Cincinnati is 1200 miles from where Hurricane Ike made landfall but the powerful storm system has forced the NFL to make a change with the Bengals’ schedule.
The league announced Saturday that it has postponed this week’s game between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium due to damage at the facility and overall devastation in the Houston area done by Ike. The game was originally scheduled for a 1 p.m. (ET) kickoff on Sunday, then pushed back to Monday night but the league has determined to instead move the game to Sunday, Nov. 9, the date when the Bengals were scheduled to play at Houston.
The Bengals will instead play at Houston on Oct. 26, the day they were originally scheduled to have as their bye. Game time is 4:05 p.m. (ET) instead of the original 1 p.m. kickoff time. Cincinnati’s bye week has been switched to Nov. 9.
PERRY DETERMINED -Chris Perry took full responsibility for coming up short on a fourth-and-1 play in the fourth quarter of last Sunday’s 17-10 loss at Baltimore. Never mind that the entire Baltimore defense led by 340-pound DT Haloti Ngata showed up to meet the Bengals running back before he had a chance to reach the line of scrimmage.
That play epitomized the entire game for the Bengals offense. The Ravens beat them to the punch on nearly every play which explains why the Bengals managed just 154 yards, including just limiting Perry to 37 yards on 18 carries in his first game in nearly two seasons.
Perry is hoping for a better when the Bengals host Tennessee in the home opener Sunday afternoon at Paul Brown Stadium. Perry was starting for just the fourth time in his career, a career that was interrupted with a dislocated ankle suffered on Nov. 26, 2006, in a 30-0 win at Cleveland.
Injuries have plagued Perry since the Bengals selected him in the first round of the 2004 draft. He is healthy this season and earned the starting job before the team released Rudi Johnson on Aug. 30.
“I’m pleased I got the first game out of the way but I can’t rest on anything because I didn’t do anything and we lost,” said Perry. “It was an ‘L’ all the way around.”
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis exonerated Perry on the fourth-down play but Perry said no matter the situation he should have been able to pick up the necessary yardage.
“That’s why they made me the starting running back, for me to make a play like that,” said Perry. “Fourth and a yard – I should be able to make that regardless.”
Tennessee held Jacksonville, a team that finished second in the NFL last season in rushing offense, to just 33 yards on the ground.
JACKSON THUMBED OUT – The Bengals will be without veteran S Dexter Jackson, while the Titans could be down a major factor on defense. Jackson missed his third straight day of practice Friday with a thumb injury and is listed as out on the official injury report.
Titans DT Albert Haynesworth also has not practiced this week due to a concussion suffered in the first quarter of Tennessee’s season opener against Jacksonville. Haynesworth is listed as questionable on Tennessee’s injury report. Even without Haynesworth for the majority of the game the Titans held Jacksonville to 189 yards total offense.
Chinedum Ndukwe will take Jackson’s place in the starting lineup. Ndukwe has practiced this week for the first time since suffering a knee injury in training camp practice on Aug. 6.
It’s also likely that the Bengals will be without one of their top special teams players in Herana-Daze Jones, who is listed as doubtful with a hamstring injury. Jones has not practiced this week.
Four Bengals are listed as questionable, although all four practiced Friday. CB David Jones (head) was limited in practice, while DT Pat Sims (toe), DE Frostee Rucker (DE) and WR Andre Caldwell (toe) all participated fully in the workout. LB Brandon Johnson (hamstring), CB Johnathan Joseph (hamstring), C Kyle Cook (illness) and DT Jason Shirley (heel) are all listed as probable.
FISHER NOT FOOLED – The Bengals had their best overall game of the season last year when they beat the Titans 35-6 at Paul Brown Stadium. The week prior Carson Palmer had thrown four interceptions, including two that were returned for touchdowns, in a 35-27 loss at home against Arizona.
Palmer completed 32 of 38 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns – all to Chad Johnson – against the Titans. It was one of just four games in which the Bengals scored more than two offensive touchdowns the entire season.
“I think you have to be very careful to judge in the opener because, as we know, your opponent has the whole offseason to put a game plan together,” said Tennessee head coach Jeff Fisher. “So I think it appeared the Ravens caught them a little off-guard, there were some opportunities there, he missed some throws, he took some hits, but I don’t anticipate a repeat performance. Carson is one who has always bounced back.”
Palmer finished with a passer rating of 68.5 against Arizona but produced a rating of 113.0 against the Titans.