1988-98, Brigham Young; Mark, safety, 1987, Western Kentucky;

Pete, fullback, 1977-83, Ohio State; Riall, linebacker, 2001-present, Stanford; Rudi, running back-kick returner, 2001-present, Auburn; Tim, defensive tackle, 1996, Penn State; and Walter, defensive tackle, 1977, Los Angeles State.

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E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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