Saturday, October 11, 2008, 12:05 PM EST [General]
From the Bengals:
* Signed free agent K Dave Rayner, a fourth-year NFL player from Michigan State. Rayner (6-2, 210) has 41 games of NFL experience, having played with Indianapolis in 2005, Green Bay in 2006 and Kansas City and San Diego in 2007. He has made 41 of 58 field goal attempts (70.7 percent), with a long of 54 yards, and he is 45-of-46 on PATs. He has 15 touchbacks on 41 career kickoffs.
Rayner became a free agent for 2008 when his San Diego contract expired with no qualifying offer. He was signed and later released by Miami in June, and signed with Detroit on Aug. 9. He played in preseason games two and three with Detroit, going seven-for-eight on field goals and five-for-five on PATs. He was released by the Lions on Aug. 26.
* Waived FB Reagan Maui’a, second-year player from Hawaii. Maui’a signed with the Bengals as a free agent on Sept. 3. He was inactive for Games 1-2 and 5, and started at FB in Games 3-4 (no statistics).
Lewis said on Friday that if the team signed a kicker, he would likely be used just for kickofs. Shayne Graham reported a sore groin earlier this week and did not participate in practice on Thursday and didn't kick on Friday.
"I was just pretty sore, decided it would be best, on the precautionary side, to take the day off and not kick on it," Graham said on Friday. "I’m feeling by gametime I’ll be able to go and I hope that’s the way we can go with it."
Ryan Fitzpatrick will start for Carson Palmer on Sunday, but other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?
Well, here's the other stuff that may get lost after that bit of (understandably important) news.
* The Bengals are bringing in kickers today, but Lewis expects Shayne Graham (right groin) to be able to kick field goals and extra points. If they sign someone, it will likely be just for kick off duties.
"We'll make that determination over the weekend, too," Lewis said. "I believe he'll be good to do field goals and we may add a player to kick off. We'll see."
* DT John Thornton was getting an MRI for "soreness in his lower leg." That could mean the debut of third-round pick Pat Sims.
"I’d like to get Pat up and going, we’re hopeful, but he got dinged up on Wednesday," Lewis said. "He was better today than he was Wednesday and I hope he’ll be ready to go."
* And more on Palmer.
When Lewis stated, "We'll see how Carson is on Sunday, but Ryan will start the game," I followed up with the natural question, "so are you saying there's a chance Carson can be the second QB?"
Lewis' response, "I'll make that determination on Sunday."
Fitzpatrick said he was better prepared last week than he was the week before and feels good about this week.
"That’s how it was last week as well, as far as me getting the Wednesday and Thursday practice, it’s just that Carson was ruled out this week," Fitzpatrick said. "I got to do all the reps on Friday as well."
* OT Levi Jones sat out practice, he's in the third of four treatments on his knee that will cause him to miss Friday practices.
* The Jets will be wearing the old New York Titans uniforms again this weekend. The blue ones, you know?
Ryan Fitzpatrick will make his second start of the season at
quarterback for the Bengals on Sunday against the New York Jets in the
place of injured franchise quarterback Carson Palmer, head coach Marvin
Lewis said on Friday.
Palmer didn't practice on Friday, and Lewis said his status beyond not starting has not been determined.
"We'll see how Carson is on Sunday, but Ryan will start the game," Lewis said following Friday's practice.
Palmer
has been bothered by a sore elbow since the team's last trip to New
Jersey, a loss to the Giants. In that game on Sept. 21, Palmer was hit
by Corey Webster sacked him to end their first offensive series of the
game. Palmer finished the game, and played his best game of the season
in the 26-23 overtime loss.
Fitzpatrick started the next game,
Sept. 28, at home against the Browns, a 20-12 loss to the Browns. In
that game, Fitzpatrick was 21 of 35 for 156 yards, three interceptions
and a touchdown.
"Yeah, I feel great right now. I think being
able to digest the game plan and having three full days of practice,"
Fitzpatrick said. "I got that first game out of my way. I've been there
in a live rush situation, I'm going to be smarter with the ball and
stay within myself and the offense. I'm excited to play."
Lewis
was incredulous when asked if Palmer's injury was season-ending --
"It's no different than what it was," he said of Palmer's injury.
Lewis was then asked if Palmer's status was going to be a week-to-week situation.
"Hopefully
not, we're trying to get it out of being a week-to-week thing," Lewis
said. "We're trying to get it calmed down to where it doesn't give him
any irritation or problems at all."
The Bengals traded for
Fitzpatrick following last season’s preseason. His only game action in
2007 came as a holder on a PAT in the season-opener, as Palmer played
every offensive snap for the Bengals last season.
Each of the
last two weeks, Palmer participated only in the running game parts of
practice on Wednesday and Thursday. Last Friday he participated fully
in practice, but this Friday he did not practice at all.
"We didn't have Carson do anything today, he just did his rehab," Lewis said.
Fitzpatrick said he felt confident he'd be starting this week, even though Palmer played against Dallas last Sunday.
"I
had a feeling throughout the week. Just the way his elbow was feeling,
just the communication between us," Fitzpatrick said. "Really,
Wednesday and Thursday was the same as last week for me, with the
difference being today was my day to go out and there and practice as
well."
Fitzpatrick said he's more comfortable with the gameplan
this week than he was two weeks ago against Cleveland, when Palmer
practiced on Wednesday and Thursday, but not Friday.
"(I've)
just (have to) stay within myself, we have enough playmakers on this
team that it’s going to happen naturally in the game. Especially with
the four wide-outs we've got going in this game with Slim back and Tone
playing well and obviously Chad and T.J.," Fitzpatrick said, referring
to wide receivers Chris Henry, Antonio Chatman, Chad Ocho Cinco and
T.J. Houshmandzadeh. "I'm excited to go out there and play with these
guys. It's clicked a little bit the last few weeks, but one of these
times we're really going to be firing on all cylinders and hopefully we
can get it figured out this week."
Fitzpatrick will also get a chance to play against his favorite quarterback growing up, Jets starter Brett Favre.
"If
you're playing or not, when you're against Brett Favre, it's fun to
watch him," Fitzpatrick said. "He's been playing for a long, long time.
I think I was probably 9 years old when he started, somewhere around
there. I'm really excited just to see him play and do his thing."
Of course, he could be busy during the game.
"I
might be looking at some stuff, I'm not going to lie, I'm going to be
peaking at the JumboTron every now and then, too," Fitzpatrick said.
Fitzpatrick didn't have a Favre poster or jersey as a kid, but his little brother did have a Favre Packers jersey.
"There was a Favre jersey in the house," said Fitzpatrick, an Arizona native. "I was more of a Jake Plummer guy – ASU."
Palmer
isn't the only Bengal hurting, kicker Shayne Graham hasn't practiced
the last two days and the team is bringing in kickers this afternoon.
Graham said before practice he still expects to kick on Sunday, but
Lewis said the team may sign someone to handle kickoff duties.
Defensive tackle John Thornton didn't practice because of a lower leg
injury, which could mean the debut of third-round draft pick Pat Sims.
Bengals kicker Shayne Graham was on the injury report on Thursday afternoon with a sore right groin. But on Friday, he was still the only kicker in the team's locker room, which was a good sign for his availability on Sunday.
"I was just pretty sore, decided it would be best, on the precautionary side, to take the day off and not kick on it," Graham said. "I’m feeling by gametime I’ll be able to go and I hope that’s the way we can go with it."
Graham said there was no specific incident that led to his injury.
"It’s just been sore, a little more sore than normal," Shayne Graham. "I decided not to push it or take any chances with it. I’m resting it. It should feel fine."
Graham didn't kick on Thursday and wasn't scheduled on Friday. He said he usually doesn't kick on Fridays anyway.
"It just got a little more sore than my usual soreness, so I figured I’d back off of it and not take any chances," Graham said.
