News

Updated: 7:20 p.m.

GEORGETOWN, Ky. - For the second time in three days an injury struck the Bengals tight ends in the morning practice of a two-a-day at Georgetown College.

But this one is a lot easier to take. Daniel Coats has officially been listed as day-to-day after head coach Marvin Lewis said in his news conference that Coats twisted his ankle. Coats is a guy that would be another big loss because he brings the same kind of game that Reggie Kelly brought to the table. So Coats would be a guy that theoretically allows the Bengals to do a lot of no-huddle because he can play a couple of different spots and they don't have to sub.

Coats was later seen on crutches and indications were he didn't break the ankle, but that he'll probably miss some time.

Kelly, lost for the year when it was believed he ruptured his Achilles tendon, was the team's best blocking tight end known for his strength and toughness. The other tight ends that figure to make the roster, Ben Utecht and rookie Chase Coffman, are known primarily as receivers.

Kelly had surgery Wednesday, where the rupture was confirmed, and put on season-ending injured reserve.

NIGHT SCRATCHES:  Defensive end Frostee Rucker (hip), who missed the morning practice, also didn't go at night. SAM linebacker Rey Maualuga (tight hamstring) also didn't work. Wide receiver Antonio Chatman and defensive tackle Pernell Phillips were ill and out. None of the problems seemed serious. 

LEWIS PRESSER: Lewis raised a few eyebrows Wednesday at his news conference with a couple of "Did he really say that?"

On third-round defensive end Michael Johnson's adjustment to pads he said, "He's
exceeded my expectations in everything that he's done. Of all the rookie players I've probably ever been around in the NFL, he's played as fast and as physical and made as many football plays early in camp. We've been really pleased with Mike."

On wide receiver Andre Caldwell's performance in the slot: "He finished the season as our best player out there last year on offense in the last couple of games. I think Andre has done nothing but go forward since then. He's confident; he got a great opportunity to play due to injury. He really stepped up and got going. … We'll have a different couple of combinations of who plays where when we get into three wide receiver sets. We're better now than we were a year ago."

It was the since departed T.J. Houshmandzadeh who manned the slot last year until he missed the last game of the year, but he did it as one of the league leaders in third-down catches. Houshmandzadeh also didn't report to the voluntaries and missed virtually all of the preseason with a hamstring problem, so Lewis has always had his slot receivers - Caldwell, Laveranues Coles, Antonio Chatman - at all times this year.

TWO GIANTS: The Bengals literally cleaned house Wednesday when the NFL chose the college's conference center to unveil its mega deal with P&G in which the Cincinnati-based power has exclusive marketing rights for 13 products.

The Wall Street Journal via ProFootballTalk.com reported it as a five-year contract worth more than $10 million per year.

Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn noted in a news conference that P&G has been a staple of Cincinnati since 1837 and continues to be its headquarters. Quarterback Carson Palmer and middle linebacker Dhani Jones wasted no time claiming some of the products that are now "Official Locker Room Products" of the NFL. Palmer got a package of battery-operated razors and Jones grabbed some Febreze odor eliminator.

"P&G is one of the biggest powers in all of America and its right in the middle of Cincinnati. It makes a lot of sense," said Jones, who could end up in other endorsement opportunities with the company.

Mark Waller, the NFL's senior vice president of sales and marketing, called it "a privilege" to hook up with P&G and give the company access to a fan base of the league's 225 million TV viewers, of which 40 percent are women. Jason Dial, P&G's director of sports marketing, indicated that there looks like a day when Palmer's Bengals-logoed razors and other products will soon be available to all.

"It's safe to say," said Dial, who said he couldn't discuss specifics, "that we will be customizing things to be that much more relevant to the consumer and the NFL fan base."

SLANTS AND SCREENS

» Most eye-opening play on defense, besides two interceptions by safety Corey Lynch as noted by Enquirer eagle-eyed scribe Joe Reedy, had to be WILL linebacker Keith Rivers' play on Coffman in the flat. Rivers flashed to the spot before Coffman could turn upfield and Coffman fumbled in the collision. Also of note on that play was tackle Pat Sims barreling right behind Rivers in pursuit.

» Carson Palmer's elbow looks to have no problem getting the ball deep. In fact, he's had a bunch of overthrows as he tries to get in Ocho Synco with his receivers. But he could roll out of a sick bed in August and always hit Chris Henry in stride. That's what he did in a long-ball drill Monday after he overthrew Jerome Simspon on a fly pattern and hung up one that Coles had to wait on in the post.

» Henry may need to work on catching other routes, but he's sure got that '9' route down. He sped past cornerback Geoff Pope and caught a sideline bomb from J.T. O'Sullivan.

» There were some interesting one-on-one matches in the trenches. On Oklahoma Day, center Kyle Cook showed he had some strength when he handled tackle Domata Peko and linebacker Rey Maualuga. On Monday in two snaps against Jon Fanene, he did a nice job keeping Fanene's athleticism at bay and showed some light feet working against a guy that plays a lot of end.

» Right tackle Anthony Collins also had two good snaps against another good athlete, left end Robert Geathers. Collins got set in his base and steered Geathers to the outside on the pass rush.