Updated: 5 p.m.
If Sunday is wide receiver Chad Ochocinco's last game as a Bengal, he'll be watching it back in Cincinnati.
The Ocho said before practice Thursday he's not making the trip to Baltimore and is going to stay behind to get treatment for the bone spurs in his ankle. He's headed to Madrid and London Jan. 5 to watch some soccer and plans to have Bengals doctor Angelo Colosimo do the arthroscopic surgery some time before he heads to Dallas for the Feb. 6 Super Bowl.
Also out of Thursday's practice were tight end Jermaine Gresham (knee), cornerback Johnathan Joseph (ankle), and linebacker Dan Skuta (back). Running back Bernard Scott (toe) was back in limited fashion Thursday after sitting out Wednesday. Left end Carlos Dunlap (shoulder) was back to full Thursday after being limited Wednesday.
Ravens safey Ed Reed (neck) surfaced on this week's injury report for the first time Thursday and didn't practice.
As for his situation with the Bengals that hinges on a $6 million option for 2011, The Ocho had no comment and declined to react to a report on ProFootballTalk.com that he wants to return to the Bengals.
His numbers for the year: 67 catches for 831 yards (12.4 average) and four touchdowns in 14 games. Since his rookie year, he's only had two seasons he didn't catch 1,000 yards, 2008 and 2010, and in both years he missed the last two games with injury. The '08 and '10 seasons also mark his lowest average and third lowest average, 10.2 and 12.7, respectively. From '02 to '07 he ranged from 13.4 to 16.9 and hasn't hit more than 15 per catch since 2007.
The Ocho remains 27th in all-time yardage with 10,783, 168 shy of Joey Galloway in the 25th spot. His 751 catches are 28th all-time, 13 behind James Lofton and Eric Moulds in 26th place and 16 shy Marshall Faulk in 25th.
SLANTS AND SCREENS: It is the classic matchup. The future Hall of Famer, Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis, vs. Bengals second-year fullback Chris Pressley. Let's see. Lewis came into the NFL in 1996 when the 24-year-old Pressley was 10.
"That's about the time I started to become a fan. So I've always been aware of him. When I played linebacker I loved him," said Pressley, who grew up in New Jersey. "It's a dream come true. Playing the best."
Pressley is one of the more visible reminders that the Bengals are going back to the run. In each of the last two games he's played about 30 snaps with the Bengals loading up with two backs and two tight ends. Guess what they're going to do Sunday against Baltimore's typically rock-ribbed fourth-best rush defense in the NFL?
Running back Bernard Scott has already given Pressley a heads up on Lewis.
"B-Scott said he was talking crazy," Pressley said of the games last year. "He'd hit you and then talk trash at you, which I love. I love playing a guy like that."
The Bengals like what they see so far in the 5-11, 260-pound Pressley. He's not gifted athletically, but in the box there has been no question about his willingness to hit people...
One of the options with the Bengals' first pick could be a defensive end that might be able to play a 3-4. With the depth at linebacker there have been some musings about going to a base 3-4. They could line up at backer with Michael Johnson and Keith Rivers on the outside and Rey Maualuga and Roddrick Muckelroy on the inside with the 6-6, 285-pound Carlos Dunlap more than big enough to play left end.
