CINCINNATI (AP) -Chad Johnson's face is on the cover of a national sports magazine. His life story is on the racks of local bookstores. When it comes to ink and paper, the Pro Bowl receiver is everywhere.

Not on the field, though. No matter how he cuts his hair or runs his mouth, the Cincinnati Bengals' man-on-the-cover can't find his way into the end zone.

That's about to change. He guarantees it.

Four days after he moped that coach Marvin Lewis had put a lid on his self-promoting routine, Johnson was back to talking himself up on Wednesday. He promised at least two touchdowns - and two memorable celebrations - against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

``I'm taking a risk,'' Johnson said, more energized than he had in weeks. ``I'm coming out. Coach Lewis has told me to tone it (down). He's told me to be quiet. I've been quiet all year. I haven't said much. I'm back. I'm going to let it rip.''

Why the change? It has a lot to do with the guy who's guarding him.

When cornerback DeAngelo Hall had the nerve to talk back to Johnson at the Pro Bowl, a strange bond was formed. The tormenting had begun.

``Chad actually pulled me aside and said I was the first guy to say something back to him in two years,'' Hall recalled on Wednesday. ``I guess I earned some respect from him for that.''

Since they first exchanged not-so-sweet-nothings in Hawaii, they've kept up the banter from a distance. They call each other regularly to see how the other is doing, wish them well and get in a few jabs about their looming matchup.

The one that's finally about to happen.

``It started in Hawaii,'' Johnson said. ``He told me he was the best defensive back ever. I said, 'How can you proclaim yourself the best ever when you haven't been against the best?'''

To make his point, Johnson took a marker to his ``Who Covered 85 in 2006'' list on Wednesday - the one with the Falcons game highlighted in red - and marked the ``no'' box, a way of saying Hall had already failed. Then, he scrawled in the defender's name, rendering it: DeAngelo Fall.

Once the game is over, Hall will be looking for a job at teammate Willie Anderson's restaurant in Atlanta, Johnson suggested.

That was a new one on Hall.

``That's another great one-liner,'' an amused Hall said, during a conference call Wednesday with writers in Cincinnati. ``I'm a Pro Bowl player. I ain't too worried about finding a job.''

There's one thing that could spoil their fun: Hall may not cover him much.

Teams have been giving Johnson double and triple coverage this season, limiting him to one touchdown. The other receivers have gotten a lot more passes and scores as a result, leaving Johnson in the role of disappointed decoy.

He has handled it without complaint, a sign of maturity. In the past, Johnson would plead for passes to come his way.

After his diving 32-yard catch on fourth-and-1 set up the winning touchdown Sunday in a 17-14 victory over Carolina, Johnson said he was being low-key on the field because Lewis insisted it was best for the team that he keep his thoughts to himself.

Silence made him suffer.

``I'm tired of being quiet,'' he said. ``I ain't had no motivation. I ain't had no energy. I ain't had no drive, nothing to look forward to on Sunday. I don't care if they put five people on me, I'm going to get it done this week.

``It's going down this Sunday. I'm celebrating. I'm going to score. I'm going to score more than once.''

Lewis broke into a deep laugh when told that Johnson was talking again to get himself out of an emotional slump.

``My gosh!'' Lewis said, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his hand across the top of his head. ``Sounds like an excuse.''

To Falcons coach Jim Mora, it sounded more like mutual respect.

``If they didn't have the respect for each other, they probably wouldn't challenge each other the way they are,'' Mora said. ``So, that's what it's all about - the competition, the battle of the great ones. And that's certainly a battle of great ones.''

Exactly what they've been telling each other for months.

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