Launch into the theory and Justin Smith cuts it off like one of his 87 career sacks split evenly between Cincinnati and San Francisco, where he somehow had 43.5 sacks in seven years in each stop.
“Fake news,” Smith says. “I think you’re stretching for a story here.”
Smith, No. 41, and his fellow defensive end from the early Marvin Lewis Era, Robert Geathers, No. 48, are among those honored as the Bengals’ salute to their first 50 players continues Sunday (1 p.m.-Cincinnati’s Channel 12) when the Bills arrive at Paul Brown Stadium and the hosts fittingly hope to extend their NFL-best streak to 34 straight games with a sack.