Terence Newman
The Terence Newman Watch isn't any more definitive than it was after Sunday night's game and so that's why there is going to be a lot of talk about Dre Kirkpatrick leading up to next Sunday's game (8:30 p.m.-Cincinnati's Channel 5) in Pittsburgh. On Monday, Newman wore a long brace for his injured knee and still had crutches and while he's not done for the year it's also not entirely clear when he'll be back.
Particularly with a potential playoff run and even the possibility of a No. 2 seed.
That may mean the Bengals go against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger without their top two cornerbacks and it could be Kirkpartrick's first NFL start against the likes of one of the NFL's leading receivers, Antonio Brown.
"Terence and Leon (Hall) and Adam (Jones) have been holding Dre at bay," head coach Marvin Lewis said in his Monday news conference. "It's been hard, but they've had the big stiff-arm on him trying to keep their jobs from him. They've been great mentors for him. He'll obviously get an opportunity to expand his role."
» Running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis has been hearing that referee Jeff Triplette blew the replay call that gave him a one-yard touchdown run Sunday in the 42-28 win over the Colts. Knowing that Triplette was on hand last week for the down snafu with Washington, BJGE observed dryly, "Not a good week for those guys."
» Kyle Cook, who has centered the three previous playoff teams, thinks this one is the best: "When you look at it from an overall standpoint."
