By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Rudi Johnson struts his stuff Thursday in one of the new Bengals uniforms, which hadn't been overhauled since the team's 1981 march to the Super Bowl - when fans first chanted, "Who dey think gonna beat dem Bengals? Noooo-body!" The Cincinnati Enquirer/TONY JONES

The last time the Bengals overhauled their uniforms, they went to the Super Bowl.

Thursday, the team unveiled another major redesign for the 2004 season - with at least one player boldly predicting a return to greatness.

The most noticeable changes are the additions of black pants and a third, dark-orange jersey, which the Bengals can wear twice a season at home.

"We've got six combinations, so I'll be able to drive (equipment manager) Rob (Recker) nuts," coach Marvin Lewis said at a noisy, invitation-only rally at Paul Brown Stadium.

Another major change will be uniform black cleats.

The striped helmet, introduced in 1981, will remain.

The traditional tiger stripes on the pants have shrunk and have become horizontal. The tiger stripes on the shirts are more naturally incorporated and extend farther out onto the jersey sleeves. An orange-topped sock was reintroduced as another option to accompany the black sock.

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Jersey numbers are now more rounded and elongated.

"We've been trying to get new uniforms since we moved into the new stadium (in 2000)," said six-year veteran linebacker Brian Simmons, one of seven players to model the uniforms at the rally.

"The last time we changed uniforms, we went to the Super Bowl. Maybe we can make it happen again."

Replica jerseys go on sale this morning at 9, for $65, at the Bengals Pro Shop on the north end of the stadium plaza.

The Bengals also said removal of the stadium's natural-grass field began Monday and that installation of the sub-base of the new FieldTurf synthetic field would take another four to five weeks.

The team displayed the mid-field and end-zone designs that would be sewn into the field. The leaping-tiger logo will be brought back, and the end zones will feature black stripes on an orange background. Black, all-capital block letters spelling BENGALS will be emblazoned across each end zone.

Billboards featuring Pro Bowl wide receiver Chad Johnson that promote ticket and merchandise sales will debut today throughout the region. His replica No. 85 jersey is the Bengals' top seller and the No. 8 seller nationally.

Johnson, who modeled the black pants with the black jersey, is known for successfully guaranteeing one victory in each of the last two seasons.

He made another one Thursday.

"We're going to the playoffs," he said. "Guaranteed."

Justin Smith, modeling the black jersey and white pants, anticipated the new uniforms would be a part of greater success for the team.

"I think it will be good for us," Smith, a defensive end, told the crowd.

"Hopefully, 8-8 last year was just the beginning."

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com