The Bengals lost to the Browns last week without running back Giovani Bernard, linebacker Rey Maualuga, right tackle Andre Smith and cornerback Leon Hall, but the week of practice ahead of this week’s game with the Saints started with some encouraging news for three of them.
Maualuga, Smith and Hall were all able to participate in practice for Cincinnati, which should put them on track to return to the lineup in Week 11 barring any recurrence of their injuries over the next few days. Smith, who had an ankle injury, and Hall, who had a concussion, each missed one game while Maualuga has missed four weeks with a knee injury. Maualuga vowed to improve the team’s poor results against the run once he’s back in the lineup.
“We won’t be 31st at the end of the season,” Maualuga said, via the team’s website.
That leaves Bernard as the big remaining holdout -- linebacker Vontaze Burfict also didn’t practice, but that wasn’t a surprise as he’s recovering from knee surgery -- although the running back was able to work on the side for the first time since hip and shoulder injuries forced him out of the lineup.
