Updated: 5 p.m.
 Johnson |
"We have to outscore the opponent," Johnson said. "I feel like if they score 52 and we lost the game it's because we didn't score 53. That's my take on it and I'll continue to have that take the rest of the year. We really are setting the standard for our offense real high. If we just scored 45 points, I'm expecting us to go to Seattle and score 45. I don't care who we're playing. I want us to keep that same mindset week in and week out."
The Bengals remain beat up at linebacker. With new pickup Dhani Jones wearing No. 57, middle linebacker Ahmad Brooks (groin) and strong-side back Lemar Marshall (groin) didn't dress for Wednesday morning's practice and neither did the receiver duo of T.J. Houshmandzadeh (knee) and Tab Perry (hamstring).
Marvin Lewis said Perry is defintely out, but said the other injured players "have a chance" to play in Seattle except linebacker Rashad Jeanty and defensive back Ethan Kilmer.
Houshmandzadeh, who shares the NFL lead with 17 catches while catching three touchdowns, looks to just be resting.
Also not dressing were safeties Dexter Jackson (thigh) and Chinedum Ndukwe (hamstring). Cornerback Johnathan Joseph, who missed Sunday's second half with a wrist injury, dressed and defensive end Frostee Rucker (hamstring) returned to practice for the first time since the preseason.
Center Eric Ghiaciuc (thumb) and defensive end Bryan Robinson (foot) practiced in limited fashion. Ghiaciuc missed Sunday's game with the injury.
How soon can Jones get ready? If Brooks and Marshall can't go Sunday, the Bengals could put Caleb Miller in Marshall's spot, move Landon Johnson from weak to middle, and put Jones at weak in Johnson's spot but it would appear to be too soon to do that. Jones appears to be more comfortable on the weak side, where he played with the Giants, rather than the strong side he played for the Eagles.
But on Wednesday, Bresnahan said Johnson and Miller are staying put at weak and middle, respectively.
In his rookie year, Johnson led the team in tackles after he was moved to the middle and started 10 games in the wake of Nate Webster's season-ending knee injury.
Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer won't be surprised at the numbers. In the last two seasons, Qwest Field in Seattle leads the NFL with 51 false starts called on the opposing offenses.
"They play different at home. It's pretty drastic," Palmer said. "You can see it. How much energy they have at home. You can tell it's a loud environment, intense environment."
Seattle running back Shaun Alexander doesn't want to give up any 12th man secrets.
"It's really loud. Really loud. And that's even hard to explain until you get into the place," he said. "That's about pretty much all I want to tell."
 Jones |
He has been a television host, an NFL Network reporter, a saxophonist who was a guest conductor at the Philadelphia Pops and the creator of Five Star Bow Ties, his line of hand-made ties.
But on Wednesday he was a guy looking for a job after starting in a Super Bowl and playing in 51 straight games before the Eagles and Saints cut him in the past five months. He played mostly on the weak side with the Giants during his first four years in the league and then went to strong side for the Eagles, but head coach Marvin Lewis says both jobs are pretty much the same and Jones certainly doesn't care when asked which side he considers himself.
"I'm a job guy," said Jones, who started for the Eagles in their loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX. "Wherever you want to put me. The key emphasis (now) is special teams and learning the defense. If the opportunity comes, I'll be ready."
With the Bengals down three backers in practice Wednesday, Lewis said Jones could play Sunday.
"He'll be able to do it and he'll contribute on special teams," Lewis said. It was a two-fold thing. An opportunity, again, a guy that's had some experience to come in and help quickly as opposed to trying to teach a younger guy.
Jones admitted, "I wear a lot of hats, but right now this is the one I'm (concentrating on)."
Here's the road problem for the Bengals:
Although the Bengals are 3-3 in Seattle and 1-1 under Marvin Lewis on the West Coast, they are historically dismal (12-30) when they play on the West Coast.
Meanwhile, only the Colts at 29-6 have a better home record than Seattle (28-6) since Week 16 of the 2002 season and the Seahawks are tied for the NFL's third-best home record in the past six seasons at 36-13.
The Bengals are 16-17 on the road under Lewis, 5-3 against the NFC.
