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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver James Wright is an odd story.
Three weeks ago against the Tampa bay Buccaneers, Wright stepped up in a huge way with a 30-yard reception to sustain a fourth quarter possession that used more clock during a fragile one-point lead, eventually allowing Kevin Huber to flip the field.
With 2:37 remaining in the fourth quarter, and the Bengals leading 14-13, Andy Dalton hit Wright down the right sidelines where the rookie hauled in the 30-yard reception. The catch converted a third-and-11 situation and moved Cincinnati from their own 19-yard line back to midfield.
"We felt as the game went on [if] we got that look, we were going to be able to get it to [Wright]," said Dalton after the game. "He made a heck of a play at a big time and it was exactly what we needed to have happened to help us chew the clock. He made a big play at the right moment."
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Wright posted a career-high 59 yards receiving on three receptions during a game that Cincinnati appeared to be giving away.
And then...
Crickets.
Wright hasn't practiced for the last eight sessions with a knee -- three leading to Pittsburgh, leading to Cleveland and practices this Thursday and Friday.
He's not expected to play Monday when Cincinnati hosts the Denver Broncos.
Linebacker Emmanuel Lamur could also miss Monday's game after missing his second practice this week. Lamur suffered a hamstring last week against the Cleveland Browns. A poor comparison might be Rey Maualuga, who suffered a significant hamstring injury which forced him to sit for four games -- we're not saying that the severity of the injury is the same... only that it's a poor man's comparison.
If Lamur can't play, expect Taylor Mays to step in for him... aka, 2013.