Levi Jones knows what's in store for Andrew Whitworth.
"I know exactly how I felt, that's why I'm helping out as much as I can," said Jones, the Cincinnati Bengals fifth-year left tackle. "It's a pressure position and for you to go into it as young as he is and as young as I was, it's a lot of stress. I'm just trying to help him ease the pain as much as possible."
Every time he looks at his right wrist, Lakers forward Devin Green can read the words, "The NBA: It's a privilege, not a right," another reminder that he has to fight again this October for a spot on the 15-man roster.
Green picked up the black wristband at the NBA's rookie transition program last month and said he liked the message. He knows that nothing is guaranteed, even after making the team out of training camp last season.
"I went through it last year, so I'm kind of used to it," Green said. "I kind of know what to look for. I think the hardest thing for me is trying to control my anxiety. You go out there and you're hyped and you want to prove a point to everybody."
After going undrafted out of Hampton, Green won the last spot on the Lakers' roster and played in 27 games as a rookie. He saw only limited action but was active for 69 of 82 regular-season games.
The Bengals developed an offensive identity last season, an offense that involved aggressive play calls down the field that resulted in explosive plays and a lot of points being scored.
That offense is still there, players and coaches say, but it has yet to rear its head this season for any consistent period of time. It's hard to get an offensive flow going when the punting unit more often than not is on the field after just a few plays. The Bengals are 26th in the league in third-down conversions at 32.3 percent.
Failure to convert has left their offense stuck in second gear
Trying to reverse a two-game losing streak in which their offense has been all but nonexistent, the Bengals went back to work Wednesday with a plan to score more points.
After three weeks of experimenting with various combinations on the offensive line, the Bengals head into Sunday's game against Carolina with the idea of stabilizing their front five.
They hope that consistency will help them improve their third-down percentage, which has sunk to 32.3 percent - 26th in the league. They had the same success rate after five games in 2005, though they improved to 42.9 percent by the end of the season.
Charges of drunken boating against a Bengals player could be dropped after he completes a diversion program, his attorney said.
Offensive lineman Eric Steinbach was scheduled to stand trial today on the charge, which carries a maximum penalty of a $200 fine. But Camp- bell District Judge Karen Thomas has agreed to delay the trial, and set a pretrial hearing for Oct. 30.
"He's going to take diversion," said his attorney, Dan Dickerson.
Running back Chris Perry is still on the Physically Unable to Perform list, but the Bengals' former first-round draft choice practiced for the first time this season Wednesday with the hope of being cleared to play Sunday.
The Bengals host Carolina at Paul Brown Stadium at 1 p.m.
"I can't give you a time frame," head coach Marvin Lewis said about Perry's return to the 53-man roster. "It could be Sunday. It could be next Sunday. It could be the Sunday after that."
Two key Bengals defensive players remained questionable Wednesday for Sunday's game.
Strong safety Dexter Jackson, probably the most major individual injury loss, did not practice in the 11-on-11 team session because of his ankle injury.
His return would bolster the run defense significantly.
Chad Johnson stood before the Wednesday media riot and guaranteed a win over the Carolina Panthers. His golden, center-line hairdo had been re-carved, to resemble a big, skinny W. Because, as Eighty-Five explained, "That's what we're gonna do Sunday against Carolina."
OK, so Chad didn't say that. But he should have.
An offense lacking in imagination, aggression and, oh yeah, points needs its point-mouth to jumpstart the mojo. Enough talk of injuries and people switching jobs on the offensive line and teams figuring the Bengals out. It's time to make like '05 in '06. That starts with attitude. Where's the attitude?
Cincinnati Bengals news 10/19
Cincinnati Bengals news 10/19
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