Cincinnati Bengals Release Punter Shawn Powell

Dec 15, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Terence Garvin (57) tackles Cincinnati Bengals punter Kevin Huber (10) during the first quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

Happy New Year, everyone. Here’s to a happy, healthy, peaceful, and hopefully s championship 2014 year in Cincinnati. Let’s all hope.

Three days after shanking one of the worst punt I’ve seen that traveled 10 yards, punter Shawn Powell was released by the Cincinnati Bengals yesterday and replaced by a veteran kicker.

That would be Zoltan Mesko, a fourth year player who was drafted by the New England Patriots and most recently played with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the signing came as the team continue to fill the spot that opened when Kevin Huber’s season ended thanks to a broken jaw suffered in Pittsburgh three weeks ago. Two days later, Powell was added to the team

Two of his punts on Sunday landed inside the 20. One of them bounced ounce before being fielded by a Bengals coverage player and downed on the one yard line.

The third punt, though, got Powell probably sent home packing. It resulted the Baltimore Ravens ultimately tying the game at 17, after overcoming a 17-6 deficit in the third quarter. The punt traveled 10 yards as we said, and it drifted out-of-bounds over the Bengals sidelines and into the first row of the stands.

Mesko in his first seven games with the Steelers this season, averaged 42.5 yards on 34 punts with a net average of 36.7 yards. He had three punts inside the 20 and two touchbacks. He was let go out of the steel city on October 29th.

The team weren’t done signing players yesterday, they added another tight end in Kevin Brock. He will fill the lone spot available that was open as they placed tight end Alex Smith on injured reserve, after he dislocated his wrist in his first start on Sunday. They hope Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert will be able to return ahead of Sunday’s wild card game against the San Diego Chargers. Both were inactive last week with injuries.

If both can’t play, the Bengals would be down to Brock and Orson Charles.

For tickets to the game on Sunday Call: 621-TDTD (8383)