CINCINNATI (AP) — Joe Mixon’s chair was upside-down in his locker on Monday Jake Fisher Jersey , a reminder that the Cincinnati Bengals are moving ahead without the running back who’s been a key part of their 2-0 start.Mixon had debris removed from his right knee over the weekend and is expected to be sidelined for a few games. In the interim, the AFC North leaders will lean more heavily on Giovani Bernard and Tra Carson, who hasn’t carried the ball in an NFL game.Mixon got hurt during a 34-23 win over the Ravens on Thursday night at Paul Brown Stadium, going in-and-out of the game. An exam found a piece of debris that was removed. Mixon’s agent said he could return within two weeks.“I think between Gio and Tra, we will find a way, I hope,” offensive coordinator Bill Lazor said Monday.Mixon was a centerpiece of the Bengals’ revised offense in the first two games, carrying 38 times for 176 yards — a 4.7-yard average — and catching six passes for 57 yards. After splitting time last season with Bernard and Jeremy Hill, the second-round pick became the focal point this year.Bernard has carried only seven times for 25 yards and caught five passes for 26 yards. Mixon was on the field for 44 plays in an opening 34-23 win at Indianapolis, with Bernard in for only a dozen plays. The snaps were evenly split against Baltimore as Mixon was hobbled by the injury.Lazor thinks the 5-foot-9 Bernard is comparable enough in style to the 6-foot-1 Mixon that the Bengals can run the same types of plays. Bernard played in all 16 games last season even though he was only 10 months removed from a torn ACL. He ran for 116 yards against Detroit on Dec. 24.“I think he’s really unique physically and to be able to do that (with) his stature Womens Andrew Billings Jersey , to play the way he plays,” Lazor said. “He finishes runs, he doesn’t go out of bounds. He doesn’t go down easy.”Carson was an undrafted free agent from Texas A&M. He was on the practice squad for most of 2016 and missed all last season with a groin injury. He’s been a special teams player this season, getting in on offense for only five plays.“When he hits it, he goes hard,” Lazor said. “He just goes straight ahead, he’s decisive, he’s trustworthy in pass protection.”The Bengals had one of the worst rushing offenses in franchise history last season, finishing second-to-last in the league with 85.4 yards per game. They’re ranked 17th after two games, a big part of the offense’s overall improvement.Cincinnati tries to improve to 3-0 for only the fifth time in coach Marvin Lewis’ 16 seasons when it plays at Carolina on Sunday. The Panthers are coming off a 31-24 loss at Atlanta  Womens John Miller Jersey , the Bengals’ opponent the following week.PRESTON BROWN BETTER: Linebacker Preston Brown was inactive for the game on Thursday because of a sprained right ankle. Brown thinks he could have played if the game had been on Sunday, giving him a few more days to heal. He’s optimistic about being ready for Carolina. Brown wanted to play on Thursday, but was limited in a pregame workout for Lewis.“We started to do some different drills and I saw the look on Marvin’s face,” Brown said Monday. “He didn’t like how I was looking.”ALSO MENDING: Center Billy Price (right foot) and defensive end Michael Johnson (left knee) missed most of the game on Thursday. The Bengals will have a better idea of their status by midweek. PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster just wants to move on from last December’s physical primetime meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals.But the second-year wideout thrust himself into one of the fiercest rivalries in the NFL last season with a memorable block against Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict. Smith-Schuster was reminded of the hit prior to Sunday’s game at Cincinnati.“I didn’t want to talk about it,” Smith-Schuster said. “I knew you guys were going to want to talk about this and make something out of it, but I am just trying to get a “W” this weekend, that’s it.”Last December, Smith-Schuster delivered a punishing blindside block on Burfict, the Steeler agitator, who ended running back Le’Veon Bell’s season in 2015 Trey Hopkins Jersey , and injured quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and receiver Antonio Brown in the same playoff game at Cincinnati later that year.Smith-Schuster got a 15-yard penalty for the block and another penalty for taunting when he stood over Burfict after the hit. He also was given a one-game suspension.Burfict served a four-game suspension to open the current season. He returned to the lineup last week without incident and helped the first-place Bengals beat Miami.Smith-Schuster said he’s not concerned about Burfict or the Bengals seeking revenge on Sunday.“I’m just worried about the game, playing focused and playing with my teammates,” Smith-Schuster said. “It’s the AFC North and the rivalry is very strong. It’s physical and it’s going to be a tough game.”Last December’s game featured a combined 20 penalties for 239 yards, including a team-record 173 yards by the Bengals. It was also the game where Steelers LB Ryan Shazier sustained a life-altering spinal injury following a tackle.“There were a lot of emotions on both sides of the ball, obviously with Shazier and what I did,” Smith-Schuster said. “But it’s just a physical game. That’s what you’re going to get out of it.”Brown sustained a concussion and was knocked from the game by safety George Iloka – no longer with the Bengals — following a touchdown reception. The score helped Pittsburgh overcome a 17-point deficit and win its sixth straight in the series on a last-second field goal.“They’re always trying to get the best of us, either physically, after the play or during plays,” Brown said. “That’s why they call it the jungle because you have to go in there and be ready to win.”Brown met with the media for the first time Friday since two lawsuits were filed against him stemming from an incident at a Florida apartment complex last spring.Ophir Sternberg is seeking damages against Brown, claiming objects thrown by Brown from the 14th floor of an apartment building in April came close to striking Sternberg’s father and 22-month-old son. A second lawsuit filed by the owner of the apartment building is seeking more than $15 Cordy Glenn Jersey ,000 in damages from Brown.“I can’t discuss pending litigation,” Brown said. “I just look forward to my day in court.”Brown told police that the incidents occurred after a gun and $80,000 were stolen from his apartment. Brown said in a statement a day earlier that the lawsuits contained “false claims” against him.“It comes from being successful, it comes from being in the spotlight, it comes from having fame,” Brown said on Friday. “If I was a nobody, (the media) wouldn’t be here speculating to begin with.”Brown said he’s focused on the Bengals this week.“I’m a professional and I know what I’m here for,” Brown said. “I’m trying to win football games. It’s Cincinnati week … it’s a big week for us. Being in this position comes with a lot of distractions and you have to be able to narrow your focus and that’s what I’m able to do.”NOTES: Steelers’ S Morgan Burnett (groin) will miss his fourth straight game, while WR Darrius Heyward-Bey (ankle) will miss his second straight. LB L.J. Fort (ankle) is doubtful. LB Vince Williams fully practiced this week after missing against Atlanta with a hamstring injury.