Running back Cedric Benson never went more than two straight games without a 100-yard game in 2009. Now that he’s opened 2010 with three straight, he says he’s going to stay out of the play-calling game after he talked last week on national radio about the team not having an identity and moving away from the run game. But it was hard to say the Bengals did that Sunday after his nine-carry third quarter.
“We’ve had plenty of time to get it together," Benson said. "We’re going into the fourth game of the season now. We’ve had plenty of preseason games, minicamps, training camps. We’ve had plenty of time to get things together. I’m just not going to get involved with it. I’m going to just make sure I’m well prepared every Sunday for any type of situation. And take it as it comes. I have no control over it and I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes or cause any issues. It was a great win today, guys played hard, our defense played great. I’ll take it how we can get it.”
Head coach Marvin Lewis apparently heard the comments during the week.
“He won’t let you guys or any media lead him down that path anymore that way,” Lewis said. “Some days he’ll get some carries. Some days he may not. Sometimes we might throw it. We’re going to win some games. We’re going to play 16 games, and hopefully play 16 games with Cedric. Bernard (Scott) is going to carry the football this year more than he did last year. Cedric is going to have less carries at the end of the year. But hopefully he’s going to have 16 games where he carries the football and on into whatever is after that.”
Benson admits he’s not wild about a rotation and maybe the Bengals aren’t, either. Scott carried it just twice Sunday, one for 12 yards.
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