-Bengals slot receiver Tyler Boyd, who last season led NFL rookies with 22 third-down catches, is hoping he can give a lift Sunday in Denver for an offense that has converted just two third downs in the last two games. Boyd, who has missed the last four games with an MCL sprain, said before Wednesday's practice he thinks he can go full but is waiting for the go-ahead from the coaches. Boyd and middle linebacker Kevin Minter, out the last three games with an elbow injury, were on the field at the beginning of Wednesday's rain-soaked practice.
Cornerbacks Adam Jones (concussion) and William Jackson (toe), who missed most of the second half last Sunday. weren't out there. Jackson did make an appearance with rehab man Nick Cosgray. Defensive linemen Michael Johnson (unknown) and Pat Sims (hamstring) also weren't on the field ...
If Boyd, celebrating his 23rd birthday Wednesday, plays he says he'll be going against the best cornerback he faced last season in the Broncos' Chris Harris Jr. During Denver's 29-17 victory at Paul Brown Stadium, Boyd had just three catches for 18 yards …
-Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis admitted Wednesday that rookie wide receiver John Ross ran a play last Sunday in Tennessee that "we weren't very thrilled with. He's got to keep progressing." He was referring to the go route where Ross stopped and then started to go again and quarterback Andy Dalton's throw was wasted.
Lewis said he had a good conversation with Ross in the hallway as Dalton listened in.
"For Andy against that coverage to throw him that football, he should understand how the quarterback feels about him," Lewis said. "He expects him to be where he needs to be and that he let his teammates down, he let me down, he let Andy down. Because maybe that ball's not supposed to go there in that coverage. But if you do it right and you run like you can run, that ball can go there and that can be a big play for us." …
-Running backs coach Kyle Caskey watched tape of Wyoming running back Brian Hill in the run-up to this year's draft, so he knew what he had Wednesday when Hill showed up after he was plucked off Atlanta's practice squad. Caskey had graded him as the draft's best pass-protecting back. It helps, too, Caskey said that the scheme and language of the Falcons offense isn't much different …
-Three brief years ago when Paul Guenther got the Bengals defensive coordinator job, the first guy he pursued for his staff was Texans secondary coach Vance Joseph as Gary Kubiak's staff in Houston disbanded. Guenther kept him for two years before the Dolphins nabbed him as their coordinator last year and he's not surprised he's the Broncos' first-year head coach. "Smart guy and he can relate to players." …
