_Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis Wednesday met the media for the first time since he replaced offensive coordinator Ken Zampese with quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor and revealed he didn't pull any punches with his players in the Monday morning meeting.
"This is not magic," Lewis recalled what he told his players in the first meeting since the move. "You have to do it. Doesn't matter. Offense. Defense. Special teams. We got Kenny out of here. Not Kenny. We did. They have to understand that. They're a part of that. The next time look around and there'll be a different guy sitting there."
Lewis said they seemed to understand that players are next on the list judging by what one defensive player said to him after the meeting.
"They realize that, too," Lewis said …
_Lewis was surprised at some blowback A.J. Green got for expressing his frustration after Thursday night's game. Lewis said he had someone play the interviews for him and he's mystified.
"I don't understand," Lewis said. "He didn't say anything different. He said I'm one of the better players here. I want to do what I can to help us win … I don't think he said anything out of the ordinary whatsoever. That's the way it is. Ask any of them how they feel." …
_The Bengals are the only team that Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has yet to beat. But there is enormous respect for him in the Cincinnati locker room. Cornerback Adam Jones, as he usually does, said it best: "He's the best as far as releasing the ball. The best I've seen. He can throw it everywhere." And then there's former Cardinals linebacker Kevin Minter, victim of an A-Rod Hail Mary: "Unbelievable."
_No one is hotter in the league than Pro Bowl defensive tackle Geno Atkins. His NFL-best streak of six straight games with at least half a sack stretches back to last season and is tied for the longest in franchise history with all-time sack king Eddie Edwards in 1983, linebacker Reggie Williams in 1984, and current left end Carlos Dunlap in 2010 as a rookie. Atkins is the only tackle among the foursome.
"He's playing out of his mind," Dunlap said Wednesday. "I think this is his normal Geno dominant. He's been dominating since he's been in the league I don't want to say it's any better. But if you need me to so he gets the double teams and chips that would be cool." .... _The big question mark in Sunday's game (4:25 p.m.-Cincinnati's Channel 12) is supposed to be the health of the Packers tackles after they missed the Sunday night loss in Atlanta. So naturally, both Bengals starters on Wednesday, left tackle Cedric Ogbuehi and right tackle Jake Fisher, left practice sick and were marked limited. Same thing happened to rookie wide receiver John Ross. Nose tackle Geno Atkins (shoulder) was also limited as was right end Michael Johnson (concussion).
_As expected tight end Tyler Eifert (back) and right guard Trey Hopkins (knee) were out. It's believed Eifert is getting a series of tests on the back that he had surgically repaired in the offseason....
_The Packers got one of their starting tackles (Bryan Bulaga on the right) ) and one of their starting wide receivers (Jordy Nelson) back for a full practice Wednesday. Starting wide receiver Randall Cobb (chest) and starting left tackle David Bakhitiari (hamstring) didn't work. It also looks like old friend Ahmad Brooks (concussion) is going to be OK since he went full. Just how good did the Bengals draft in 2006. Their top four picks (Johnathan Joseph, Andrew Whitworth, Frostee Rucker, and Domata Peko) are still in the league. And so is Brooks, a supplemental draft pick they took three months later with a third....
