By Adam Kiefaber
Rudi Johnson is finally 100% after his hamstring injury he suffered in the Seattle game (week three) this season.
After a couple of weeks with Kenny Watson being the starter, Bengal fans have to wonder if they even want Rudi back.
In four games (three starts), Rudi has rushed for 185 yards on 62 carries (3.0 yards per carry) with zero touchdowns.
Watson was cleared to practice on Thursday after suffering a concussion in the Pittsburgh game. In seven games (four starts), Watson has rushed for 401 yards on 85 carries (4.7 yards per carry) with four touchdowns.
Bengals.com writes- “Just how good is the Bengals offense?”
“Cincinnati has played the top three defenses in the NFL in the first seven games (Pittsburgh, Baltimore and New England) basically without its top three running backs, its No. 3 and No. 4 receivers, and its Pro Bowl right tackle as well as eight different different line combinations and is still rated fifth in the NFL.”
Let me answer that -
Not good at all!
Rudi had a terrible start to the season. Watson is the better choice as the starter.
Who is the No. 4 receiver, Tab Perry? He never proved that.
Don’t start me on the offensive line, it hasn’t looked any better with Willie Anderson in there. However, it has been solid all year.
Finally, the Bengals are always behind - so the team piles up garbage yardage.
That’s why they are fifth.
To Rudi’s credit, he has rushed for over 1300 yards in each of his three seasons as the Bengals full-time starter.
All that aside, Rudi better run with a purpose this Sunday if he wants to keep his job.
Injury Update
Bengals
Offensive tackle Willie Anderson (knee) and middle linebacker Ahmad Brooks (groin) have been ruled out for Sunday’s game.
Linebacker Caleb Miller (back), defensive end Justin Smith (hamstring), defensive tackle John Thornton (neck) and running back Kenny Watson (head) didn’t participate in practice on Wednesday.
Safety Herana-Daze Jones participated in a limited portion of practice on Wednesday.
-NOTES- Watson should practice Thursday and be able to play this Sunday. Rudi Johnson finally had full participation in practice and is supposedly 100%. Fellow RB Chris Perry is a couple of weeks away from seeing the field.
Bills
Quarterback Trent Edwards (wrist) and LB Leon Joe (back) did not participate in practice on Wednesday.
DE Ryan Denney and cornerback Ashton Youboty (ankle) participated in a limited portion of practice on Wednesday.
-NOTES- After starting the last four weeks, the rookie Edwards won’t start. While the Bills have won three of those four, Edwards hasn’t played that well. QB J.P. Losman will start in his place. In Losman’s three starts this season, the Bills lost all of them. In his defense, those three games were against Denver (14-15), at Pittsburgh and at New England. Edwards’ wins came against the Jets (twice) and Baltimore, but he should have got the win in the Dallas (24-25) game. Last year, Losman started all 16 games for Buffalo and finished with 3,051 yards, 19-14 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 84.9 QB rating. Since Losman is starting against the Bengals, he has become a popular fantasy pick up this week.
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