CINCINNATI (AP) -A splint covered the bridge of Carson Palmer’s mangled nose. An absorbent bandage jutted from his left nostril.
Two days later, his face was still a mess.
The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback sat out practice because of his broken nose on Monday, watching from the sidelines in gray sweats, a white towel slung across his shoulders. The site summed up the state of his team less than two weeks from the season opener.
Time to be concerned? Absolutely.
If the Bengals don’t start protecting Palmer much better – and find someone for him to throw the ball to – it’s going to be another long season in Cincinnati.
“It’s been tough to watch,” running back Rudi Johnson said.
There’s a lot to fix before the opener at Baltimore. Palmer is likely miss the final preseason game Thursday at Indianapolis because of his broken nose, sustained on a sack during a 13-0 loss to New Orleans on Saturday night.
Palmer left the game with blood dripping from both nostrils and from a cut on his lip. He had the broken nose fixed a day later. It was still swollen when the team returned for practice on Monday. Palmer declined interviews because of the injury.
A lot of discouraging things happened during the 13-0 loss. The Bengals crossed midfield only twice and never got closer than the Saints’ 47-yard line. Palmer was sacked three times in less than a half, the second game in a row that he was roughed up. Palmer was knocked down five times in a loss to Detroit a week earlier.
An offensive line that gave up only 17 sacks last season seems to have lost its touch. The line is intact and healthy, but hasn’t been able to protect Palmer.
“I can safely say it’s a carry-over,” guard Bobbie Williams said. “We had some – not lolly-gagging, but just kind of going through the motions a little bit in practice, speaking for myself. And stuff carries over.
“We’ve got to correct that, point-blank. Frustrated about that? Yes, totally. We absolutely cannot continue to let Carson get hit. We cannot allow that to happen, period.”
The other part of the problem was that Palmer had few options other than the tight ends and running backs when he decided to throw. Pro Bowl receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh were sidelined by injuries. Two of their backups also got hurt last week.
Houshmandzadeh has missed most of training camp and all three preseason games with a hamstring injury. He returned to practice on Monday and ran full-speed in the early part of practice that is open to the media. Houshmandzadeh was more concerned about how the leg would feel a day later.
“I know I can run,” he said. “It’s just a matter of can I run with people pushing on me that type of stuff. We’ll see.”
Johnson sprained his left shoulder in the second preseason game, but is hopeful of returning for the season opener. He did 20 push-ups in the locker room Monday to show how much the shoulder has improved in eight days since it was hurt.
Johnson said he initially considered having surgery on the shoulder, which temporarily dislocated when he landed awkwardly, but is convinced it will be strong enough to make it through the season.
“I’ve talked to a lot of people who have played with this injury,” said Johnson, who wears a protective harness on the shoulder. “They didn’t get surgery, and they played and had a successful season. So I’ll be fine.”
Johnson said he lobbied coach Marvin Lewis to let him play against the Colts, but was turned down.
“I asked Marvin to play Thursday, not to prove a point but to show that I’m ready to go,” Johnson said. “And he told me no, there’s no need. I already got hurt in one preseason game, there’s no reason for another. I will be ready for the opener.”
Palmer is expected to be ready for the Ravens as well, even though the nose won’t be fully healed. Every time his teammates look at the swollen face, it will serve as a reminder.
“You never want to see a picture like that, no matter who it is,” Rudi Johnson said. “Hopefully we’ll learn from it.”
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