CINCINNATI - Geno Atkins was in the Bengals locker room briefly Wednesday, moving slowly on crutches. He declined to answer questions about his torn knee ligament as he headed for a side door and home. Its still too painful to discuss. Still a bit painful for the teammates who will miss him, too. The Bengals (6-3) will try to maintain their lead in the AFC North without their best defensive lineman. Atkins, an All-Pro tackle last season, leads the team with six sacks and is a disruptive force up the middle that Cincinnati already misses badly. "A friend," defensive end Wallace Gilberry said. "A hell of a teammate. Hell of an athlete. I could go on for days." They dont have that much time. The Bengals have a chance to all but clinch their division in the next two weeks when they play at Baltimore (3-5) and host Cleveland (4-5). Back-to-back wins would leave them with a daunting lead heading down the stretch. The Bengals reached the playoffs as a wild card each of the last two seasons. They havent won the division title since 2009. "Honestly we feel like these next two weeks are the biggest of the season because of where we are in the division," left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. "We get an opportunity. These games can tilt things one way or the other." Their biggest challenge is filling holes on a defence that has lost some of its best players in the last three weeks. Top cornerback Leon Hall is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon. Middle linebacker Rey Maualuga missed a 22-20 overtime loss in Miami last Thursday with a concussion and an injured left knee. Atkins tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the first half of the loss at Miami, a significant setback to a line already missing end Robert Geathers for the season. "You can hear the rumbles of respect that our guys have for him," Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said during a conference call on Wednesday. "I can imagine that its going to be a little different in there just because he is such a good player." The Bengals signed defensive tackle Kheeston Randall to fill Atkins roster spot on Tuesday. Randall was the Dolphins seventh-round pick last year and played in 12 games. He was waived by Miami on Aug. 31. Theyll work others into the middle of the line rotation as well. Tackle Brandon Thompson, a second-year player from Clemson, will get much more time in Atkins spot. Thompson played in only three games last season but has played in all nine this year. "I think it was very beneficial to just be able to sit back and learn from those great defensive linemen we have, just to sit back and take a whole year and soak everything in," Thompson said. "I was a sponge last year. I learned so much. I just thank those guys for that." The Bengals had fewer injuries than average in the opening weeks, but have been hit hard lately. With the injuries piling up, coach Marvin Lewis showed his team some statistics about Super Bowl champions overcoming injuries. "You look at the last four or five Super Bowl champions and the amount of people that went on (injured reserve), and theyve overcome it," Lewis said. "You look at those teams, and those teams put double-digit numbers of players on injured reserve. "And their leadership of the team, the maturity of the team, it all plays out." Co-ordinator Mike Zimmer has a reputation for being able to plug newcomers into the defence quickly without having the overall performance suffer. "I guess thats his calling card," safety Chris Crocker said. "He can put in other guys and have them play together and find a way to win. The biggest part is putting somebody in there who knows what to do. "Everybodys athletically gifted and talented. But at this point in the season when you bring in somebody new, you just have to be up to speed on what to do. If you get them to do that, thats 60 to 70 per cent of the battle. Well be fine." Notes: Whitworth, Maualuga and defensive lineman Devon Still (elbow) didnt practice on Wednesday. Whitworth missed the Miami game with a sore right knee. ... RB Giovani Bernard (bruised ribs), LB Mike Boley (hamstring), TE Jermaine Gresham (groin) and guard Kevin Zeitler (hamstring) were limited in practice. ___ AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org Discount Pittsburgh Steelers Jerseys .Boston beat the Nashville Predators 5-3 on Tuesday night and celebrated consecutive wins for the first time in more than a month. Pittsburgh Steelers Justin Layne Jersey . Moors, from Cambridge Ont., landed a double-twisting, double somersault in the layout position, en route to a score of 14.600 points in the womens floor exercise, more than a full point ahead of runner-up Pia Tolle of Germany. http://www.cheapsteelers.com/75n-cheap-custom-jersey-steelers.html .Pete Morelli said the back judge threw a flag on Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens on a pass to Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew in Dallas 24-20 wild-card win Sunday. But the head linesman said there wasnt enough contact and that Hitchens was face-guarding, which isnt a penalty in the NFL. Authentic Pittsburgh Steelers Jerseys . Almost 40 years to the day, the two teams will meet again, this time at BC Place, to celebrate the past and try to earn important points for the present. Pittsburgh Steelers Jerseys Outlet . Kenny Miller scored from the penalty spot and Camilo Sanvezzo came off the bench to add two late goals as the Whitecaps kept their playoff hopes alive with a 3-0 victory over the sagging Impact on Saturday afternoon.With Yorkshire pursuing a third straight County Championship title, David Lloyd looks at the teams key strengths... Yorkshires success doesnt surprise me one bit.I did the voiceover for the Cricketing Yorkshire show we ran on Sky Sports last summer, and you could see how well run they are - theyre the template of how to run a county. Yorkshire gave Sky Sports exclusive behind-the-scenes access during the 2015 season Keeping GillespieIt was a huge moment for Yorkshire when England decided to give the head coach job to Trevor Bayliss because it meant they got to keep Jason Gillespie as their head coach.While I believe Yorkshire would have found a suitable replacement, Gillespies senior management partnership with Martyn Moxon ensures the club is terrifically well run and his departure would have massively affected the team. Jason Gillespie was rumoured to be the next head coach of England Had Gillespie gone, they would have lost three coaches in a quick space of time, after Paul Farbrace and Richard Dawson left for England and Gloucestershire respectively.Gillespie encourages the players to challenge themselves; he stretches them and makes them take pride in what they do.Investing in youthYorkshire certainly work their academy. They test the youngsters, and dont just put them in for a game before taking them out again. The squad is consistently depleted by international call-ups, but they dont moan about it, they just get on with it.That gives lads like Will Rhodes and Jack Leaning a chance alongside a smattering of high-quality overseas players - they had Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell last season and theyll have Kane Williamson this year. Jack Leaning hit three hundreds for Yorkshire in Championship cricket in 2015 I like the fact that the younger players are given responsibility and told its down to you.ddddddddddddLeaning, in particular, produced in 2015, scoring three hundreds and three fifties in first-class cricket.Even someone like 18-year-old Matt Fisher is learning very quickly; he isnt a real fixture in the Championship side yet, but has had to bowl at the death in one-day cricket, in high-pressure situations. Best bowlingYou need a good bowling attack to win the County Championship and Yorkshire have strength in spades in that department.Jack Brooks leads the attack very well, and they have two outstanding senior players in Ryan Sidebottom and Tim Bresnan. Ryan Sidebottom took five wickets, including three in the first over, as Yorkshire secured the County Championship against Middlesex They have come through the system and are Yorkshire through and through, so they are great role models to help guide those younger lads along, and ensure they keep their feet on the ground.Steve Patterson is an unsung player, but equally vital to what they do and they have a quality spinner in Adil Rashid.Theyve also got David Willey coming in, too, but Sidebottom might very well be saying hang on a minute, wait until I have finished! There is real competition for places.Historical hungerThere was the Surrey team of the 1950s that won seven in a row, but Yorkshire have had periods, too, where they have dominated - the Len Hutton era pre-war and then Brian Close and Ray Illingworths time in the 1960s. Len Hutton (L) and Norman Yardley (R) pictured in suits with the white rose of Yorkshire. There is that respect for those that have played previously and a tremendous pride among the players about who they represent.I know for a fact that Yorkshire ensure that their young players coming into the team know the history of the club - theyre now the custodians of the game and, in future years, someone else will come in and take their place.Theyve achieved back-to-back titles now but you can guarantee the club will be saying go out and do it again, lads. 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