SPORTS
TUESDAY December 14, 2010
SALISBURY POST
Ronnie Gallagher, Sports Editor, 704-797-4287 rgallagher@salisburypost.com
1B
www.salisburypost.com
These Bengals, in a 10-game skid, may be worst yet BY JOE KAY AP Sports Writer
CINCINNATI — With three games left, there’s only one question left for the Cincinnati Bengals to answer. Are they the worst ever? The Bengals (2-11) have lost 10 consecutive games, matching the club record for one season. The 1993 team under Dave Shula lost its first 10 and has been the measuring stick for failure in the franchise— until now. The way this team is playing, the losing could go on. Cincinnati finishes at home against Cleveland (5-8) and San Diego (7-6), then at Baltimore (8-4). Will they win one more? “I have no idea,” receiver Terrell Owens said. “I’ve never been in this amount of games losing.” Only one other Bengals team knows what it’s like. The ‘93 club opened the season with low
expectations, coming off a five-win season and quarterback Boomer Esiason’s trade to the Jets. Second-year quarterback David Klingler took over and the offense became the worst in club history. When they fell to 0-9 with a 38-3 loss to Warren Moon’s Houston Oilers, the Bengals set a club record for consecutive losses in a season. Shula decided that was good enough for the worst-ever title and put the onus on his players. “Well, I know that we’re the worst team in Bengal history, and we certainly deserve it at this time,” Shula said after the game. “This was the worst performance that we’ve had. They let themselves down, everybody down.” Some players didn’t see it that way. Top running back Harold Green had been benched during the game for missing an audible, and wasn’t in the mood for Shula’s criticism.
Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, right, leaves the field after a 23-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in an NFL football game in Pittsburgh on Sunday.
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre laughs with teammates during warmups at Ford Field. Favre is inactive for the game with the Giants, ending his record consecutive starts streak at 297, dating back to 1992.
Brett Favre inactive, streak ends at 297 B Y N OAH T RISTER AP Sports Writer
DETROIT — No more, Brett. After 297 consecutive starts over 19 seasons, one of the greatest individual streaks in all of sports, Brett Favre ran into an injury he couldn’t beat and sat down. The 41-year-old Vikings quarterback who fought through broken bones, aches, pains and personal grief to play week after week, couldn’t make it for the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night. Favre was sidelined by a throwing shoulder too damaged for even him to overcome. Jeff Anderson, a Vikings spokesman, announced to the public on Twitter that the 41-year-old Favre was out: “Vikings Inactives — 12, 19, 25, 31, 76, 90, 91...and 4. The streak ends...” The Vikings hoped Favre, who has started despite a broken foot and elbow tendinitis this season, could do it again when the game against the New York Giants was delayed from Sunday after the Metrodome roof collapsed. That forced the game to be moved to Ford Field, but it was not enough time for Favre to get healthy enough to play. Leslie Frazier, Minnesota’s interim coach, said the plan was for Favre to go through a pregame throwing routine to try and determine if he could play, but the three-time MVP wasn’t on the field about 90 minutes before kickoff, and the Vikings announced moments later he was inactive. “He had numbness in his hand so it wasn’t a hard decision,” Frazier told Fox television reporter Pam Oliver before kickoff. At halftime, TV cameras showed Favre’s right hand was purple. Favre finally came out about 35 minutes before the game started, wearing a T-shirt and warmup pants. He hugged a teammate while receiving a few cheers from the crowd, then stood at the 15-yard line and chatted with Tarvaris Jackson, the new Minnesota starter. After Minnesota’s first drive, Favre looked at photo printouts with Jackson as the Vikings went over strategy. Ron Jaworski previously held the consecutive starts record for a quarterback, but Favre passed him all the way back in 1999. “I knew when my streak ended, it was because of a broken leg,” Jaworski said. “I knew it was over. It was just kind of inter-
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Carolina Panthers’ Jimmy Clausen is sacked by Atlanta Falcons’ Kroy Biermann as Panther Mike Goodson falls during the first half of the game in Charlotte on Sunday.
Carrying on with Clausen Quarterback still starter for Arizona game, Panthers add 2 to IR BY MIKE CRANSTON AP Sports Writer
CHARLOTTE — Amid 12 losses and 13 players lost to seasonending injuries, the Carolina Panthers are sticking with their apologetic quarterback. Minutes after John Fox announced Monday that defensive end Everette Brown and linebacker Jason Williams are joining the crowded injured reserve list, the embattled coach said rookie Jimmy Clausen “more than likely” will start Sunday against Arizona. “I don’t think our struggles either (Sunday) or up to date have been all the quarterback position, because we’ve fielded a few of them,” Fox said. “We’ll evaluate that this week. We won’t announce starters, but I don’t see it changing moving forward.” After another poor performance in Sunday’s 31-10 loss to Atlanta, Clausen apologized to linebacker Jon Beason for the offensive woes. That prompted an angry response from receiver Steve Smith as frustrations mount in the locker room of the NFL’s worst team. “You should apologize to the people in the huddle with you,” Smith said. “He has a lot to learn. He ain’t at Notre Dame anymore, that’s for sure.” Wearing a Notre Dame sweatshirt on Monday, Clausen expressed relief in keeping his job. “It means a lot to have coach
Fox and the rest of the coaching staff have confidence in myself to go out and execute the game plan,” Clausen said. The Panthers (1-12) haven’t executed many things effectively this season. And now an already thin team with little talent keeps losing players. After recording 11/2 sacks against the Falcons in the best performance of his uneven twoyear career, Brown hurt his wrist and needs season-ending surgery. Brown, whom Carolina gave up a first-round pick to get in the 2009 draft, finishes the year with 31/2 sacks. “I think he’s been a little up and down, but I thought he had a good day (Sunday) until the injury,” Fox said. “I thought he became more productive here as of late.” Williams, claimed off waivers last month from Dallas, had moved into the starting lineup at weakside linebacker thanks to numerous injuries. But he hurt his knee in practice late last week, forcing Jordan Senn to become the fourth starter in that position against Atlanta. Fox announced Monday that Williams has a torn anterior cruciate ligament. “He’s a tough guy, was involved in a couple of takeaways,” Fox said. “He was getting acclimated to our defensive system, not having been here during
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A Carolina Panthers fan holds up a sign during the second half of the Panthers’ 31-10 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Charlotte on Sunday.