This and that

• If it wasn't bad enough that the Bengals will be without starting offensive linemen, the team has announced that Chad won't play against the Steelers because he violated an undisclosed team rule. Spokesman Jack Brennan said the team would have no additional comment about Chad until after the game.

NFL.com's Adam Schefter reports that Chad got into a fight with someone in the Bengals' organization Wednesday night and left a team function.

Bengals play-by-play announcer Brad Johansen said Chad told him he overslept for an 8:30 p.m. meeting.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported that Chad was 45 minutes late to the meeting and, according to a story on ESPN.com, "He and coach Marvin Lewis then got into a verbal disagreement," and Chad was sent home.

Anyway, if Chris Henry moves into Chad's spot, who's their No. 3 receiver? Chatman is out for the year. Jerome Simpson is still hurt. Which leaves Andre Caldwell, who's nursing a foot injury, and Glenn Holt.

Overall, five starters are among nine players listed as 'out'. Make that six with Chad out. Could be ugly.

• All that being said, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Steelers covered the spread tonight. Not that I'm in any hurry to put a bet on a Steelers' game as the fallout from Sunday's debacle continues (to some extent ... nothing brand new just people still cursing referee Scott Green).

And Big Ben apparently is not afraid to heave it deep.

• Walt Jocketty apparently had a few interesting things to say Wednesday. Said we were close to acquiring Coco Crisp (who was traded to the Royals). Said he was a little surprised that Affeldt was so quick to sign with the Giants. Said we're still talking to Weathers, Lincoln and Hairston. And he acknowledged that adding bullpen help is a new focus with Affeldt's departure and the possibility that Weathers and/or Lincoln won't return.

Nothing too stunning, aside from getting us thinking about how Coco Crisp would've looked in an outfield with Jay Bruce and Dickerson/Freel/Hopper.

• Speaking of Jocketty, DDN's Hal McCoy writes about how good he and Castellini were to Special Assistant to the General Manager Squeaky Parker.

• Mike Griffith of GoVolsXtra and the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports that Brian Kelly is the leading candidate for Tennessee's head coaching job, according to a source within the program.

• ESPN.com's Brian Bennett has a UC-Pitt preview from the Pitt perspective. Turns out their players are pretty excited about the possibility of playing in a BCS bowl too, even if a lot of their fans aren't (Pitt returned 1,700 of the 3,000 tickets UC sent).

• Non-local link of interest: I don't follow golf very closely, but I have to admit I'm pretty fascinated by this J.P. Hayes story. If you're not familiar, Hayes disqualified himself from the second stage of a PGA Tour qualifying tournament after inadvertently playing with a nonconforming golf ball. ESPN's Jason Sobel points out that self-imposed penalities aren't that uncommon in golf.