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Rookie receiver John Ross says he understands why the Cincinnati Bengals have been slow to use him this season, but at least one teammate thinks he should be getting more snaps. The first-round draft pick played on just six snaps Sunday in a 24-20 loss to Tennessee and has played a total of 17 in three games since returning from a knee injury he suffered before Week 3. “He's done a great job coming along,” veteran receiver Brandon LaFell said Wednesday. “He came in injured, so that put him behind the curve in training camp and OTAs and things like that, but he came back and was showing good promise but got injured again and that set him back. “Now he's healthy, and we're just working him into the offense, getting his feet wet, getting more game reps because you can do a lot in practice but you need those game reps. We need to put him out there more than four or five plays a game so we can really get him acclimated to the league.”  Ross, who battled knee injuries in college, underwent shoulder surgery after the combine in February, and his rehab kept him out of offseason and preseason activities until the middle of August. He then suffered a knee injury on his first play in the Bengals’ preseason finale but returned for the Week 2 loss to Houston, in which he fumbled on his first touch and was benched.
He tweaked the knee in practice that next week and was out until the Oct. 29 game against Indianapolis. Ross has played one game since then, sitting out as a healthy inactive Week 9 at Jacksonville before getting another shot Sunday against the Titans. “It's been a slower start than I wanted, but it's all based off me and a lot of the things I've been going through,” Ross said. “I didn't really have an offseason, so I think that kind of carried over. It's been a struggle, but things are slowly getting better. It's good to be young and go through this. I just have to look at the bright side and start thinking about getting better each and every day, each and every week and progressing through my career and not trying to become a Hall of Fame player today or tomorrow.” The Bengals haven’t taken lightly the mistakes Ross has made in his young career, especially after Sunday’s missed opportunity on a deep ball that likely would have resulted in a touchdown had Ross kept running the route. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis singled out that play as disappointing when asked about Ross’ progression the past few weeks. “The thing I told him, which was great because Andy was with him in the hall on Tuesday, was that for Andy against that coverage to throw him that football, he should understand how the quarterback feels about him and that he expects him to be where he needs to be,” Lewis said. “He let his teammates down. He let me down. He let Andy down. Maybe that ball is not supposed to go there in that coverage, but if you do it right and run like you can run, that ball can go there and it can be a big play for us.” Lewis said Ross has had enough reps in practice the past four weeks “to get acclimated,” so inexperience isn’t an excuse. Ross didn’t get a chance to make up for the mistake Sunday, though, and this week he faces the challenge of the Broncos’ experienced secondary as the Bengals look to improve on a 3-6 record. “You only get so many opportunities sometimes, and the ones you don't capitalize are the ones you remember the most,” Ross said. “I definitely wish I could have it back, but I can't. It was definitely my fault, overthinking the situation, and we've got to understand the margin for error in this league is very slight, really none, so I have to make the most of every opportunity.”
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