By Mark Curnutte
Enquirer staff writer

The NFL ruled Tuesday that the block that ended defensive tackle Tony Williams' season was legal.

Williams suffered a broken and dislocated left ankle after he was blocked by Denver right tackle George Foster with 2:30 left in the first quarter.

PHOTO GALLERY

Tony Williams, out for the season, is helped onto a cart as he prepares to leave the field. The Enquirer/Steven M. Herppich • 24 Photos of Monday's game DESKTOP WALLPAPER • Chad Johnson • Rudi Johnson • Wild fan • Storm Trooper

Williams' defensive line mates Justin Smith, Duane Clemons and John Thornton were angry about the block and said it was an illegal crack-back block.

Art Shell, the NFL's senior vice president for football operations and development, ruled that Foster's block was legal, said Steve Alic, a league spokesman.

Williams, a starter, was scheduled to have surgery this morning on his ankle. He is in the last season of a four-year contract and is due to be an unrestricted free agent.

"It's a devastating blow for Tony, and we lost another fiery guy," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said after the game, a 23-10 Bengals upset of the Broncos.

"But now is the time for our big nugget (rookie tackle Matthias Askew) to jump in there and go."

Steelers coach Bill Cowher saw the play and told reporters in Pittsburgh on Tuesday that Foster's block upset him.

"I would not condone it," Cowher said. "Is it illegal? No. Is it necessary? I don't think so, personally, having played the game."

Is it a matter of do unto others as you want others to do unto you?

"I know if I had lost one of our players with that type of play, I would be very upset about it," Cowher said. "It's a physical game that we play. It's a very competitive game that we play, but within that there are certain lines you don't go over. If you play the game long enough and are a part of it, you recognize where they are."

Askew was one of the Bengals' fourth-round draft picks in April. Askew was not active Monday night and has not played since the opener against the Jets. Tackle Langston Moore played extensively in Williams' place. Moore ended with two tackles.

WARRICK SWITCH: The Bengals declared wide receiver Peter Warrick out on Friday for the Monday night game against Denver.

Then, surprisingly, the Bengals announced they had upgraded Warrick to probable about 90 minutes before kickoff and that he would play.

Asked Tuesday if the Bengals had violated a league rule, NFL spokesman Steve Alic said, "This is something we'll look into."

The Bengals don't believe they violated a league rule. "Our people felt they were operating in good faith all along," Bengals spokesman Jack Brennan said Tuesday.

Warrick, arriving at Paul Brown Stadium on Monday, persuaded coaches to let him run around on the field to see how his injured left shin held up. Team medical personnel examined Warrick after his workout and determined he was OK to play.

"There was no deceptive agenda," Brennan said.

HONORS: Bengals tailback Rudi Johnson was one of three nominees Tuesday for the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week, joining Green Bay's Ahman Green and Kansas City's Priest Holmes. Johnson carried 24 times for 119 yards and a touchdown against Denver.

Meanwhile, wide receiver Chad Johnson and cornerbacks Deltha O'Neal and Tory James were named the "Monday Night Football" Snickers Hungriest Players for their performances against Denver. They each will receive a Snickers game ball and will be named in a $1,000 donation to the Cincinnati Bengals Foundation.

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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