CINCINNATI -- Observed and heard in the locker room after the Cincinnati Bengals' 37-37 overtime tie with the Carolina Panthers:
Nugent talks disappointment: Less than an hour after his missed 36-yard field goal try sailed wide right of the goalpost, Bengals kicker Mike Nugent stood in front of his locker, surrounded by cameras. He spoke in a mostly hushed tone as for more than five minutes he answered questions about the miss that cost his team a win -- instead of the three makes he'd had earlier in it. Nugent said his confidence hasn't been shaken. "I never get worried about confidence," he said. "I don't think I would be playing for 10 years if I had an issue with confidence. Just at the moment right now, there's just a lot of disappointment, and it's really tough to see my coaches and to see my teammates after a game like that knowing you didn't finish well."
Support for Nugent: When the Bengals were walking off the field after Nugent's miss, cornerback Terence Newman was one of those who put his arm around the kicker's shoulder, reassuring him after the attempt. In the locker room, several others did, too. Just as Nugent walked out of the locker room, dressed in all black -- he had a black jacket and black Bengals hat that was worn low over his eyes -- and dragging a black suitcase, receiver Mohamed Sanu told reporters that he and others "still had all the confidence in the world" in Nugent.
Running out of gas: With the Bengals needing a fourth-quarter spark, punt returner and cornerback Adam Jones walked up to special-teams coordinator Darrin Simmons and told him he wanted to return the next kickoff the Bengals were receiving. Simmons obliged, and Jones didn't disappoint, sprinting 97 yards before getting caught and tackled at the Panthers' 3-yard line. "I always tell them my 60-yard [speed] is pretty fast, but after that? I don't know; they might come get me," Jones joked after the game.
