Johnson gives no guarantee about win against Colts

His only guarantee was that Indianapolis wouldn't be able to stop him.
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Chad Johnson took his last bite of noodles, washed them down with a gulp of punch-flavored sports drink, then turned toward the semicircle of 23 reporters and photographers bracketing his locker.
Time for a guarantee about those unbeaten Colts.
"Hold on, I've got to get my game face on," the Bengals receiver said, wiping his hand across his face. "All right, come on."
He leaned forward on his four-legged wooden stool, his eyes focused on the camera lenses.
"For the guarantee, you've got to zoom in close, because I'm about to get myself in trouble," he said, hinting that coach Marvin Lewis wouldn't like what was coming next. "I guarantee -- I'm serious -- I guarantee that I will not be stopped on Sunday. For real.
"I won't be covered. I will do everything I can to make sure we win this game. That's my guarantee."
That's it? That's all?
Yep. Two years after his most famous guarantee, he wasn't about to issue another.
Got into trouble before
Johnson was roundly criticized two years ago when he flat-out guaranteed a win over 9-0 Kansas City. Angry veterans lashed out at Johnson for drawing attention to himself, and Lewis was unhappy that he gave the Chiefs more motivation to stay unbeaten.
Johnson apologized to coach Dick Vermeil before the game, then had seven catches in a 24-19 victory that got him off the hook and out of the guarantee business. He hasn't promised another victory since then, and wasn't about to start with the 9-0 Colts coming to town.
"There's no need for me to guarantee a victory. No point," Johnson said. "We're 7-2. We are one of the best teams in the NFL right now. So there's no need for me to go out on a limb like that."
He'll let this game promote itself. Not that it needs any help.
Trying to stay unbeaten
The Colts are off to the best start in their history, and one more victory would make them the first team since the 1998 Broncos to start 10-0. The Bengals are trying to stay in first place in the AFC North and are closing in their first winning season since 1990.
In the past, it wouldn't have stopped Johnson from saying something outlandish. It's a sign he has matured since 2003, when he was so unpredictable that even Colts coach Tony Dungy had to talk him out of something.
Johnson devised a touchdown celebration for his first Pro Bowl appearance that was a takeoff on the halftime controversy, but Dungy -- the AFC's coach -- got him to change his mind.
"I cut a hole in my jersey and stitched it back together," Johnson said. "When I scored, I was going to pull it open. He talked me out of that one. He was right. I didn't want to tease the league like that."
Dungy was diplomatic Wednesday when talking about the receiver's antics.
"Chad is a great receiver and he's fun," Dungy said. "He makes the game fun. I'm glad Marvin has to coach him and I don't."
Now just celebrating
Johnson has evolved from guaranteeing wins to celebrating touchdowns this season, coming up with a new skit for each score. His most famous celebration -- an end zone Riverdance -- got notice around the league and inspired him to come up with something new for each opponent.
He's got something in mind for the Colts.
"My plan is Martha Stewart-like," Johnson said. "What it's going to be exactly, I can't tell you. You'd have to watch. It's going to be fun, though. It will probably keep you on the edge of your seat."
The Colts couldn't care less.
"Whatever he has planned, I don't want to see it," cornerback Nick Harper said, laughing. "He can save it for next week."
"Hopefully at the end of the ball game, he'll be pretty quiet," defensive tackle Montae Reagor said.
Johnson praised the Colts' defense, giving it credit for their 9-0 start. He also suggested that the Colts' cornerbacks shouldn't take it personally when he guarantees that he won't be covered very well on Sunday.
"It's just impossible," Johnson said, with a straight face. "It's not who I'm playing. It can't be done, and I've come to that conclusion. If I had to stop myself, I probably wouldn't be able to do it, either."