updated 10:09 p.m. ET Nov. 13, 2006

CINCINNATI - Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh forgave San Diego safety Marlon McCree for the early, high hit that left him groggy.

Houshmandzadeh watched a replay of the fourth-quarter hit, which left him momentarily unconscious, and decided on Monday there was nothing wrong with it.

McCree drew a pass interference penalty for the hit in San Diego’s 49-41 victory over Cincinnati. As he fell, Houshmandzadeh’s head connected with the knee of linebacker Randall Godfrey.

“He was just trying to make a play on the ball,” Houshmandzadeh said. “He got there a little too soon. It wasn’t actually his hit that hurt me. It was the fact that the linebacker was coming so fast. He tried to jump over me but as he jumped, he kneed me in the head. It was just one of those split-second type of accidents, basically.”

McCree apologized for the hit, saying he lost sight of the ball and was just trying to break up the pass. Houshmandzadeh’s helmet flew off, and he lay motionless on the field for a few seconds. He was groggy when trainers helped him off the field.

Although he felt better in the game’s closing minutes, the medical staff wouldn’t let him return.

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“He was OK the last drive, but when a guy loses consciousness, they’re not going to allow him to go back in the game,” coach Marvin Lewis said on Monday. “So he’ll be evaluated again — he’s already had one test, he’ll have the second test on Wednesday morning and should be cleared.”

McCree defended himself after hearing criticism that it was a dirty play.

“The most important thing for me was the T.J. was OK. I saw him on the sideline laughing,” McCree said. “The second-most important thing was that we won. I’m feeling pretty good. I just didn’t want the image to be portrayed that I was a bush-league player, that I was a dirty player. I’ve never been that type of player. I’m a physical player. I play hard, but that’s what I get paid to do, is to play tough and hard and aggressive.”

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