Chargers scouting report: Cincinnati Bengals

By: JAY PARIS - Staff Writer | Wednesday, November 8, 2006 5:22 AM PST ∞

KICKOFF: 10 a.m., Sunday - SERIES: Chargers lead the series, 17-11, counting the postseason. The two have met once in the playoffs, when the Bengals prevailed in the Freezer Bowl, the 1981 AFC title game which denied the Chargers their first trip to a Super Bowl.

PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Carlson Palmer

The former USC Heisman Trophy winner is hoping this season doesn't turn into a bust. Bouncing back from a serious knee injury suffered in last season's playoffs, Carson has delivered an up-and-down season in his fourth year. He's completed 158-of-258 passes (61 percent) for 1,879 yards, 12 TDs and six INTs. Palmer's 89.3 rating places him ninth overall, but more telling are his struggles on third downs. Among the reason the Bengals' offense is producing uneven performances is Palmer's third-down rating of 66.7, which is 25th in the league. Half of the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Palmer's interceptions have come on third downs, which speaks also to protection breakdowns which have forced some hurried throws.

OFFENSE

RB Rudi Johnson leads the ground attack and with 629 yards he is AFC's fifth-leading rusher as he aims to become the first Bengal to win a rushing title. He has also added six TDs. But what concerns the Chargers most is a 1-2-3 wide receiving corps which is among the league's best. Chad Johnson is gunning for his fourth straight AFC receiving yards title ... something that has never been done. But he's a tad off his usual pace with 40 catches for 483 yards and just two TDs. T.J. Houshmandzadeh paces the Bengals with 488 receiving yards and five touchdown catches on 39 receptions. And Chris Henry is the third component as he has three TD catches on just 18 receptions. But the front line has had trouble keeping Palmer upright as it has allowed 23 sacks after giving up but 19 all of last year.

DEFENSE

DE Justin Smith, like LaDainian Tomlinson, is a member of that impressive first round from the 2001 draft and he continues to cause havoc for opposing quarterbacks. Smith leads the Bengals with 6 1/2 sacks as he's again playing at a high level. Smith has a sack partner in Robert Geathers on the opposite side, as he's contributed six sacks. Not since the Bengals' 1981 AFC title year have they had two defenders finish with double-digit sacks; Smith and Geathers are on pace to do just that. Smith is more than a pass-rushing specialist as this every down player ties LB Landon Johnson for the team lead with 60 tackles. After snagging 13 interceptions last year, the defense has but five through eight games. S Kevin Kaesviharn has a team-high three, with S Madieu Williams adding two. The biggest problem on this side of the ball is stopping the run, where the Bengals rank No. 25 in allowing an average of 129 yards per game.

NOTEWORTHY

The Bengals have squandered a 3-0 start by losing four of their last five games. ... The team revamped its uniform scheme in 2004, with six variations of jerseys and pants. For Sunday, it will down black jerseys and white pants, which has produced its worst winning percentage (.333) of all the get-ups; they are 4-8 in that garb. ... RG Mike Goff played for the Bengals from 1998-03. ... FB Lorenzo Neal wore the stripes from 2001-02 and earned his first Pro Bowl nod in Cincinnati. ... Injured LB Steve Foley was a Bengal from 1998-02. ... QB coach Ken Zampese, the son of former Chargers offensive coordinator Ernie, was a wide receiver and coach at the University of San Diego. ... S Marlon McCree attended nearby Kentucky. ... Bengals coach Marvin Lewis and the Chargers' Marty Schottenheimer both hail from the same region in Pennsylvania.

---- Jay Paris