Showing posts with label Marvin Lewis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marvin Lewis. Show all posts

December 11, 2014

2011: Texans Rally to Beat Bengals and Clinch First-Ever Division Title


The Houston Texans did not reach the postseason in their first nine years of existence, but stood poised to win a division title as they faced the Cincinnati Bengals on December 11, 2011. Coached by Gary Kubiak, the Texans had an outstanding defense, but attrition was a problem on offense.  T.J. Yates (pictured above), a rookie fifth-round draft pick out of North Carolina, had taken over at quarterback when starting QB Matt Schaub and then backup Matt Leinart went down with season-ending injuries in consecutive weeks. The first-year quarterback was making just his second start and was also without star WR Andre Johnson, who was sidelined by a strained hamstring. But RB Arian Foster was a steady performer and the Texans had won six straight games after a 3-3 start to come into the contest at Cincinnati with a 9-3 record.

Cincinnati, under Head Coach Marvin Lewis for the ninth year, was moving in the opposite direction, having started off at 6-2 before losing three of four games to barely be in playoff contention with a 7-5 tally. QB Andy Dalton and WR A.J. Green were both rookies who moved directly into the starting lineup with promising results. As had typically been the case since Lewis took over as coach, the defense was solid.  

There was a small crowd of 41,202 fans in attendance at Paul Brown Stadium. The teams traded punts to start the game before the Texans mounted a scoring drive. After Arian Foster gained 11 yards on two carries, RB Ben Tate (pictured below) broke away for 44 yards to the Cincinnati 32. Houston was able to pick up another four yards before Neil Rackers kicked a 46-yard field goal.



The Bengals responded with a scoring series of their own. Andy Dalton completed a pass to WR Jerome Simpson for 21 yards and RB Cedric Benson followed up with a 42-yard run to the Houston one. The failure to reach the end zone mattered as the home team was immediately backed up five yards by a false start and the Bengals were able to regain only two yards before Mike Nugent kicked a 22-yard field goal that tied the score at 3-3.

FS Reggie Nelson intercepted a T.J. Yates pass on the next series and returned it 23 yards to the Houston 25. The Bengals lost ground from there but still took the lead when Nugent kicked another field goal, this time from 47 yards.

In a series that extended into the second quarter, Yates completed passes to TE Owen Daniels for 27 yards, WR Kevin Walter for 19, and Foster for 21. But after reaching the Cincinnati one, LB Rey Maualuga forced Tate to fumble and the Bengals recovered.

Cincinnati proceeded to drive 97 yards in 15 plays. Benson ran effectively and Dalton had a completion to TE Jermaine Gresham that picked up 26 yards. The Bengals converted two third downs and, facing a fourth-and-three situation at the Houston 35, Dalton passed to A.J. Green for 11 yards. Finally, Dalton threw down the middle to Simpson for a 17-yard touchdown. Nugent converted and the Bengals were up by 13-3 with three minutes remaining in the first half.

The Texans put together an effective drive in response as Yates went to the air and had completions of 24 and 18 yards to Daniels, five yards to WR Jacoby Jones, and six to Foster. But after reaching the Cincinnati 30, Rackers missed on a 47-yard field goal try. With the clock now down to 30 seconds, Dalton threw to WR Andrew Hawkins for 22 yards and to Gresham for 10 to set up a 49-yard Nugent field goal. Cincinnati carried a 16-3 lead into halftime.

The Bengals had the ball first in the third quarter but Dalton fumbled when sacked by LB Connor Barwin and LB Brooks Reed recovered for the Texans at the Cincinnati 17. Houston capitalized when, four plays later, Yates passed to TE Joel Dreessen for a six-yard touchdown. Rackers added the PAT and the home team’s lead was cut to six points.

The teams traded punts until the Bengals, starting from their own two yard line, drove all the way to the Houston 10. A pass interference penalty accounted for 25 yards and Dalton threw to Green for a 36-yard gain to the Houston 9. Cincinnati lost a yard over the ensuing three plays and Nugent came on to kick a 28-yard field goal that extended the lead to 19-10.

In a series that extended into the fourth quarter, the Texans advanced into Cincinnati territory. Yates threw to Foster for 17 yards and Jones for 16 and ran for 12 yards on his own to convert a third down, but he also fumbled when hit by DT Geno Atkins on a sack and DE Jonathan Fanene recovered for the Bengals at the Cincinnati 48.

The resulting possession was short and ended with a punt. On Houston’s next series, Yates completed seven passes, the longest to Walter for 19 yards, and the Texans reached the Cincinnati 15 before the drive stalled. Rackers kicked a 33-yard field goal to again make it a six-point contest.

The Bengals again had to punt following the next series and the Texans started at their 20 yard line with 2:33 left in regulation and no timeouts remaining. Yates was again effective passing the ball, connecting with Daniels three times for a total of 26 yards and Walter for 19 to the Cincinnati 35. A spike followed by a sack had the visitors facing third-and-15, but Yates ran 17 yards for a first down. Three plays later, the Texans were again facing third down and this time a pass interference penalty on CB Adam “Pacman” Jones moved the ball 17 yards to the six. From there, Yates threw to Walter for a six-yard touchdown with two seconds left. Rackers added the all-important extra point and Houston came away with a dramatic 20-19 win.

The Texans had the edge in total yards (412 to 285) and first downs (25 to 16) as well as time of possession (31:44 to 28:16). However, Houston also turned the ball over four times, to two suffered by the Bengals, and Cincinnati recorded five sacks, to one by the Texans.

T.J. Yates completed 26 of 44 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns while giving up one interception. He also rushed for 36 yards on five carries. Owen Daniels had 7 catches for 100 yards and Kevin Walter contributed 6 receptions for 76 yards and the game-deciding TD. With the one long carry, Ben Tate led Houston in rushing with 67 yards on 8 attempts while Arian Foster was held to 41 yards on 15 carries, although he added 33 yards on four catches.

For the Bengals, Andy Dalton was successful on 16 of 28 throws for 189 yards and a TD, giving up no interceptions. Cedric Benson ran for 91 yards on 21 attempts and A.J. Green (pictured below) topped the receivers with 5 catches for 59 yards. Mike Nugent was successful on all four of his field goal attempts.



“A rookie quarterback beat us today,” said Cincinnati safety Chris Crocker. “He did it with both his arm and his feet. I don’t even know what to say. Wow.”

With a Tennessee loss shortly thereafter, the Texans clinched the AFC South title and finished with a 10-6 record. Cincinnati, given scant chance of making the postseason after the loss, nevertheless won its next two games and qualified for a Wild Card slot at 9-7, which placed third in the AFC North. The teams met again in the Wild Card playoff round and Houston won to advance to the Divisional level, falling to Baltimore.

T.J. Yates ended up completing 82 of 134 passes (61.2 %) for 949 yards and three touchdowns along with three interceptions. In the postseason, he was 28-of-55 for 343 yards with a TD and three interceptions. He returned to being a backup in 2012 and threw just 32 more passes over the course of the next two years before being traded to Atlanta. The 300-yard passing performance against the Bengals remains his best single-game total.

February 15, 2014

1996: Ravens Hire Ted Marchibroda as Head Coach


On February 15, 1996 the newly-relocated Cleveland Browns, now in Baltimore and without a name (not to mention a franchise history that was left in the former city), hired Ted Marchibroda as head coach. Marchibroda, a familiar figure in Baltimore where he had once coached the Colts, signed a three-year contract.

In their last season in Cleveland, the Browns went 5-11 under Bill Belichick, who was fired along with Mike Lombardi, the personnel director. It had been a tumultuous year, with Belichick briefly benching veteran QB Vinny Testaverde in favor of backup Eric Zeier and WR Andre Rison, a costly free agent acquisition, producing little and complaining loudly. Following the announcement that the club would be moving, the Browns went 1-6 to close out the season.

It was hoped that Marchibroda, who was a month short of his 65th birthday, would not only be an identifiable face on the sideline for Baltimore fans, but someone who could turn the team’s fortunes around quickly. He had done just that in 1975, when he took over a Colts team coming off a dismal 2-12 record and led them to a 10-4 division-topping tally. It was the first of three straight years atop the AFC East, although they lost in the Divisional round of the playoffs each time. With injuries knocking QB Bert Jones out of the picture, the team dropped to 5-11 in both 1978 and ’79, and Marchibroda was gone. His record over the five years was 41-33 in the regular season, 0-3 in the playoffs.

Marchibroda had come out of the University of Detroit to play quarterback for the Steelers and Cardinals over the course of four seasons. He first became an assistant coach in the NFL under Head Coach George Allen with the Rams and was Allen’s offensive coordinator in Washington immediately prior to his first head coaching stint with the Colts.

Afterward, he served as offensive coordinator with four teams before again becoming head coach of the Colts, now in Indianapolis. Marchibroda’s record was 30-34 in his second stint, but Indianapolis had gone 9-7 in 1995 and reached the AFC Championship game. He was fired after refusing to accept a one-year contract extension and offensive coordinator Lindy Infante was promoted to head coach in his place.

“I couldn’t think of any better scenario,” said Marchibroda of his returning to Baltimore. “It was a great feeling when we made the turn onto 33rd Street and I saw the lights and the front of Memorial Stadium.”

It may have felt like a homecoming for the new coach, but it was a chaotic time for the franchise. Owner Art Modell, as part of a settlement brokered by the NFL, was required to change the team colors as well as leave behind the franchise history, which led to oddities like the players wearing generic black-and-white uniforms during a minicamp. The team was eventually renamed the Ravens with colors of black, purple, and gold.

As both a head coach and an assistant, the ex-QB Marchibroda had been known for his success in working with quarterbacks, including Bert Jones, Jim Kelly of the Bills, and Jim Harbaugh in Indianapolis.  The success continued with Vinny Testaverde (pictured below), whose career had been decidedly uneven since being the first overall draft choice by the Buccaneers in 1987. He had a fine season in ’96, achieving career highs with 4177 passing yards and 33 touchdowns and receiving Pro Bowl recognition for the first time.



Wide receivers Michael Jackson and Derrick Alexander each accumulated over a thousand receiving yards and TE Brian Kinchen caught 55 passes while filling in for the oft-injured Eric Green. RB Bam Morris started the year on drug suspension, but when he arrived seven weeks into the schedule, he played very well and rushed for 737 yards in 11 games. 34-year-old RB Earnest Byner held his own, contributing 634 yards. All were helped by outstanding play by the offensive line

But for all of the fine offensive display, the team finished at 4-12. The Ravens put 371 points on the board, but the defense gave up 368.1 yards per game and a total of 441 points. That unit ranked last in the NFL and was especially bad at protecting leads in the fourth quarter. While one of the team’s first draft choices, Ray Lewis, was an immediate hit at middle linebacker, and FS Eric Turner was selected to the Pro Bowl, there were too many holes in the defense at large, which was hit hard by injuries. The Ravens were further hindered by a poor salary cap situation in the offseason that made addressing issues problematic.

The defense improved in 1997, with rookie linebackers Peter Boulware and Jamie Sharper joining Lewis to create a solid group. DE Michael McCrary and DT Tony Siragusa, obtained from the Seahawks and Colts, respectively, performed well on the line. The unit as a whole, coached by coordinator Marvin Lewis, was showing signs of coming together.

However, the offense regressed. While tackles Jonathan Ogden and Orlando Brown were stalwarts on the line, Testaverde had a lesser year and was lost for three games with a knee injury. Bam Morris continued to have off-field problems and rushed for 774 yards in 11 games.  The overall record of 6-9-1 was better, but still a losing one.

For 1998, the pressure was growing to show improvement, especially with the team moving into the new PSINet Stadium. Testaverde was waived, moving on to the Jets, and Jim Harbaugh, a 12th-year veteran who had prospered under Marchibroda in Indianapolis, was obtained to take his place. RB Errict Rhett came from the Buccaneers to improve the ground game, but neither acquisition worked out well.

Rhett’s failure was mitigated by the fine performance of RB Priest Holmes, a second-year player who had made the club as an undrafted free agent and played on special teams as a rookie. Taking over for Rhett, he rushed for 1008 yards and also led the Ravens with 43 pass receptions. Rookie CB Duane Starks stepped successfully into the starting lineup as the defense continued to jell.

The team had trouble putting points on the board, especially during a four-game losing streak that followed a 2-2 start, on the way to a 6-10 final record. It was the end of the line for Marchibroda, whose three-year tally was 16-31-1. It also proved to be the end for his coaching career and he became a radio commentator for Colts broadcasts for the next several years.

The Ravens hired another offense-minded head coach, Brian Billick, who kept Marvin Lewis on as defensive coordinator. In 2000, it was the defense, which Lewis was building up during the Marchibroda era, that led the way to a NFL Championship.

October 30, 2012

2005: Bengals Intercept Favre Five Times on Way to Win Over Packers



The Cincinnati Bengals entered the 2005 NFL season having not finished with a winning record since 1990. However, following two 8-8 tallies under Head Coach Marvin Lewis, the Bengals were clearly on the rise and entered the October 30 contest against the Green Bay Packers at 5-2. Second-year QB Carson Palmer was coming into his own and had fine wide receivers to throw to in Chad Johnson (later known as Chad Ochocinco) and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The running back tandem of power-running Rudi Johnson and speedy Chris Perry was productive. A major concern was that the defense tended to give up too many yards against the run.

The Packers, coached by Mike Sherman, were still overly dependent on 13th-year QB Brett Favre and, at 1-5, were in a state of decline after making the playoffs in each of the previous four seasons. WR Donald Driver was a dependable target for Favre’s passes, but injuries had depleted the running game and the defense was mediocre.

There was a crowd of 65,940 in attendance at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals had first possession and drove 60 yards in 11 plays. Carson Palmer finished it off with a four-yard touchdown pass to Chris Perry for the early lead. The teams traded punts to conclude the opening period, but the Packers put together a 66-yard scoring drive in 11 plays to start the second quarter. Favre completed all five of his passes, including one to TE Bubba Franks for 21 yards to the Cincinnati seven in a third-and-six situation. RB Tony Fisher scored a TD from a yard out and, with Ryan Longwell’s successful conversion the contest was tied at 7-7.

Cincinnati responded with another long drive. Helped along by two defensive penalties, Palmer passed to T.J. Houshmandzadeh for an eight-yard touchdown. The Bengals had a chance to score again in the first half as Favre’s tipped pass was intercepted by LB Odell Thurman (pictured above). Starting at their 43, the Bengals advanced to the Green Bay 29 but time ran out and the score remained 14-7 in favor of the home team at halftime.

The clubs again traded punts to start the third quarter but a promising Green Bay drive into Cincinnati territory that included a 28-yard gain on a pass to Donald Driver ended with Favre being intercepted for a second time. CB Deltha O’Neal grabbed the throw at his own two yard line, which stopped a potential Green Bay score but also pinned the Bengals back deep in their own territory. After getting out to their 40, they had to punt.

Once again O’Neal picked off a Favre pass, this time returning it to the Green Bay 42 for more favorable field position. The Bengals gained nothing in three plays, however, and again kicked it away. This time it was CB Tory James intercepting Favre on the first play of Green Bay’s ensuing possession. Cincinnati still couldn’t move the ball as the game headed into the fourth quarter, but again the Bengals kicked and got the ball back on an interception. It was the second pickoff for Thurman, and finally Cincinnati capitalized on the very next play when Palmer passed to FB Jeremi Johnson for a 27-yard touchdown.

The Packers followed up with a series that didn’t end with an interception, but they had to punt after losing ground. Cincinnati’s next series ended with Palmer being intercepted by CB Ahmad Carroll to give Green Bay another shot with 8:28 remaining. The Packers made the most of the opportunity, going 88 yards in 13 plays and converting three third downs along the way. A one-yard Favre completion to Franks for a touchdown followed by Longwell’s successful extra point made it a seven-point game with just over three minutes on the clock.

The Bengals played conservatively on their next series as the Packers used up their timeouts. Kyle Larson’s 47-yard punt was downed at the Green Bay 10 and there were now only 56 seconds remaining on the clock. A 48-yard pass interference penalty moved the ball into Cincinnati territory and Favre threw to WR Antonio Chatman for 19 yards to the 28 yard line. With the defense reeling a bizarre circumstance ensued as a fan ran onto the field, causing the next play to be blown dead by the officials. Grabbing the ball out of Favre’s hand, the inebriated man eluded security and caused play to be halted for several minutes until he was removed.

Once the action resumed, Favre was sacked for a two-yard loss by the re-grouped defense and then threw a pass from beyond the line of scrimmage that resulted in a game-ending penalty. The Bengals had held on for the 21-14 win.

The Packers outgained Cincinnati (353 yards to 317) and had the edge in first downs (23 to 21). However, they suffered the five turnovers on interceptions as opposed to one by the Bengals.



Carson Palmer completed 22 of 34 passes for 237 yards with three touchdowns against one interception. Rudi Johnson ran for 72 yards on 22 carries and Chris Perry (pictured at left) added three attempts for 18 yards in addition to a team-high 6 pass receptions that gained 25 yards and included a TD. T.J. Houshmandzadeh gained 77 yards on 5 catches and Chad Johnson, who also caught 5 passes, added 62 yards.

For the Packers, Brett Favre was successful on 26 of 39 throws for 279 yards and a TD, although he was picked off five times. Antonio Chatman caught 8 passes for 97 yards while Bubba Franks contributed 62 yards and a touchdown on 7 receptions and Donald Driver had 5 catches for 76 yards. Tony Fisher led the running attack with 51 yards and a TD on 17 carries.

Regarding the circumstance with the fan that entered the field and halted play, Cincinnati LB Brian Simmons said “That did slow it down and give us a chance to huddle, and we kind of came together as a defense. But you don’t want to see that because somebody could get hurt.”

It was the single event that rendered the game notorious, and while it disrupted a Green Bay possession that could potentially have tied the score, the five interceptions had the greater cumulative impact on the outcome.

Cincinnati ended up with an 11-5 record and topped the AFC North. However, they lost in the Wild Card round of the playoffs when Carson Palmer went down with a major knee injury early in the contest. The Packers continued to flounder and, at 4-12, ended up at the bottom of the NFC North with their first losing season since 1991 – the year before Brett Favre’s arrival.

December 5, 2011

2004: Bengals Score 24 Points in Fourth Quarter to Beat Ravens


The Cincinnati Bengals had been through a long dry spell entering the 2004 NFL season, having not had a winning record or playoff appearance since 1990. In their first year under Head Coach Marvin Lewis in ‘03, the club had gone 8-8, a definite improvement over recent performance. They had gotten off to a disappointing 1-4 start in ’04, but coming into the game on December 5 at Baltimore, a week after a 58-48 scoring fest over the Browns, the Bengals were at 5-6. Rookie QB Carson Palmer (pictured above) had been a factor in the slow beginning, but was rapidly improving. He had outstanding wide receivers in Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh and the ground game was led by RB Rudi Johnson.

Their hosts, the Ravens, were 7-4 under Head Coach Brian Billick. Baltimore had been successful despite injuries and a less-talented young quarterback in Kyle Boller. RB Jamal Lewis, a 2000-yard rusher in 2003, was suspended for two games due to legal issues and was unavailable against Cincinnati with an ankle injury. However, the defense, led by LB Ray Lewis and an outstanding backfield, was still formidable. Moreover, they had easily beaten the Bengals in Cincinnati early in the year and, in fact, had not lost to them at home in their last seven meetings.

There were 69,695 fans present at M&T Bank Stadium. The Bengals received the opening kickoff and, between Palmer’s passes and the running of Rudi Johnson, drove to near midfield. However, a fumble by TE Matt Schobel was recovered by Baltimore SS Ed Reed and five plays later Matt Stover kicked a 20-yard field goal to put the Ravens on the board first.

The teams traded punts and, in the second quarter, Cincinnati drove to the Baltimore 35 yard line, but Shayne Graham’s 53-yard field goal attempt was unsuccessful. Neither offense was able to produce more points until the Bengals, getting the ball on their own 20 with just over four minutes remaining in the half, came up with a big play as Palmer passed to Chad Johnson for a 51-yard gain. Graham tied the game shortly thereafter with a 41-yard field goal.

The Ravens responded with a 15-play, 78-yard series in which Boller completed six passes, including one for 24 yards to WR Travis Taylor in a third-and-18 situation. Stover booted a 22-yard field goal and Baltimore held a 6-3 lead at the intermission.

The Ravens added to their lead on their first possession of the third quarter. Again Boller passed effectively and the drive went 72 yards in 12 plays. The last two were a 16-yard carry by RB Jamel White and RB Chester Taylor’s one-yard TD run to make the margin 13-3.

Following a punt by the Bengals on the next series, the teams traded interceptions, and after Reed picked off a Palmer pass, he returned it 21 yards, fumbled, and CB Chris McAlister recovered and ran 64 yards for a TD. It was 20-3 and Baltimore appeared to be firmly in control.

Late in the period, Ravens RB B.J. Sams muffed a punt at his own 20 and LB Marcus Wilkins recovered for Cincinnati. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Palmer connected with Chad Johnson for a 13-yard touchdown and the margin was narrowed to 20-10. Baltimore went three-and-out in its ensuing possession and, following the punt, Palmer threw to Houshmandzadeh for a 32-yard gain to the Baltimore 44. Four plays later, Palmer again found Chad Johnson for a 12-yard TD and it was suddenly a three-point game with over ten minutes remaining on the clock.

The Ravens weren’t ready to roll over, however, and on their next offensive play, Chester Taylor took off on a 47-yard run to the Cincinnati 26. Stover finished off the series with a 38-yard field goal and Baltimore held a 23-17 lead.

The Bengals responded with another scoring drive of their own featuring three passes from Palmer to Houshmandzadeh that covered 67 of the 68 yards gained along the way. The last completion was for nine yards and a touchdown, and Graham’s extra point put Cincinnati in front at 24-23.

Getting a 29-yard kickoff return by Sams that put them in good field position at their own 46, the Ravens moved 27 yards in a time-consuming ten plays that resulted in Stover putting them back in front at 26-24 with a 45-yard field goal. Cincinnati got the ball back with 1:42 to play. Palmer was sacked for nine yards but responded with a 32-yard completion to Houshmandzadeh. He also threw to Schobel for 11 yards and 22 to Chad Johnson down to the Baltimore five yard line. On the last play of the game, Graham finished off his team’s 24-point fourth quarter as he kicked a 24-yard field goal and the Bengals came away with a 27-26 win.

Not only was it was Cincinnati’s first win at Baltimore since 1996, but it was also the club’s first road win against a team with a winning record since 1990.

The Bengals outgained Baltimore (453 yards to 356) and had the edge in first downs (23 to 21). The Ravens significantly outrushed Cincinnati with 192 yards to 98, but the Bengals more than made up for it with 355 net passing yards to Baltimore’s 164. Both clubs turned the ball over twice.

In his best pro game to date, Carson Palmer completed 29 of 36 passes for 382 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. T. J. Houshmandzadeh (pictured below) and Chad Johnson each caught 10 passes, with Houshmandzadeh gaining 171 yards and scoring one TD and Johnson accumulating 161 yards and scoring twice. Rudi Johnson was held to 56 yards on 19 rushing attempts.


For the Ravens, Kyle Boller went to the air 33 times and had 19 completions for 172 yards with one intercepted. Chester Taylor ran the ball 23 times for 139 yards and a TD. Travis Taylor had the most receiving yards with 40 on his two catches, while four players caught three passes apiece. Chester Taylor was one of them, adding 25 more yards to his total, and Terry Jones was right behind Travis Taylor with 38 yards.

“T.J. (Houshmandzadeh) was making plays. Chad (Johnson) was making plays,” Palmer said. “And when you give your quarterback a chance to throw the ball like that, against probably the best front seven in this game, those guys are going to get open. The O-line played lights out, and we ended up winning.”

“Give credit to the Bengals,” summed up Brian Billick. “They fought back from every situation.”

Palmer was knocked out for the remainder of the season the next week with a knee injury in a loss at New England, and with Jon Kitna behind center the Bengals again finished up at 8-8 and third in the AFC North. The loss to Cincinnati damaged Baltimore’s playoff chances, not to mention the club’s confidence, and after splitting their remaining games, the Ravens ended up at 9-7 and in second place in the division and out of the postseason.

Carson Palmer only ranked among the league’s top 10 passers in interceptions thrown (18), but that was misleading. In his three starts prior to the injury- including, of course, the come-from-behind performance against the Ravens - he accounted for 9 of his 18 touchdown passes. Overall, he completed 60.9 of his throws for 2897 yards and set the stage for a big year in 2005.

Chad Johnson (pictured below, who changed his name to Chad Ochocinco in 2008) was selected to the Pro Bowl for the second straight year as he caught 95 passes for 1274 yards (13.4 avg.) and nine TDs. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Johnson’s teammate at Oregon State as well as with the Bengals, had a breakout year, pulling in 73 receptions for 978 yards (13.4 avg.) and four touchdowns.