SAN FRANCISCO – After watching tape on dozens of opponents over seven NFL seasons, not much shows up on film that really impresses Chad Johnson.
This week, one defensive player put a few choice words in the speedy Cincinnati receiver’s mouth.
“I have to curse,” Johnson said apologetically before launching into a joyous, expletive-filled celebration of Patrick Willis, San Francisco’s stellar rookie linebacker.
“I’ve seen a lot of linebackers in my seven years, and that [guy] is good,” Johnson said. “He is the real deal. And you know he’s playing with a cast on his hand, right? All during film, I’m calling him Bam-Bam, like from ‘The Flintstones,’ because he hits everything. He is the truth. You tell him 85 said, ‘You’re the truth.’ I stopped watching the defensive backs to watch him.”
With Johnson and Willis on the same field tonight, there are at least two reasons to seek out a game that won’t spark any protests over its exclusive broadcast on the NFL Network.
The 49ers (3-10), losers of 10 of their last 11 during a hugely disappointing season, will start third-string quarterback Shaun Hill against Carson Palmer and the Bengals (5-8), who are out of AFC playoff contention during their own discouraging year.
Motivation can be tough to find in such meaningless contests, but Willis hasn’t been in the league long enough to be downtrodden – and he’s currently leading the NFL in tackles, a fact not lost on Johnson.
“I’ve been hearing about it a little bit,” said Willis, who has 136 tackles, 17 more than Detroit’s Ernie Sims, according to league statistics. “But I’m just a rookie. I still have to go out there every week and prove myself, and this week we’ve got a chance to go against a great team that’s done some great things in this league.”
The Bengals will make their first visit to Candlestick Park since 1996 to face the franchise that beat them in two Super Bowls. Cincinnati offensive tackle Willie Anderson and San Francisco defensive tackle Bryant Young are the only remaining links from that last Bay Area meeting in the waning years of the 49ers’ excellence.
“I remember Steve Young running a bootleg 25 yards with a pulled hamstring,” said Anderson, who hasn’t played since Oct. 21 because of a knee injury. “We couldn’t catch him. I remember a young Terrell Owens. We had no idea who he was, and he caught a long touchdown bomb on us. I was really excited to see Jerry Rice. I tried to watch Jerry Rice all game.”