Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki doesn't know if he'll be able to play Sunday (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Local 12) at Paycor Stadium against the Patriots. He's just happy he's back at practice.
Listed as a full participant Wednesday, he never thought that was going to happen in Green Bay on Oct. 12 after he got tangled up trying to block a defender on his second snap of the game
"If you had told me I would have felt like this (now) the day it happened, I didn't think that at all," said Gesicki of his pectoral injury. "I thought my season was over. To go out there and practice, and catch a couple balls, and run around out there, that was fun in itself. There is still work to be done and healing to be done, but it's been good."
Not only is Gesicki not sure if he can go ("We'll see," said head coach Zac Taylor), quarterback Joe Flacco hasn't targeted him in a game yet. Now that Gesicki's practice window on injured reserve is open, he can get a shot to work with his fellow New Jersey native. Except that Flacco (shoulder) only went limited Wednesday and goes full Thursday.
"I don't think I threw the ball to him at all the first game. I was here before he got hurt. It happened pretty early (in Green Bay), but I mean, it seems like it was a year ago already," Flacco said. "But a couple of weeks ago, I did get a full week of preparation with Mike. And just got the feel a little bit out there about how he runs routes and how he gets open."
Before this season, Gesicki had missed one game in his seven years, and that was five years ago in Miami. Now he's missed four straight, and he admits it's awkward hanging around not practicing.
But there was some good timing. The day of Flacco's first practice with the Bengals, Oct. 8, Gesicki and his wife celebrated the birth of their first child.
"I was able to have some extra time, so that was a silver lining," Gesicki said.
Even before the injury, Gesicki was looking to settle into that groove he had with quarterback Joe Burrow last season. The one with 65 catches. He's got eight this season in six games. But there may be a special connection with a fellow New Jerseyan.
"We'll see if we can make it happen," Gesicki said.
The Joes, Part II
Flacco confirmed that Burrow looked just fine Wednesday in Burrow's first reps in team drills in his rehab from turf toe.
"Joe looked good. It's cool to see him out there," Flacco said after practice. "And, obviously, when you're both now taking reps some conversations happen. Like, 'How do you see this vs. that?' Joe looked good."
Flacco, 40, still likes it because of days like Wednesday, and it's got nothing to do with football.
Take before and after practice. Before they hit the field, there was, apparently, a smattering of amusing discussions.
"Man, that locker room. It's a cool spot. I can't share with you all the crap that we talked about, because it's not appropriate, but it's so much fun," Flacco said. "Even before we were going out to practice today … it's a very unique profession in terms of what we get to talk about while we're on the job."
And then, coming off the field, Flacco kidded wide receiver Tee Higgins about his car.
"I was laughing about how many nice cars we've got in our parking lot over there. I would say this is a pretty good collection of cars in terms of the teams that I've been on," Flacco said. "And we're kind of just laughing about that, because he's a part of that.
"I'm walking to my Ford Expedition, and he's making that whole parking lot sound like it's going through the worst thunderstorm in the world while he's pulling out with his little thing. It's been good. These guys are good guys. They're good football guys."
Defense Putting In Some Myles
There is some thought around Paycor Stadium that third-year defensive end Myles Murphy played one of the best games of his career the way he played the run on the perimeter for a career-high seven tackles to go with a sack. Murphy and tackle Kris Jenkins put the third-down hit on Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers that forced a red-zone incompletion and the ensuing field goal. It's also the play that may have driven Rodgers from the game with a wrist injury.
Murphy felt as if he's been trying to make something happen.
"Just make the plays that come to you. That come to my side. That come into my gap," Murphy said after Wednesday's practice. "Not trying to force plays to happen. I felt like I was doing that early on in the season. Make the plays that come to you."
Murphy said the focus of the week was fast and penetrate. Particularly key because of the way the Steelers play offense downhill.
"Play fast. Whether you're doing the right or wrong thing," Murphy said. "Play fast, come across the ball, re-set the line of scrimmage. Play fast, everything else falls into place."
Slants and Screens
How about this? A month ago, the Bengals were trying to get used to Flacco. Now they're trying to get used to Burrow again.
Wide receiver Andrei Iosivas says when Flacco breaks the huddle, he calls the cadence once. Burrow does it twice …
Yes, Flacco has played Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. Twice.
"I assume we did, but I can't honestly tell you," Flacco said.
Then an outside backer in the final two years of his career with the Chiefs, Vrabel got his hand on a Flacco pass in the Ravens' 38-24 win over Kansas City in the 2009 opener. And, Flacco, was the last quarterback he faced. Vrabel's final game was a 30-7 Wild Card loss to Baltimore. He never sacked Flacco …
As expected, starting cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt (foot) didn't practice Wednesday …
Neither did edge Trey Hendrickson (hip/pelvis) …
Right guard Jalen Rivers (ankle/knee) didn't go and neither did edge Cam Sample (oblique) …
Edge Cedric Johnson (ankle) was limited …
Safet Daijahn Anthony (hamstring), like Gesicki, still on injured reserve, practiced for the first time since training camp …
