Ochocinco: Palmer 'means business' with trade-or-retire talk

Chad Ochocinco's interesting offseason brought him to the University of Cincinnati on Friday, when he trained with the Bearcats before promising to wrestle an alligator.

Following his workout with the school's football team, the Bengals' loquacious wide receiver also told WXIX-TV that he's convinced quarterback Carson Palmer is serious about his plans to retire if the team doesn't trade him. Bengals owner Mike Brown repeatedly has said he won't deal Palmer.

"There's this one thing you have to understand about Carson. When a guy that grows a random beard says he's going to do something, he means it," Ochocinco said. "Seriously. Seriously, That's totally out of his character. When someone like that grows a random beard and says he's going to retire -- if he doesn't get traded -- he means business. And it's unfortunate, but it is what it is."

With the Bengals' leader on the outs, Ochocinco has begun studying college film of rookie quarterback Andy Dalton, who might wind up commanding Cincinnati's offense this season.

"I love (Palmer), you know that. You know how I feel about him, and I always will," Ochocinco said. "Everything I've done, I like to say that Carson is the reason for my success -- as so is everybody else. But, you know, he's the quarterback, period. And I think he's in a frustrated state, similar to what I was couple of years ago (when the receiver asked to be traded). And hopefully everything comes around. I understand we drafted Andy Dalton, who is a great quarterback, and after getting him, I've done my own homework in watching him ... and he's really good."

After 10 seasons with the Bengals, Ochocinco's relationship with longtime coach Marvin Lewis has been rocky, leading the receiver to joke that he could "whip Marvin's (expletive) right now," before clarifying that his coach has "been good to me."

Said Ochocinco: "He's the reason for my, ugh, everything. I've been with him eight, nine years. I mean, you know a little spat last year, a little spat here and there, it's a part of life. It's a part of marriage. ... I would love to still be here, and I have no problem ... I can't control the situation as a whole; I can only control me. And what I've done is I've been at peace for a while now. For a while now, you haven't heard a peep out of me as far as being a problem or saying things out of context, I'm just really supporting the Bengals' organization and the city."

Now, about that alligator. Ochocinco claims that when an exasperated Brown suggested the receiver next wrangle snakes as part of his carnivalesque offseason that also has included bull riding and a soccer tryout, he decided to go one step further.

"I just one-upped (Brown): I am going to wrestle alligators," Ochocinco said. "Don't laugh, like I am serious and you'll see it. And I am living life.

"In Okeechobee (Fla.), I am wrestling alligators. Actually, catching them in the wild. Which is going to be really interesting, I am catching them in the wild. I forgot the individual's name who is going with me, who does it for a living. It's pretty dangerous, I could lose an arm, lose a leg, you know ... so was bull riding. So the chance of me getting hurt on the bull is similar to the chance as me winning the lottery, slim to none. And the same thing with alligators. If he bites me, I can still play with one arm. (Because) I can kick, seriously."

Ochocinco also described a plot to sneak into Paul Brown Stadium during the lockout, when players are prevented from accessing team facilities, in order to use workout equipment.

"I freaking plotted to get into Paul Brown; they changed the freaking gate code!" he said. "Yeah, I tried to get in on my own, I tried to get in the back way. I don't want to say it, but there's a way to get into the stadium even though they have the security and all the cameras -- I got the blueprint of the stadium."

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Ravens continue to take care of business at home with win over Bucs

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Ravens took care of business in workmanlike fashion against a team they hadn't played in years.

By doing so, the Ravens put themselves in perfect position for an emotional matchup against a team they know all too well.

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Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes, and Baltimore beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17-10 Sunday in their first meeting since 2006.

The Ravens (8-3) improved to 5-0 at home this season and remained tied atop the AFC North with Pittsburgh. Baltimore will be striving for its franchise-record ninth straight home win next Sunday night against the Steelers.

"The message is simple for us: We haven't lost at home, so let's defend that," linebacker Ray Lewis said. "We take care of that, everything else take care of itself.

"From our side and their side, there is no talking that has to be done. We've been playing each other a long time and now it comes down to one of those showdown games."

Next week's game wouldn't have been nearly as important if the Ravens didn't win this one.

"I don't think you ever want to diminish this victory," coach John Harbaugh said. "It's one we really need to get where we're going. It's a game that bridged us into December. It gives us an opportunity to accomplish some things. We're playing the biggest game of the year."

Flacco connected with Todd Heap for a 65-yard score and hit Derrick Mason for a 10-yard touchdown during a three-minute span of the second quarter to stake Baltimore to a 17-3 halftime lead. Flacco now has 53 career TD passes, surpassing Vinny Testaverde (51) for most in Ravens history.

"Vinny didn't play here that long (two years), so it's not really that much of an accomplishment," Flacco said. "Hopefully, I can make that a little bit higher for somebody else to break in the future sometime."

Flacco completed 25 of 35 passes for 289 yards and had a 76-yard touchdown throw to Ray Rice called back because of a block in the back by Anquan Boldin.

Tampa Bay (7-4) still has not beaten a team with a winning record. The Buccaneers have lost to New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Baltimore by a combined 113-50 score.

"That doesn't factor into anything. We're a team with a winning record," cornerback Ronde Barber said. "We're just playing. You like to win them all, regardless of who the opponent is."

Coming close didn't make the defeat any easier to take.

"There's no positives," Barber said. "You either find a way to win or you don't -- and we didn't today."

Josh Freeman went 17 for 37 for 162 yards and a touchdown. Although he avoided being sacked, Freeman often was forced to throw under pressure and had only one completion of more than 20 yards.

"I played extremely poorly. There are a number of balls I usually hit that missed," Freeman said. "I just wasn't getting it done."

Freeman threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Kellen Winslow with 3:05 left to make it 17-10, but the Buccaneers didn't get the ball back.

"I thought we were in control. We were never really threatened until the end of the game," Flacco said. "We had to do a good job there and put the game away."

With the score 3-all late in the second quarter, Heap slipped behind two Tampa Bay defenders, caught a pass from Flacco in stride and raced to the end zone on the longest play of his 10-year career.

The Buccaneers then went three-and-out, and an iffy pass interference call against Myron Lewis preceded Flacco's touchdown pass to Mason with 32 seconds left in the half.

Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris disputed the penalty at the time and continued to protest while running off the field at halftime.

"I disagreed with it at the time, but it is what it is," he said. "My opinion really doesn't matter. The call was made and you got to move on."

Mason finished with eight catches for 87 yards.

Baltimore made only two first downs in its first two series, but punter Sam Koch twice pinned the Buccaneers inside the 20. That enabled the Ravens to begin their third possession at the Tampa Bay 41, which led to a 45-yard field goal by Billy Cundiff.

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After another Buccaneers punt, Aqib Talib got his team-high sixth interception and returned it 25 yards to the Baltimore 31. It was the first interception thrown by Flacco at home this season; he had gone 128 passes without one.

Tampa Bay safety Cody Grimm hurt his left ankle during the return and was carted off the field. He did not return.

After the turnover, Tampa Bay failed to gain a yard on three plays from the Baltimore 4 before Connor Barth kicked a field goal to make it 3-all.

Notes: Ravens FB Le'Ron McClain sprained his left ankle. ... Baltimore S Dawan Landry left in the third quarter with a concussion. ... Tampa Bay G Davin Joseph hurt his foot in the first quarter and did not return. ... Ravens LT Michael Oher sprained his right knee.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Saints take care of business, easily dispatch hapless Panthers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The record is not as flashy, the offensive numbers not as gaudy and the New Orleans Saints aren't running away from the competition like last year.

The defending Super Bowl champions still like where they sit, however. Of course, everybody seems to gain confidence playing the dreadful Carolina Panthers.

Drew Brees shook off an early interception to throw two touchdown passes and Jabari Greer's interception return gave the defense its first TD of the season as New Orleans routed the Panthers 34-3 on Sunday.

The Saints (6-3) overcame the loss of tight end Jeremy Shockey to a rib injury after his touchdown catch to stay a half-game behind Atlanta in the NFC South. Rookie tight end Jimmy Graham caught his first NFL TD in Shockey's absence and the Saints held Carolina to 195 yards for their second straight win.

"We're used to last year where we ran off 13 in a row. That's hard to do," Brees said. "You know that feeling once you get on a roll and you feel like everything is going to go our way. You just believe it. We want to get back to that feeling again."

Building off an emotional home victory over Pittsburgh a week earlier, the Saints never gave the Panthers (1-7) a chance.

Carolina lost quarterback Matt Moore and running back Jonathan Stewart to first-half injuries, further depleting the league's worst offense. Rookie QB Jimmy Clausen was later benched in favor of rookie Tony Pike.

"Pretty pathetic," said receiver Steve Smith, held without a catch until the final minute. "That would be the only thing I have to say. There are no explanations, no excuses."

Brees overcame his 12th interception to complete 27 of 43 passes for 253 yards. He was replaced by Chase Daniel after Ladell Betts' 1-yard TD run made it 34-3 with 8:12 left.

It ensured the Saints would enter their bye week with as many wins as any team in the NFC.

"I think that this was a game that is really going to give our team the confidence, the know-how and the blueprint to get to where we want to get to," Greer said.

New Orleans got a boost to its banged-up secondary with the return of Greer and Tracy Porter to complete its first season sweep of Carolina since 2001.

The Panthers went 1-15 that season, and this year is looking just as bad.

"I think they tried," coach John Fox said. "I think we're not real good right now -- on offense -- not as a football team."

Moore was 3 of 6 for 13 yards before leaving with an injured throwing shoulder after Sedrick Ellis sacked him in the second quarter. Clausen was no better and Greer returned his poor pass 24 yards to make it 27-3 late in the third quarter.

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The embattled Fox yanked Clausen early in the fourth quarter after he completed 8 of 18 passes for 47 yards. Rookie Pike then made his NFL debut. The sixth-round pick from Cincinnati finished 6 of 12 for 47 yards.

"There probably wasn't much fear of a comeback at that point in the game," Fox said of benching Clausen. "It gave (Pike) valuable time."

By then, the Panthers were down to a skeleton crew and few of their home fans were still in the stands.

Stewart, starting with DeAngelo Williams (foot) missing his second straight game, left in the first quarter with a head injury after gaining 30 yards on five carries.

The Saints won a replay challenge on the play, giving them the ball when it was ruled Stewart fumbled. It set up Brees' 7-yard touchdown pass to Shockey to give New Orleans the lead for good at 7-3.

Shockey, though, injured his ribs on what was his 500th career catch and didn't return. He was sent to the hospital just before halftime.

"We took him just to make sure there was nothing else more serious," coach Sean Payton said. "The X-rays were negative."

The Saints didn't need him, not with the Panthers failing to reach double digits in points for the fourth time in eight games. And even the backups got hurt -- third-string running back Tyrell Sutton left with an ankle injury.

The Saints have had their share of injuries, too, namely to running backs Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas. They remained sidelined and the Saints got off to a slow start.

Brees bobbled a snap and rushed a throw that bounced off Robert Meachem's hands and was picked off by Richard Marshall. He returned Brees' 12th interception -- one more than he had all of last season -- 67 yards to set up John Kasay's 20-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

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That was the only offensive success for the Panthers, who finished with 68 yards passing and had two more turnovers to give them 25 on the season.

But with few options, Fox said Moore would start next week at Tampa Bay if he's healthy.

"I think he can operate our offense the best of the quarterbacks," Fox said. "unless we decide to go to the wishbone."

Notes: The Panthers also lost LB Dan Connor (hip) and DE Greg Hardy (head). ... S Darren Sharper (hamstring) and RB Chris Ivory (shoulder) left for the Saints. ... The Panthers several times had no down linemen on obvious passing downs, rushing players from off the line of scrimmage.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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