Updated: 6 p.m.
The Bengals have apparently suffered their most significant injuries of training camp, although head coach Marvin Lewis preferred to call the hand injuries to running back Bernard Scott and cornerback Brandon Ghee as merely "oweys" after Friday's practice.
Lewis indicated that Scott would be available for the Sept. 10 regular-season opener in Baltimore but he didn't know when he could return to the preseason. Ghee seems to have suffered an even bigger "owey" because Lewis wouldn't say if he could be back for the opener.
Left end Robert Geathers, who has yet to practice, underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Friday "to get his knee cleaned out," Lewis said, and Lewis think he'll be ready for the regular-season opener.
It's a tough break for both Ghee and Scott because they had played well this first week. After sitting behind Cedric Benson for three years, Scott was flying around in a rotation with BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Brian Leonard and Cedric Peerman are next in line.
"They want him to keep it from moving it around. He's going to miss a little time," Lewis said. "Just keep conditioning and let the owey go away. He got off to a great start and it's a shame."
Lewis could have said the same thing about Ghee, where the fear is he broke a bone in his wrist when he came down on it Thursday night trying to unsuccessfully defend a jump ball to wide receiver A.J. Green in the end zone.
There must be a rule that at least three corners have to be out. Rookies Shaun Prater (knee) and Dre Kirkpatrick (leg) have been out all camp and Jason Allen missed Friday with a bruise after being healthy all week. Adam Jones (hamstring), who has been out this week, returned in limited fashion and Lewis said he'll he held out of the scrimmage and maybe play a little bit in the Mock Game Sunday with the goal to have him full go for Tuesday's practice after Monday's off day.
FAMILIAR RING: The Bengals welcomed back one of the rocks of the formative years of the Marvin Lewis era this week when University of Kentucky head strength coach Ray "Rock" Oliver reunited with old boss Chip Morton in the Paul Brown Stadium weight room to help out at training camp.
Oliver, a Cincinnati native who was already a Bluegrass legend before serving six seasons as Morton's assistant in the Bengals weight room, returned to Kentucky two years ago and has helped old friend John Calipari to a Final Four and national title on the basketball side in addition to running the football strength program.
When he looked around took PBS and took a whiff, he realized it wasn't 2009 anymore.
"You better strap yourself in for this one, Chief," Oliver said. "I don't know what it tastes like, but I know what it looks like and I know what it smells like and it's pretty damn familiar."
The players took a gander at Oliver's NCAA championship ring this week and he let it be known he thinks the Bengals can get one of their own.
"You see (Andrew) Whitworth and (Domata) Peko and you see the look on their faces," Oliver said. "It's a different look in their face, just listening to these guys talk and the young guys. I'm not disparaging the teams that were here when I was here, but I've seen that look before. It's all about being the teammate you want to play with. I see that with these guys."
Oliver didn't see that a couple of years ago when Kentucky made an un unsuccesful run with the talent of a draft day green room. But last year very early, Oliver noticed it.
"It was about the sixth or seventh practice and I don't know at what point it was, but I looked over at Cal and he was already looking at me," Oliver said. "I told him after that practice, 'You've got a legit shot. '"
Oliver doesn't mind telling these Bengals the same thing.
"These guys have all the pieces," Oliver said. "They've got everything now. They've got a dominant head coach. They've got dominant coordinators. They've got dominant players at skill positions. Who's better than the one kid (A.J. Green)? I'm just glad he's out of Georgia. We'll have a chance. And this defense might have been the only thing that could have stopped Magic's Lakers."
Oliver reprised his camp role and helped keep the injured players in shape. It will be recalled that Morton and Oliver in their own early morning and late night "Camp Chrock" at Georgetown College revived more careers than incentive clauses.
There aren't any big challenges like Jeremi Johnson and Andre Smith this season, but Oliver has spent a lot of time with first-round pick Dre Kirkpatrick and Adam Jones on the side.
"These are good guys that have the look," Oliver said. "I love Dre. He's very close to his first cousin (wide receiver Daryl Collins) who plays for us. Let me tell you, there's a talented line right there."
After smelling the NFL roses for a week, Oliver senses something. Even though he knows that's what coaches aren't supposed to say.
"I know that people involved in sports are always superstitious," Oliver said. "But you're either one of three things. You're good, you're bad or you're ugly. These guys are good. I've seen it before."
SLANTS AND SCREENS
» The Bengals went to the hurryup offense Friday for the first time and quarterback Andy Dalton was 3-for-5 with a throwaway and a kill-the-clock spike. Tight end Jermaine Gresham came up with a catch-and-lug that may have gone for 15 yards if they were wearing pads and tackling, but they were doing neither.
» Since he signed a contract only after a rookie camp tryout, figure Kansas State outside linebacker Emmanuel Lamur is the last man on the roster. But he may have the best chance of any free-agent rookie to make the club as he battles for the sixth and final backer spot. He showed his athleticism Friday with an interception as he dropped smoothly into coverage.
At 6-4, 230 pounds, Lamur, Lewis says, "Is what they're supposed to look like. I knew after seeing him for those three days we had to sign him."
» The NFL isn't releasing the names of the replacement officials working this weekend's intrasquad scrimmage and Mock Game as the league and its officials enter the season in a contract dispute. The NFL plans to reveal the officials at the preseason games.
» Evidence that the Bengals like how Taylor Mays and Jeromy Miles are working at safety? Veteran DB Jason Allen has worked strictly at cornerback. Of course, he's had to because of the depleted numbers on the corner, but you'd think the coaches would have given him some snaps if it wasn't working out.
"I don't think about it like that," Allen said. "I just think about it as depth. You're always going to need guys to do both. We've got safeties (Miles, Reggie Nelson) that can play corner, too."
Allen played some of his 71 games in Miami at safety, but none of his 23 in Houston.
