TDBH: Brumfield injury overshadows biggest road comeback

BALTIMORE - Bengals quarterback Jeff Blake swash buckles through Marvin Lewis’ Ravens defense for three third-down conversions to set up Doug Pelfrey’s tying field goal with 1:49 left and then runs and passes the Bengals 56 yards in 1:22 to set up Pelfrey’s winner at the gun for a 24-21 victory today that erases a 21-3 half-time deficit and still stands as the Bengals’ biggest road come-back ever. But the Memorial Stadium locker room is subdued. With 1:07 left in the third quarter right guard Scott Brumfield collides with tight end Tony McGee on running back Garrison Hearst’s six-yard run and doesn’t get up. Brimfield can move his arms while a total of 12 medical people from the Bengals, Ravens, and Baltimore paramedics attend to him. But they have to uncross his legs and tape his head to a board before taking him to the University of Maryland Medical Shock Trauma Center, where they diagnose a cervical spinal cord concussion. Offensive line coach Paul Alexander stays behind while the team flies back to Cincinnati and is relieved to find there are no fractures and surgery isn’t required. By the time Alexander leaves six hours later, Brumfield is not only feeling better, but he’s showing signs of improvement. The next morning Bengals trainer Paul Sparling reports he’s in fair condition and is “cautiously optimistic,” and while Brumfield misses the rest of his season he’ll play in 15 games the next.

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