Wide receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh have always been prime targets in the Bengals passing game. That's been truer this season than in the past.

Houshmandzadeh and Johnson have accounted for two-thirds of the receptions the Bengals have thus far this season, 67 of 101. While the pair has been a dominant duo - they have caught 587 passes combined for 7,945 yards and 53 touchdowns since 2004 - in the Bengals' offensive scheme, this season they are being called upon to do more.

The inability for a consistent third receiving threat, be it a wide receiver, tight end or running back, to step forward has hurt the Bengals as they have started the season losing three of their first four games.

Much of that is because the team has been without Chris Henry due to NFL suspension, but Henry's absence isn't the only reason. Injuries have taken their toll; Tab Perry was the leading candidate to fill Henry's role but he hasn't played since suffering a hamstring injury on Sept. 16 at Cleveland. Antonio Chatman has played in just one game because of a hamstring injury, and running backs Chris Perry and Kenny Irons have not played.

Kenny Irons, the team's second-round pick this year, is out for the season after tearing an ACL in the preseason opener. Perry is recovering from ankle surgery last season and is currently on the physically unable to perform list. He is eligible to come off of PUP list following this Sunday's game at Kansas City and begin practicing with the team. Once Perry begins practicing, the team has three weeks to evaluate him before determining whether to activate him to the 53-man roster or place him on season-ending injury reserve.

"It would take a lot of pressure off of Chad and T.J. The majority of plays go to them but it would be useful," said Chatman of the importance of a third receiver in the offense. "I'm looking forward to that, just being back and I know Carson (Palmer) trusts me to throw me the ball. I want to be out there to make plays for him.

"I have my game legs but I was a little rusty because I'd been out for so long. It felt good just to be back out there. I'd been gone for a while."

Palmer threw six passes in the direction of Chatman against New England, completing three of them for 28 yards. They were the first receptions for Chatman since he caught one pass for nine yards against Carolina on Oct. 22 last year and the three catches equaled his total from all of last season when he played in just three games due to injury.

In Palmer's first season as a starter, 2004, 51.9 percent of the Bengals total completions went to Johnson and Houshmandzadeh. That percentage dropped to 48.3 percent in 2005 even though the pair caught eight more passes than it had in 2004. Last season, Johnson and Houshmandzadeh combined to catch 177 passes, the most ever by a duo in franchise history, but that was only 54.1 percent of the completions Palmer threw.

Still, Palmer sees solutions to the problems the Bengals have had in the first quarter of the season within the current roster. He has completed 63.1 percent of his passes this season, down from his goal of 70 percent, and he has already thrown six interceptions. Palmer threw just 12 and 13 interceptions in the last two seasons.

"Going back (during the bye) we looked at a lot of our old film, a lot of our stuff in the red zone and on third down and you realize that we have guys open, we have plays that can be made and we have to execute better," said Palmer. "A slip-up here, a slip-up there and you're off the field. You just realize that in every aspect of the game, but especially on third down and in the red zone, you have to be perfect. You have to practice to be perfect, you have to prepare to be perfect and then go out there and execute perfectly and stay out on the field."

Henry is under league suspension for at least four more games. He is eligible to be reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Nov. 5, one day after the Bengals play their eighth game of the season at Buffalo. If Goodell reinstates Henry, he would be available to play on Nov. 11 when the Bengals travel to Baltimore for a rematch against the Ravens.

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