By Mark Curnutte
Enquirer staff writer

Larry Moore and Carl Powell are two of the players whose returns would benefit the Bengals along their lines.

Moore, an offensive lineman, has not played since injuring his knee in the opener against the Jets. Powell, a defensive lineman, has been out since injuring his knee against Miami and undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.

"We're taking this week to get some guys rested and healthy," said Moore, who is the top backup at guard. "We take this time to look at a lot of film."

The sense among the offensive linemen, Moore said, is that getting the whole group healthy will help elevate the offense.

Powell has five tackles and is an experienced backup at end and tackle.

"Where we are right now, I haven't had any swelling," he said of his knee. "I want to get back and just lead by example and play with a lot of enthusiasm. I'm very confident because I know what I'm doing and know what my job is."

Starting center Rich Braham did not practice Thursday but is expected to be back for the Oct. 17 game at Cleveland.

The Bengals are off today through Sunday before returning to practice Monday.

RUDI RECORD: Tailback Rudi Johnson received another day off from practice Thursday but is not injured.

With 355 rushing yards through four games, Johnson is on pace for 1,420 yards in 16 games. The team single-season rushing record is 1,435 by Corey Dillon in 2000.

19 IN A ROW: The Patriots can set an NFL record against Miami on Sunday with 19 consecutive wins.

The NFL does not recognize the 18 consecutive games won by the 1947-48 Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference.

That team, coached by Bengals founder Paul Brown, won 18 in a row before tying their 1949 opener with Buffalo.

The NFL isn't including the late 1940s Browns because it doesn't include AAFC records. That league didn't merge with the NFL in the same way that the AFL did.

The NFL recognizes five teams as having won 18 in a row, including the 1972-73 Miami Dolphins.

The old Browns, which moved to Baltimore following the 1995 season, joined the NFL for the 1950 season.

RECRUITING: The Bengals have been busy in the last few days auditioning players.

The team held tryouts for three players before signing one of them, safety Anthony Mitchell. The team also worked out linebackers Nathaniel Adibi and Ryan Myers.

The Bengals also entertained defensive end Dennis Johnson and linebacker Bryan Knight on visits.

JUST IN CASE: If they were to lose at Cleveland, the Bengals would still be in playoff contention - though the odds grow slimmer.

Since 1990, 10 clubs that were at one point three games below .500 at one time in the season went on to make playoffs. In 2002 alone, the Jets were 2-5 and made the wildcard, and Tennessee was 1-4 before winning the AFC South.

The Bengals stayed in contention until the last day of the 2003 season after starting 1-4.

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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