While the Cincinnati Bengals hold out some hope that Madieu Williams might be able to return late in the season or for the playoffs, the team faces the prospect of playing the rest of the year without the starting free safety, who earlier this week underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Coach Marvin Lewis confirmed the procedure but declined to speculate about how long the rehabilitation period might be. There is a good chance, though, that the labrum surgery will be season-ending, which would mean that the Bengals, contending for their first division title since 1990, would be without both starting safeties from a year ago. Veteran safety Kim Herring sustained a shoulder injury in the preseason and was placed on injured reserve even before the start of the campaign. It is believed that Williams, one of the league's outstanding defensive rookies in 2004, suffered the labrum injury during a non-contact drill in a Sept. 30 practice.

Wide receiver Hines Ward took part in some of the Steelers' drills, but remains questionable for Sunday's game at Cincinnati. "He didn't do everything, but he did a lot of things," coach Bill Cowher said. Ward was held out of Sunday's 23-16 overtime loss to Jacksonville, the first game he's missed in his eight-year career. The Steelers (3-2) normally don't decide whether a player can play or not until after Friday's practice. Ward did not practice last Friday.

The Bengals lost both centers to knee injuries during the first half, forcing guard Eric Steinbach to take off his gloves and play the position. Rich Braham, the Bengals' 12th-year veteran, hurt a knee during the second quarter against the Houston Texans. The severity of the injury wasn't immediately known, but the Bengals said he wasn't expected to return. Backup center Larry Moore hurt his right knee while blocking on a run play later in the second quarter and was taken off the field on a cart.