Updated: 5:50 p.m.
Wide receiver Chris Henry underwent season-ending surgery for his fractured left forearm Monday morning and when the Bengals put him on injured reserve they replaced him on the roster with guard-tackle Scott Kooistra.
Left guard Evan Mathis said his ankle is on a week-to-week basis after he got hit in a pileup in Sunday's 17-7 win over the Ravens.
"It could have been a lot worse," said Mathis, who actually hurt the ankle in the previous drive before he came out when someone fell on it a second time.
Because of the lack of guards and with the possibility of Mathis missing more than one game, Kooistra's departure lasted six days. Kooistra, a seven-year veteran who has played his entire career with the Bengals, was cut last week when fullback Fui Vakapuna was re-signed.
The roster is now at the full 53, but it leaves the club with just five receivers. Head coach Marvin Lewis indicated at his Monday news conference that Jerome Simpson is going to get a shot to fill Henry's fourth receiver role. He also said there was a possibilty Maurice Purify could be promoted from the practice squad.
Simpson, a second-rounder from Coastal Carolina in 2008, has struggled with the transition from a small school and has yet to be active this season.
SLANTS AND SCREENS
» Even though Lewis gave the players Monday off, left tackle Andrew Whitworth suggested an informal offensive line meeting at about noon to watch film and get a head start on the Steelers. Almost everybody checked in, he said. Whitworth is the driving force behind the Wednesday meetings, where the line meets to watch film and talk football after everyone else is gone for the day. Whitworth's wife, Melissa, comes down to the stadium while the team is out at practice to drop off food for the get-together. "We go in there for about an hour, hour and a half to watch film," Whitworth said.
» Lewis cringed a bit when told running back Cedric Benson became the first player since the Steelers' Jerome Bettis in 1997 to have two 100-yard rushing games against the Ravens in the same season. That, of course, is when Lewis was Baltimore's defensive coordinator.
"The fact that Ced has been able to get that accomplishment speaks to the guys up front enabled us to win the game," Lewis said. "Enabled us to have some passing lanes. Ced's done a great job. He's taken a pounding in doing that. He's taken some licks and given some licks out. That goes without saying."
» Lewis said he's not concerned about Benson's current pace that would give him 396 carries for the season, but he also said with Bernard Scott and Brian Leonard getting over injuries now he did expect to give them some more carries. "He won't be the sole ball carrier," Lewis said. Yet he added the caveat if that's what it takes to win.
» Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer was surprised thatsafety Roy Williams didn't play Sunday for the third straight game and said Monday he thinks Williams is close with his badly bruised forearm. "He looks good. It's stronger. It's a matter of if he can stand a collision."
