Bengals head to San Diego much healthier

CINCINNATI -- Marvin Lewis likes to point out that he sees better than he hears. What he saw Wednesday had to bring a smile whether he wanted to show it or not.

Linebacker Rey Maualuga was back up and running with full participation at practice for the first time since he suffered a sprained knee and concussion against the New York Jets on Oct. 27. Defensive lineman Devon Still, who suffered an elbow injury at Detroit on Oct. 20, was also dressed and at full go as the Bengals had their first full practice following last week's bye.

"Next Man Up" is a great mindset and rallying cry but having your team as close to full strength as possible is better.

"We're about as good as we could hope to be at this time of the year," said head coach Marvin Lewis on Wednesday before the team went out to practice in frigid temperatures and blowing snow flurries. "I think we have to feel blessed for that -- knock on wood -- to be where we are at this point in the season. For that you have to feel pretty good about."

Right guard Kevin Zeitler (foot) and left-footed punter Kevin Huber (left ankle) did not practice on Wednesday, while linebacker Michael Boley (shoulder) was limited in practice. Zeitler could miss a second straight game but he was seen walking around Paul Brown Stadium without the protective boot he was wearing prior to the team's last game against Cleveland 10 days ago.

The Bengals, leading the AFC North with a 7-4 record and battling for a possible playoff bye, head west to San Diego this week to face a Chargers team that at 5-6 is in the thick of the fight for the final wild card spot in the AFC.
 
The injury bug has hit the defensive side of the ball particularly hard this season, but it's not as if the Bengals have dropped their play despite the numerous injuries to coordinator Mike Zimmer's unit. They were ranked eighth in overall defense, allowing 322.5 yards per game, and fifth in points (18.0) heading into the Halloween night game at Miami, which coincided with the injuries not only to Maualuga and Still but also fell in the same time frame as the season-ending losses of cornerback Leon Hall to an Achilles tear (at Detroit) and a torn ACL to defensive tackle Geno Atkins (at Miami).

They are now sixth in points allowed at 18.7 points per game, while they are allowing 311.1 yards per game and are ranked No. 7 in the league in that category.

The defense has gotten stellar play from linebacker Vontaz Burfict as well as the defensive line -- ends Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson and interior players Domata Peko and Wallace Gilberry -- and secondary members Terence Newman, Adam Jones and Reggie Nelson. Those have been expected. The unexpected has been how well the reserve players have performed in the wake of all of the injuries.

Vinny Rey has stepped onto the field with Maualuga out, playing more than he's ever played before in his career, and delivered three straight double-digit tackle games against the Dolphins, Baltimore and Cleveland. Second-year defensive tackle Brandon Thompson has seen his snap counts increase dramatically since the injuries to Still and Atkins. When safety Chris Crocker missed the game against the Browns with a sore hamstring, Brandon Ghee and Dre Kirkpatrick each saw their most extensive action of the season and performed well.
 
Crocker was also back practicing on Wednesday.

San Diego is coming off a 41-38 win at Kansas City last Sunday, getting a 26-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Phillip Rivers to wide receiver Seyi Ajirotutu with 24 seconds remaining. Rivers is playing as well as anyone at the position right now, having completed a league-leading 70.8 percent of his pass attempts and throwing for at least 390 yards in four games this season. Only Hall of Famers Dan Marino and Joe Montana have ever accomplished that feat before in a season, and neither of them made it five games.

Rivers was a ridiculous 11-of-13 for 199 yards and one touchdown on third down against Kansas City. The Chiefs entered that game ranked second in scoring defense (13.8) and No. 3 in third-down conversions.

The Bengals are No. 6 in the league in pass defense, allowing an average of 211.1 yards per game. Matthew Stafford of Detroit is the only quarterback to throw for 300 or more yards against Cincinnati this season or in the last 25 games dating back to Week 2 of the 2012 season. They've had five games this season in which they've held opponents to less than 200 yards passing.

"We're a pretty confident bunch. I think the biggest thing for us this week is not playing from behind," said Crocker. "It seems like the last couple of weeks we've gotten behind and then we've calmed down and started to play better. But we've had to play catch up.
People say start fast, but it's start efficient. Do what we're supposed to do early, not allow explosives (plays), get aligned, don't have stupid penalties.

"Let's not shoot ourselves in the foot early in the game. If we have to punt the ball, punt the ball. If we have to get a stop, get a stop. If it's a field position game early, that's just the way it has to be. We have to be efficient early in the game. Be smart."