Watch Out Boomer: Tippett Is Back, and Looking to Get In His Licks

Watch out. Andre Tippett is back and looking for trouble.

“I’ll be excited about getting back out there,” one of the NFL’s most feared linebackers said. “I’ll try to get some hits and stir some things up.”

New England’s best defensive player expects to play today against Cincinnati after missing the Patriots’ last four games. He had torn cartilage removed from his right knee. At the time of his injury in the first quarter against Atlanta Nov. 2, he was second in the AFC with 9. sacks after leading the conference last year.

“It’s been hard” being sidelined, Tippett said, “but I haven’t gone to drinking yet so it’s not too bad.”

The hard-hitting nemesis of slower offensive linemen and smaller quarterbacks did, however, find another outlet for his frustrations.

“I’m getting tired of beating up my car,” he said. “I like my car. I don’t want to abuse it.”

Good news for Tippett’s auto is bad news for Bengals’ quarterback Boomer Esiason, who must fend off a hungry tiger now uncaged after a month of uneasy stalking.

“The knee feels good. There’s some pain here and there,” said Tippett, a Pro Bowl starter last season, his fourth in the NFL. “They’re going to spot me, probably, until I get some condition.

“I’m not 100 percent. I won’t be able to go out there and play 60 minutes but I will be able to get out there and contribute.”

New England’s strong defensive play and victories in the four games he missed helped Tippett cope with his inability to contribute. He also was realistic.

“It’s an injury. It happens. You’re only human,” he said. “I have to deal with it until my time comes for me to get back out there and my time has come.”

Acceptance of his fate didn’t mean he welcomed it.

“I won’t say I was jealous, but I’m looking at these guys (on the field ) having fun out there. I want to have fun, too,” Tippett said.