CINCINNATI BENGALS One Paul Brown Stadium Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513) 621-3550 administrative offices (513) 621-3570 administrative fax (513) 621-TDTD (8383) ticket office www.bengals.com WEEKLY NEWS RELEASE CINCINNATI BENGALS (5-3-1) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (4-5-0) Kickoff: 1 p.m. Eastern. NOV. 11, 2014 WEEK 11, GAME 10 SUNDAY, NOV. 16 AT MERCEDES-BENZ SUPERDOME UP NEXT: WEEK 12, GAME 11 NOV. 23 AT HOUSTON GAME NOTES Television: CBS broadcast with Greg Gumbel (play-by-play), Trent Green (analyst) and Evan Washburn (sideline reporter). The game will air in the Bengals home market on WKRC-TV (Channel 12) in Cincinnati, WHIO-TV (Channel 7) in Dayton and WKYT-TV (Channel 27) in Lexington, Ky. Radio: Coverage on the Bengals Radio Network, led by a “triple cast” on Cincinnati flagship stations WLW-AM (700), WCKY-AM (ESPN 1530; all sports) and WEBN-FM (102.7). Broadcasters are Dan Hoard (play-by-play) and Dave Lapham (analyst). The game also will be aired to a national audience on affiliates of Sports USA Media. Broadcasters are Larry Kahn (play-by-play), Doug Plank (analyst) and Troy West (sideline reporter). Setting the scene: Two games over .500, and part of the tightest and toughest division race in the NFL. For most teams, it would be a cause of some satisfaction. But the Bengals are not happy at 5-3-1 and a half-game out of the AFC North lead. Leaders in the division for most of this season, they were knocked a half-game back last week, thumped 24-3 at home by North rival Cleveland. “When we won our first three, we thought we were a pretty good team,” said CB Terence Newman. “Now we have to face up to the fact that as things stand now, we’re not as good as we thought we were. To get outplayed at home like we did ... We just have to put this behind us and know we can be a much better team than we were against the Browns.” Playing before a national audience on Thursday Night Football, the Browns snagged an interception on the Bengals’ game-opening possession, and the offense responded with a quick 18-yard TD drive. The Bengals closed the gap to 7-3 by quarter’s end and had one chance to drive for a lead, but could not get beyond their 34. The Browns went up 17-3 by halftime, and Cleveland spent most of the second half trying to kill the clock against a Bengals offense that would muster only 165 net yards for the game. But with a win at New Orleans this week, Cincinnati could be back in first. “There’s still a lot of football ahead,” said head coach Marvin Lewis. “It’s a seven-game season ahead of us now. If we take care of business internally, everything will be fine. We lick our wounds and come out and do better. “But we have to learn from this,” Lewis continued. “We paid a dear price, with a loss in a division game at home. In every way we did not do what we needed to do. And starting with me, nobody in here can say. ‘It wasn’t me’ and then go have a little pity party. No one is above it. It’s all of us.” QB Andy Dalton will be ready to lead by example on that. Asked “who should get the blame” for the Cleveland loss, Dalton said: “I should, and I deserve it. It all starts with me. It all goes through the quarterback. I’ve got to play better to put our team in a position to win.” But Lewis’ “all of us” comment is more on target. The Bengals have been subpar statistically in almost every respect, ranking 20th in the NFL on offense but 30th on defense. What the team retains, however, is a veteran core from three straight playoff teams and the knowledge that they’ve climbed out of much tougher spots than this one in the past. “All of us have to make a commitment this week to look honestly at our performance and own that it has to be much better,” said OT Andrew Whitworth. “But we’re still a confident team. We have reason to be. Now it’s time to back that up for our fans. It had been a long time since we lost at home (14 straight games in regular season), but we let our fans down last week.” New Orleans lost in overtime to visiting San Francisco last week after winning two straight, by margins of 21 and 18 points. Though their record (4-5) is inferior to Cincinnati’s, the Saints lead the NFC South Division over Carolina (3-6-1) and Atlanta (3-6). The Saints boast the NFL’s second-ranked offense (435.0 yards per game), and it’s a balanced attack, ranked sixth in rushing (130.2) and third in passing (304.8). But the Saints rank 28th in turnover differential, a minus-eight. The Bengals dipped to even in turnover differential after going minus-three against Cleveland. The series: The Saints halted a three-game losing streak to the Bengals in the teams’ last meeting, prevailing 34-30 at Paul Brown Stadium. The result lifted New Orleans to a 6-6 tie with Cincinnati in the all-time series. The road team has done well in the series. The Bengals lead 3-2 in New Orleans, and the Saints lead 4-3 in Cincinnati. The most recent Bengals win was a 31-16 decision in 2006 at New Orleans. A complete listing of past Bengals-Saints results can be found on page 211 of the Bengals’ 2014 Media Guide. Team bests from the series: Bengals — MOST POINTS: 31, in a 31-16 win at New Orleans in 2006. LARGEST VICTORY MARGIN: 21, in a 21-0 win at New Orleans in 1975. FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED: 0, in the 21-0 win in 1975. Saints — MOST POINTS: 41, in a 41-24 win in 1987 at Riverfront Stadium. LARGEST VICTORY MARGIN: 17, in the 41-24 win in ’87. FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED: 7 (twice), most recently in a 21-7 win at Riverfront Stadium in 1990. The last meetings: Summaries of the two most recent BengalsSaints meetings — at New Orleans in 2006 and at Cincinnati in ’10 — are on page 16 of this news release. ‘Cradle of Coaches’ connection: Saints head coach Sean Payton is among the long line of prominent coaches with connections to Miami (Ohio) University. He was on the Miami coaching staff in 1994-95, and four of his assistants also have ties to the RedHawks. Offensive line coach Bret Ingalls coached at Miami in 2005. Coaching assistant Frank Smith played OL at Miami from 2000-03 and coached there from ’04-05. Strength and conditioning coach Dan Dalrymple played OL at Miami from 1983-86 and was on the coaching staff from 1987-2005. Assistant strength and conditioning coach Charles Byrd was born in Oxford, Ohio, and coached at Miami from 2006-07. More Bengals-Saints connections: Bengals OT Andrew Whitworth, HB Jeremy Hill and WR James Wright all played at Louisiana State; Whitworth is from West Monroe, La., Hill is from Baton Rouge, La. and Wright is from Buras, La. ... Saints T Zach Strief is from Milford, Ohio (Milford HS) ... Saints NT Brandon Deaderick is from Elizabethtown, Ky. ... Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan coached at Western Kentucky in 1987 and Ohio State in 1988 ... Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph is from Marrero, La. ... Bengals defensive backs coach Mark Carrier is from Lake Charles, La. ... Bengals running backs coach Kyle Caskey was a graduate assistant coach at Louisiana-Monroe from 2004-05 ... Saints running backs coach Dan Roushar coached at the University of Cincinnati from 2003-06 ... Saints tight ends coach Terry Malone coached at Bowling Green from 1986-1995 ... Saints secondary coach Wesley McGriff coached at Kentucky State (1995-99), Eastern Kentucky —1— (More Bengals-Saints connections, continued) (2000) and University of Kentucky (2001-02) ... Saints strength and conditioning assistant Rob Wenning is from Coldwater, Ohio, and coached at Findlay (Ohio) from 2003-06 and at Ohio State in 2007. Dalton rules against NFC: This week’s game marks the first appearance for Bengals QB Andy Dalton against New Orleans, but Dalton has had few problems with the Saints’ NFC brethren during his pro career. Dalton has a 10-3-1 record against NFC clubs, a winning percentage of .750. His three losses have come by a total of 12 points, and his 10 wins have come by an average margin of 13.1. Dalton and the Bengals are 1-0-1 against the NFC this season. Cincinnati won 24-10 vs. Atlanta on Sept. 14 and tied 37-37 vs. Carolina on Oct. 12. Here’s a roundup of his history against NFC opposition: DATE 9-25-11 10-30-11 12-18-11 12-24-11 9-23-12 11-11-12 12-9-12 12-13-12 9-8-13 9-22-13 10-20-13 12-22-13 9-14-14 10-12-14 OPP. RESULT S.F. 49ers, 13-8 @Sea. Bengals, 34-12 @StL. Bengals, 20-13 ARIZ. Bengals, 23-16 @Wash. Bengals, 38-31 NYG Bengals, 31-13 DALL. Cowboys, 20-19 @Phil. Bengals, 34-13 @Chi. Bears, 24-21 G.B. Bengals, 34-30 @Det. Bengals, 27-24 MINN. Bengals, 42-14 ATL. Bengals, 24-10 CAR. Tie, 37-37 COMP-ATT-YDS-TD-INT 17-32-157-0-2 18-29-168-2-2 15-26-179-0-1 18-31-154-2-0 19-27-328-3-1 21-30-199-4-0 20-33-206-1-1 13-27-127-1-0 26-33-282-2-2 20-28-235-2-1 24-34-372-3-0 27-38-363-4-0 15-23-252-1-0 33-43-323-2-2 RATING 40.8 72.2 62.8 92.7 132.9 127.6 76.1 74.2 97.2 105.5 135.9 136.2 116.6 93.5 Records vs. Saints: Bengals WR Chad Johnson had 190 receiving yards at New Orleans in 2006, the week after he had posted a club-record 260 vs. San Diego. The 450 yards from those two games is a Bengals record for consecutive contests and ranks fourth all time in the NFL in the category. Also: ● Johnson’s three TD catches against the Saints in 2006 ties the Bengals record for most receiving TDs in a game. ● At New Orleans in 2006, though the Bengals won, the Saints set a Cincinnati opponents’ record with 504 net passing yards. QB Drew Brees had 510 gross passing yards, which ranks second for a Bengals foe behind 513 by Phil Simms of the N.Y. Giants in 1985. The Bengals won that game, too. BENGALS-SAINTS NFL RANKINGS BENGALS SAINTS SCORING (AVERAGE POINTS): Points scored............................................. T-18th (21.9) 6th (27.9) Points allowed ........................................... T-18th (23.4) 22nd (25.0) NET OFFENSE (AVERAGE YARDS): Total ........................................................... 20th (339.8) 2nd (435.0) Rushing ...................................................... 12th (117.4) 6th (130.2) Passing........................................................21st (222.3) 3rd (304.8) NET DEFENSE (AVERAGE YARDS): Total ........................................................... 30th (391.9) 19th (366.0) Rushing .......................................................31st (143.0) 11th (106.8) Passing....................................................... 20th (248.9) 24th (259.2) TURNOVERS: Differential ................................................ T-14th (even) 28th (minus-8) BENGALS RED-ZONE REPORT OFFENSE DEFENSE Inside-20 possessions: 27 Inside-20 possessions: 35 Total scores: 25 (92.6%) Total scores: 28 (80.0%) TDs: 15 (55.6%) TDs: 19 (54.3%) FGs: 10 (37.0%) FGs: 9 (25.7%) TD% rank: 18th TD% rank: 13th No scores: 2 (7.4%) No scores: 7 (20.0%) SAINTS RED-ZONE REPORT OFFENSE DEFENSE Inside-20 possessions: 37 Inside-20 possessions: 28 Total scores: 33 (89.2%) Total scores: 26 (92.9%) TDs: 23 (62.2%) TDs: 17 (60.7%) FGs: 10 (27.0%) FGs: 9 (32.7%) TD% rank: T-9th TD% rank: 20th No scores: 4 (10.8%) No scores: 2 (7.1%) THE HEAD COACHES Marvin Lewis in 2014 extends his Bengals record for head coaching tenure to 12 seasons. He has led the team to the postseason in four of the last five years, including three straight. The Bengals are one of only five NFL teams to be in the playoffs every year since 2011, and they are one of only six clubs to qualify as many as four times in the last five years. In total, Lewis has coached five Bengals playoff teams, also a franchise record. Paul Brown is second in the category, with three. Lewis has 95 career victories, most in Bengals history by a margin of 31 over Sam Wyche (64). Lewis’ record is 95-87-2 in the regular season and 95-92-2 including postseason. The Bengals went 11-5 in the regular season in 2013, winning the AFC North Division championship by three games over both Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Cincinnati lost in the first round of the playoffs, however, falling 27-10 to San Diego at Paul Brown Stadium. Last year’s division title was Cincinnati’s third under Lewis. In a 2009 title season in which the Bengals swept all six division games, Lewis was the consensus choice as NFL Coach of the Year. Lewis also led Cincinnati to an AFC North title in 2005. Lewis ranks second in the NFL in longest current tenure with one team, trailing only Bill Belichick, who is in his 15th straight season with New England. In the category of most seasons as an NFL head coach with one or more teams, Lewis in 2014 ranks sixth among active coaches, behind Belichick (20th season in 2014), Jeff Fisher (20), Tom Coughlin (19), the Chiefs’ Andy Reid (16) and John Fox (13). Lewis was named the ninth head coach in Bengals history on Jan. 14, 2003. In ’02, he directed the NFL’s fifth-ranked defense with Washington, serving as assistant head coach in addition to his role as defensive coordinator. Prior to his year with the Redskins, he was a record-setting defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. His six seasons with the Ravens (1996-2001) included a Super Bowl victory following the ’00 season. In the ’00 season, Lewis’ Baltimore defense set the NFL record for fewest points allowed in a 16-game campaign (165), and the ’00 Ravens are always included in discussions of the best single- season NFL defenses of all time. Lewis entered the NFL as linebackers coach with Pittsburgh from 1993-95, guiding the careers of Pro Bowl selections Kevin Greene, Chad Brown, Levon Kirkland and Greg Lloyd. Born Sept. 23, 1958, in McDonald, Pa., near Pittsburgh, Lewis played linebacker at Idaho State and earned All-Big Sky Conference honors in each of his three seasons (‘78-80). He began his coaching career as an assistant at Idaho State University in 1981. Sean Payton is in his eighth season as Saints head coach and has led the team to five playoff appearances, three NFC South titles, two NFC Championship berths and the Super Bowl XLIV title. His record is 83-48, including 6-4 in postseason play. Payton began his NFL coaching career as quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1997-98. He was offensive coordinator for the final three years of a four-year stay (1999-2002) with the New York Giants, and he was with the Dallas Cowboys from ’03-05, serving as assistant head coach with an emphasis on quarterbacks and the passing game. He coached in college at Indiana State, San Diego State and Miami (Ohio). At Miami, he was as quarterbacks coach/co-offensive coordinator in 1994-95. Payton was a three-time Division I-AA All-American quarterback at Eastern Illinois, and finished his career with a school-record 10,665 passing yards. He played in the pro ranks with Chicago of the Arena Football League and the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian League before joining the Chicago Bears for a portion of the 1987 season. Payton was born Dec. 29, 1963 in San Mateo, Calif., and was raised in Naperville, Ill. —2— Lewis vs. Saints: Tied, 1-1. Lewis vs. Payton: Tied, 1-1. Payton vs. Bengals: Tied, 1-1. BENGALS NOTES NFL’s best division won’t loosen up: For the second time in three weeks, the AFC North Division standings show the four teams all within a half-game of each other. When it happened after Week 8, it was the only time in 45 years — since the 1970 merger — for all teams in a division to be within a half-game that late in a season and all have winning records. And of course it again so now. Cleveland is first now, a half-game ahead of the Bengals, Steelers and Ravens. Next week, who knows? With the right set of results, any of the four teams could be alone in first place after this weekend’s play. Not only are all four teams so close, they all are at least two games over. 500. All of the other divisions have one or more teams at least three games under. 500. The North retains the NFL’s best aggregate winning percentage in games against teams from other divisions, now at .661 with an 18-9-1 mark. The next-best division is the NFC West at .654 (17-9). The AFC North was 1-1 against non-division foes last week, Baltimore winning at home against Tennessee and Pittsburgh losing at the N.Y. Jets. Besides the AFC North and NFC West, other divisions with aggregate winning records are the NFC North (15-11). NFC East (15-12) and AFC East (14-13). The AFC West is even at 13-13, and the two South divisions are far in the rear, the AFC South at 8-19 and the NFC South at 5-19-1. Here’s the AFC North picture entering Week 11: TEAM W-L-T PCT. DIVISION Cleveland 6-3-0 .667 2-2-0 Cincinnati 5-3-1 .611 2-1-0 Pittsburgh 6-4-0 .600 2-2-0 Baltimore 6-4-0 .600 2-3-0 NEXT TWO GAMES Houston; at Atlanta at New Orleans; at Houston at Tennessee; Bye Bye; at New Orleans (Mon.) First in 79 years? With all four AFC North teams at least two games over .500, and the season more than half over, it must be considered possible that all four clubs could end the season with winning records. But that hasn’t happened in an NFL division since 1935. In ’35, Detroit won the NFL’s Western Division at 7-3-2, followed by Green Bay (8-4-0), the Chicago Bears (6-4-2) and the Chicago Cardinals (6-4-2). Though Detroit and Green Bay each were four games over .500, Detroit was the division winner based on a better winning percentage (.700 to Green Bay’s .667). That was in the era when the NFL threw out ties before calculating winning percentage. In today’s NFL, ties count as half a win and half a loss, so a repeat of 1935 would result in both teams having a .667 winning percentage, and the title would be decided via tiebreakers. The AFC North’s current .661 aggregate winning percentage, based on its 18-9-1 record in games against teams from other divisions, is still a bit shy of the best divisional records since the 2002 NFL realignment. The 2013 NFC West and the 2007 AFC South both posted .692 wining percentages outside the division, with records of 36-16. Home unbeaten streak comes to rest at 14: Last week’s loss to Cleveland put an unwanted cap on the longest home unbeaten streak (14) in Bengals history in regular season games. The streak spanned three seasons, as Cincinnati went 13-0-1 at Paul Brown Stadium from late 2012 through Nov. 2 of this year. Prior to the Cleveland game, the Bengals had not lost at home since dropping a 20-19 squeaker to Dallas on Dec. 9, 2012. Prior to the just-ended streak, the all-time team mark for consecutive home games without a loss had been 10, over from 1988-89. The Bengals also this year have established a club-record winning streak in regular-season home games. That streak reached 11 on Sept. 21 of this season, when Cincinnati defeated Tennessee. The old streak for consecutive home wins covered the same games as the former best unbeaten streak — all eight games in 1988 and the first two of ’89. Cincinnati’s record unbeaten run began in the 2012 season finale. It continued through an 8-0 home sweep in 2013 and a 4-0-1 home start this season. “There’s no question we’ve created this as a tough place to come win,” says OT Andrew Whitworth. “We have a lot of pride and resolve in protecting our home turf, and offenses are struggling to play well here because not only do we have a great defense, the atmosphere is loud and it affects your calls and makes it hard when you want to get the ball out quick. I like it that every single team has to worry about coming into a tough environment, and they’ve also got to play us.” The Bengals actually won 12 straight at home (Riverfront Stadium) over 1988-89, but two of those were 1988 playoff wins, and playoffs are a separate category in official NFL record-keeping. Here’s a full recap of the record 14-game unbeaten streak: DATE OPPONENT SCORE 12-30-12 9-16-13 9-22-13 10-6-13 10-27-13 11-17-13 12-8-13 12-22-13 12-29-13 9-14-14 9-21-14 10-12-14 10-26-14 11-2-14 Baltimore Pittsburgh Green Bay New England N.Y. Jets Cleveland Indianapolis Minnesota Baltimore Atlanta Tennessee Carolina Baltimore Jacksonville 23-17 20-10 34-30 13-6 49-9 41-20 42-28 42-14 34-17 24-10 33-7 37-37 27-24 33-23 COMMENT Bengals win despite 352-189 yards deficit Win on MNF after 10-10 halftime tie Bengals led 14-0, then trailed 30-14 Pats held to 1-for-12 on third down Marvin Jones club-record four TD catches Club-record 31 points in a quarter (2nd) Andy Dalton 120.5 passer rating Win plus help delivers AFC North title Largest ever Bengals win margin vs. Ravens No sacks allowed, no giveaways, three takeaways Sanu-to-Dalton TD pass opens floodgates Bengals miss win with missed FG at OT buzzer Dalton rallies team from fourth-quarter deficit Rookie Jeremy Hill rushes for 154 Jones second in PR and KOR: After leading the NFL in both punt return and kickoff return average through Week 9, Bengals CB Adam Jones dropped to second in each category through Week 10 play. Jones was held to just four yards on his only punt return vs. Cleveland last week, and his season average is now 14.8. Philadelphia’s Darren Sproles, who broke a 65-yarder last week vs. Carolina, is the league leader at 17.0. Jones is No. 1 in the AFC, with Julian Edelman of New England ranked second in the conference and third in the league at 13.9 Jones averaged 27.5 yards on two kickoff returns last week. His season average went to 31.9, and Miami WR Jarvis Landry moved barely ahead for the year at 32.0. No player has led the league for a full season in both punt and kickoff returns in 22 years. In 1991, Detroit’s Mel Gray topped the charts with a 15.4 yards on punt returns and 25.8 on kickoff returns. Players must be averaging at least 1.25 returns per team game to qualify for the NFL rankings. Jones has 13 punt returns and thus will not need a punt return at New Orleans to remain in the rankings next week, when the Bengals will have played 10 games. With 12 kickoff returns, Jones will need one KOR against the Saints to remain a qualifier. Jones’ long punt return for this season has been 47 yards, on Oct. 5 at New England, and he also had a 45-yarder on Sept. 7 at Baltimore and a 31-yarder on Nov. 2 vs. Jacksonville. For his entire NFL career, dating back to a 2005 rookie year with Tennessee, Jones has averaged 10.6 yards on 141 punt returns, with five TDs. His TD total, which includes one for Cincinnati, is tied for second in the NFL among active players, behind only Atlanta’s Devin Hester. Jones’ KOR average is fueled by a 97-yarder on Oct. 12 vs. Carolina. The return set up a Bengals TD, but when Jones was stopped at the three-yard line, he was denied his first NFL kickoff return for a score. The 97-yarder stands as the longest play in Bengals history that did not go for a touchdown. Jones is used situationally on kick returns by the coaching staff. He also has CB duties also to perform — he’s the No. 3 CB behind starters Leon Hall and Terence Newman —and last week, with Hall sidelined by a concussion, Jones played 75 of the 76 defensive snaps. WR Brandon Tate also returns punts and kickoffs for Cincinnati. He has 12 kickoff returns and seven punt returns this season. Tate also has been the coaches’ choice in punt return situations where the need for a solid fair catch seems likely, and Tate has 10 fair catches this season. The coaching staff has said there are no plans to move away from the tandem roles, but special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons concedes that Jones is on a special level for explosiveness. “He has a natural feel for eluding players,” Simmons said. “I’ve never been around somebody who can set somebody down in a hole like he can and then get them to move. It’s all natural to him. He doesn’t think about doing that. It’s just something that happens for him, and he does it a lot. I still don’t know how he makes some of the cuts he makes. “He’s earned more shots,” Simmons continued. “Situations dictate when we put him in there, but I probably should have put him in there earlier this season on kickoff returns: Said Bengals P Kevin Huber: “He (Jones) runs with a purpose. He’s fearless. He’s just got a knack for finding the hole, hitting the hole hard, avoiding tacklers. He’s a shifty guy. He’s always been like that. He can make guys miss. I’m just glad he’s on our team, and not a team we have to play.” —3— (Jones second in PR and KOR, continued) Two Bengals have led the AFC and/or the NFL in punt returns for a full season. WR Mike Martin led the league at 15.7 in 1984, and CB Lemar Parrish led the league at 18.8 in 1974. Parrish’s 18.8 is the Bengals season record. No Bengal has led the NFL in kickoff returns for a season. Tremain Mack won Cincinnati’s only AFC kickoff return title in 1999, at 27.1, which stands as the franchise record. He’s not about ‘fair’: When Bengals CB Adam Jones says he doesn’t like to fair catch on punt returns, he’s not kidding. He has had 90 returns since his last fair catch, which came for Tennessee on Nov. 16, 2006. He has had 57 returns without a fair catch as a Bengal. For perspective on those numbers, consider that in 2013, for the full NFL season, there were 58.1 percent as many fair catches (636) as there were punts returned (1094). Jones has five career punt returns for touchdowns, second-most among active NFL players. “I’m trying to score,” Jones says. “I don’t get excited over 10 yards.” More on Adam Jones: Though Adam Jones is well-known for his kick return exploits (see previous items), and though he is not a starting CB on the depth chart, his accomplishments on defense this season should be noted. He leads the team in passes defensed (nine), and he has an interception and a fumble recovery. He ranks sixth on the team in tackles (42). Though listed behind CBs Terence Newman and Leon Hall on the depth chart, he has seen plenty of action on defense all season. He is the team’s nickel CB, and the Bengals have played considerable nickel fronts, particularly due to injuries to the LB corps. Also, Jones has been an injury replacement for Hall, who has missed one game and most of another. Homecoming for Hill: Bengals rookie HB Jeremy Hill returns this week to his home state of Louisiana and to hordes of fans who cheered for him at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Hill is a native of Baton Rouge, some 80 miles from New Orleans, but this week’s game will mark his first playing experience in the Superdome. Neither LSU nor his high school (Baton Rouge Redemptorist) played at the dome during his time. Hill will arrive in Louisiana with a bit of personal momentum. Though no one had a good night on offense last week for the Bengals, someone had to be the team leader in scrimmage yards gained, and for the second straight week, it was Hill. Though he suffered the first fumble of his pro career, he rushed 12 times for 55 yards (4.6) and had a six-yard reception. The previous week vs. Jacksonville, Hill had a breakout game and was named the NFL’s FedEx Ground Player of the Week. Not only did he rush for 154 yards on 24 carries (6.4), he lifted the Bengals in the fourth quarter from the specter of an upset loss. Jacksonville had stunned a Paul Brown Stadium crowd with two quick touchdowns, closing a 26-10 deficit to 26-23, but on Cincinnati’s first scrimmage play after the second Jacksonville score, Hill brightened moods considerably with a 60-yard TD run. He didn’t get a chance on that play to show any of the power he has in his 235-pound frame, but he showed plenty of the speed and moves that make him an exceptional prospect for his size. Hill also scored early in the third quarter, on a one-yard run on which he ran wide and then made a sharp cut into the end zone. Hill has started the last two games in place of No. 1 HB Giovani Bernard, who has been out with hip and collarbone injuries. Bernard’s status for New Orleans has yet to be determined. “We’ve challenged Jeremy the last couple weeks, and he’s done well,” said QB Andy Dalton. “That’s why we picked him. It was great to see.” Hill missed some time in the second quarter of the Jacksonville game after sustaining a knee bruise, but he returned to complete his load of 24 carries. “I see myself as a tough guy who can hang in there, take the punishment and take care of the ball,” Hill said. “I didn’t like the way (the knee) felt when it first happened, but coming out was precautionary. I wanted to play through it.” For the season, Hill has 404 rushing yards on 76 carries (4.7) and 146 receiving yards on 15 catches (9.7). Those numbers compute to 550 yards from scrimmage and 5.4 yard per touch. Hill (6-1, 235) is the biggest back on whom the Bengals have spent a high draft pick since 248-pound Pete Johnson in 1977 (also second round). In college, he set an LSU career record for yards per carry (6.25). In 2013, his final college season, he had six rushes of 50 or more yards. Come back soon, Gio: Though the Bengals have gotten good production the last two games from rookie HB Jeremy Hill (detail in previous item), Hill’s performance makes fans ever more eager to see HB Giovani Bernard back from injuries and running in tandem with Hill. Bernard has missed the last two games with hip and clavicle injuries sustained Oct. 26 vs. Baltimore. His status for New Orleans remains undetermined, but it’s not expected he will be out for an extended period. Bernard started the first seven games, and he leads the Bengals in rushing yards (446) and ranks second in yards from scrimmage (625). He also is tied with Hill for the team lead in touchdowns (five). Bernard is super quick and shifty, with surprising power for his size (5-9, 208). Hill (6-1, 235) is powerful most of all, but he also has surprising speed and agility. The combination is a potential dream for Bengals offensive game-planning. Despite having missed the two games, Bernard has totals that project to 1111 scrimmage yards through 16 games. Last year as a rookie, he had 1209, ranking second on the team behind WR A.J. Green (1426). On Oct. 12 of this season vs. Carolina, Bernard had an 89-yard TD run, the second-longest rush in Bengals history, behind only a 96-yarder for a TD by HB Corey Dillon at Detroit in 2001. It is also the longest rush in the NFL this season. He went on against Carolina to log his first career 100-yard rushing game (18-for-137), and he added 20 yards on four receptions to finish with 157 scrimmage yards for the day. That was only his second-highest scrimmage total of the season, as he had 169 (90 rushing, 79 receiving) on Sept. 14 vs. Atlanta. Bernard and Hill have combined for 1175 yards from scrimmage, an average of 130.6 per contest. The duo’s biggest day this season has been Sept. 14 vs. Atlanta, when Bernard had 169 yards and Hill had 96. Their 265 combined scrimmage yards was the most by two Bengals backs in one game since Dec. 3, 2000, when Corey Dillon (216) and Brandon Bennett (70) combined for 286. The Bernard-Hill total was more than the scrimmage yards total of any combo of Bengals backs since Dec. 22, 2002, when Dillon (142), Nick Luchey (65) and Bennett (64) combined for 271. Both Bernard and Hill were second-round Bengals draft choices. Bernard was the 37th overall pick in the 2013 draft, and Hill went at No. 55 in this past spring’s draft. “Obviously Jeremy’s bigger than me,” says Bernard. “I’m faster than him. I’ll take that. But he’s a great back. We’re not fighting for whatever. We want to help the team win. We both have that mindset, and that’s good to have. It’s not about one guy getting more carries than the other. It’s about helping the team win.” A.J. points to final seven: After a disappointing Bengals performance last week vs. Cleveland, head coach Marvin Lewis told his team that the final seven games on the schedule represent “a new season.” And no one should have an easier time taking that to heart than WR A.J. Green. Not because Green has played poorly, but just because he hasn’t played much at full speed, due to a turf toe injury. The injury, suffered in Game 2, Sept. 14 vs. Atlanta, caused him to miss virtually all of that game, and he missed Games 5-7 after aggravating the condition. Green returned to action in Game 8, Nov. 2 vs. Jacksonville, but didn’t take a full load, seeing action on 38 of 68 offensive snaps. He had three receptions for 44 yards, including an 18-yard TD catch that gave the Bengals a 26-10 lead early in the fourth quarter. Last week vs. Cleveland, coming back on just four days rest, he took a full load on offense for the first time since Oct. 5 at New England. But it was a very poor night for the offense overall, and Green managed just three catches for 23 yards. Green averaged 104.7 receiving yards over his first three full games this season. He caught six-for-131 with a TD on Sept. 7 at Baltimore, six-for-102 vs. Tennessee and five-for-81 with a TD at New England. He and the offense hope to regain that kind of form against the Saints, a game the Bengals will enter after a 10-day break, following their Thursday night contest vs. Cleveland. Green entered this season with three Pro Bowl berths on his three-year resume. His 260 receptions over 2011-13 are the most in NFL history for a player in his first three seasons, and his 3833 receiving yards in that span are second-most for a player in his first three seasons. His total numbers for 2014 won’t match past seasons, due to his missed time, but there is every reason to believe he can be better than ever as the Bengals drive for a fourth straight playoff berth. “We’re getting A.J. back into it,” said QB Andy Dalton. “Obviously there’s a little transition with him having missed that time, and we as an offense didn’t give him much of a chance against Cleveland. But he’s just so good. We’ve been together our whole time in the league, so anytime he’s in there, it’s nice.” Last season, Green became the first Bengal to log six 100-yard games in a season, and he became the first Bengal to get 100 in five consecutive games. Green’s presence on the field also helps the Bengals’ rushing game, as head coach Marvin Lewis noted after the team’s 191-yard rushing performance vs. Jacksonville. —4— (A.J.’s points to final seven, continued) “Just him being out there, it affects what a defense can do,” Lewis said. “The threat is there, and they have to account for it. They can’t load up on you in other spots — putting eight in the box and things like that — that they might be able to do otherwise.” Sanu accelerates 1000-club bid: Though he may be targeted less often as A.J. Green returns full-speed to the Bengals lineup, WR Mohamed Sanu is piling up some yards in his third pro season. With a team-leading 648 yards through nine games, he’s on a pace for 1152 yards through 16 games. He ranks eighth in the AFC in receiving yards per team game (72.0). Sanu ranked sixth in the AFC through Week 9, but he was held to a seasonlow 20 yards (on three catches) in last week’s offensive struggle vs. Cleveland. He led the team in receiving yards for each of the four weeks prior to Cleveland, averaging 98.5 yards over the span. He had a career-best 125 yards (on five caches) on Oct. 26 vs. Baltimore, just two weeks after catching a career-high 10 for a then-career-high 120 yards vs. Carolina. In the Bengals’ last win, Nov. 2 vs. Jacksonville, Sanu beat tight coverage to control a 19-yard TD pass, scoring his fourth TD of the season and putting the Bengals ahead to stay at 7-3 early in the second quarter. But his best catch of the day came on the next possession, when he fielded a ball coming in at a tough angle for a 33-yard gain to convert a third-down-and-nine situation. The play led to a field goal. “Mo not only has good numbers, he’s made really good catches,” said QB Andy Dalton. “Important catches, third-down catches. He has such strong hands that if anything is contested, he’ll come down with it. It’s nice having a guy like that.” Said Green: “Mo is playing outrageous right now, which is only going to help me.” In key division action on Oct. 26 vs. Baltimore, Sanu’s 53-yard catch on a third-and-10 play was the biggest gain of the game-winning TD drive. And that wasn’t his best catch of the day. That one came in the first quarter, when he made a one-handed snag that almost defies description, turning an overthrown ball into a 48-yard gain for the key play of a TD drive. “I appreciate the ability I have with my hands,” Sanu said. “God blessed me with them, and I also get ’em from my Mom.” For the season ahead, Sanu says simply: “You have to stay as even as you can, and when your number is called, you have to make plays.” Sanu also leads the team for the season with his four receiving TDs and his 41 catches. He also has a two-point conversion catch, which doesn’t count toward his statistics. He beat tight coverage in the season opener at Baltimore and claimed a contested ball for the two-pointer. Still Mr. Perfect: Bengals WR Mohamed Sanu threw one pass as a rookie in 2012. The perfectly thrown ball went 50 yards in the air and produced a 73-yard TD to WR A.J. Green at Washington. The play left Sanu with a perfect score on the NFL’s passer rating computer — 158.3. Last season, Sanu’s only pass produced a 25-yard gain to HB Giovani Bernard vs. Cleveland. That was good enough to keep his career rating at the magic 158.3, and when then-offensive coordinator Jay Gruden was asked after the game about Sanu possibly throwing more passes, Gruden joked that Sanu “might not want to risk messing up his perfect score.” But that’s not Sanu’s call, of course, and coordinator Hue Jackson has called for two Sanu passes this season. On Sept. 14 vs. Atlanta, Sanu did what he had to do. He threw a ball more than 50 yards in the air to WR Brandon Tate, precisely placed beyond coverage for a 50-yard gain, and his career rating stayed right there at 158.3. And on Sept. 21 vs. Tennessee, Sanu completed an 18-yard TD pass to QB Andy Dalton. He got some help on the play, as Dalton made a nice catch and a nice run to the end zone, but the ratings computer didn’t care. It left Sanu yet again with the magic 158.3 as his career rating. Beyond the yards gained and points scored, Sanu’s passes have impressed onlookers with their arc, perfect spirals and accuracy. It is no exaggeration to say he literally can throw it like a top quarterback. When Dalton was asked in his Atlanta post-game news conference if he has ever advised Sanu “on throwing mechanics or release point,” Dalton said: “Absolutely not. He doesn’t even warm up. You just get him the ball and let him throw.” On both of Sanu’s completions this season, Dalton took the center snap and pitched laterals to Sanu, who appeared to be running a reverse until he stopped and threw the aerial. On Sanu’s 73-yarder to Green as a rookie, he took a direct center snap in a shotgun formation. The NFL’s only one: Bengals WR Mohamed Sanu is the only player in NFL history with two or more TD passes, 150 or more passing yards and zero incompletions. His career passing totals are now four-for-four for 166 yards, with two TDs and no INTs. He is the only Bengals WR ever to throw a TD pass. Pass protection still near top: The Bengals rank tied for third in the NFL in fewest sacks allowed (12). Denver leads at nine, followed by Oakland (10). Philadelphia is also at 12. The Bengals gave up two sacks to Cleveland last week. Those two amounted to 14 yards in losses, and in sack yardage allowed for the season, the Bengals rank fifth in the NFL at 76. With six sacks allowed in the last three games, however, the Bengals have fallen off a pace they held earlier to re-set the franchise record for fewest sacks allowed. The record-low is 17, set in 2007, and Cincinnati is now on pace to allow 21. That would tie for second-best in club history, matching the total from 2005. The offensive line has weathered the loss of starting RG Kevin Zeitler to a calf injury for most of Game 2, all of Games 3-5 and 8 and a portion of Game 7. Seventh-year pro Mike Pollak has filled in capably when needed. The other starting G is fourth-year pro Clint Boling, and between the guards is rookie C Russell Bodine, on course to become the first Bengals rookie offensive lineman to hold down a starting position for a season since G Eric Steinbach in 2003. Cincinnati’s OTs are two veterans in their prime, Andrew Whitworth on the left side and Andre Smith on the right, but Smith left the Nov. 2 Jacksonville game with an ankle injury and did not play against Cleveland. Smith’s status for New Orleans is undetermined. Veteran Marshall Newhouse has taken the ROT spot during Smith’s absence. Pass defense has its bright spots: The Bengals rank 20th in the NFL in fewest passing yards allowed — 248.9 per game — but opponents have been throwing the ball a lot. The Bengals rank fourth in most pass attempts by opponents (353). And in other crucial pass defense areas, Cincinnati ranks near the top of the league: ● After leading the NFL for two straight weeks, Cincinnati now ranks second in lowest aggregate passer rating by opponents. Cincinnati’s nine foes have combined for a 76.5 rating. Only Cleveland is better, at 72.2. Bengals opponents have now completed 209 passes in 353 attempts (59.2 percent) for 2321 yards (257.9 per game), with 10 TDs and 10 INTs. ● The Bengals are one of only four teams to have as many interceptions as TD passes allowed on the season. The Bengals have 10 interceptions and 10 TD passes allowed. Arizona (14-14). Buffalo (12-12) and Detroit (10-10) join Cincinnati in being even in the two categories. ● In lowest completion percentage by opponents, the Bengals rank second in the AFC and fourth in the NFL, at 59.2. Cleveland leads the AFC and the league, at 56.9. The Bengals do not rank highly for sacks (tied for 29th with 13), but their 10 INTs rank tied for seventh. And statistics crews have credited the Bengals with 56 total passes defensed, an average of 6.2 per game and a sign of tight coverage. Head coach Marvin Lewis gives much of the credit to a veteran secondary. The Bengals’ top five secondary players average 7.8 years experience. “The depth of our secondary, and their experience and maturity and their knowledge of the game of football is very important to us,” Lewis said. “It makes a huge difference in the things that you’re able to do.” Starting corners Terence Newman and Leon Hall have 12 and eight seasons, respectively, and they are playing alongside one another for the third straight year. “When we’re in the nickel and Leon’s on my side, it’s kind of weird because we sometimes look at each other and know to pass off a route,” Newman said. “We just look at each other and nod. I think it’s just that we’ve played awhile and we watch film together, so there’s different routes we see on film and say, ‘Hey let’s just pass it off, it’s easier.’ We understand what each other thinks.” Lewis has Dalton’s back: Bengals QB Andy Dalton had arguably the worst of his 57 career Bengals games last week, limited to 10 pass completions in 33 attempts for 86 yards, with no TDs and three interceptions. “The good thing,” Dalton said after a 24-3 loss to Cleveland, “is that it only counts as one (loss).” Indeed, the Bengals are still 5-3-1 for the season, and Dalton is 35-21-1 (.623) career as Cincinnati’s starter. That’s the best career winning percentage of any Bengals QB with more than 10 starts, and Dalton is still very much alive in a bid to become only the second starting QB in the Super Bowl era to lead a team to the playoffs in his first four seasons. —5— (Lewis has Dalton’s back, continued) “Andy will break out of this night he had tonight,” head coach Marvin Lewis said after the Browns game. “He had a bad day, but he’ll come out of this and be fine.” Dalton has started all 57 Bengals games since arriving as a second-round draft choice in 2011, plus all three in the postseason. “Andy’s our leader,” says rookie HB Jeremy Hill. “Coach Jackson (offensive coordinator Hue Jackson) says it all the time. We can’t go without Andy. All we have to do as individuals is make sure he’s protected, and catch the ball and make plays for him. We know we need Andy down the stretch.” Dalton is one of only five starting QBs in NFL history to lead his team into the playoffs his first three pro seasons. And with the Bengals just a half game out of the AFC North lead, he is in position to join Baltimore’s Joe Flacco as the only starting QBs in the Super Bowl era to lead a team to postseason in each of his first four campaigns. “Andy is still a young player,” says Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, “and by far we have not seen the best of him yet.” Dalton has a pair of fourth-quarter comeback wins on his 2013 resume, both over Baltimore. He posted four game passer rating of 93.0 or better, including two over 115.0. But the Bengals have suffered all three of their losses by more than 20 points. “We’ve got to find a way to be more consistent,” Dalton said. “We haven’t been in the losses. Every week we have to come to play. And you can’t focus on what’s already happened. You have to focus on what’s next and have the confidence the next play is going to be the big one. I’ve been that way my whole career, and things can turn around pretty quickly when you have everyone on board.” Dalton signed up through 2020: Two weeks into preseason, the Bengals signed QB Andy Dalton to a contract extension running through the 2020 season. His original contract had run through ’14. A second-round Bengals draft choice in 2011, Dalton has led the Bengals to the playoffs in each of his three previous seasons, including an AFC North Division championship in ’13. In ’13, he set franchise season records for passing yards (4293) and TD passes (33). “Andy is being rewarded for his accomplishments with a significant contract,” said Katie Blackburn, Bengals executive vice-president, “and we are pleased to have a deal that will make him a key part of our team for a number of years.” Dalton in 2013 won two AFC Offensive Player of the Week awards and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for October. He joined S David Fulcher as the only Bengals to win three AFC weekly or monthly awards in a season. “It’s stating the obvious that this is a key move for the ongoing success of our team,” said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, “I congratulate our front office, and Andy and his representatives, for coming together to make this happen in a constructive way for the football team.” “It’s great that the Bengals have shown this confidence in me,” Dalton said. This is only a beginning. We have higher goals than just making the playoffs, and it’s my job to lead us there.” The Bengals and Dalton have received praise for structuring a contract that preserves the team’s ability to retain other key players under the salary cap while still rewarding the quarterback handsomely. “That’s important to Andy,” said OT Andrew Whitworth. “He understands the game. He understands what makes it go. He won in college at a place (TCU) where not many people won as much as he did. He understands that he needs other guys that help him win. He came in as a rookie and played on a team when it lost its franchise quarterback and was supposed to go 0-16.” Whitworth’s reference was to 2011, when the Bengals opened the season with QB Carson Palmer holding out. The team was widely forecast as a lastplace finisher, but Dalton, a second-round draft choice, led a 9-7 playoff season and earned a Pro Bowl berth. A parallel for Dalton? Bengals QB Andy Dalton hasn’t yet won a playoff game, but he has led the team to three berths in three seasons, and that’s a far better start than most — including one Peyton Manning, Denver’s Hall-of-Fame lock of a QB. Manning needed his first five seasons (1998-2002) to lead the Indianapolis Colts to three playoff berths, and the Colts were eliminated in the first round all three times (’99, ’00, ’02). Manning led his first playoff wins (two) in 2003, his sixth season as a Colt. Dalton’s playoff passer rating is not a point of pride at 56.2, but head coach Marvin Lewis points out that Cincinnati’s highly rated defenses allowed opposing QBs to post an aggregate 94.9 rating in the three postseason contests. “So obviously it’s not all on Andy,” Lewis says. “We all know the way it works, how the pressure falls on the quarterback, but that doesn’t mean it’s always valid. The pressure is on us as an entire team to improve.” Dalton has had no bigger backer than Bengals president Mike Brown. Prior to the Aug. 4 completion of Dalton’s new contract, Brown said: “I like him on the field; he’s steady Eddie,” Brown said. “He competes. He doesn’t do stupid things. He keeps us focused. He makes us a winning team. He’s won nine games, then 10, then 11. That’s pretty good. Everybody knows we didn’t win in the playoffs, and we have to get over that hump. And we are counting on Andy to get us to that point.” Dalton has a history of earning statistical comparisons with the biggest names among NFL QBs. For example, he threw more TD passes (80) over his three seasons than anyone except Manning and Drew Brees. But Brown takes the comparison with the best to off-field matters as well. “I think he is an exceptional person,” Brown said. “Nobody has more respect in our building than he. I would tell you that of all the quarterbacks we have had, he is respected by his teammates as much as any of them.” Apprised of Brown’s remarks, Dalton said: “It means a lot to hear him say that. To know I have support from the top down, that is exactly what you want. And saying how everyone in the organization respects me ... not that I doubted that, but it’s really good to hear.” Andy by the numbers: A roundup of reasons why QB Andy Dalton draws such high praise from his bosses and teammates: CAREER: ● His 35-21-1 record as a starter gives him a .623 winning percentage, best in Bengals history for a QB with 10 or more starts. ● He is one of only five starting QBs in NFL history to lead a team to the playoffs his first three seasons. ● His 80 TD passes from 2011-13 stand as third-most in NFL history for a player in his first three seasons, trailing only Dan Marino (98) and Peyton Manning (85). ● His career passer rating, which has improved steadily over time, is now at 86.0, within range of Carson Palmer’s franchise record of 86.9. ● He was on the throwing end for 256 of A.J. Green’s 260 catches from 2011-13, most in NFL history for a player in his first three seasons. LAST SEASON: ● He joined Peyton Manning and Cam Newton as the only QBs in league history to pass for 3000 yards in their first three seasons. ● He broke Bengals season records set by Carson Palmer for touchdown passes (33) and passing yards (4293). ● He finished the season with a passer rating of 88.8, improving that mark for the third straight season. He ranked fifth in the AFC. ● He joined S David Fulcher as the only Bengals to win three of the NFL’s weekly or monthly AFC offensive player awards in a season. ● He became the first Bengals passer to throw for 300 or more yards in four consecutive games. THIS SEASON: ● In Games 1-2, he became the first Bengals QB to throw completions of 75-plus yards in consecutive games. ● In Game 3 vs. Tennessee, he became the first Bengals QB to catch a touchdown pass, beating tight coverage to convert an 18-yard score on an aerial from WR Mohamed Sanu. ● In an Oct. 26 showdown win vs. Baltimore, he led the team back from a 24-20 fourth-quarter deficit with an 80-yard drive that included a clutch 53-yard pass to Sanu and his own rushing TD on fourth-and-goal from the one. The tricky Mr. Jackson: The Sept. 21 TD pass from WR Mohamed Sanu to QB Andy Dalton was one of a number of what might be called “innovative” plays this season by new Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson. Jackson also called for a Sanu pass on Sept. 14 vs. Atlanta, and the result was a 50-yard completion to WR Brandon Tate. On several occasions this season, the offense has run plays with a somewhat wild look, as OTs Andrew Whitworth and Andre Smith have been split wide on each side, separated from the three interior linemen. The Bengals have both run and passed out of this formation. On Oct. 5 at New England, Sanu lined up in the backfield, took a short pitch from QB Andy Dalton and then pitched to Tate on an end-around. Sanu has four rushes this season, for a 10.0-yard average, and Tate has three rushes for a 7.0 average. And though not every unusual play has worked, the Bengals thus far have not suffered from any serious “gadget burn.” Opposing defenses, meanwhile, have been put on watch that their preparation for Cincinnati cannot be limited to just “normal football.” —6— (The tricky Mr. Jackson, continued) “It’s a calculated risk,” Jackson said. “The more versatile we are as an offense, the harder we are to defend. When people know ‘this is where the ball goes,’ people can defend that. But we have several guys that when they touch the ball, a lot of good things can happen.” Though new this season to the Bengals’ offensive coordinator role, Jackson is no newcomer to offensive game planning. He has held three previous offensive coordinator roles in the NFL and was head coach at Oakland in 2011, posting an 8-8 record for a franchise that hasn’t had a winning season since ’02. “I tend to kind of be who I am, and this is who I am, if you check my track record,” Jackson said. “I don’t hold much back. I’ve never been a guy like that. I believe in our players, how we coach them, what we ask them to do, and how we ask them to execute it. If you do that, you stand a good chance of good things happening more often than bad things happening.” But Jackson’s “ideas” are not all his own. He listens to the other creative minds on the coaching staff. “Hue does a great job of having an open dialogue, and ideas get bounced around,” said WRs coach James Urban. “I don’t think anybody would claim all this as their own. They’re all our ideas, and Hue does a great job of having that forum where we can say, ‘Hey, how about this?’ Or he can say, ‘What do you think about that?’ And then, we put the plan together.” of last season, plus the Wild Card playoff, due to a knee injury. His competition among Cincinnati’s CB corps includes four first-round NFL draft picks (Adam Jones 2005, Leon Hall ’07, Dre Kirkpatrick ’11 and Darqueze Dennard ’14). But Newman himself was a No. 1, selected by Dallas in 2003, and no one is budging him from the starting lineup. Through nine games, he ranks second on the team in passes defensed (eight) and fourth in tackles (50). Newman is in his third Bengals season, following a nine-year Cowboys career in which he was selected for two Pro Bowls. “I just work, man. I like the game. I have fun with it,” Newman said. “This year I’m challenging myself. I’ve challenged myself since I’ve been here, but I’m taking a bigger challenge as far as helping others and trying to show them as far as what to do and how to do it. Go to practice and kind of how to work out and what not. I’ve always been that way, but I’m trying to take that step to the next level, and practice harder. That way, when I get to the games, it’s completely second nature.” Newman has been to the playoffs in each of his two Bengals seasons, but the team has lost in the first round both times. “Any time you lose a playoff game and you get to the age that I am, and the years in your career that I am, you don’t know if you’re going to get another chance,” he said. “I’m trying to do everything that I can to get back there and get past that hump.” Hall hits 100, then sidelined: CB Leon Hall played his 100th Bengals and NFL game on Nov. 2 vs. Jacksonville, but he suffered a concussion and was out for last week’s Cleveland game. His status for New Orleans is undetermined. The Bengals would obviously welcome his return for the Saints game. He has been the starting RCB when healthy since early in his rookie season of 2007. He has 94 career starts. His 24 career interceptions rank fifth in Bengals history, and his next INT will tie him with Lemar Parrish for fifth place at 25. He has 116 career passes defensed, and the 195-pound has always been prized as a tough run defender from the CB spot. This season, Hall has 39 tackles, one INT and four passes defensed. During the offseason, there was some doubt whether Hall would reach 100 games played as soon as he did. He suffered a serious injury — right Achilles tear — in Game 7 of 2013. But he was ready to go again at full speed on Day 1 of 2014 training camp, and he fulfilled his rehab goal of starting the season opener. Thus, he is a viable candidate for an unofficial NFL “first” — first player to return to a prominent lineup position with two Achilles tears in his history. He started the first eight games of this season before being shelved with the concussion. Hall suffered a left Achilles tear in Game 9 of 2011 — and returned for the ’12 season opener. When head coach Marvin Lewis was asked whether he could recall another player putting two such injuries behind him, Lewis said he could not. “I don’t know that there’s been history of that,” Lewis said. “All I can say is that Leon again was very, very diligent and worked very, very hard. His goal was to make it back to practice Day 1 of training camp and to start in the season opener, and he did it.” ‘Tacklin’ Tez’ seeks to return vs. Saints: LB Vontaze Burfict, the Bengals tackling leader for 2012 and ’13, and a ’13 season Pro Bowl selection, is still looking for a strong finish to his third NFL season. But his time on the field thus far has been sharply limited. Burfict’s latest setback has been a knee injury suffered in Game 7, Oct. 26 vs. Baltimore. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on Oct. 29 and has missed the last two games, vs. Jacksonville and Cleveland. His status for the Saints game is undetermined as the practice week begins. Burfict often played every defensive snap last season, but this season he has yet to do so in a game. He came close in Games 5 and 7. He was sidelined with a concussion in the second quarter of Game 1, and though he was cleared to return to action for Game 2, he left that contest in the third quarter with another concussion. He was held out Games 3 and 4. After returning for most of Game 5, he departed Game 6 early due to a cervical strain. Bypassed by NFL teams in the 2012 NFL Draft, Burfict has established himself as one of the most productive college free agent signees by any NFL team in recent years. He has led the Bengals in tackles by wide margins in each of his two full seasons, and he led the NFL in tackles in 2013 according to leaguewide press box statistics. He was credited by the Bengals coaching staff last season with 204 tackles, 94 more than the second-place player, and he was voted to the Pro Bowl and to a second-team spot on the Associated Press AllPro team. On Aug. 27, the Bengals signed Burfict to a contract extension running through the 2017 season. Burfict’s original contract ran through this season, and had that contract run out, he would have been a restricted free agent for 2015. Burfict had arguably the defense’s best individual play in the season-opening win at Baltimore, stopping RB Bernard Pierce for no gain at the Ravens 20 in the second quarter and forcing a fumble he recovered himself at the Ravens 23. The Bengals converted the turnover into a field goal for a 15-0 lead. “Vontaze is a special talent; he has shown us that from his first day here,” said head coach Marvin Lewis. “He is a load physically (6-1, 255) and he’s extremely competitive, but what really makes him stand out is the instinct and feel he has for the game. It’s something born in him, you can’t coach a player to naturally react the way he does in all situations. Signing him as we did is a great move for the future of our defense, and obviously we are anxious to get him back on the field.” Regarding his new contract, Burfict said: “It’s great to have it done and know I’m going to be here beyond this season. We can have a great defense again this year, even better than the last couple years.” The Bengals could likely have retained Burfict for 2015 through restricted free agency, and he could have been retained for 2016 as a designated franchise player, at club option. But the club chose instead to work with Burfict on the extension. “It’s unusual to sign a player this early in his career to a contract extension, but Vontaze merits this,” said Katie Blackburn, Bengals executive vice-president. “He has proven to be an exceptional find for us, and we are happy to reward him now for his accomplishments. It’s good for him and good for our team.” Who said ‘T-New’ was old? Bengals CB Terence Newman turned 36 three days before the season opener. He missed the last three games The Burfict bandwagon: Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict, in only his third pro season, has emerged not only as a Pro Bowl player physically, but as Radar in the red zone: Bengals QB Andy Dalton ranks third among active NFL passers in ratio of red-zone TDs to INTs (minimum of 25 redzone TDs). He has thrown for 60 TDs and just three INTs, a ratio of 20.0-to-1. Dalton did not have a red-zone TD pass or INT last week vs. Cleveland. The leader in the category is Aaron Rodgers of Green Bay, and Russell Wilson of Seattle is second. “Andy’s performance in this area is the type of thing we’ve come to expect from him,” said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. “He’s not only a fine talent, but a smart player who is going to avoid the big mistake. We’ve got a lot of confidence in Andy when we get the ball into scoring range.” Here are the active NFL leaders in the category of TD-INT ratio on red-zone plays (minimum 25 TDs): PLAYER, CURRENT TEAM TD Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay .......................................... 136 Russell Wilson, Seattle ................................................... 44 Andy Dalton, Cincinnati .................................................. 60 Tom Brady, New England ............................................. 268 Kyle Orton, Buffalo.......................................................... 66 INT 5 2 3 14 4 RATIO 27.2-to-1 22.0-to-1 20.0-to-1 19.1-to-1 16.5-to-1 —7— (The Burfict bandwagon, continued) the defense’s emotional leader. Here’s a sampling of kudos from teammates and coaches: ● Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther: “I love the kid. I really do. I’ll coach very few guys like him in my career. I realize that.” ● 11th-year DE Robert Geathers: “He’s intense, and everybody feeds off of his energy. He’s a football-smart guy, and when you’re prepared like that and have his energy, it doesn’t matter how old you are.” ● S Reggie Nelson: “If you don’t want to play with a guy like that next to you, I don’t know what to tell you. I love playing next to him.” ● LB Jayson DiManche: “He’s as confident as any player I’ve ever seen at any level, and that’s what really impresses me. You’ll never know if and when he makes a mistake out there, because he’s always going so fast and playing so hard. His attitude and effort level are off the charts. That’s something as a young linebacker that you try to emulate. It’s crazy because Vontaze is actually younger than me.” ● CB Darqueze Dennard: “All of the great ones pretty much have that personality, that combative edge that Vontaze does. Lawrence Taylor ... Ray Lewis ... you see the passion in all of that barking and hollering, and you see that in Vontaze. I love it, and I think the rest of the guys appreciate that. He motivates guys and gets them going. When you see a player who is running around having fun and screaming and hollering after he makes plays, it makes you want to go out there and have fun with him.” Burfict is known for taking his edge to practice as well as games, giving teammates some verbal and physical jabs. “You have to have fun,” said Burfict. “You want to make practice it competitive and have fun with it and talk crap. When I talk to Andy (Dalton) or Gio (Bernard), it spices things up. You don’t think about the reps, you just think about competing and trying to win that rep. I feel like bringing a bit of an edge and talking a little trash makes us play better and faster.” 75 is one popular number: The Bengals on Oct. 20 concluded sales of the No. 75 jersey of DT Devon Still for the time being. The third-year pro has touched hearts across the nation with his openness regarding his daughter — Leah, age four — being diagnosed with cancer. Sales of his jerseys will benefit Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and the program concluded with 14,945 jerseys ordered. The manufacturer (Nike) is still working to produce the jerseys for delivery, and the last of the current orders likely will not be filled until December. Thus, sales have been suspended at this point. Last week, at the Bengals’ Thursday Night Football game vs. Cleveland at Paul Brown Stadium, the team presented a check in excess of $1.3 million to Cincinnati Children’s. The Bengals absorbed the production cost of the first 10,000 jerseys — a team outlay of approximately $500,000 — allowing the full $100 sale price of those jerseys to go to Cincinnati Children’s. On the sales in excess of 10,000, Cincinnati Children’s will benefit minus the production cost, with no profit to the Bengals. On the football side, Still has played in the line rotation in the last eight games and has 17 tackles. Two ways to build a defense: The Bengals were the thirdranked defense in the NFL last season. They had strong play at linebacker and in the secondary. But the pre-NFL pedigrees of the LB and DB units were strikingly different, and they remain so in 2014. The LB corps has a majority of players who entered the NFL undrafted, as college free agents, and the secondary is laden not only with draft choices, but first-round draft choices. Pro Bowler Vontaze Burfict of course heads the LB group. His story is now widely known. Early in his college career at Arizona State, he was touted as a possible NFL first-round draft choice. But he later acquired the tags of being undisciplined and out of shape, and he was bypassed in the draft. He has disproven those raps with the Bengals, however, and the WLB now stands among the most productive CFA signees of any NFL team in any year. Emmanuel Lamur has opened the season as the No. 1 SLB, and Vincent Rey, a strong contender for playing time at MLB or OLB, also were originally college free agent signees with the Bengals. Third-year pro Lamur, big and athletic at 6-4 and 240 pounds, he leads the team in tackles (60) despite missing one game. He has led the team in tackles in the last two games, including an 11-stop performance last week vs. Cleveland. He has two INTs, tied for second on the team for the season, and his seven passes defensed rank tied for third and first among front-seven players. Lamur was slated for a significant role last season but was lost for the year to a preseason shoulder injury. Not only was Lamur a college free agent in 2012, he had to earn that by starting rookie minicamp as an unsigned tryout player. Rey, a fourth-year pro, broke out last season with 54 tackles, 4.0 sacks, and two INTs (one for a TD). He has started six games this season as an injury replacement and has 53 tackles and three passes defensed. On Oct. 19 at Indianapolis, starting in place of injured Rey Maualuga at MLB, Rey led the team with 16 tackles, the team high for a game this season. College free agent LB Jayson DiManche found a significant role as a rookie last season, finishing second in special teams tackles (12) and blocking a punt that the Bengals returned for a TD. He has played in all nine games this season, and he started in place of Lamur at Indianapolis, logging seven tackles on defense (one for-loss). Among seven LBs presently on the roster, the only drafted players are MLB Maualuga (second round by Bengals, 2009), MLB Nico Johnson (fourth round by Kansas City in ’13) and WLB Marquis Flowers (sixth round by Bengals in ’14). Nine of the 10 DBs on the roster were drafted, and six of those were firstround selections. Among the six are five CBs and one safety. The CBs are Leon Hall (Bengals, 2007), Terence Newman (Dallas, ’03), Adam Jones (Tennessee, ’05), Dre Kirkpatrick (Bengals, ’12) and Darqueze Dennard (Bengals, ’14). The safety is Reggie Nelson (Jacksonville, ’07). Another DB, safety Taylor Mays, was a second-round NFL draft pick, and S Shawn Williams was a third-rounder. The only undrafted DB is CB Chris LewisHarris, a college free agent signee in 2012 from Tennessee-Chattanooga. On the Cincinnati defensive line, eight of the nine players were drafted, but none in the first round. The only undrafted player among the linemen is starting DE Wallace Gilberry, a CFA signee by the New York Giants in 2008. Way to work: To understate things, Paul Alexander has seen a few players come and go over 20 seasons as Bengals offensive line coach. And Alexander insists he isn’t overstating when he says of G Kevin Zeitler: “Hardest-working guy I ever coached.” Zeitler, a first-round Bengals draft choice in 2012, has been the starter at RG since day one of his career. He isn’t letting it go to his head. He’s physically trimmer in 2014 and says, “I see things on every play that I that tell me I could be that much better. I just want to make more of an impact, make the right corrections, and be more of an impact guard.” Says Alexander: “He’s a machine. He’s the Energizer Bunny. He’s always in the weight room early; he’s always hustling and finishing in practice. He’s in range to have a top, top season. The third season is huge for NFL offensive linemen.” Alexander’s advice for Zeitler going forward? It might be that sometimes, you can chill out just a little. “He’s very demanding of himself,” Alexander says. “He has to overcome that sometimes. At some point you have to accept there’s a margin of error — you won’t always be perfect — and be realistic.” Zeitler’s hard work has been done in the training room for several weeks this season, however. He was sidelined Sept. 14 vs. Atlanta with a calf strain and out for the next three games. He returned to his starting spot for Games 6 and 7, but left Game 7 (vs. Baltimore) game with another calf strain, albeit a less major one than the first. He missed the Nov. 2 Jacksonville game, but he returned to action last week. vs. Cleveland. Huber holds first in net and moves up in gross: Bengals P Kevin Huber had a strong performance vs. Cleveland last week, averaging 49.8 gross yards and 45.4 net on four punts, and for the second straight week he leads the NFL in net (44.3) for the season. In second place is Pat McAfee of Indianapolis (43.6). Huber’s season gross average is 47.5, ranked third in the league behind Washington’s Tress Way (49.4) and Houston’s Shane Lechler (47.7) Huber moved up from an eighth-place ranking through Week 9. If held through season’s end, Huber’s current averages would re-set franchise records he already holds. He set the marks in 2012 with a 46.6 gross and a 42.0 net. Huber also is the club’s career leader in gross and net average, currently at 44.6 and 39.7 respectively. Huber’s well-placed kicks have helped the Bengals rank third in the NFL in lowest punt return average by opponents (5.1). “We ask Kevin to do special things with the ball, and he has delivered,” said head coach Marvin Lewis. “Every time you see the returner catch a ball on the boundary and step out of bounds, Kevin’s done his job again. That’s what we want all the time. We want that ball pinned to the boundary as much as we can. He doesn’t get the opportunity like some guys just to stand back there and boom the football. We want that ball put in certain spots all the time.” A fifth-round Bengals 2009 draft choice, Huber was the first kicking specialist —8— (Huber holds first in net and moves up in gross, continued) selected that year, after a University of Cincinnati career in which he won one national gross punting title and twice led the nation twice in net punting. With the offense sputtering on Oct. 19 at Indianapolis, Huber had a busy day. He tied the franchise record for punts in a game (11), set three times previously, and his 558 total punting yards blew away the former mark of 483, set in 1971 by Dave Lewis. Huber also has been a reliable holder for place kicks throughout his Bengals career. Huber holding Bengals-best differential: Bengals P Kevin Huber had two inside-20 kicks last week against one touchback. He holds the Bengals career record for best ratio of inside-20 punts to touchbacks, at 3.87-to-1 (151-39). The second-best ratio belongs to Kyle Larson, another Marvin Lewis player, who had a 3.41-to-1 ratio (109-32) from 2004-08. For this season, Huber has 18 inside-20s against three touchbacks. In differential between the two categories, his plus-15 mark ranks sixth in the NFL. The co-leaders, at plus-17, are the N.Y. Jets’ Ryan Quigley (19-2) and Buffalo’s Colton Schmidt (22-5). Andy and Mo make a feat for the book: On Sept. 21 vs. Tennessee, QB Andy Dalton and WR Mohamed Sanu reversed roles and made Bengals history, completing the first WR-to-QB touchdown pass in franchise annals. In the first quarter, with the Bengals leading only 3-0, Dalton lateraled to Sanu, and as Sanu steamed around the right side, Dalton slipped out into the left flat, awaiting a cross-field toss from Sanu. But the Titans weren’t as fooled as Bengals scouting had expected them to be — CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson was right in the area with Dalton — and Dalton had to beat Wreh-Wilson to the catch on a play where it briefly appeared Dalton might take a devastating hit. Then Dalton righted himself and outran other Tennessee pursuers on an 18-yard trip to the end zone. He dove for the pylon and got just over the goal line, avoiding a possible hit by S Michael Griffin. With a laugh, Dalton said: “I always tell the receivers I have the best hands on the team. I catch (shotgun) snaps all the time.” The play was selected by CBS television as its “Geico Play of the Day” for Sept. 21 in the NFL. Dalton became the first Bengals QB to score a receiving TD. It was the first reception of his career. No other Bengals QB has logged more than one reception, and Dalton is only the second Bengals QB to catch a pass from another player. The first and previously only one was Akili Smith, who caught a six-yard pass from WR Carl Pickens in 1999. Three other Bengals QBs had receptions, but they came after deflections of their own passes. Sanu is the only Bengals WR to throw a TD pass, and the one vs. Tennessee was his second. He completed a 73-yarder to fellow WR A.J. Green as a rookie in 2011. Ten other WRs in Bengals history have thrown one or more passes, but only four others had completions. Darnay Scott threw a 53-yarder to fellow WR Pickens on his only Bengals pass. Steve Kreider has the most passes by a WR — seven — but he completed only two, for a total gain of 14 yards. It was almost a first: With Andy Dalton pass completions of 77 yards to A.J. Green on Sept. 7 at Baltimore and 76 yards to Mohamed Sanu on Sept. 14 vs. Atlanta, the Bengals posted completions of 75-plus yards in consecutive games for only the second time in franchise history. The first instance was in 1969, the franchise’s second season, played in the American Football League. On Sept. 21, Greg Cook passed 78 yards to Bob Trumpy in a 34-20 win vs. San Diego, and on Sept. 28, Sam Wyche passed 80 yards to Trumpy in a 24-19 win vs. Kansas City. Dalton, of course, is the only individual Bengals QB to get 75-plus completions in consecutive games, just as Trumpy is the only receiver in that category. TV streak bound for 146: In each of the last 145 Cincinnati TV ratings weeks that have included a Bengals regular-season or postseason broadcast — dating back to the 2004 season — the Bengals have ruled the Cincinnati airwaves. They have been the top-rated show among all programming in the Cincinnati market, and usually by a wide margin. And it’s near-certain the streak will reach 146 when Cincinnati rankings are in for the week of Nov. 3-10. The Bengals’ Nov. 6 game vs. Cleveland drew a local rating of 33.5, significantly higher than any non-Bengals program had achieved in recent years through last week. The rating number indicates the percentage of market households tuned to the game — including those not watching TV at the time. The streak began on Dec. 5, 2004, when a wild Bengals win at Baltimore outpolled all other programs. The highest local Bengals rating during the streak has been 45.5 for a home playoff game vs. Pittsburgh on Jan. 8, 2006. The high rating of Bengals games has occurred despite the fact most games are played in the afternoon, when overall TV viewership is not as high as it is during the evening. The Georgia connection: The Bengals have five players from the University of Georgia on the 53-player roster. It’s not as many as at some points last year, when Cincinnati had as many as seven ex-Bulldogs on the 53, but it’s still a significant group. Start with WR A.J. Green and DT Geno Atkins, the most decorated Cincinnati players on each side of the ball. Then add in another starter (LG Clint Boling), a still very active 11th-year veteran (DE Robert Geathers), and a promising second-year player (S Shawn Williams). Last year’s total of seven ex-Bulldogs established a Bengals franchise high for most players on the roster at one time from one school. This year’s total of five is still more than any other school. Tied for second at four are Alabama (DE Wallace Gilberry, LB Nico Johnson, CB Dre Kirkpatrick and OT Andre Smith) and North Carolina (HB Giovani Bernard, C Russell Bodine, WR Greg Little and WR Brandon Tate). Asked about the connection with Georgia, coach Marvin Lewis said: “I would just say that the coaching staff there, under Coach Mark Richt, has done a great job teaching their guys to play aggressive, attacking football. Whether it be offense or defense, they’re all no-nonsense guys. So we really like their work ethic, how they handle and carry themselves as people, and that says a lot about the program. I think you guys (media) would agree that they’re personable players. They’re always approachable, they’ve been trained the right way, and the Georgia people just do a great job of that.” Georgia’s pipeline to the Bengals has been a relatively recent connection. On the Bengals’ Alumni List, Georgia ranks only tied for ninth among schools in most players to have made the Cincinnati all-time roster. The Bulldog total is 14. The runaway leader for producing Bengals is Ohio State, at 27. Florida is second at 18. Tied for third at 17 are the University of Cincinnati and Michigan. Geathers to hit 150 mark: DE Robert Geathers, in his 11th Bengals and NFL season, is set to play his 150th Bengals game this week at New Orleans. That’s the most total Bengals games of anyone on the current roster. The Bengals’ all-time record is 213, by CB Ken Riley. NT Domata Peko claims the current roster’s longest streak for consecutive Bengals starts (76), and his 76 straight Bengals games played also tops the roster. OT Andrew Whitworth has the most total Bengals starts (129). The player with the most total NFL games (176) and starts (174) is CB Terence Newman. All streaks and totals above include regular-season and postseason games. Is it the pep talks? The Bengals are 11-2 under Marvin Lewis when a game is tied at halftime, including 3-0 last season. Here’s the history: DATE OPPONENT HALF FINAL RESULT 9-14-03 @Oakland ........................................... 10-10 20-23 L 9-28-03 @Cleveland ........................................ 14-14 21-14 W 10-26-03 SEATTLE ............................................ 17-17 27-24 W 11-9-03 HOUSTON .......................................... 17-17 34-27 W 11-16-03 KANSAS CITY ........................................ 3-3 24-19 W 9-20-09 @Green Bay ....................................... 21-21 31-24 W 12-27-09 KANSAS CITY ........................................ 3-3 17-10 W 10-9-11 @Jacksonville ..................................... 13-13 30-20 W 10-21-12 PITTSBURGH ..................................... 14-14 17-24 L 12-30-12 BALTIMORE ........................................... 7-7 23-17 W 9-16-13 PITTSBURGH ..................................... 10-10 20-10 W 10-6-13 NEW ENGLAND ..................................... 3-3 13-6 W 12-1-13 @San Diego ........................................... 7-7 17-10 W Additional notes include: ● The Bengals played to five halftime ties in 2003, Lewis’ first season, and did not have another until ’09. ● Lewis’ first victory from a halftime tie was also his first Bengals win, a 2114 decision at Cleveland in Game 4 of ’03. ● The Bengals are 64-22-1 under Lewis when leading at halftime but stand only 18-62-0 when trailing. No surprise here: America’s favorite sport? Once again, pro football claims the top spot. For nearly three decades, according to the Harris Poll, the NFL has been No. 1. —9— (No surprise here, continued) In its most recent survey, Harris found 35 percent of respondents answering “NFL” to the simple question, “What is your favorite sport?” That’s more than double the percentage for the No. 2 pick, baseball, at 14 percent. So dominant is the NFL that its percentage is higher than the Nos. 2-4 sports combined (32 percent). College football was No. 3 at 11 percent, making pro or college football the choice of 46 percent. Auto racing was fourth, at seven percent. In addition, pro football has gained more than any other sport in popularity since 1985, moving up 11 points from 24 percent. A stat that matters: For the Bengals term of coach Marvin Lewis (2003-present), a plus-differential in turnovers reflects a big plus in the win column. And the reverse has gone for a minus. The Bengals are 58-14-1 in the regular season under Lewis with a plus, for an .801 winning percentage. But the Bengals are 13-56-1 under Lewis with a minus differential. Cincinnati was minus-three in last week’s loss vs. Cleveland. “It makes a huge difference,” Lewis says. “You see it game after game in the NFL. You’ve got to possess the football. If you possess the football, good things can happen. If you turn the ball over to them, you’ve got a harder day.” The Bengals’ experience with turnovers under Lewis is backed up by league numbers. Since the start of the 2003 season, Lewis’ first as head coach, here are the records of teams with varying turnover differentials. (NOTE: Minus differentials are not included because they are the exact reverse of the plus figure for the same numbers.) DIFFERENTIAL W-L-T PCT. Plus-1...............................................................................721-318-3 .693 Plus-2...............................................................................579-116-0 .833 Plus-3.................................................................................324-33-1 .906 Plus-4...................................................................................180-5-0 .973 Plus-5 or more .......................................................................88-3-0 .967 Last week, plus teams posted a 12-1 record, a winning percentage of .923. Twice this season, plus teams have had perfect records. They were 13-0 in Week 2 and 10-0 in Week 8. The worst weekly performance for plus teams has been 7-6, in Week 5. For the season, plus teams are 91-25-1 (.782). Since 2003, teams with any plus have a combined record of 1889-475-4, which is a winning percentage of .798. And when it’s even? The Bengals are 24-18 in head coach Marvin Lewis’ full tenure in games when the turnover differential has been even, for a winning percentage of .571. Cincinnati and Baltimore were even in differential in last week’s Bengals win, each side with two turnovers. The Bengals have won seven of their last nine with even differential, dating back to 2012. About that tie: The Bengals’ 37-37 tie with the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 12 was: ● The longest game in terms of time elapsed — three hours and 59 minutes — in Bengals history. The previous longest was 3:57, from a 29-26 overtime loss to Cleveland on Oct. 29, 1995. ● The highest-scoring tie in the NFL’s regular-season overtime era (since 1974). The previous high was 35-35 between Denver and Pittsburgh in ’74. ● The third-highest-scoring tie in all NFL history. Two games from the early American Football League days, before regular-season overtime, featured more total points. The Boston Patriots and Oakland Raiders played to 43-all in 1964, and Denver deadlocked with Buffalo at 38 in 1960. ● The first overtime game for the Bengals affected by the 2013 rule change that does not give a win to a team scoring a field goal on the opening OT possession. The Bengals did that, but the Panthers came back with a field goal on their first possession. ● Only the fourth tie in the NFL in the last 12 seasons (2003-14), and the Bengals have been involved in two of those. Cincinnati tied Philadelphia 13-13 at Paul Brown Stadium in 2008. ● The third tie in what is now 718 all-time Bengals regular-season games. Besides the tie with Carolina and the tie with Philadelphia in ’08, the other Bengals tie was 31-31 at Houston in 1969 (no overtime). ● The first tie in Panthers history, which dates to 1995 and now includes 323 regular-season games. Uniform watch: The Bengals are scheduled to wear white jerseys and white pants this week at New Orleans. Since 2004, year of the team’s last significant uniform redesign, a number of color options for jerseys and pants have been available. Below are the records (regular season plus postseason) for the different combinations: JERSEY PANTS W-L-T PCT. Orange* Black ...................................................................... 3-0-0 1.000 Orange* White.................................................................... 13-5-1 .710 Black Black .................................................................. 12-10-1 .543 Black White.................................................................. 27-25-0 .519 White Black .................................................................. 18-22-0 .450 White White.................................................................. 14-22-0 .389 * — Orange is designated as a “specialty jersey” with the NFL and can be worn for only two games per year. Bengal bites: The Bengals rank first in the NFL in lowest opponent net punting average. Cincinnati foes have a net of only 33.8, more than 10 yards short of Cincinnati’s second-ranked 44.3 for its own net punting ... Adam Jones’ 97-yard kickoff return to the Carolina three on Oct. 12 stands as the longest play in Bengals history not to result in a touchdown. The previous high in the category was a 94-yard kickoff return by Tim McGee, in 1986 vs. Minnesota ... After their Oct. 12 tie with Carolina, the Bengals are 16-6-2 (.708) in their last 24 home games against NFC teams. The last 23 of the 24 games have been played under head coach Marvin Lewis (15-6-2). Going back a bit farther, the Bengals are 2713-2 (.667) at home against the NFC since 1993. The Bengals have no more home games against NFC foes this season, having hosted Atlanta prior to the Carolina game ... Mike Nugent’s five field goals in the first half in Week 1 at Baltimore tied the NFL record for most field goals in a half. Nugent connected from 49, 22, 28, 46 and 38 yards to give the Bengals a 15-0 second-quarter lead ... The Bengals are 1-for-1 this season on two-point conversions, and opponents are 1-for-2. Since 1994, when the two-point conversion was added to the NFL rules, the Bengals are 18-for-48 (37.5 percent), and their opponents are 20-for47 (42.5 percent) ... The oldest player on the Bengals’ active roster is CB Terence Newman, who turned 36 on Sept. 4 ... The youngest Bengal is HB Jeremy Hill, who turned 22 on Oct. 20 ... The tallest Bengal is DE Margus Hunt at 6-8 ... The shortest Bengal is HB Giovani Bernard at 5-9 ... The heaviest Bengal is OT Andre Smith at 340 ... The lightest Bengal is WR Dane Sanzenbacher at 184 ... The NFL lists Cincinnati as its fifth-smallest TV market, ranking 26th out of 30 with 908,440 TV households. (There are only 30 NFL markets because New York and San Francisco-Oakland each have two clubs.) Cincinnati ranks 35th among all U.S. TV markets. The eight non-NFL markets larger than Cincinnati (largest to smallest) are Orlando, Sacramento, Portland, Raleigh-Durham, Hartford, Columbus (Ohio), Salt Lake City and Milwaukee. BENGALS QUOTES Head coach Marvin Lewis, on the loss to Cleveland and the upcoming New Orleans game: “We lost a football game. We have to right the ship and go get ready to play in New Orleans. We’ve got to go back and play football our way. We lost the game to Cleveland, but we didn’t fall off a cliff. We’re all right there. It was an important football game, but win or lose, I would say the same thing to our football team this week, that it makes the next one up that much more important.” OT Andrew Whitworth, on the loss to Cleveland: “I don’t think it’s behind us, to be honest with you. You can’t play like that in a big game and put it behind. It’s not one of those games to be put behind. You’ve got to fix what you need to fix and keep it as a reminder of so far, this is what you’ve shown, and you deserve everything you get. You also get an opportunity to go earn what you want. So we deserve all the junk that we’re going to hear, but we also still have the opportunity to go get what we want. That’s our focus.” P Kevin Huber, on leading the NFL in net punting average (44.3): “My punt team is bailing me out. I’ve got faith in the gunners that they are going to get down there and make plays. You can be a little bit more aggressive when you have that. At the same time, you don’t want to be overly aggressive and pipe the ball as far down the field as you can and not even give them a chance. You still have to give them the opportunity to get down the field and get in position.” Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, on battling injuries, particularly at the LB position: “The year isn’t over. That’s part of the job. It’s not always going to be status quo. If you’re lucky, you get all your guys for the whole season. We haven’t had — 10 — (Bengals quotes, continued) too many guys the last couple years going down like this, so you’ve just got to make sure your guys are prepared, and you put them in the right positions during the week so when the game comes on Sunday, they understand what to do.” CB Dre Kirkpatrick, on his tied-for-team-leading seven special teams tackles, mostly in the role of gunner on the punt team: “It’s a passion. You’re fighting for your brothers. They’re out there going hard, so I feel like it’s my job to go out there and go hard. Because of that, I feel like I’m one of the best gunners in the league.” G Clint Boling, on OT Andrew Whitworth: “Whit’s a leader. A guy who drives home the message from the coaches. You don’t just need coaches to send the message. You need players, too. He’s like a player-coach.” Whitworth, on a lesson learned from 2013 Pro Bowl: “One thing I took from that week was how Peyton Manning pushes himself and the guys around him and the guys that coach him. How he holds all of them to such a high standard. You realize at a certain point in this game, it’s about making sure that everybody, players and coaches, are all of the same accord, all have the same accountability.” Whitworth, on himself and ROT Andre Smith: “Our mentality when we go out is that we are the top tandem in the league. Our goal every week is to go out and shut people out. Anything short of that, we feel disappointed.” Whitworth, on the benefits of having an effective red-zone rushing game: “It keeps you aggressive and it just creates a really difficult situation for the defense. The safeties and corners down there really want to trust that they don’t have to worry too much about the run game, because they can get a quick fade or a back shoulder or a slant. They’ve got so many things to worry about. When you can run it well and coaches are on them to get up in there and help make a tackle, then the next thing you know, everything else opens up. It makes it tough on them.” OL coach Paul Alexander, on rookie C Russell Bodine: “The center has to be a leader, and Russ is a very Clint Eastwood-style leader. He’s very stern and solid and says few words, but his few words work. Every week he’s assumed a greater role being that leader. I saw in preseason that he was unflappable. He’d come to the sideline and know exactly what was going on. He was able to make adjustments, and he convinced me (that he could be a starter). Some young guys, when they struggle, they go backward, but Russ has gone forward after his struggles. The techniques that you use in pro football are so different than the techniques you use in college and he’s had to learn those. He’s had to learn a pro-style offense that has probably 10 times the volume of plays that his college offense had, and he has to be able to orchestrate that and make all the calls and run the show. And he’s done a pretty good job.” Guenther, on LB Emmanuel Lamur: “There are a lot of things you can do with him. He’s very fast and agile for a 6-4, 240-pound guy. He can play safety, he can cover tight ends. And as we all know now, there are a lot of pass-receiving tight ends in the league. He’s a smart player who knows the defense, the kind of guy that understands the big picture. Having him back (after a 2013 injury) is a big advantage for us.” Lewis, on LB Emmanuel Lamur: “We’ve liked him since his first day on the field with us (as an unsigned tryout player at 2012 rookie minicamp). He has the size (6-4, 240) to be a physical linebacker, and the speed and agility to cover like a safety. And you need that in a LB these days because of all the talented tight ends in the NFL. E-Man is also a very intellectual player for us. He understands applying what we do to the opponent. He works extremely hard at that. He’s a guy who’s working hard at excelling overall.” LBs coach Matt Burke, on LB Emmanuel Lamur’s pass coverage: “Tight ends are such good athletes nowadays. Teams can go with two tight ends, and if you can’t match them with nickel or can’t stay in base, they can do too much. The defense has to find athletes to match up with those types of players, and E-Man’s a guy we feel does that for us. He played a little safety in college. That’s where the game is going.” LB Vincent Rey, on LB Emmanuel Lamur: “You just don’t see guys that tall (6-4) run that fast. “He’s one of the quickest linebackers I’ve seen.” Lewis, on SS George Iloka: “George is better twofold this season, compared to last. He played with a cast on his hand throughout last season, and secondly, the experience of being in his second season (starting) is huge. He’s been in the right spots. He was a year ago, but he didn’t come down with those plays like he is now. The fact that he’s in the right spots now, and he’s the big man he is (6-4, 217) — tackling and making plays on the ball — are important. We need him to continue like that.” S George Iloka, on the 2014 AFC North Division race: “There is no champion right now. We were the 2013 division champ. No one’s been crowned the champion of 2014. You’re confident in that you know you won it last year. You might feel like, ‘OK, they have to beat us now.’ But we don’t hold a belt.” Lewis, on whether he’s seen a cornerback play as strongly at age 36 as Bengals CB Terence Newman: “I’m not quite sure how old Rod Woodson was at various points, but he was certainly a great one long into his career. Guys that are great players for a long time continue to do things the right way all the time. They’re smart guys, they understand how to take care of their body physically, how to train during the offseason and how to go out and work during the season. Obviously, Terence is a physically gifted athlete as well. He’s covering big, fast guys and little, fast guys. It is impressive.” Whitworth, the Bengals’ success in recent years, and on their remaining need to “win the big one”: “If we hadn’t been in the playoffs three years in a row, it probably wouldn’t even be a topic of conversation. It’s not a negative to be in the playoffs three times in a row. You’ve accomplished something to be there, and you’ve played a lot of obviously significant games to get there. You don’t go 10-6 and 11-5 and not have won a game that meant something.” G Mike Pollak, on being a significant swing player between G and C: “I come out (to practice) and ask where I am each day. Whatever gets me in a role to play. I just want to play where I can. I’m later in my career, I know my days are numbered. As long as I can get in there, that’s what I care about.” Lewis, on college free agent H-back Ryan Hewitt, the only college free agent to earn a spot on the initial 53-player roster: “Ideally we want a combination of a power guy and a guy who can add pressure on the defense as a skill player. Be an effective blocker, but also add pressure in matchups. Ryan has shown us the potential to provide a little bit of that. He’s an excellent receiver. And overall, it’s just not been too big for him. As he grows and if he’s fortunate enough to stay around here, I think by next year we’ll have a real, real, real big physical man.” POSITION BY POSITION Quarterbacks: Andy Dalton has started all 57 regular-season and three postseason games of his Cincinnati career. He has led the team to the playoffs in each of his three previous seasons, and in 2014 he’s bidding to join Baltimore’s Joe Flacco as the only starting QBs in the Super Bowl era to reach the postseason in their first four campaigns. Dalton and Flacco are among five NFL QBs to make postseason in their first three campaigns. Dalton had a rough go of it in the loss vs. Cleveland, going 10-for-33 for 86 yards with no TDs and three INTs. He rushed three-for-eight. For the season, Dalton has passed 171- for-281 (60.9 percent) for 1960 yards with eight TDs and nine INTs for a 78.0 passer rating. He has also rushed 30-for-86 with two TDs, and has an 18-yard receiving TD. Jason Campbell, a 10th-year pro with 79 career NFL starts, is in the No. 2 QB role. Campbell played in the fourth quarter against Cleveland in a mop-up role and went three-for-six for seven yards. Campbell has played in Games 3-4 and 9 and has been active-DNP for Games 1-2 and 5-8, and for the season is seven-for-13 passing for 49 yards. Campbell signed with the Bengals as a free agent for 2014, after playing nine games with eight starts for Cleveland — 11 — (Position by position, continued) in 2013. He won an AFC Offensive Player of the Week award for his performance for the Browns in a win over Baltimore. Campbell has 16,746 career passing yards and 87 TD passes. Halfbacks: In the Cleveland contest, No. 1 HB Giovani Bernard missed his second consecutive game due to hip and clavicle injuries suffered on Oct. 26 vs. Baltimore. Rookie second round draft pick Jeremy Hill started vs. Cleveland for the second straight game. Hill rushed 12-for-55 (4.6) and had one catch for six yards. He also lost a fumble in the second quarter, his first fumble as a pro. For the season, Hill has rushed 86-for-404 (4.7) with five TDs (tied for team lead) and has caught 15-for-146 (9.7). On Nov. 2 vs. Jacksonville, in his first game as the Bengals feature back, Hill rushed 24-for-154 (6.4) with two TDs, including a 60-yard TD run. His 154 rushing yards was the most by a Bengals running back since Cedric Benson had 189 yards on Oct. 25, 2009 vs. Chicago, and he was named FedEx Ground Player of the Week in the NFL. Hill entered the NFL draft after two stellar LSU seasons over which he set a school record for yards per rush (6.25). The 235-pounder had six rushes of 50 or more yards last season, and he has the potential to give the Bengals their best combination of power and breakaway ability at HB since all-time club rushing leader Corey Dillon (1997-2003), who was also a second-round draft selection. Bernard, who generated much excitement while amassing 1209 scrimmage yards as a rookie, has an undetermined status for New Orleans as the practice week begins. For the season, Bernard has rushed 109-for-446 (4.1) with five TDs (tied for team lead) and caught 22-for-179 (8.1), ranking fourth on the team in receptions. On Sept. 14 vs. Atlanta, his 27 rushing attempts and 169 yards from scrimmage were both career highs. Bernard tallied his first career 100-yard rushing game on Oct. 12 vs. Carolina, rushing 18-for-137 (7.6), with an 89-yard TD run. The 89yard run was the longest of Bernard’s career, the second-longest rush in Bengals history and the longest rush in the NFL this season. His 56 receptions last season set a club record for a RB. Short of stature but strong and quick, he showed the ability to create highlight-reel plays in the open field both as a rusher and a receiver. Fifth-year pro Cedric Peerman played in every Bengals game last season, and has played in each of the first nine games this season. He had two rushes for minus-two yards vs. Cleveland. On the season, Peerman has rushed 12-for-22 and has three catches for 27 yards. Peerman is an outstanding special teams player as well, currently tied for the team lead with seven special teams stops this season. Second-year pro Rex Burkhead of Nebraska saw action on offense vs. Cleveland for the second consecutive game. He rushed four-for-12 and had two catches for three yards. Burkhead has played in four games on the season and also has a special teams tackle. He suffered a knee strain Aug. 16 vs. the Jets and missed the final two preseason games and the first three regular-season games. Overall, he has been inactive for five games (coaches’ decision for Games 4 and 7). Burkhead was on the roster all last season but played in only one game. At Nebraska, he totaled 35 TDs, 3329 rushing yards, and 14 games of 100 or more rushing yards. Wide receivers: The Bengals are young, talented and already accomplished on the front line at wide receiver. Leading the pack again is fourthyear pro A.J. Green, who has claimed a place among the elite active wideouts in pro football. Against Cleveland, Green played in his second straight game after missing the previous three with a toe injury. He caught three-for-23 vs. Cleveland. For the season, Green has caught 23-for-381 with three TDs, and has rushed two-for-two. Green’s 260 receptions through 2013 were the most in NFL history for a player over his first three seasons (Anquan Boldin second at 259), and his 3833 receiving yards were second-most for a player in seasons 13, trailing only Randy Moss (4163). Green seeks his fourth straight Pro Bowl berth in 2014, and in the last two seasons he has been a second-team choice on the Associated Press All-Pro team. Third-year pro Mohamed Sanu has been a key cog for the Bengals offense this season, stepping up due to injuries to some primary playmakers. Sanu caught only two-for-20 vs. Cleveland, but he had averaged 98.5 yards for the four previous games. For the season, he has caught 41-for-648 with four TDs, leading the team in all major receiving categories. His receiving yardage total ranks 8th in the AFC and 15th in the NFL. He has rushed four-for-40 on the season, and his 688 scrimmage yards leads the team. He has also exhibited his passing skills this season, going two-for-two for 68 yards with a TD. On Sept. 21 vs. Tennessee he tossed an 18-yard TD pass to Andy Dalton, the first passing TD by a wide receiver in Bengals history. He completed a 50yard pass on Sept. 14 vs. Atlanta. He caught 10-for-120 with a TD — his first 100-yard receiving game — on Oct. 12 vs. Carolina. Sanu also caught a successful two-point conversion attempt on Sept. 7 at Baltimore. He has rushed three-for-31. Brandon Tate is another veteran in the WR mix. He has contributed mainly as a kick returner in past seasons as a Bengal but has seen significant action on offense through the first nine games (three starts). He did not have any offensive statistics vs. Cleveland, but for the season, Tate has caught 14-for-159 with a TD, including a 50-yard reception from Sanu on Sept. 14 at Atlanta. He has rushed three-for-21. Dane Sanzenbacher, a fourth-year pro for 2014, was inactive (coaches’ decision) for the Cleveland contest. He has played in seven games (one start), and has caught seven-for-87 on the season. Rookie seventh-round draft choice James Wright of LSU was an excellent special teams contributor in college and showed well as a receiver in the preseason and at practice. Wright has played in eight games, and he had a 13yard rush on a reverse play against Cleveland. He forced a fumble of Cleveland’s Jim Leonhard on a punt return, a fumble that was recovered by the Bengals and led to their only points for the game. He has one catch on the season, a 24-yard catch against Carolina to put the Bengals in field goal position late in overtime. He has two rushes for 24 yards on the season. Fourth-year pro Greg Little, signed on Oct. 13, has played in the last four Bengals games. He had one catch for eight yards against Cleveland. He has caught five-for-63 this season. Little played in every game for the Browns from 2011-13, with 41 starts, and totaled 155 receptions for 1821 yards and eight TDs. Tight ends/H-back: Fifth-year pro Jermaine Gresham caught three-for-29 vs. Cleveland. Gresham has started this season’s first nine games and has caught 36-for-276, ranking second on the team in receptions and third in receiving yards. Gresham is the first Bengals TE to log three consecutive seasons of 50 or more catches, spanning 2010-12, and last year he had 46 catches, just short of tying Mike Ditka as the only other NFL player to hit 50 in his first four seasons. Gresham teamed last season with Tyler Eifert to set a clubrecord receptions total by TEs (88), and the receiving yardage total by TEs (915) ranked third in club annals. Hopes were high for the Gresham-Eifert tandem this season, but Eifert (first-round draft pick in 2013) suffered an elbow injury in the season opener at Baltimore and has been placed on the Reserve/Injured list. He was designated to possibly return this season, but head coach Marvin Lewis said last week that Eifert may not play again until next year. Eifert is eligible to return now, but he has not practiced since the injury. H-back Ryan Hewitt was the lone college free agent to make the 53-man roster. Hewitt, a product of Stanford, has played in the first nine games of the season, with five starts at H-Back. He had no offensive statistics vs. Cleveland, and on the season has caught three-for-18 and rushed once for no gain. He did have a special teams tackle against the Browns. Hewitt has been praised by the coaching staff as a developing player with strong potential. Second-year TE Kevin Brock had one catch for four yards vs. Cleveland. He has played in Games 3-9 and has two catches for one yard this season. Brock, in his second stint with the Bengals, was on the roster for the 2013 Wild Card Playoff and during the ’14 offseason and preseason. Offensive linemen: The line has led team pass protection that has allowed 12 sacks this season, tied for third-fewest in the NFL through Week 10. Cincinnati’s tackles are LOT Andrew Whitworth and ROT Andre Smith. Whitworth returns to LOT after finishing last season at guard, due to injuries elsewhere on the line. Whitworth leads the current roster in career Bengals starts (129 including postseason), and he has started all nine games this season. He was a Pro Bowl selection in the 2012 season and is one of the team’s prime locker room leaders. Smith, a sixth-year player, was inactive for Cleveland due to an ankle injury suffered on Nov. 2 vs. Jacksonville. His status for New Orleans has not been determined. He has started 44 of the team’s last 46 regular-season and postseason games. He missed all four preseason games while rehabbing from a concussion, but was able to come back and start the regular-season opener. Smith was a Bengals first-round draft choice in 2009. Third-year pro Kevin Zeitler, a 2012 first-round draftee, returned to the starting lineup for Cleveland after missing the previous game with a calf injury. He has started five games this season, and was also inactive for Games 3-5 due to a calf strain suffered in the Sept. 14 game vs. Atlanta. Mike Pollak is in his second Bengals season and is seen as a starting-quality replacement at any interior line position, and he has started four games at RG this season. Clint Boling, a fourth-year pro in 2014, is the starting LG. Boling had started 29 straight games (including postseason) until he was felled on Dec. 1 of last season by a major knee injury. Boling made a quicker-than-expected recovery, and saw full action in preseason and has started the all six games this season. At C, fourth-round draft choice Russell Bodine of North Carolina has been in the starting role since the opening of training camp. Among Bengals offensive line rookies not drafted in the first round, Bodine is bidding to become the first to hold down a starting position for a season since G Eric Steinbach in 2003, and Steinbach was a second-rounder. The Bengals made an acquisition to bolster OT depth with the offseason signing of fifth-year pro Marshall Newhouse as an unrestricted free agent. Newhouse had 47 games played with 31 starts for Green Bay from 2010-13, plus four playoff game appearances with two starts. He started at ROT for the Cleveland game, replacing the injured Smith. He also started on Sept. 21 vs. Tennessee as an extra blocking TE. Newhouse started all four preseason games and has seen — 12 — (Position by position, continued) action in eight of the first nine games this season. Second-year OT Tanner Hawkinson and first-year G/C T.J. Johnson both cracked the 53-man roster. Hawkinson played on special teams vs. Cleveland, and Johnson was activeDNP. Hawkinson has played in three games this season. He was on the Bengals roster for all of 2013 but played in only one game. Johnson spent the entire 2013 season on the Bengals practice squad, and he has played in one game this season — the Tennessee game — which marked his NFL debut. Defensive linemen: The Bengals defensive line has been recognized in recent seasons as one of the NFL’s best, and plenty of talent has returned for 2014. Fifth-year DT Geno Atkins, a first-team All-Pro in 2012 and ’13, is back for ’14 after a knee injury (ACL tear) cost him the last seven games of last season. Atkins has shown week-to-week progress in becoming the player he was before the injury. He had only one tackle vs. Cleveland, but it was certainly a highlight play. Atkins busted through the line and tackled Browns QB Brian Hoyer for a loss of four on a play that was designed as a handoff. Atkins has started all nine games this season, and he has 19 tackles (four for-loss), including 1.5 sacks, one pass defensed and four quarterback hits. Atkins has had few if any NFL peers as an interior pass rusher, with 26 sacks in 41 games over 2011-13. Alongside Atkins for the fourth straight year is NT Domata Peko, a team leader on the field and in the locker room. Peko has led the line in tackles for most of his previous eight Bengals seasons. He logged three tackles vs. Cleveland. He has 33 tackles this season (third on the line), including one sack. He is the only current Bengal to have started every game the last four seasons. Last season, defensive ends Carlos Dunlap and Wallace Gilberry tied for the team lead in sacks (7.5). Dunlap had five tackles, including one for-loss, vs. Cleveland. For the season, he leads the line in tackles (38), including a teamhigh eight for-loss, and leads the team with 4.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits. Dunlap also has a forced fumble and a fumble recovery and one pass defensed. Gilberry has started all nine games, and he had three tackles vs. Cleveland. On the season, he ranks second on the line with 34 tackles (one for-loss), including 1.5 sacks, two passes defensed and six QB hits (second on team). Gilberry collected his 7.5 sacks last season while starting only two games, and he has moved up in 2014 in the No. 1 RDE spot. He had 1.5 sacks in Week 1 at Baltimore on the final two defensive plays of the game, clinching Cincinnati’s victory. DE Robert Geathers is back for an 11th Bengals season and is set to play his 150th Bengals game (including postseason) this week. Geathers was limited to two games last season by an elbow injury. Geathers has played in the line rotation in Games 1-9, with 13 tackles (two for loss), one sack, an INT, two passes defensed and five quarterback hits. Cincinnati’s depth at DT has been led by a pair of third-year pros in Brandon Thompson and Devon Still. Thompson led the line with six tackles vs. Cleveland. He has played in two consecutive games after missing five games due to a knee injury suffered in Week 2. He has 12 tackles on the season. Thompson started seven games in 2013 after the injury to Atkins. Still has played in eight games this season and has 17 tackles, including three vs. Cleveland. Still was on the practice squad for Game 1 and one signed to the active roster prior to Game 2. Second-year DE Margus Hunt had two tackles, including one for-loss vs. Cleveland. Hunt has played in the line rotation in Games 1-9 and has six tackles on defense, including one sack, one on special teams and a pass defensed. He led the Bengals with four sacks during the preseason. The 6-8, 290-pounder has tremendous physical potential and played in 10 games as a rookie last season. His only limitation has been football experience, as he’s a native of Estonia and had never played football before taking it up at 2009 at Southern Methodist University, where he initially had arrived on a track and field scholarship. Yet another promising DE prospect is rookie Will Clarke, third-round draft choice from West Virginia. Clarke has the size and stature (6-6, 271) the Bengals seek at DE and is the only player in West Virginia history to win three “Iron Mountaineer” awards for excellence in the weight room. Clarke has been inactive (coaches’ decision) for eight of nine games this season. He made his NFL debut in the Sept. 21 Tennessee game (no statistics). He finished the preseason with nine tackles and a sack. Linebackers: Third-year pro Emmanuel Lamur led the team with 11 tackles vs. Cleveland and has re-taken the team tackles lead he had held earlier this season. Lamur has 60 stops, with S Reggie Nelson second at 59. Lamur is the No. 1 SLB, big and athletic at 6-4 and 240 pounds. Lamur has started eight of the first nine games, missing one game due to a shoulder injury. Lamur also has two INTs (tied for second on team), seven passes defensed (leads front seven) and two QB hits. Cincinnati’s linebacker corps is led by 2013 season Pro Bowl WLB Vontaze Burfict, who truly merits being called a tackling machine when healthy. He logged 204 tackles last season, most on the team by a margin of 96, and that followed a rookie season in which his 174 stops led the team by 22. This season, however, his playing time has been limited by concussions and later a neck strain, and now a knee surgery. Burfict suffered a knee injury on Oct. 26 vs. Baltimore and had arthroscopic knee surgery on Oct. 29. He has missed the last two games, and his status for New Orleans is uncertain. Burfict missed Games 3-4 and parts of Games 1-2 due to concussions, as well as part of Game 6 due to a neck strain. For the season, Burfict has 29 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and two passes defensed. He had a pass defensed vs. Atlanta that led to an INT by CB Leon Hall. Burfict already ranks among the top college free agent finds in Bengals history, a once-touted star at Arizona State whose draft stock had tumbled due to raps for undisciplined play and poor physical shape, raps he has disproven as a pro. Second on the Bengals in tackles the last three seasons has been MLB Rey Maualuga, a sixth-year pro in 2014. But Maualuga has been inactive each of the last four games due to a hamstring injury suffered in the Oct. 12 contest vs. Carolina. His status going forward is uncertain. Maualuga started the first five games of the season and has 19 tackles. He had 110 tackles last season. Prior to this season, Maualuga had started 13 or more games each season since joining the Bengals in 2009 as a second-round draft choice. Fourth-year pro Vincent Rey has played in every game, with six starts (at WLB in place of Burfict for Games 3-4 and 8-9, and at MLB for Maualuga in Games 6-7). He started at WLB in place of Burfict vs. Cleveland, and he tied for second on the team with 10 tackles. For the season, Rey has recorded 53 tackles and three passes defensed. His 16 tackles on Oct. 19 at Indianapolis is the highest single-game total for a Bengals player this season. Rey broke out last season with 54 tackles, 4.0 sacks, and two INTs (one for a TD). On Nov. 10 of last season at Baltimore, he became the first (and still only) Bengal with three sacks and an INT in the same contest. MLB Nico Johnson started in place of Maualuga vs. Cleveland and tied for the team lead with 10 tackles (one for-loss). He has played in each of the last four games (two starts), and he has 11 tackles on defense (two for-loss) and three special teams tackles. A 2013 fourth round draft choice by Kansas City, Johnson spent the entire ’13 season on the Chiefs roster, playing in seven games, and had seven tackles. He played in all four preseason games this season with the Chiefs. He was signed by the Bengals off the Chiefs practice squad on Oct. 15. OLB Jayson DiManche has played in all nine games, with one start at SLB as an injury replacement. He has logged seven tackles (one for-loss) on defense, two special teams tackles and one quarterback hit on the season. DiManche played in every game last season after making the roster as a college free agent, and he finished second in special teams tackles (12) while logging six tackles on defense. Rookie OLB Marquis Flowers, the sixth-round pick out of Arizona, has played in every game this season, and he has four tackles on defense, two on special teams and a pass defensed. Flowers played in all four preseason games and logged 10 tackles, tying for third on the team. Defensive backs: The starting safeties from last year’s third-ranked NFL defense return for 2014, and there is depth at the position as well. Eighthyear pro Reggie Nelson has been a Bengals starter since late 2010, and has yet again been a key contributor for the defense this season. Nelson had eight tackles, a quarterback hit and two passes defensed vs. Cleveland. He ranks second on the team with 59 tackles (three for-loss), including 1.5 sacks, two INTs (tied for second on team), six passes defensed and three quarterback hits. He’s a hard hitter and has logged 13 INTs for his Bengals career. He led the team in INTs in 2011 and tied for the team lead in ’12. SS George Iloka, a thirdyear pro, had eight tackles, a QB hit and a pass defensed vs. Cleveland. For the season, Iloka has 47 tackles, three INTs (leads team) and eight passes defensed. Iloka had his first two INTs off of Matt Ryan, on Sept. 14 vs. Atlanta. The Bengals also have two other safeties with NFL credentials. Taylor Mays, a fifth-year player, had played in 25 straight Bengals games (including postseason) before a shoulder injury sidelined him at midseason last year. Mays has played in all nine games this season, primarily on special teams, and he has four special teams tackles. On Nov. 2 vs. Jacksonville, Mays blocked a Bryan Anger punt through the end zone resulting in a safety for the Bengals. Aiming for a bigger role at S in 2014 is second-year pro Shawn Williams. He has played in all nine games this season, and ranks third on the team with six special teams tackles, including one vs. Cleveland. He recovered a fumble by Browns punt returner Jim Leonhard, setting up the Bengals only score vs. Cleveland. A third-round draft pick in 2013, Williams played in every game and led the team in special teams tackles (14).The Bengals are more than two-deep in the prime depth-chart spots at corner, with four well-credentialed veterans and a rookie first-round draft choice. The incumbents at the starting spots are LCB Terence Newman and RCB Leon Hall. Newman has started all nine games at LCB, and he had five tackles vs. Cleveland. For the season, Newman ranks fourth on the team with 50 tackles, and he ranks tied for second on the team with eight passes defensed. Hall has started Games 1-8 at RCB, but he missed the Cleveland game due to a concussion suffered Nov. 2 vs. Jacksonville. He may be able to return to action — 13 — (Position by position, continued) at New Orleans. Hall has 39 tackles, an INT and four passes defensed on the season. Hall was limited to five games last year, his season ended by an Achilles tear. Hall was a Bengals first-round draft choice in 2007, and his 24 career INTs rank fifth in club history. Eighth-year vet CB Adam Jones has played in every game this season, and he started at RCB in place of Hall for the Cleveland game. He had eight tackles and a pass defensed. For the season, Jones leads the team in passes defensed (nine) and has 42 tackles. He also has one INT and one fumble recovery. Last season, Jones tied for the team lead in INTs (three) and led the team in passes defensed (18). CB Dre Kirkpatrick, a first-round Cincinnati 2012 draft choice, had three tackles on defense and one on special teams vs. Cleveland. Kirkpatrick has played Games 1-9 and has eight tackles on defense, and he is tied for the team lead with seven special teams tackles. He teamed with WR James Wright last week to down a punt at the Cleveland threeyard line. Primed to challenge the vets for playing time at CB is 2014 first-round draft choice Darqueze Dennard of Michigan State. Dennard was a USA Today first-team All-American last season while helping lead the Spartans to a No. 3 national ranking and a No. 1 ranking in fewest yards allowed. Dennard returned to action vs. Cleveland (no statistics) after missing the previous game due to a hamstring injury. Dennard has played in Games 2-7 and 9, and has five tackles, including a sack on defense, and is tied for fourth on the team with five special teams tackles. CB Chris Lewis-Harris has been on the roster for the last seven games, and he was active-DNP vs. Cleveland. He has played in one game on the season, and has been inactive for five contests. Special teams: The Bengals’ specialist trio from last season returns. P Kevin Huber has had a very good season thus far, and that continued vs. Cleveland. Huber punted eight times for a gross average of 49.8 and a net of 45.4, with two inside-20 kicks and one touchback. For the season, his gross average is 47.5 and his net is 44.3. His net leads the NFL for the second straight week, and his gross ranks third, up from an eighth place ranking last week. He has 18 inside-20 kicks and three touchbacks, ranking sixth in the league for differential (plus-15). Huber’s well-placed kicks have helped the Bengals rank third in the NFL in lowest punt return average by opponents (5.1). On Oct. 19 at Indianapolis, Huber’s 11 punts tied a franchise record, and the 558 punt yards surpassed the old franchise record of 483, set by Dave Lewis in 1971. Huber holds franchise career records for gross punting average (44.6) and net average (39.7), and he also holds the season records for both categories, set in 2012 (46.6 gross and 42.0 net). K Mike Nugent made his lone FG attempt vs. Cleveland, hitting from 43 yards in the second quarter. He is 15-for-21 on field goal attempts and 20-for-20 on extra points for the season. Nugent also handles kickoffs for the Bengals, and 43 of his 45 kickoffs have reached the end zone, with 15 touchbacks. Nugent made five first half field goals in Week 1 at Baltimore, tying an NFL record for field goals made in a half. It also tied a personal career high for field goals made in a game. Nugent had two gamewinning field goals in the final two minutes last season. He holds club season records for points (132) and field goals (33), both set in 2011. LS Clark Harris has played in every Bengals game since signing in October of 2009. He has had no unplayable snaps, with his Bengals total now standing at 788 (417 punts and 371 place kicks). Harris has one special teams tackle on the season. CB Adam Jones returned two kickoffs for a 27.5 average and one punt for four yards vs. Cleveland. He ranks second in the NFL in both kickoff return average (31.9) and punt return average (14.8). He had a 97-yard kickoff return on Oct. 12 vs. Carolina which stands as the longest play in Bengals history to not go for a TD. He has punt returns of 47 and 45 yards on the season. He has five career punt returns for TDs. WR Brandon Tate has been the team’s primary punt returner and kickoff returner in recent seasons. He returned three punts for an average of 7.0 yards vs. Cleveland. He ranks third in Bengals history in average yards per kickoff return (24.50), and fifth in punt return average (9.63). He ranked sixth in the AFC last season in kickoff return average (26.1) and punt return average (9.3). On coverage teams vs. Cleveland, WR James Wright forced a fumble of Browns punt returner Jim Leonhard, and it was recovered by Bengals S Shawn Williams. CB Dre Kirkpatrick and HB Cedric Peerman are tied for the team lead with seven special teams tackles on the season. — 14 — IMPORTANT DATES Nov. 11, 2014 — Signing period ends at 4 p.m. Eastern, for Franchise Players who are eligible to receive Offer Sheets. Nov. 11, 2014 — Deadline for clubs to sign by 4 p.m. Eastern, their unsigned Franchise and Transition Players, including Franchise Players who were eligible to receive Offer Sheets until this date. If still unsigned after this date, such players are prohibited from playing in NFL in 2014. Nov. 11, 2014 — Deadline for clubs to sign by 4 p.m. Eastern, their Unrestricted Free Agents to whom June 1 tender was made. If still unsigned after this date, such players are prohibited from playing in NFL in 2014. Nov. 11, 2014 — Deadline for clubs to sign by 4 p.m. Eastern, their Restricted Free Agents to whom June 1 tender was made. If such players remain unsigned, they are prohibited from playing in NFL in 2014. Nov. 11, 2014 — Deadline for clubs to sign Drafted players by 4 p.m. Eastern. If such players remain unsigned, they are prohibited from playing in NFL in 2014. Nov. 28, 2014 — Deadline for reinstatement of players in Reserve List categories of Retired, Did Not Report, and Exclusive Rights, and of players who were placed on Reserve/Left Squad in a previous season. Dec. 26, 2014 — Deadline for waiver requests in 2014, except for “special waiver requests,” which have a 10-day claiming period, with termination or assignment delayed until after the Super Bowl. Dec. 29, 2014 — Clubs may begin signing free-agent players for the 2015 season. Jan. 3-4, 2015 — Wild Card Playoff Games. Jan. 10-11, 2015 — Divisional Playoff Games. Jan. 18, 2015 — AFC and NFC Championship Games. Jan. 25, 2015 — Pro Bowl, Glendale, Arizona. Feb. 1, 2015 — Super Bowl XLIX, University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona. — 15 — THE LAST BENGALS-SAINTS MEETINGS 2006 SEASON 2010 SEASON WEEK 11, GAME 10 WEEK 13, GAME 12 Cincinnati Bengals 31, New Orleans Saints 16 New Orleans Saints 34, Cincinnati Bengals 30 Sunday, Nov. 19, 2006 at Louisiana Superdome Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010 at Paul Brown Stadium The Bengals withstood a 595-yard offensive output by New Orleans, the third-most ever by a Cincinnati opponent, and escaped the Superdome in relatively easy fashion by a two-TD margin. The key for the Bengals came in the form of four takeaways on defense. S Madieu Williams and S Kevin Kaesviharn each quelled Saints scoring threats with endzone INTs in the first half. And in the fourth quarter, rookie reserve S Ethan Kilmer took his first career INT 52 yards for a TD and a 31-10 Cincinnati lead. The Bengals amassed a healthy 385 yards of net offense, including 190 receiving yards with three TDs for WR Chad Johnson. Together with his Bengals-record 260 receiving yards the previous week against San Diego, Johnson set an NFL record for most receiving yards in back-to-back games (450). QB Carson Palmer’s 127.8 passer rating for the game was his second straight over 125, and HB Rudi Johnson rushed for 111 yards on 27 carries. The Bengals improved to 5-5, while the Saints fell to 6-4. SCORE BY PERIODS 1 2 3 4 OT PTS. Cincinnati................................................... 7 3 0 21 — 31 New Orleans ............................................. 7 0 0 9 — 16 TEAM — SCORING PLAY QTR.-LEFT Cin. — C.Johnson 41 pass from C.Palmer (S.Graham kick) .................................. 1-13:08 N.O. — J.Horn 72 pass from D.Brees (J.Carney kick) ............................................... 1-8:20 Cin. — S.Graham 21 field goal .................................................................................. 2-7:30 N.O. — J.Carney 24 field goal .................................................................................. 4-13:39 Cin. — C.Johnson 60 pass from C.Palmer (S.Graham kick) .................................. 4-10:23 Cin. — C.Johnson 4 pass from C.Palmer (S.Graham kick) ...................................... 4-7:37 Cin. — E.Kilmer 52 interception return (S.Graham kick) ........................................... 4-6:14 N.O. — T.Copper 27 pass from D.Brees (kick blocked)............................................. 4-4:21 Missed FGs: None. Attendance: 68,001. Time: 3:04. TEAM STATISTICS CIN. N.O. First downs ..................................................................................................... 15 29 Third down conversions-attempts ............................................................... 4-11 6-12 Total net yards ............................................................................................. 385 595 Net yards rushing ......................................................................................... 119 91 Net yards passing ........................................................................................ 266 504 Pass attempts-completions-interceptions .............................................. 22-14-1 52-37-3 Sacks against-yards lost ............................................................................... 1-9 2-6 Punts-average .......................................................................................... 6-41.3 5-37.2 Punt returns-yards....................................................................................... 3-17 4-30 Kickoff returns-yards ................................................................................... 4-47 5-103 Penalties-yards ........................................................................................... 2-10 4-25 Fumbles-lost.................................................................................................. 1-0 2-1 Time of possession ................................................................................... 26:27 33:33 RUSHING CIN. ATT YDS LG TD N.O. ATT YDS LG TD R.Johnson 27 111 22 0 R.Bush 13 51 8 0 J.Johnson 1 6 6 0 D.McAllister 10 40 8 0 C.Johnson 1 3 3 0 C.Palmer 2 -1 0 0 TOTALS 31 119 22 0 TOTALS 23 91 8 0 PASSING CIN. ATT CMP YDS TD-I N.O. ATT CMP YDS TD-I C.Palmer 22 14 275 3-1 D.Brees 52 37 510 2-3 TOTALS 22 14 275 3-1 TOTALS 52 37 510 2-3 RECEIVING CIN. NO YDS LG TD N.O. NO YDS LG TD C.Johnson 6 190 60t 3 D.Henderson 9 169 44 0 C.Henry 2 24 18 0 R.Bush 8 58 13 0 T.Houshmandzadeh 2 15 8 0 T.Copper 6 87 27t 1 R.Kelly 1 32 32 0 A.Stecker 5 53 32 0 R.Johnson 1 7 7 0 J.Horn 3 93 72t 1 C.Perry 1 5 5 0 D.McAllister 3 29 12 0 K.Watson 1 2 2 0 B.Miller 2 11 7 0 M.Campbell 1 10 10 0 TOTALS 14 275 60t 3 TOTALS 37 510 72t 2 DEFENSE Cincinnati (coaches’ stats) — ST-AT-TT: C.Miller 13-3-16, L.Johnson 8-6-14, K.Kaesviharn 7-2-9, J.Joseph 7-0-7, T.James 3-4-7, R.Jeanty 3-2-5, M.Williams 3-2-5, B.Robinson 1-4-5, J.Thornton 3-1-4, J.Smith 2-2-4, E.Kilmer 2-1-3, R.Geathers 0-3-3, D.Peko 1-1-2, K.Ratliff 1-1-2, S.Smith 1-1-2, A.Frazier 1-0-1, S.Adams 0-1-1. SKS.-YDS.: K.Kaesviharn 1.5-4.5, R.Geathers 0.5-1.5. INT.-YDS.: E.Kilmer 1-52, M.Williams 1-25, K.Kaesviharn 1-0. PD: M.Williams 2, T.James 1, L.Johnson 1, K.Kaesviharn 1, E.Kilmer 1, C.Miller 1. FF: R.Jeanty 1. FR-YDS.: C.Miller 1-0. New Orleans (press box stats) — ST-AT-TT: O.Stoutmire 6-2-8, S.Fujita 4-4-8, S.Shanle 5-2-7, J.Bullocks 6-0-6, F.Thomas 5-0-5, M.Simoneau 3-2-5, H.Thomas 4-0-4, W.Smith 2-2-4, C.Grant 2-2-4, R.Leisle 2-0-2, M.McKenzie 1-0-1, W.Whitehead 1-0-1, J.Craft 1-0-1, B.Young 0-1-1. SKS.-YDS.: W.Smith 1-9. INT.-YDS.: M.Simoneau 1-0. PD: C.Grant 1, M.Simoneau 1, O.Stoutmire 1. FF: F.Thomas 1. FR-YDS.: None. The Bengals temporarily overcame a 20-6 lead by the defending NFL champions, rallying to go ahead 30-27 when rookie K Clint Stitser, playing his first NFL game, nailed a 47-yard FG with 4:25 left. But the Saints, who thrived on big plays all day, used a 42-yard Drew Brees-to-Robert Meacham completion to spark a 68-yard drive for a game-winning TD with 0:31 remaining. The Saints gained 244 of their 436 yards on the day on five plays — a 55-yard rush and passes of 42, 43, 52 and 52 yards. On its final drive, New Orleans faced a fourth-and-two from the Bengals’ seven, but got a first down when Cincinnati DT Pat Sims was called for an offside penalty. The Saints scored on the next play, on a threeyard pass from Brees to WR Marques Colston. The Bengals lost for the ninth straight game and fell to 2-10. The Saints won their fifth in a row and improved to 9-3. SCORE BY PERIODS 1 2 3 4 OT PTS. New Orleans .............................................. 3 10 7 14 — 34 Cincinnati ................................................... 0 6 6 18 — 30 TEAM — SCORING PLAY QTR.-LEFT N.O. — G.Hartley 48 field goal ................................................................................... 1-8:44 Cin. — C.Stitser 29 field goal ................................................................................... 2-13:03 N.O. — C.Ivory 55 run (G.Hartley kick) .................................................................... 2-12:02 Cin. — C.Stitser 23 field goal ..................................................................................... 2-9:41 N.O. — G.Hartley 24 field goal ................................................................................... 2-0:13 N.O. — C.Ivory 1 run (G.Hartley kick) ........................................................................ 3-9:06 Cin. — T.Owens 5 pass from C.Palmer (kick failed WR) .......................................... 3-3:54 Cin. — C.Benson 1 run (C.Stitser kick) ................................................................... 4-13:38 N.O. — R.Meachem 52 pass from D.Brees (G.Hartley kick) ................................... 4-12:13 Cin. — C.Benson 4 run (C.Palmer-J.Gresham pass) ................................................ 4-8:08 Cin. — C.Stitser 47 field goal ..................................................................................... 4-4:25 N.O. — M.Colston 3 pass from D.Brees (G.Hartley kick) ........................................... 0-0:31 Missed FGs: None. Attendance: 59,963. Time: 3:09. TEAM STATISTICS N.O. CIN. First downs ..................................................................................................... 19 21 Third down conversions-attempts ................................................................. 1-8 5-14 Total net yards.............................................................................................. 436 311 Net yards rushing ......................................................................................... 146 96 Net yards passing......................................................................................... 290 215 Pass attempts-completions-interceptions .............................................. 29-24-1 33-23-0 Sacks against-yards lost ............................................................................. 2-23 3-34 Punts-average .......................................................................................... 3-45.3 2-56.5 Punt returns-yards ......................................................................................... 1-2 2-30 Kickoff returns-yards ................................................................................. 7-116 6-179 Penalties-yards........................................................................................ 11-100 7-43 Fumbles-lost .................................................................................................. 1-0 1-0 Time of possession ................................................................................... 27:27 32:33 RUSHING N.O. ATT YDS LG TD CIN. ATT YDS LG TD C.Ivory 15 117 55t 2 C.Benson 19 49 7 2 R.Bush 5 26 10 0 B.Scott 6 43 18 0 J.Jones 2 3 4 0 B.Leonard 1 4 4 0 TOTALS 22 146 55t 2 TOTALS 26 96 18 2 PASSING N.O. ATT CMP YDS TD-I CIN. ATT CMP YDS TD-I D.Brees 29 24 313 2-1 C.Palmer 33 23 249 1-0 TOTALS 29 24 313 2-1 TOTALS 33 23 249 1-0 RECEIVING N.O. NO YDS LG TD CIN. NO YDS LG TD L.Moore 6 36 9 0 T.Owens 6 47 20 1 R.Meachem 3 106 52t 1 C.Johnson 5 96 33 0 J.Graham 3 72 52 0 J.Shipley 4 25 8 0 M.Colston 3 65 43 1 J.Gresham 3 43 23 0 J.Jones 3 6 6 0 B.Leonard 3 24 14 0 R.Bush 3 0 9 0 C.Benson 2 14 11 0 J.Shockey 2 28 18 0 D.Henderson 1 0 0 0 TOTALS 24 313 52t 2 TOTALS 23 249 33 1 DEFENSE New Orleans (press box stats) — ST-AT-TT: R.Harper 5-4-9, J.Vilma 3-5-8, T.Porter 5-2-7, M.Jenkins 4-2-6, J.Greer 4-1-5, T.Hargrove 3-1-4, S.Shanle 3-1-4, D.Sharper 2-2-4, D.Clark 2-1-3, S.Ellis 2-1-3, W.Smith 2-0-2, A.Brown 1-1-2, R.Ayodele 10-1, J.Charleston 1-0-1, M.Mitchell 0-1-1. SKS.-YDS.: R.Harper 1-16, S.Ellis 1-12, J.Vilma 1-6. INT.-YDS.: None. PD: T.Porter 1. FF: S.Ellis 1. FR-YDS.: None. Cincinnati (coaches’ stats) — ST-AT-TT: D.Jones 6-6-12, C.Ndukwe 4-2-6, L.Hall 4-1-5, D.Peko 4-1-5, R.Williams 3-2-5, M.Johnson 2-3-5, J.Joseph 4-0-4, J.Wade 31-4, B.Johnson 2-2-4, R.Nelson 2-1-3, C.Dunlap 1-2-3, R.Geathers 1-2-3, R.Maualuga 0-33, G.Atkins 2-0-2, P.Sims 2-0-2, K.Rivers 0-1-1. SKS.-YDS.: C.Dunlap 1.5-19, G.Atkins 0.5-4. INT.-YDS.: R.Nelson 1-7. PD: R.Nelson 1. FF: R.Geathers 1. FR-YDS.: None. — 16 — 2014 GAME SUMMARIES WEEK 1, GAME 1 Cincinnati Bengals 23, Baltimore Ravens 16 Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014 at M&T Bank Stadium WEEK 2, GAME 2 Cincinnati Bengals 24, Atlanta Falcons 10 Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014 at Paul Brown Stadium The Bengals were dangerously close to a gut-wrenching opening loss when Baltimore scored on an 80-yard TD pass from QB Joe Flacco to WR Steve Smith with 5:46 left, taking a 16-15 lead after trailing 15-0. But the Bengals responded on the second play of their next possession with a 77-yard scoring bomb from QB Andy Dalton to WR A.J. Green at the 4:58 mark. The Ravens had one more shot, moving to a third-and-four at the Cincinnati 16-yard line with 1:09 left, but the Bengals sacked Flacco on the next two plays to secure the win. DE Wallace Gilberry had one of the sacks and shared the other with S Reggie Nelson. The Bengals dominated the game well into the third quarter but could not cash a TD, moving ahead 15-0 on five Mike Nugent FGs in the first half. Nugent tied the NFL record for FGs in a half. SCORE BY PERIODS 1 2 3 4 OT PTS. Cincinnati................................................... 6 9 0 8 — 23 Baltimore ................................................... 0 0 7 9 — 16 TEAM — SCORING PLAY QTR.-LEFT Cin. — M.Nugent 49 field goal ................................................................................. 1-10:25 Cin. — M.Nugent 22 field goal ................................................................................... 1-1:25 Cin. — M.Nugent 28 field goal ................................................................................. 2-10:13 Cin. — M.Nugent 46 field goal ................................................................................... 2-4:36 Cin. — M.Nugent 38 field goal ................................................................................... 2-2:07 Balt. — J.Forsett 13 run (J.Tucker kick) ..................................................................... 3-2:20 Balt. — J.Tucker 38 field goal................................................................................... 4-10:28 Balt. — S.Smith 80 pass from J.Flacco (run failed) ................................................... 4-5:46 Cin. — A.Green 77 pass from A.Dalton (M.Sanu pass from A.Dalton)..................... 4-4:58 Missed FGs: M. Nugent (45B), J.Tucker (55WR). Attendance: 70,925. Time: 3:14. TEAM STATISTICS CIN. BALT. First downs ..................................................................................................... 16 26 Third down conversions-attempts ............................................................... 4-14 8-17 Total net yards ............................................................................................. 380 423 Net yards rushing ........................................................................................... 79 94 Net yards passing ........................................................................................ 301 329 Pass attempts-completions-interceptions .............................................. 38-25-0 62-35-1 Sacks against-yards lost ............................................................................... 0-0 3-16 Punts-average .......................................................................................... 4-37.8 4-42.3 Punt returns-yards....................................................................................... 1-45 2-2 Kickoff returns-yards ..................................................................................... 0-0 4-109 Penalties-yards ........................................................................................... 4-45 3-29 Fumbles-lost.................................................................................................. 0-0 2-1 Time of possession ................................................................................... 30:30 29:30 RUSHING CIN. ATT YDS LG TD BALT. ATT YDS LG TD G.Bernard 14 48 16 0 J.Forsett 11 70 13t 1 J.Hill 4 19 8 0 B.Pierce 6 17 6 0 A.Green 1 5 5 0 J.Flacco 3 7 3 0 M.Sanu 1 4 4 0 A.Dalton 6 3 3 0 TOTALS 26 79 16 0 TOTALS 20 94 13 1 PASSING CIN. ATT CMP YDS TD-I BALT. ATT CMP YDS TD-I A.Dalton 38 25 301 1-0 J.Flacco 62 35 345 1-1 TOTALS 38 25 301 1-0 TOTALS 62 35 345 1-1 RECEIVING CIN. NO YDS LG TD BALT. NO YDS LG TD A.Green 6 131 77t 1 D.Pitta 10 83 23 0 G.Bernard 6 62 32 0 S.Smith 7 118 80t 1 M.Sanu 4 36 13 0 J.Forsett 5 14 6 0 B.Tate 4 19 7 0 O.Daniels 4 34 12 0 T.Eifert 3 37 20 0 K.Aiken 4 30 8 0 J.Gresham 2 16 12 0 T.Smith 3 50 25 0 J.Jones 2 16 11 0 TOTALS 25 301 77t 1 TOTALS 35 345 80t 1 DEFENSE Cincinnati (press box stats) — ST-AT-TT: E.Lamur 5-5-10, R.Nelson 6-3-9, T.Newman 5-2-7, A.Jones 4-1-5, V.Burfict 4-0-4, G.Iloka 4-0-4, W.Gilberry 3-1-4, B.Thompson 3-1-4, V.Rey 2-2-4, L.Hall 3-0-3, C.Dunlap 2-1-3, R.Maualuga 1-2-3, D.Kirkpatrick 2-0-2, D.Peko 0-2-2, G.Atkins 1-0-1, R.Geathers 1-0-1. SKS.-YDS.: W.Gilberry 1.5-8.5, C.Dunlap 1-4, R.Nelson 0.5-3.5. INT.-YDS.: E.Lamur 1-1. PD: V.Rey 2, V.Burfict 1, W.Gilberry 1, M.Hunt 1, A.Jones 1, E.Lamur 1, T.Newman 1. FF: V.Burfict 1. FR-YDS.: 1-0. Baltimore (press box stats) — ST-AT-TT: D.Smith 4-5-9, D.Stewart 4-5-9, C.Mosley 4-2-6, A.Jackson 5-0-5, C.Brown 4-1-5, J.Smith 2-3-5, T.Suggs 2-3-5, C.Canty 22-4, C.Upshaw 2-1-3, M.Elam 1-2-3, D.Tyson 1-2-3, B.Williams 1-1-2, T.Jernigan 0-2-2, H.Ngata 0-2-2, E.Dumervil 0-1-1. SKS.-YDS.: None. INT.-YDS.: None. PD: M.Elam 1, A.Jackson 1, P.McPhee 1, C.Mosley 1, H.Ngata 1, J.Smith 1. FF: None. FR-YDS.: None. The Bengals started slowly, missing two FGs with the score tied 3-3. But Cincinnati broke ahead 10-3 late in the second quarter, as a 91-yard drive featured a 46-yard gain by HB Giovani Bernard on a short pass and a four-yard TD run by Bernard. Bernard had 169 yards from scrimmage (90 rushing and 79 receiving). His 27 rushing attempts topped by 12 his previous career high. Two more TDs in the third quarter sealed the deal as Cincinnati went ahead 24-3. One of the TDs came on a 76-yard pass from QB Andy Dalton to WR Mohamed Sanu, as Dalton became the first Bengals QB to complete a pass of 75-plus in each of two consecutive games. A week earlier, the Falcons had won their opener in OT against New Orleans with 568 yards of offense. QB Matt Ryan had passed for three TDs and no INTs against the Saints. But the Bengals held Atlanta to 309 yards and intercepted three Ryan passes. The victory was Cincinnati’s 10th straight in the regular season at home, tying a franchise record set in 1988-89. The Bengals completed a second straight game without allowing a sack or turnover on offense, marking the first time in franchise history for such a feat in Games 1-2. Cincinnati improved to 2-0 and took an undisputed one-game lead in the AFC North. Atlanta dropped to 1-1. SCORE BY PERIODS 1 2 3 4 OT PTS. Atlanta ....................................................... 3 0 0 7 — 10 Cincinnati ................................................... 3 7 14 0 — 24 TEAM — SCORING PLAY QTR.-LEFT Cin. — M.Nugent 31 field goal ................................................................................... 1-5:19 Atl. — M.Bryant 46 field goal .................................................................................... 1-1:08 Cin. — G.Bernard 4 run (M.Nugent kick) ................................................................... 2-2:11 Cin. — M.Sanu 76 pass from A.Dalton (M.Nugent kick) ......................................... 3-10:58 Cin. — J.Hill 1 run (M.Nugent kick) ............................................................................ 3-6:28 Atl. — J.Jones 14 pass from M.Ryan (M.Bryant kick) .............................................. 4-8:35 Missed FGs: M.Nugent (38WR, 49WL, 55SH). Attendance: 58,574. Time: 3:11. TEAM STATISTICS ATL. CIN. First downs ..................................................................................................... 19 21 Third down conversions-attempts ............................................................... 3-12 6-14 Total net yards.............................................................................................. 309 472 Net yards rushing ........................................................................................... 97 170 Net yards passing......................................................................................... 212 302 Pass attempts-completions-interceptions .............................................. 44-24-3 24-16-0 Sacks against-yards lost ............................................................................. 2-19 0-0 Punts-average .......................................................................................... 6-44.3 4-42.8 Punt returns-yards ......................................................................................... 1-7 3-26 Kickoff returns-yards ................................................................................. 4-118 1-29 Penalties-yards............................................................................................ 7-56 7-55 Fumbles-lost .................................................................................................. 0-0 0-0 Time of possession ................................................................................... 27:01 32:59 RUSHING ATL. ATT YDS LG TD CIN. ATT YDS LG TD S.Jackson 11 46 13 0 G.Bernard 27 90 12 1 M.Ryan 3 28 12 0 J.Hill 15 74 13 1 J.Rodgers 5 23 9 0 A.Dalton 3 6 4 0 TOTALS 19 97 13 0 TOTALS 45 170 13 2 PASSING ATL. ATT CMP YDS TD-I CIN. ATT CMP YDS TD-I M.Ryan 44 24 231 1-3 A.Dalton 23 15 252 1-0 M.Sanu 1 1 50 0-0 TOTALS 44 24 231 1-3 TOTALS 24 16 302 1-0 RECEIVING ATL. NO YDS LG TD CIN. NO YDS LG TD J.Jones 7 88 24 1 G.Bernard 5 79 46 0 R.White 5 42 19 0 M.Sanu 3 84 76t 1 H.Douglas 4 38 16 0 J.Gresham 3 25 19 0 D.Freeman 2 22 18 0 D.Sanzenbacher 2 42 26 0 A.Smith 2 19 15 0 J.Hill 2 22 18 0 L.Toilolo 2 13 10 0 B.Tate 1 50 50 0 S.Jackson 1 7 7 0 D.Hester 1 2 2 0 TOTALS 24 231 24 1 TOTALS 16 302 76t 1 DEFENSE Atlanta (press box stats) — ST-AT-TT: P.Worrilow 6-8-14, J.Bartu 8-1-9, D.Lowery 4-2-6, P.Soliai 4-2-6, K.Biermann 3-3-6, W.Moore 2-4-6, P.Shembo 2-4-6, R.Alford 2-3-5, J.Massaquoi 2-2-4, J.Babineaux 2-0-2, D.Trufant 2-0-2, R.Hageman 1-1-2, R.McClain 1-12, C.Peters 1-1-2, M.Goodman 0-2-2. SKS.-YDS.: None. INT.-YDS.: None. PD: D.Trufant 1. FF: None. FR-YDS.: None. Cincinnati (press box stats) — ST-AT-TT: T.Newman 7-3-10, E.Lamur 5-3-8, L.Hall 5-1-6, D.Peko 3-2-5, A.Jones 4-0-4, V.Burfict 2-2-4, R.Nelson 2-2-4, W.Gilberry 3-03, D.Still 2-1-3, C.Dunlap 1-1-2, G.Iloka 1-0-1, G.Atkins 0-1-1, R.Maualuga 0-1-1, V.Rey 01-1. SKS.-YDS.: C.Dunlap 1-10, R.Nelson 1-9. INT.-YDS.: G.Iloka 2-42, L.Hall 1-(-3). PD: G.Iloka 3, T.Newman 3, L.Hall 2, V.Burfict 1, A.Jones 1, E.Lamur 1, R.Nelson 1. FF: None. FR-YDS.: None. — 17 — WEEK 5, GAME 4 New England Patriots 43, Cincinnati Bengals 17 Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014 at Gillette Stadium (2014 game summaries, continued) WEEK 3, GAME 3 Cincinnati Bengals 33, Tennessee Titans 7 Sunday, Sept. 21, 2014 at Paul Brown Stadium The Bengals broke to a 10-0 lead on the last snap of the first quarter, on one of their most entertaining plays in recent years, a TD pass from WR Mohamed Sanu to QB Andy Dalton covering 18 yards. Dalton lateraled to Sanu on an apparent end-around, but Sanu pulled up and threw back across the field to Dalton, who snatched the ball against tight coverage from CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson before dashing to the end zone. Dalton became the first Bengals QB in Bengals history to catch a TD pass, and Sanu became the first Bengals WR to throw one. It was all Bengals from that point on, as Cincinnati rolled to a 33-0 lead before allowing a Tennessee TD in the fourth quarter. The Bengals’ defense allowed the Titans to convert their first two third-down situations and then stopped them on their last 10 opportunities. The victory was Cincinnati’s 11th straight at home in the regular season, dating back to the 2012 home finale, setting a club record. The Bengals improved to 3-0 and maintained a one-game lead over Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the AFC North. The Titans fell to 1-2. SCORE BY PERIODS 1 2 3 4 OT PTS. Tennessee ................................................ 0 0 0 7 — 7 Cincinnati................................................. 10 9 7 7 — 33 TEAM — SCORING PLAY QTR.-LEFT Cin. — M.Nugent 29 field goal ................................................................................... 1-4:48 Cin. — A.Dalton 18 pass from M.Sanu (M.Nugent kick) ........................................... 1-0:00 Cin. — Tennessee penalized for holding in end zone for Cincinnati team safety..... 2-6:25 Cin. — G.Bernard 1 run (M.Nugent kick)................................................................... 2-3:29 Cin. — G.Bernard 1 run (M.Nugent kick)................................................................... 3-1:58 Cin. — J.Hill 4 run (M.Nugent kick)............................................................................ 4-9:26 Tenn. — S.Greene 1 run (R.Succop kick) .................................................................... 4-6:09 Missed FGs: R.Succop (40WR, 44WR). Attendance: 56,743. Time: 2:56. TEAM STATISTICS TENN. CIN. First downs ..................................................................................................... 22 25 Third down conversions-attempts ............................................................... 2-12 3-9 Total net yards ............................................................................................. 326 300 Net yards rushing ......................................................................................... 149 116 Net yards passing ........................................................................................ 177 184 Pass attempts-completions-interceptions .............................................. 34-17-2 26-17-1 Sacks against-yards lost ............................................................................... 2-8 0-0 Punts-average .......................................................................................... 4-35.3 4-49.3 Punt returns-yards......................................................................................... 1-1 0-0 Kickoff returns-yards ................................................................................... 2-56 1-18 Penalties-yards ......................................................................................... 11-99 7-50 Fumbles-lost.................................................................................................. 2-0 0-0 Time of possession ................................................................................... 31:16 28:44 RUSHING TENN. ATT YDS LG TD CIN. ATT YDS LG TD B.Sankey 10 61 18 0 G.Bernard 14 47 12 2 J.Locker 6 50 29 0 J.Hill 7 39 12 1 S.Greene 10 33 20 1 C.Peerman 5 15 4 0 J.Battle 1 5 5 0 B.Tate 1 12 12 0 D.McCluster 1 0 0 0 A.Dalton 3 3 3 0 R.Hewitt 1 0 0 0 TOTALS 28 149 29 1 TOTALS 31 116 12 3 PASSING TENN. ATT CMP YDS TD-I CIN. ATT CMP YDS TD-I J.Locker 34 17 185 0-2 A.Dalton 23 15 169 0-1 J.Campbell 2 1 -3 0-0 M.Sanu 1 1 18 1-0 TOTALS 34 17 185 0-2 TOTALS 26 17 184 1-1 RECEIVING TENN. NO YDS LG TD CIN. NO YDS LG TD K.Wright 5 44 28 0 A.Green 6 102 29 0 D.Walker 4 54 23 0 M.Sanu 5 44 14 0 J.Hunter 3 37 19 0 A.Dalton 1 18 18t 1 C.Stevens 2 26 20 0 G.Bernard 1 7 7 0 D.McCluster 2 15 13 0 R.Hewitt 1 6 6 0 B.Sankey 1 9 9 0 J.Gresham 1 5 5 0 B.Tate 1 5 5 0 K.Brock 1 -3 -3 0 TOTALS 17 185 28 0 TOTALS 17 184 29 1 DEFENSE Tennessee (press box stats) — ST-AT-TT: W.Woodyard 5-4-9, B.Pollard 4-1-5, J.McCourty 4-1-5, M.Griffin 4-0-4, A.Williamson 2-2-4, B.Wreh-Wilson 3-0-3, J.Casey 2-13, C.Sensabaugh 2-1-3, G.Wilson 2-1-3, S.Hill 1-2-3, K.Wimbley 1-2-3, Z.Gooden 0-3-3, A.Woods 1-1-2, D.Morgan 1-0-1, S.Phillips 1-0-1, R.Pitoitua 0-1-1. SKS.-YDS.: None. INT.YDS.: G.Wilson 1-0. PD: S.Hill 1, J.McCourty 1, G.Wilson 1, B.Wreh-Wilson 1. FF: None. FR-YDS.: None. Cincinnati (press box stats) — ST-AT-TT: G.Iloka 7-1-8, C.Dunlap 6-0-6, R.Nelson 3-3-6, A.Jones 5-0-5, V.Rey 3-0-3, E.Lamur 2-1-3, D.Peko 2-1-3, R.Geathers 12-3, D.Dennard 2-0-2, L.Hall 2-0-2, D.Still 2-0-2, R.Maualuga 1-1-2, G.Atkins 0-2-2, W.Gilberry 0-2-2, T.Newman 0-2-2, D.Kirkpatrick 1-0-1, M.Hunt 0-1-1. SKS.-YDS.: C.Dunlap 1-5, D.Dennard 1-3. INT.-YDS.: R.Geathers 1-2, R.Nelson 1-0. PD: R.Geathers 1, G.Iloka 1, A.Jones 1, R.Nelson 1, T.Newman 1. FF: None. FR-YDS.: None. The Bengals started the Sunday night game as the NFL’s only remaining unbeaten team (3-0), but New England quickly signaled that the singular status would end. The Patriots scored TDs on their first two possessions for a 14-0 lead, and the Bengals were not able to reduce that deficit into single figures. Cincinnati pulled to within 20-10 in the third quarter, when CB Adam Jones’ 47-yard punt return set up a TD pass from Andy Dalton to WR Mohamed Sanu, but the Patriots responded with an 86-yard TD drive and then went up 34-10 when CB Kyle Arrington returned WR Brandon Tate’s fumble of the ensuing kickoff for a TD. The Patriots churned out 505 yards of net offense, most allowed by the Bengals since Sept. 16, 2007 at Cleveland, and New England posted a deadly plusthree edge in turnover differential (three fumble recoveries, no giveaways). Though falling to 3-1 on the season, the Bengals held on to the AFC North Division lead by a half game over Baltimore and Pittsburgh. The Patriots improved to 3-2. SCORE BY PERIODS 1 2 3 4 OT PTS. Cincinnati ................................................... 0 3 14 0 — 17 New England ........................................... 14 6 14 9 — 43 TEAM — SCORING PLAY QTR.-LEFT N.E. — S.Ridley 1 run (S.Gostkowski kick) .............................................................. 1-10:03 N.E. — T.Wright 17 pass from T.Brady (S.Gostkowski kick) ..................................... 1-3:12 Cin. — M.Nugent 23 field goal ................................................................................... 2-4:33 N.E. — S.Gostkowski 48 field goal ............................................................................. 2-1:12 N.E. — S.Gostkowski 19 field goal ............................................................................. 2-0:09 Cin. — M.Sanu 37 pass from A.Dalton (M.Nugent kick) ......................................... 3-11:27 N.E. — R.Gronkowski 16 pass from T.Brady (S.Gostkowski kick) ............................ 3-6:06 N.E. — K.Arrington 9 fumble return (S.Gostkowski kick) ........................................... 3-6:00 Cin. — A.Green 17 pass from A.Dalton (M.Nugent kick) .......................................... 3-3:43 N.E. — S.Gostkowski 23 field goal ........................................................................... 4-14:54 N.E. — S.Gostkowski 47 field goal ............................................................................. 4-7:53 N.E. — S.Gostkowski 35 field goal ............................................................................. 4-2:55 Missed FGs: M.Nugent (52SH). Attendance: 68,756. Time: 3:00. TEAM STATISTICS CIN. N.E. First downs ..................................................................................................... 17 30 Third down conversions-attempts ................................................................. 0-7 6-16 Total net yards.............................................................................................. 320 505 Net yards rushing ........................................................................................... 79 220 Net yards passing......................................................................................... 241 285 Pass attempts-completions-interceptions .............................................. 29-18-0 35-23-0 Sacks against-yards lost ............................................................................... 1-8 1-7 Punts-average .......................................................................................... 4-41.5 3-40.3 Punt returns-yards ....................................................................................... 2-53 3-12 Kickoff returns-yards ................................................................................. 7-141 1-16 Penalties-yards............................................................................................ 4-37 12-114 Fumbles-lost .................................................................................................. 3-3 1-0 Time of possession ................................................................................... 21:04 38:56 RUSHING CIN. ATT YDS LG TD N.E. ATT YDS LG TD G.Bernard 13 62 13 0 S.Ridley 27 113 43 1 A.Dalton 2 16 12 0 S.Vereen 9 90 19 0 J.Hill 2 1 5 0 T.Brady 4 13 6 0 B.Tate 1 0 0 0 J.Develin 2 5 5 0 B.Bolden 1 3 3 0 J.Garoppolo 3 -4 -1 0 TOTALS 18 79 13 0 TOTALS 46 220 43 1 PASSING CIN. ATT CMP YDS TD-I N.E. ATT CMP YDS TD-I A.Dalton 24 15 204 2-0 T.Brady 35 23 292 2-0 J.Campbell 5 3 45 0-0 TOTALS 29 18 249 2-0 TOTALS 35 23 292 2-0 RECEIVING CIN. NO YDS LG TD N.E. NO YDS LG TD A.Green 5 81 35 1 R.Gronkowski 6 100 27 1 M.Sanu 5 70 37t 1 T.Wright 5 85 30 1 J.Hill 3 68 38 0 J.Edelman 5 35 14 0 J.Gresham 2 15 12 0 S.Vereen 3 18 14 0 G.Bernard 2 10 7 0 B.LaFell 1 20 20 0 D.Sanzenbacher 1 5 5 0 A.Dobson 1 16 16 0 J.Develin 1 11 11 0 D.Amendola 1 7 7 0 TOTALS 18 249 38 2 TOTALS 23 292 30 2 DEFENSE Cincinnati (press box stats) — ST-AT-TT: G.Iloka 5-4-9, R.Maualuga 5-4-9, T.Newman 7-1-8, L.Hall 4-4-8, D.Peko 3-5-8, V.Rey 5-2-7, E.Lamur 4-3-7, W.Gilberry 3-47, C.Dunlap 2-3-5, R.Nelson 2-2-4, A.Jones 2-1-3, R.Geathers 1-2-3, G.Atkins 1-1-2, D.Still 0-2-2, D.Kirkpatrick 1-0-1. SKS.-YDS.: R.Geathers 1-7. INT.-YDS.: None. PD: E.Lamur 2, A.Jones 1. FF: None. FR-YDS.: None. New England (press box stats) — ST-AT-TT: J.Mayo 4-4-8, K.Arrington 4-3-7, P.Chung 4-2-6, D.Revis 4-1-5, J.Collins 1-3-4, A.Dennard 2-1-3, R.Ninkovich 2-1-3, Ch.Jones 1-2-3, L.Ryan 1-0-1, C.Walker 1-0-1, M.Buchanan 0-1-1, D.Easley 0-1-1, D.McCourty 0-1-1, D. Skinner 0-1-1, V.Wilfork 0-1-1. SKS.-YDS.: Ch.Jones 1-8. INT.YDS.: None. PD: D.McCourty 1. FF: K.Arrington 1, D.Revis 1. FR-YDS.: J.Collins 1-3, D.Harmon 1-(-1). — 18 — WEEK 7, GAME 6 Indianapolis Colts 27, Cincinnati Bengals 0 Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014 at Lucas Oil Stadium (2014 game summaries, continued) WEEK 6, GAME 5 Cincinnati Bengals 37, Carolina Panthers 37 Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014 at Paul Brown Stadium The Bengals and Panthers played to the highest-scoring tie in the NFL’s era of regular-season overtime, topping a 35-all deadlock between Denver and Pittsburgh in 1974, the first year of such OT. Two American Football League games prior to the OT era played to higher tie scores. It was the third tie in Bengals history, and the first Bengals OT game affected by the 2013 rule change that does not give a victory to a team scoring a FG on the opening possession. The Bengals did that, taking a 37-34 lead, but the Panthers came back to tie at 37, and the contest ended in a tie when Bengals K Mike Nugent missed a 36-yard FG try as the OT period expired. The Bengals exited with a 3-1-1 record, good for a percentage points lead over 4-2 Baltimore in the AFC North. Carolina fell to 3-2-1. SCORE BY PERIODS 1 2 3 4 OT PTS. Carolina ..................................................... 7 3 14 10 3 37 Cincinnati................................................... 0 17 0 17 3 37 TEAM — SCORING PLAY QTR.-LEFT Car. — K.Benjamin 3 pass from C.Newton (G.Gano kick) ........................................ 1-5:45 Cin. — B.Tate 5 pass from A.Dalton (M.Nugent kick) ............................................. 2-14:21 Cin. — G.Bernard 89 run (M.Nugent kick)............................................................... 2-11:50 Car. — G.Gano 39 field goal ...................................................................................... 2-6:20 Cin. — M.Nugent 44 field goal ................................................................................... 2-0:03 Car. — F.Whittaker 4 run (G.Gano kick) .................................................................... 3-9:07 Car. — C.Newton 12 run (G.Gano kick) .................................................................... 3-3:54 Cin. — M.Sanu 34 pass from A.Dalton (M.Nugent kick) ......................................... 4-11:38 Car. — G.Olsen 13 pass from C.Newton (G.Gano kick) ........................................... 4-4:50 Cin. — J.Hill 3 run (M.Nugent kick)............................................................................ 4-4:32 Cin. — M.Nugent 38 field goal ................................................................................... 4-2:11 Car. — G.Gano 44 field goal ...................................................................................... 4-0:00 Cin. — M.Nugent 42 field goal ................................................................................... 5-8:35 Car. — G.Gano 36 field goal ...................................................................................... 5-2:19 Missed FGs: G.Gano (38WR), M.Nugent (36WR). Attendance: 57,053. Time: 3:59. TEAM STATISTICS CAR. CIN. First downs ..................................................................................................... 29 29 Third down conversions-attempts ............................................................... 8-17 10-16 Total net yards ............................................................................................. 431 513 Net yards rushing ......................................................................................... 147 193 Net yards passing ........................................................................................ 284 320 Pass attempts-completions-interceptions .............................................. 46-29-1 43-33-2 Sacks against-yards lost ............................................................................... 0-0 1-3 Punts-average .......................................................................................... 1-38.0 1-42.0 Punt returns-yards......................................................................................... 1-5 0-0 Kickoff returns-yards ................................................................................. 6-134 2-126 Penalties-yards ........................................................................................... 8-60 13-119 Fumbles-lost.................................................................................................. 0-0 0-0 Time of possession ................................................................................... 39:30 35:30 RUSHING CAR. ATT YDS LG TD CIN. ATT YDS LG TD C.Newton 17 107 12t 1 G.Bernard 18 137 89t 1 F.Whittaker 9 25 6 1 A.Dalton 4 25 20 0 D.Reaves 8 15 9 0 J.Hill 8 22 5 1 B.Tate 1 9 9 0 TOTALS 34 147 12t 2 TOTALS 31 193 89 2 PASSING CAR. ATT CMP YDS TD-I CIN. ATT CMP YDS TD-I C.Newton 46 29 284 2-1 A.Dalton 43 33 323 2-2 TOTALS 46 29 284 2-1 TOTALS 43 33 323 2-2 RECEIVING CAR. NO YDS LG TD CIN. NO YDS LG TD K.Benjamin 7 49 13 1 M.Sanu 10 120 34t 1 G.Olsen 6 62 16 1 J.Gresham 6 68 23 0 J.Avant 5 47 17 0 D.Sanzenbacher 4 40 15 0 J.Cotchery 4 58 26 0 B.Tate 4 38 16 1 F.Whittaker 2 27 23 0 G.Bernard 4 20 11 0 B.Bersin 2 13 10 0 J.Hill 4 13 7 0 B.Williams 1 16 16 0 J.Wright 1 24 24 0 C.Brown 1 8 8 0 D.Reaves 1 4 4 0 TOTALS 29 284 26 2 TOTALS 33 323 34t 2 DEFENSE Carolina (press box stats) — ST-AT-TT: L.Kuechly 9-4-13, T.Davis 7-2-9, A.Cason 7-1-8, M.White 5-1-6, T.DeCoud 4-1-5, C.Godfrey 4-1-5, K.Short 3-1-4, R.Harper 3-0-3, S.Lotulelei 3-0-3, C.Johnson 2-1-3, K.Ealy 1-1-2, W.Horton 1-1-2, C.Cole 0-2-2, D.Edwards 0-2-2, M.Addison 0-1-1, C.Blackburn 0-1-1. SKS.-YDS.: C.Johnson 1-3. INT.YDS.: A.Cason 1-80, R.Harper 1-8. PD: R.Harper 2, A.Cason 1, M.White 1. FF: None. FRYDS.: None. Cincinnati (press box stats) — ST-AT-TT: R.Nelson 9-2-11, V.Burfict 7-3-10, A.Jones 5-3-8, E.Lamur 5-3-8, C.Dunlap 4-1-5, T.Newman 3-2-5, L.Hall 3-1-4, R.Maualuga 2-2-4, D.Peko 2-1-3, W.Gilberry 1-2-3, R.Geathers 1-1-2, V.Rey 1-1-2, G.Iloka 0-2-2, G.Atkins 1-0-1, D.Still 1-0-1. SKS.-YDS.: None. INT.-YDS.: R.Nelson 1-31. PD: R.Nelson 2, L.Hall 1, A.Jones 1, T.Newman 1, R.Geathers 1, G.Iloka 1. FF: None. FR-YDS.: None. The Bengals were outgained by 371 yards — 506 to 135 — and they suffered only their second shutout in 12 seasons under head coach Marvin Lewis. The first of those, 37-0 against the N.Y. Jets in the 2009 season finale, came in a game when Cincinnati’s starters saw virtually no action with a playoff berth already clinched. The Bengals trailed only 10-0 at halftime, thanks in large part to a plus-two turnover advantage (two lost fumbles by the Colts), but Indianapolis drove 85 yards on eight plays for a TD on its first third-quarter possession, ending any reasonable suspense over the outcome. The Bengals reached the Colts’ four-yard line in the fourth quarter but gave up possession on downs. The Bengals fell to 3-2-1 on the season, a game behind Baltimore in the AFC North Division race. Indianapolis won its fifth straight after an 0-2 start. SCORE BY PERIODS 1 2 3 4 OT PTS. Cincinnati ................................................... 0 0 0 0 — 0 Indianapolis ............................................... 3 7 7 10 — 27 TEAM — SCORING PLAY QTR.-LEFT Ind. — A.Vinatieri 23 field goal .................................................................................. 1-0:33 Ind. — A.Bradshaw 1 run (A.Vinatieri kick) ............................................................. 2-12:08 Ind. — D.Allen 32 pass from A.Luck (A.Vinatieri kick) .............................................. 3-9:47 Ind. — A.Bradshaw 10 pass from A.Luck (A.Vinatieri kick) .................................... 4-12:09 Ind. — A.Vinatieri 50 field goal .................................................................................. 4-1:55 Missed FGs: None. Attendance: 66,539. Time: 3:06. TEAM STATISTICS CIN. IND. First downs ....................................................................................................... 8 27 Third down conversions-attempts ............................................................... 1-13 5-13 Total net yards.............................................................................................. 135 506 Net yards rushing ........................................................................................... 32 171 Net yards passing......................................................................................... 103 335 Pass attempts-completions-interceptions .............................................. 38-18-0 42-27-0 Sacks against-yards lost ............................................................................. 4-23 2-9 Punts-average ........................................................................................ 11-50.7 6-48.0 Punt returns-yards ....................................................................................... 4-20 2-13 Kickoff returns-yards ................................................................................... 3-80 1-27 Penalties-yards............................................................................................ 4-20 8-57 Fumbles-lost .................................................................................................. 1-0 2-2 Time of possession ................................................................................... 20:17 39:43 RUSHING CIN. ATT YDS LG TD IND. ATT YDS LG TD G.Bernard 7 17 6 0 T.Richardson 14 77 11 0 J.Hill 4 15 11 0 A.Bradshaw 10 52 15 1 A.Dalton 1 0 0 0 D.Herron 5 37 13 0 A.Luck 4 5 2 0 D.Moncrief 1 0 0 0 TOTALS 12 32 11 0 TOTALS 34 171 15 1 PASSING CIN. ATT CMP YDS TD-I IND. ATT CMP YDS TD-I A.Dalton 38 18 126 0-0 A.Luck 42 27 344 2-0 TOTALS 38 18 126 0-0 TOTALS 42 27 344 2-0 RECEIVING CIN. NO YDS LG TD IND. NO YDS LG TD J.Gresham 10 48 12 0 T.Hilton 7 107 46 0 M.Sanu 3 54 32 0 C.Fleener 4 64 26 0 G.Bernard 2 -1 0 0 T.Richardson 4 41 20 0 G.Little 1 13 13 0 R.Wayne 4 15 9 0 B.Tate 1 7 7 0 D.Allen 3 52 32t 1 C.Peerman 1 5 5 0 A.Bradshaw 3 36 18 1 J.Doyle 1 20 20 0 D.Moncrief 1 9 9 0 TOTALS 18 126 32 0 TOTALS 27 344 46 2 DEFENSE Cincinnati (press box stats) — ST-AT-TT: V.Rey 7-9-16, R.Nelson 5-4-9, J.DiManche 4-3-7, G.Iloka 3-2-5, A.Jones 3-2-5, D.Peko 3-2-5, C.Dunlap 1-4-5, L.Hall 4-04, M.Flowers 2-2-4, V.Burfict 1-3-4, T.Newman 3-0-3, D.Dennard 2-1-3, W.Gilberry 0-3-3, R.Geathers 1-0-1, D.Kirkpatrick 1-0-1, G.Atkins 0-1-1, M.Hunt 0-1-1, D.Still 0-1-1. SKS.YDS.: D.Peko 1-0, G.Atkins 0.5-4.5, C.Dunlap 0.5-4.5. INT.-YDS.: None. PD: A.Jones 2, C.Dunlap 1, W.Gilberry 1, L.Hall 1. FF: C.Dunlap 1. FR-YDS.: C.Dunlap 1-0, A.Jones 1-0. Indianapolis (press box stats) — ST-AT-TT: D.Jackson 3-4-7, J.Freeman 4-2-6, C.Redding 3-1-4, V.Davis 3-0-3, J.Gordy 3-0-3, R.Jean Francois 1-2-3, S.Brown 2-0-2, G.Toler 2-0-2, E.Walden 1-1-2, M.Adams 1-0-1, Z.Kerr 1-0-1, J.McNary 1-0-1, J.Newsome 1-0-1, L.Purifoy 1-0-1, B.Werner 1-0-1, M.Hughes 0-1-1, A.Studebaker 0-1-1. SKS.-YDS.: C.Redding 1-8, R.Jean Francois 1-6, B.Werner 1-5, Z.Kerr 1-4. INT.-YDS.: None. PD: V.Davis 4, M.Adams 1, S.Brown 1, J.Freeman 1, Z.Kerr 1, G.Toler 1. FF: None. FR-YDS.: None. — 19 — WEEK 9, GAME 8 Cincinnati Bengals 33, Jacksonville Jaguars 23 Sunday, Nov. 2, 2014 at Paul Brown Stadium (2014 game summaries, continued) WEEK 8, GAME 7 Cincinnati Bengals 27, Baltimore Ravens 24 Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014 at Paul Brown Stadium The Bengals completed a two-game sweep over their AFC North rival, and for the second time on the season, they did it with a fourth-quarter comeback. After Baltimore had erased a 17-6 Bengals lead to go ahead 24-20 in the final period, the Bengals mounted a 10-play, 80-yard march for the winning score. QB Andy Dalton kept the drive alive with two key third-down passes — one of them 53 yards to WR Mohamed Sanu on a third-and-10 play — and Dalton scored the winning TD himself on a one-yard sneak on fourth down. Playing for a third straight game without injured flagship WR A.J. Green, the Bengals netted 266 passing yards, including a career-high 125 from Sanu on five catches. Sanu had a spectacular one-handed catch to gain 48 yards on Cincinnati’s first TD drive, and he also gained 27 rushing yards. The Bengals scored three TDs in five red-zone chances (60 percent) against a defense that entered the game with an NFL-best defensive TD percentage of only 36.4. Cincinnati improved to 4-2-1 and took first place in the AFC North Division by percentage points over the Ravens, who fell to 5-3. SCORE BY PERIODS 1 2 3 4 OT PTS. Baltimore ................................................... 0 6 8 10 — 24 Cincinnati................................................... 7 0 10 10 — 27 TEAM — SCORING PLAY QTR.-LEFT Cin. — A.Dalton 1 run (M.Nugent kick) ................................................................... 1-10:01 Balt. — J.Tucker 45 field goal..................................................................................... 2-9:15 Balt. — J.Tucker 50 field goal..................................................................................... 2-1:02 Cin. — G.Bernard 1 run (M.Nugent kick)................................................................... 3-9:56 Cin. — M.Nugent 32 field goal ................................................................................... 3-6:29 Balt. — L.Taliaferro 10 run (J.Forsett run).................................................................. 3-1:58 Cin. — M.Nugent 33 field goal ................................................................................. 4-11:24 Balt. — L.Taliaferro 8 run (J.Tucker kick) ................................................................... 4-6:31 Balt. — J.Tucker 53 field goal..................................................................................... 4-3:59 Cin. — A.Dalton 1 run (M.Nugent kick) ..................................................................... 4-0:57 Missed FGs: None. Attendance: 55,711. Time: 2:59. TEAM STATISTICS BALT. CIN. First downs ..................................................................................................... 18 19 Third down conversions-attempts ............................................................... 5-13 8-14 Total net yards ............................................................................................. 294 350 Net yards rushing ......................................................................................... 107 111 Net yards passing ........................................................................................ 187 239 Pass attempts-completions-interceptions .............................................. 34-17-2 28-21-1 Sacks against-yards lost ............................................................................... 1-8 2-27 Punts-average .......................................................................................... 1-50.0 3-52.0 Punt returns-yards....................................................................................... 2-17 1-6 Kickoff returns-yards ................................................................................. 5-122 3-93 Penalties-yards ........................................................................................... 7-51 6-40 Fumbles-lost.................................................................................................. 1-0 2-1 Time of possession ................................................................................... 29:16 30:44 RUSHING BALT. ATT YDS LG TD CIN. ATT YDS LG TD J.Forsett 17 68 12 0 G.Bernard 16 45 8 1 L.Taliaferro 7 27 10t 2 M.Sanu 2 27 26 0 J.Flacco 2 12 13 0 J.Hill 10 25 5 0 A.Dalton 6 14 5 2 TOTALS 26 107 13 2 TOTALS 34 111 26 3 PASSING BALT. ATT CMP YDS TD-I CIN. ATT CMP YDS TD-I J.Flacco 34 17 195 0-2 A.Dalton 28 21 266 0-1 TOTALS 34 17 195 0-2 TOTALS 28 21 266 0-1 RECEIVING BALT. NO YDS LG TD CIN. NO YDS LG TD M.Campanaro 3 40 19 0 M.Sanu 5 125 53 0 S.Smith 3 35 15 0 J.Gresham 4 34 16 0 J.Forsett 3 17 8 0 J.Hill 4 28 15 0 L.Taliaferro 2 42 29 0 G.Little 3 42 21 0 C.Gillmore 2 23 13 0 B.Tate 2 30 17 0 K.Aiken 2 15 8 0 G.Bernard 2 2 2 0 K.Juszczyk 1 21 21 0 R.Hewitt 1 5 5 0 M.Brown 1 2 2 0 TOTALS 17 195 29 0 TOTALS 21 266 53 0 DEFENSE Baltimore (press box stats) — ST-AT-TT: C.Mosley 8-5-13, D.Smith 3-10-13, H.Ngata 5-3-8, B.Williams 4-2-6, T.Brooks 3-1-4, T.Suggs 2-2-4, C.Upshaw 2-2-4, L.Webb 1-3-4, D.Franks 3-0-3, D.Stewart 2-1-3, M.Elam 1-1-2, T.Jernigan 1-1-2, E.Dumervil 1-0-1, W.Hill 1-0-1, A.McClellan 1-0-1, P.McPhee 0-1-1. SKS.-YDS.: H.Ngata 1-21, T.Suggs 1-6. INT.-YDS.: C.Mosley 1-5. PD: D.Franks 3, M.Elam 1, C.Mosley 1. FF: H.Ngata 1, D.Smith 1. FR-YDS.: D.Smith 1-39. Cincinnati (press box stats) — ST-AT-TT: L.Hall 4-3-7, V.Burfict 1-6-7, R.Nelson 3-2-5, G.Iloka 2-3-5, E.Lamur 2-3-5, V.Rey 1-4-5, W.Gilberry 0-5-5, G.Atkins 3-1-4, T.Newman 2-2-4, D.Still 3-0-3, C.Dunlap 2-1-3, D.Peko 1-2-3, R.Geathers 0-2-2, M.Hunt 10-1. SKS.-YDS.: G.Atkins 1-8. INT.-YDS.: A.Jones 1-12, E.Lamur 1-5. PD: M.Flowers 1, A.Jones 1, D.Kirkpatrick 1, E.Lamur 1, T.Newman 1. FF: G.Atkins 1. FR-YDS.: None. The Bengals rolled to leads of 19-3 in the third quarter and 26-10 in the fourth quarter, but the Jaguars, coming in at 1-7, made it interesting, closing to within 26-23 with 8:13 left. The Jaguars’ score to close within three was set up when LB J.T. Thomas III intercepted an Andy Dalton pass and returned it 10 yards to the Bengals’ seven-yard line. But on the Bengals’ first scrimmage play after that Jacksonville TD, rookie HB Jeremy Hill capped a day to remember by rushing 60 yards for a TD and the eventual 33-23 final margin. Hill, making his first NFL start due to an injury to HB Giovani Bernard, rushed 24 times for 154 yards and two TDs and also caught a nine-yard pass. The Bengals special teams got hands on two Jaguars punts. HB Rex Burkhead tipped a second quarter punt to help set up a FG drive, and S Taylor Mays blocked one out of the end zone in the second quarter for a safety. The Bengals improved to 5-2-1 and remained in first place in the AFC North, by percentage points over 6-3 Pittsburgh. The Jaguars fell to 1-8. SCORE BY PERIODS 1 2 3 4 OT PTS. Jacksonville ............................................... 3 0 7 13 — 23 Cincinnati ................................................... 0 12 7 14 — 33 TEAM — SCORING PLAY QTR.-LEFT Jax. — J.Scobee 25 field goal.................................................................................... 1-1:21 Cin. — M.Sanu 19 pass from A.Dalton (M.Nugent kick) ......................................... 2-11:48 Cin. — M.Nugent 31 field goal ................................................................................... 2-4:25 Cin. — T.Mays blocks Jacksonville punt out of end zone for safety ......................... 2-2:58 Cin. — J.Hill 1 run (M.Nugent kick) .......................................................................... 3-10:33 Jax. — A.Hurns 40 pass from B.Bortles (J.Scobee kick) .......................................... 3-9:36 Cin. — A.Green 18 pass from A.Dalton (M.Nugent kick) ........................................ 4-13:54 Jax. — A.Hurns 18 pass from B.Bortles (pass failed)................................................ 4-9:55 Jax. — D.Robinson 5 run (J.Scobee kick) ................................................................. 4-8:13 Cin. — J.Hill 60 run (M.Nugent kick) .......................................................................... 4-8:04 Missed FGs: None. Attendance: 60,057. Time: 3:13. TEAM STATISTICS JAX. CIN. First downs ..................................................................................................... 19 23 Third down conversions-attempts ............................................................... 4-12 6-13 Total net yards.............................................................................................. 365 423 Net yards rushing ......................................................................................... 132 191 Net yards passing......................................................................................... 233 232 Pass attempts-completions-interceptions .............................................. 33-22-1 31-19-2 Sacks against-yards lost ............................................................................. 2-14 2-1 Punts-average .......................................................................................... 7-35.7 5-50.4 Punt returns-yards ....................................................................................... 2-10 5-60 Kickoff returns-yards ................................................................................. 6-173 5-98 Penalties-yards............................................................................................ 3-35 6-40 Fumbles-lost .................................................................................................. 0-0 1-0 Time of possession ................................................................................... 27:16 32:44 RUSHING JAX. ATT YDS LG TD CIN. ATT YDS LG TD D.Robinson 17 94 39 1 J.Hill 24 154 60t 2 T.Gerhart 3 19 12 0 A.Dalton 2 11 8 0 B.Bortles 4 10 5 0 J.Wright 1 11 11 0 J.Todman 1 9 9 0 C.Peerman 5 9 4 0 M.Sanu 1 9 9 0 A.Green 1 -3 -3 0 TOTALS 25 132 39 1 TOTALS 34 191 60 2 PASSING JAX. ATT CMP YDS TD-I CIN. ATT CMP YDS TD-I B.Bortles 33 22 247 2-1 A.Dalton 31 19 233 2-2 TOTALS 33 22 247 2-1 TOTALS 31 19 233 2-2 RECEIVING JAX. NO YDS LG TD CIN. NO YDS LG TD A.Hurns 7 112 40t 2 J.Gresham 5 36 12 0 C.Shorts 5 40 20 0 M.Sanu 4 95 36 1 A.Robinson 4 35 13 0 A.Green 3 44 18t 1 T.Gerhart 3 49 19 0 C.Peerman 2 22 17 0 D.Robinson 2 10 12 0 R.Burkhead 2 10 6 0 J.Todman 1 1 1 0 B.Tate 1 10 10 0 J.Hill 1 9 9 0 R.Hewitt 1 7 7 0 TOTALS 22 247 40t 2 TOTALS 19 233 36 2 DEFENSE Jacksonville (press box stats) — ST-AT-TT: J.Cyprien 4-5-9, J.Thomas 2-6-8, T.Smith 5-2-7, D.Gratz 3-3-6, J.Evans 2-4-6, S.Martin 2-2-4, D.McCray 2-2-4, T.Alualu 0-44, J.George 2-1-3, S.Marks 2-1-3, L.Reynolds 2-1-3, R.Davis 1-2-3, A.Jones 1-2-3, C.Clemons 1-1-2, G.Hayes 1-1-2, E.Hood 1-1-2, R.Miller 1-0-1, R.Bryant 0-1-1, C.Smith 01-1. SKS.-YDS.: S.Marks 1-1, R.Davis 0.5-0, C.Smith 0.5-0. INT.-YDS.: J.Thomas 1-10, S.Martin 1-0. PD: S.Martin 2, J.Thomas 2, D.Gratz 1, R.Miller 1. FF: R.Davis 1. FR-YDS.: None. Cincinnati (press box stats) — ST-AT-TT: E.Lamur 3-5-8, G.Atkins 5-1-6, T.Newman 4-2-6, G.Iloka 5-0-5, L.Hall 2-3-5, V.Rey 2-3-5, C.Dunlap 3-1-4, W.Gilberry 2-24, A.Jones 2-2-4, R.Nelson 2-1-3, B.Thompson 1-1-2, D.Still 0-2-2, R.Geathers 1-0-1, M.Hunt 1-0-1, N.Johnson 1-0-1, D.Peko 0-1-1. SKS.-YDS.: C.Dunlap 1-8, M.Hunt 1-6. INT.-YDS.: G.Iloka 1-16. PD: G.Iloka 2, E.Lamur 2, G.Atkins 1, T.Newman 1, V.Rey 1. FF: None. FR-YDS.: None. — 20 — (2014 game summaries, continued) WEEK 10, GAME 9 Cleveland Browns 24, Cincinnati Bengals 3 Sunday, Nov. 6, 2014 at Paul Brown Stadium The Bengals mustered only 165 net offensive yards and finished minus-three in turnover differential as the visiting Browns posted their largest winning margin since 1994 in the Battle of Ohio. Cleveland nabbed its first of three INTs on the Bengals’ gameopening possession, when Cincinnati QB Andy Dalton and TE Jermain Gresham had an apparent miscommunication on a route, and the Browns offense capitalized with an 18yard TD drive for a 7-0 lead. The Bengals closed the gap to 7-3 and had one possession with a chance to take the lead, but Cincinnati could not move beyond its 34-yard line. The Browns came back on their next possession with a 59-yard TD drive, and they tacked on a FG for a 17-3 halftime lead. In the second half, the Bengals managed only 65 net yards as the Browns did their best to run out the clock. The Bengals saw the end of a two-game win streak, and Cleveland extended its win streak to three. The Bengals fell to 5-3-1, one-half game behind the Browns, who improved to 6-3. SCORE BY PERIODS 1 2 3 4 OT PTS. Cleveland .................................................. 7 10 7 0 — 24 Cincinnati................................................... 3 0 0 0 — 3 TEAM — SCORING PLAY QTR.-LEFT Cle. — B.Tate 4 run (B.Cundiff kick) ....................................................................... 1-10:40 Cin. — M.Nugent 43 field goal ................................................................................... 1-6:18 Cle. — I.Crowell 2 run (B.Cundiff kick) .................................................................... 2-12:57 Cle. — B.Cundiff 32 field goal.................................................................................... 2-3:59 Cle. — T.West 1 run (B.Cundiff kick) ......................................................................... 3-4:46 Missed FGs: B.Cundiff (44WR). Attendance: 65,871. Time: 3:14. TEAM STATISTICS CLE. CIN. First downs ..................................................................................................... 21 11 Third down conversions-attempts ............................................................... 7-16 3-17 Total net yards ............................................................................................. 368 165 Net yards rushing ......................................................................................... 170 86 Net yards passing ........................................................................................ 198 79 Pass attempts-completions-interceptions .............................................. 23-15-0 39-13-3 Sacks against-yards lost ............................................................................... 0-0 2-14 Punts-average .......................................................................................... 7-44.4 8-49.8 Punt returns-yards....................................................................................... 2-15 4-25 Kickoff returns-yards ................................................................................... 1-25 2-55 Penalties-yards ........................................................................................... 6-62 7-55 Fumbles-lost.................................................................................................. 1-1 1-1 Time of possession ................................................................................... 35:49 24:11 RUSHING CLE. ATT YDS LG TD CIN. ATT YDS LG TD T.West 26 94 14 1 J.Hill 12 55 13 0 I.Crowell 12 41 6 1 J.Wright 1 13 13 0 B.Tate 10 34 8 1 R.Burkhead 4 12 7 0 B.Hoyer 4 1 3 0 A.Dalton 3 8 4 0 C.Peerman 2 -2 1 0 TOTALS 52 170 14 3 TOTALS 22 86 13 0 PASSING CLE. ATT CMP YDS TD-I CIN. ATT CMP YDS TD-I B.Hoyer 23 15 198 0-0 A.Dalton 33 10 86 0-3 J.Campbell 6 3 7 0-0 TOTALS 23 15 198 0-0 TOTALS 39 13 93 0-3 RECEIVING CLE. NO YDS LG TD CIN. NO YDS LG TD M.Austin 5 48 16 0 J.Gresham 3 29 15 0 T.Benjamin 3 46 22 0 A.Green 3 23 11 0 T.Gabriel 3 31 18 0 M.Sanu 2 20 18 0 G.Barnidge 2 46 28 0 R.Burkhead 2 3 8 0 B.Tate 2 27 23 0 G.Little 1 8 8 0 J.Hill 1 6 6 0 K.Brock 1 4 4 0 TOTALS 15 198 28 0 TOTALS 13 93 18 0 DEFENSE Cleveland (press box stats) — ST-AT-TT: K.Dansby 1-7-8, D.Bryant 3-3-6, J.Sheard 1-4-5, D.Whitner 2-2-4, K.Williams 1-3-4, C.Kirksey 2-1-3, J.Haden 2-1-3, J.Leonhard 2-1-3, B.Skrine 2-1-3, P.Taylor 2-1-3, T.Gipson 1-2-3, C.Robertson 1-2-3, P.Kruger 1-1-2, B.Winn 1-0-1. SKS.-YDS.: D.Bryant 2-14. INT.-YDS.: B.Skrine 2-30, C.Robertson 1-15. PD: B.Skrine 3, J.Haden 2, K.Williams 2, T.Gipson 1, C.Kirksey 1, P.Kruger 1, C.Robertson 1, P.Taylor 1, D.Whitner 1. FF: T.Gipson 1. FR-YDS.: J.Haden 1-0. Cincinnati (press box stats) — ST-AT-TT: E.Lamur 5-6-11, N.Johnson 6-4-10, V.Rey 1-9-10, G.Iloka 7-1-8, A.Jones 6-2-8, R.Nelson 3-5-8, B.Thompson 1-5-6, C.Dunlap 2-3-5, T.Newman 2-3-5, D.Peko 2-1-3, W.Gilberry 1-2-3, D.Kirkpatrick 1-2-3, D.Still 1-2-3, M.Hunt 2-0-2, G.Atkins 1-0-1. SKS.-YDS.: None. INT.-YDS.: None. PD: R.Nelson 2, G.Iloka 1, A.Jones 1. FF: None. FR-YDS.: None. — 21 — THE BENGALS ARE: 4-1-1 1-2-0 4-0-0 1-3-1 1-0-1 2-0-1 5-0-1 0-0-0 0-3-0 5-0-0 0-0-0 0-3-1 4-0-1 REGULAR SEASON 2-0-0 3-1-0 1-0-0 1-2-1 2-0-1 1-2-1 5-0-1 2-3-1 5-3-1 0-0-0 0-0-0 5-3-1 3-3-0 at home on the road when scoring first when opponent scored first in games decided by three points or fewer in games decided by seven points or fewer when leading at halftime when tied at halftime when trailing at halftime when leading after three quarters when tied after three quarters when trailing after three quarters when rushing for 100 net yards when opponent rushed for less than 100 net yards with plus turnover differential with even turnover differential with minus turnover differential when passing for 250 net yards when opponent passed for 250 net yards when scoring 20 points or more when opponent scored 20 points or more when game was outdoors (open-air/open retractable roof) when game was inside (dome/closed retractable roof) on natural grass on synthetic surface with fewer penalty yards UNDER MARVIN LEWIS, THE BENGALS ARE: 56-36-2 39-52-0 65-28-1 30-60-1 18-18-2 47-41-2 66-22-2 11-2-0 18-64-0 75-13-1 7-4-0 13-71-1 64-32-1 2003-PRESENT (REGULAR SEASON) 58-21-1 58-14-1 24-18-0 13-56-1 33-28-1 24-30-2 76-33-1 33-78-1 91-82-2 4-6-0 33-30-0 62-58-2 48-46-1 at home on the road when scoring first when opponent scores first in games decided by three points or fewer in games decided by seven points or fewer when leading at halftime when tied at halftime when trailing at halftime when leading after three quarters when tied after three quarters when trailing after three quarters when rushing for 100 net yards — 22 — when opponent rushes for less than 100 net yards with plus turnover differential with even turnover differential with minus turnover differential when passing for 250 net yards when opponent passes for 250 net yards when scoring 20 points or more when opponent scores 20 points or more when game is outdoors (open-air/open retractable roof) when game is inside (dome/closed retractable roof) on natural grass on synthetic surface with fewer penalty yards BEST PERFORMANCES REGULAR SEASON RUSHING YARDS 154 — Jeremy Hill, Nov. 2 vs. Jacksonville 137 — Giovani Bernard, Oct. 12 vs. Carolina 90 — Giovani Bernard, Sept. 14 vs. Atlanta 33 25 21 PASS COMPLETIONS — Andy Dalton, Oct. 12 vs. Carolina — Andy Dalton, Sept. 7 at Baltimore — Andy Dalton, Oct. 26 vs. Baltimore LONGEST PASSES — Andy Dalton to A.J. Green, Sept. 7 at Baltimore (TD) — Andy Dalton to Mohamed Sanu, Sept. 14 vs. Atlanta (TD) — Andy Dalton to Mohamed Sanu, Oct. 26 vs. Baltimore 27 24 18 RUSHING ATTEMPTS — Giovani Bernard, Sept. 14 vs. Atlanta — Jeremy Hill, Nov. 2 vs. Jacksonville — Giovani Bernard, Oct. 12 vs. Carolina 77 76 53 89 60 26 LONGEST RUSHES — Giovani Bernard, Oct. 12 vs. Carolina (TD) — Jeremy Hill, Nov. 2 vs. Jacksonville (TD) — Mohamed Sanu, Oct. 26 vs. Baltimore YARDS FROM SCRIMMAGE 169 — Giovani Bernard, Sept. 14 vs. Atlanta 163 — Jeremy Hill, Nov. 2 vs. Jacksonville 157 — Giovani Bernard, Oct. 12 vs. Carolina 10 10 6 RECEPTIONS — Mohamed Sanu, Oct. 12 vs. Carolina — Jermaine Gresham, Oct. 19 at Indianapolis — (four times) 97 38 34 LONGEST KICKOFF RETURNS — Adam Jones, Oct. 12 vs. Carolina — Adam Jones, Oct. 19 at Indianapolis — (two times) RECEIVING YARDS 131 — A.J. Green, Sept. 7 at Baltimore 125 — Mohamed Sanu, Oct. 26 vs. Baltimore 120 — Mohamed Sanu, Oct. 12 vs. Carolina 47 45 31 LONGEST PUNT RETURNS — Adam Jones, Oct. 5 at New England — Adam Jones, Sept. 7 at Baltimore — Adam Jones, Nov. 2 vs. Jacksonville PASSING YARDS 323 — Andy Dalton, Oct. 12 vs. Carolina 301 — Andy Dalton, Sept. 7 at Baltimore 266 — Andy Dalton, Oct. 26 vs. Baltimore 16 11 11 TOTAL TACKLES* — Vincent Rey, Oct. 19 at Indianapolis — Reggie Nelson, Oct. 12 vs. Carolina — Emmanuel Lamur, Nov. 6 vs. Cleveland 9 7 SOLO TACKLES* — Reggie Nelson, Oct. 12 vs. Carolina — (six times) 43 38 38 PASS ATTEMPTS — Andy Dalton, Oct. 12 vs. Carolina — Andy Dalton, Sept. 7 at Baltimore — Andy Dalton, Oct. 19 at Indianapolis *NOTE: The defensive statistics above are press box statistics produced at the games. — 23 — GAME-BY-GAME TEAM STATISTICS DATE OPPONENT Sept. 7 at Baltimore Sept. 14 ATLANTA Sept. 21 TENNESSEE Sept. 28 — BYE — Oct. 5 at New England Oct. 12 CAROLINA Oct. 19 at Indianapolis Oct. 26 BALTIMORE Nov. 2 JACKSONVILLE Nov. 6 CLEVELAND Nov. 16 at New Orleans Nov. 23 at Houston Nov. 30 at Tampa Bay Dec. 7 PITTSBURGH Dec. 14 at Cleveland Dec. 22 DENVER Dec. 28 at Pittsburgh 2014 TOTALS DATE OPPONENT Sept. 7 at Baltimore Sept. 14 ATLANTA Sept. 21 TENNESSEE Sept. 28 — BYE — Oct. 5 at New England Oct. 12 CAROLINA Oct. 19 at Indianapolis Oct. 26 BALTIMORE Nov. 2 JACKSONVILLE Nov. 6 CLEVELAND Nov. 16 at New Orleans Nov. 23 at Houston Nov. 30 at Tampa Bay Dec. 7 PITTSBURGH Dec. 14 at Cleveland Dec. 22 DENVER Dec. 28 at Pittsburgh 2014 TOTALS OFFENSE PASS YDS COMP-ATT YDS RUSH-YDS TD-P/INT SKD-YDS 1D 3D-CONV F-FL POSS 380 472 300 26-79 45-170 31-116 301 302 184 25-38 16-24 17-26 1/0 1/0 1/1 0-0 0-0 0-0 16 21 25 4-14 6-14 3-9 0-0 0-0 0-0 30:30 32:59 28:44 320 513 135 350 423 165 18-79 31-193 12-32 34-111 34-191 22-86 241 320 103 239 232 79 18-29 33-43 18-38 21-28 19-31 13-39 2/0 2/2 0/0 0/1 2/2 0/3 1-8 1-3 4-23 2-27 2-1 2-14 17 29 8 19 23 11 0-7 10-16 1-13 8-14 6-13 3-17 3-3 0-0 1-0 2-1 1-0 1-1 21:04 35:30 20:17 30:44 32:44 24:11 3058 253-1057 2001 180-296 9/9 12-76 169 41-117 8-5 27:45 DEFENSE PASS YDS COMP-ATT YDS RUSH-YDS TD-P/INT SKD-YDS 1D 3D-CONV F-FL POSS 423 309 326 20-94 19-97 28-149 329 212 177 35-62 24-44 17-34 1/1 1/3 0/2 3-16 2-19 2-8 26 19 22 8-17 3-12 2-12 2-1 0-0 2-0 29:30 27:01 31:16 505 431 506 294 365 368 46-220 34-147 34-171 26-107 25-132 52-170 285 284 335 187 233 198 23-35 29-46 27-42 17-34 22-33 15-23 2/0 2/1 2/0 0/2 2/1 0/0 1-7 0-0 2-9 1-8 2-14 0-0 30 29 27 18 19 21 6-16 8-17 5-13 5-13 4-12 7-16 1-0 0-0 2-2 1-0 0-0 1-1 38:56 39:30 39:43 29:16 27:16 35:49 3527 284-1287 2240 209-353 10/10 13-81 211 48-128 9-4 32:15 — 24 — TRANSACTIONS (TRANSACTIONS FROM 6-12-13 THROUGH 6-18-14 ARE IN BENGALS 2014 MEDIA GUIDE) June 18, 2014 — Waived HB Jeff Scott. July 21, 2014 — Signed DT LaKendrick Ross (FA); Waived WR Alex Neutz. July 24, 2014 — Acquired WR Conner Vernon on waivers from Cleveland; Signed WR Jeremy Johnson (FA); Waived P T.J. Conley. July 26, 2014 — Waived OT Curtis Feigt (left squad). Aug. 4, 2014 — Signed QB Andy Dalton* to a contract extension. Aug. 8, 2014 — Waived WR Jeremy Johnson, DT Zach Minter and WR Conner Vernon. Aug. 9, 2014 — Signed QB Tyler Wilson (FA). Aug. 17, 2014 — Waived G Chandler Burden. Aug. 25, 2014 — Terminated the contract of CB R.J. Stanford; Waived DT Larry Black, S Isaiah Lewis, K Quinn Sharp and WR Ryan Whalen. Aug. 26, 2014 — Waived TE Kevin Brock, WR Jasper Collins, LB James Davidson, LB J.K. Schaffer (injured), QB Matt Scott and CB Lavelle Westbrooks (injured). Aug. 27, 2014 — Signed LB Vontaze Burfict* to a contract extension; LB J.K. Schaffer and CB Lavelle Westbrooks cleared waivers and reverted to the Reserve/Injured list. Aug. 29, 2014 — Terminated the contract of HB BenJarvus Green-Ellis; Waived LB Brandon Joiner, DT LaKendrick Ross and QB Tyler Wilson. Aug. 30, 2014 — Placed G Trey Hopkins on the Reserve/Injured list; Placed QB AJ McCarron on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list; Placed CB Chris Lewis-Harris on the Reserve/Suspended by Commissioner list; Terminated the contracts of S Danieal Manning and OT Will Svitek; Waived CB Lavelle Westbrooks from the Reserve/Injured list (injury settlement); Waived the following 13 players: H-B Orson Charles, OT Dan France, WR Cobi Hamilton, CB Victor Hampton, DT David King, WR Colin Lockett, CB Onterio McCalebb, DE Dontay Moch, DE Sam Montgomery, C Trevor Robinson, DT Devon Still, FB Nikita Whitlock and HB James Wilder Jr.. Aug. 31, 2014 — Signed the following nine players to the practice squad: OT Dan France, TE Kevin Greene (FA), DT David King, WR Colin Lockett, CB Onterio McCalebb, DE Sam Sept. 3, 2014 Sept. 6, 2014 — — Sept. 9, 2014 — Sept. 10, 2014 — Sept. 15, 2014 — Sept. 16, 2014 — Sept. 17, 2014 — Oct. 7, 2014 — Oct. 8, 2014 Oct. 14, 2014 — — Oct. 15, 2014 Oct. 16, 2014 — — Nov. 3, 2014 — Montgomery, C Trevor Robinson, DT Devon Still, and HB James Wilder Jr.. Signed WR Tevin Reese to the practice squad. Signed CB Onterio McCalebb from the practice squad; Waived DT Christo Bilukidi. Waived CB Onterio McCalebb. Signed DT Devon Still from practice squad; Placed TE Tyler Eifert on the Reserve/Injured list (designated for possible return); Signed CB Onterio McCalebb and TE Ryan Otten (FA) to practice squad. Announced that the NFL granted CB Chris Lewis-Harris (Reserve/Suspended by Commissioner list) a two-day roster exemption to participate in team activities. Signed TE Kevin Brock (FA); Placed TE Alex Smith on the Reserve/Injured list; Signed OT/G Emmett Cleary (FA) to the practice squad; Released TE Ryan Otten from the practice squad. Activated CB Chris Lewis-Harris from exemption status to the 53-player roster. Acquired LB Khairi Fortt on waivers from New Orleans; Placed LB Sean Porter on the Reserve/Injured list; C Trevor Robinson (practice squad) signed with San Diego. Signed G/C Jeff Baca (FA) to the practice squad. Signed WR Greg Little (FA); Placed WR Marvin Jones on the Reserve/Injured list; Waived LB Khairi Fortt; Signed WR Cobi Hamilton (FA) to practice squad; Released WR Colin Lockett from the practice squad. Signed LB Nico Johnson off Kansas City practice squad. Signed LB Khairi Fortt to the practice squad; Released G/C Jeff Baca from the practice squad. Signed LB Justin Jackson and TE Jake Murphy to the practice squad; Released TE Kevin Greene from the practice squad; LB Khairi Fortt (practice squad) signed with Jacksonville. * NOTE: Signed a new contract before finishing the final season(s) of existing contract. — 25 — PARTICIPATION CHART LEGEND (NOTE: Position designation indicates start.) P — played as a substitute DNP — did not play IL — inactive list PS — practice squad Cin. 1 2 NAME G-S @Balt. ATL. Atkins, Geno .......................... 9-9 DT DT Baca, Jeff .............................. 0-0 NWT NWT Bernard, Giovani ................... 7-7 HB HB Bodine, Russell ..................... 9-9 C C Boling, Clint ........................... 9-9 LG LG Brock, Kevin .......................... 7-0 NWT NWT Burfict, Vontaze ..................... 5-5 WLB WLB Burkhead, Rex ...................... 4-0 IL IL Campbell, Jason ................... 3-0 DNP DNP Clarke, Will ............................ 1-0 IL IL Cleary, Emmett ..................... 0-0 NWT NWT Dalton, Andy .......................... 9-9 QB QB Dennard, Darqueze ............... 7-0 IL P DiManche, Jayson................. 9-1 P P Dunlap, Carlos ...................... 9-9 LDE LDE Eifert, Tyler ............................ 1-1 2ndTE RI^ Flowers, Marquis ................... 9-0 P P Fortt, Khairi ............................ 0-0 NWT NWT France, Dan .......................... 0-0 PS PS Geathers, Robert................... 9-0 P P Gilberry, Wallace ................... 9-9 RDE RDE Green, A.J. ............................ 6-6 WR WR Greene, Kevin ....................... 0-0 PS PS Gresham, Jermaine............... 9-9 TE TE Hall, Leon .............................. 8-8 RCB RCB Hamilton, Cobi....................... 0-0 NWT NWT Harris, Clark .......................... 9-0 P P Hawkinson, Tanner ............... 3-0 DNP IL Hewitt, Ryan .......................... 9-5 H-B H-B Hill, Jeremy ........................... 9-3 P P Hopkins, Trey ........................ 0-0 RI RI Huber, Kevin ......................... 9-0 P P Hunt, Margus ......................... 9-0 P P Iloka, George ......................... 9-9 SS SS Jackson, Justin...................... 0-0 NWT NWT Johnson, Nico ....................... 4-2 NWT NWT Johnson, T.J. ......................... 1-0 IL IL Jones, Adam ......................... 9-1 P P Jones, Marvin ........................ 0-0 IL IL King, David ............................ 0-0 PS PS Kirkpatrick, Dre ...................... 9-0 P P Lamur, Emmanuel ................. 8-8 SLB SLB Lewis-Harris, Chris ................ 1-0 RSBC RSBC Little, Greg ............................. 4-1 NWT NWT Lockett, Colin ........................ 0-0 PS PS Maualuga, Rey ...................... 5-5 MLB MLB Mays, Taylor.......................... 9-0 P P McCalebb, Onterio ................ 1-0 P PS McCarron, AJ ........................ 0-0 RNFI RNFI Montgomery, Sam ................. 0-0 PS PS Murphy, Jake......................... 0-0 NWT NWT Nelson, Reggie...................... 9-9 FS FS Newhouse, Marshall.............. 8-2 P P Newman, Terence ................. 9-9 LCB LCB Nugent, Mike ......................... 9-0 P P Otten, Ryan ........................... 0-0 NWT PS Peerman, Cedric ................... 9-0 P P Peko, Domata ....................... 9-9 NT NT Pollak, Mike ........................... 7-4 DNP P Porter, Sean .......................... 1-0 IL IL Reese, Tevin ......................... 0-0 PS PS Rey, Vincent .......................... 9-6 P P Robinson, Trevor................... 0-0 PS PS Sanu, Mohamed .................... 9-8 P WR Sanzenbacher, Dane ............ 7-1 P P Schaffer, J.K. ......................... 0-0 RI RI Smith, Alex ............................ 2-0 P P Smith, Andre ......................... 8-8 ROT ROT Still, Devon ............................ 8-0 PS P Tate, Brandon ....................... 9-3 P P Thompson, Brandon ............. 4-0 P P Whitworth, Andrew ................ 9-9 LOT LOT Wilder, James Jr. .................. 0-0 PS PS Williams, Shawn .................... 9-0 P P Wright, James ....................... 8-0 IL P Zeitler, Kevin ......................... 5-5 RG RG RI — reserve/injured list RPUP — reserve/physically unable to perform list RNFI — reserve/non-football injury list RNF-I — reserve/non-football illness list RSBC — reserve/suspended by commissioner list 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 TENN. @N.E. CAR @Ind. BALT. JAX. CLE. DT DT DT DT DT DT DT NWT NWT PS NWT NWT NWT NWT HB HB HB HB HB IL IL C C C C C C C LG LG LG LG LG LG LG P P P P P P P IL IL WLB WLB WLB IL IL IL IL P P IL P P P P DNP DNP DNP DNP P P IL IL IL IL IL IL PS PS PS PS PS PS PS QB QB QB QB QB QB QB P P P P P IL P P P P SLB P P P LDE LDE LDE LDE LDE LDE LDE RI^ RI^ RI^ RI^ RI^ RI^ RI^ P P P P P P P NWT NWT IL PS PS PS NWT PS PS PS PS PS PS PS P P P P P P P RDE RDE RDE RDE RDE RDE RDE WR WR IL IL IL WR WR PS PS PS PS PS PS NWT TE TE TE TE TE TE TE RCB RCB RCB RCB RCB RCB IL NWT NWT NWT PS PS PS PS P P P P P P P P DNP DNP IL IL P P P H-B P P H-B P H-B P P 2ndHB P P HB HB RI RI RI RI RI RI RI P P P P P P P P P P P P P P SS SS SS SS SS SS SS NWT NWT NWT NWT NWT NWT PS NWT NWT NWT P P MLB MLB P DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP P P P P P P RCB IL IL IL RI RI RI RI PS PS PS PS PS PS PS P P P P P P P SLB SLB SLB IL SLB SLB SLB IL IL IL IL IL P DNP NWT NWT NWT P P 3rdWR P PS PS PS NWT NWT NWT NWT MLB MLB MLB IL IL IL IL P P P P P P P PS PS PS PS PS PS PS RNFI RNFI RNFI RNFI RNFI RNFI RNFI PS PS PS PS PS PS PS NWT NWT NWT NWT NWT NWT PS FS FS FS FS FS FS FS 2ndTE P P DNP P P ROT LCB LCB LCB LCB LCB LCB LCB P P P P P P P NWT NWT NWT NWT NWT NWT NWT P P P P P P P NT NT NT NT NT NT NT RG RG RG DNP P RG P IL P RI RI RI RI RI PS PS PS PS PS PS PS WLB WLB P MLB MLB WLB WLB PS PS NWT NWT NWT NWT NWT WR WR WR WR WR WR WR P P P 3rdWR P IL IL RI RI RI RI RI RI RI RI RI RI RI RI RI RI ROT ROT ROT ROT ROT ROT IL P P P P P P P P P WR WR WR P P IL IL IL IL IL P P LOT LOT LOT LOT LOT LOT LOT PS PS PS PS PS PS PS P P P P P P P P P P P P P P IL IL IL RG RG IL RG — 26 — RF — REX — ^ — * — NWT — 10 11 @N.O. @Hou. reserve/future list roster exemption reserve/injured player designated for return eligible to practice with a roster exemption not with team 12 13 14 15 16 @T.B. PITT. @Cle. DEN. @Pitt. STARTING LINEUPS DATE OPPONENT WR LOT LG C OFFENSE RG ROT TE H-B WR QB HB Sept. 7 Sept. 14 Sept. 21 Sept. 28 Oct. 5 Oct. 12 Oct. 19 Oct. 26 Nov. 2 Nov. 6 Nov. 16 Nov. 23 Nov. 30 Dec. 7 Dec. 14 Dec. 22 at Baltimore ATLANTA TENNESSEE — BYE — at New England CAROLINA at Indianapolis BALTIMORE JACKSONVILLE CLEVELAND at New Orleans at Houston at Tampa Bay PITTSBURGH at Cleveland DENVER Green Green Green Whitworth Whitworth Whitworth Boling Boling Boling Bodine Bodine Bodine Zeitler Zeitler Pollak An.Smith An.Smith An.Smith Gresham Gresham Gresham Hewitt Hewitt Newhouse(2ndTE) Eifert(2ndTE) Sanu Sanu Dalton Dalton Dalton Bernard Bernard Bernard Green Tate Tate Tate Green Green Whitworth Whitworth Whitworth Whitworth Whitworth Whitworth Boling Boling Boling Boling Boling Boling Bodine Bodine Bodine Bodine Bodine Bodine Pollak Pollak Zeitler Zeitler Pollak Zeitler An.Smith An.Smith An.Smith An.Smith An.Smith Newhouse Gresham Gresham Gresham Gresham Gresham Gresham Hewitt Hill(2ndHB) Sanzenbacher(3rdWR) Hewitt Little(3rdWR) Hewitt Sanu Sanu Sanu Sanu Sanu Sanu Dalton Dalton Dalton Dalton Dalton Dalton Bernard Bernard Bernard Bernard Hill Hill Dec. 28 at Pittsburgh DEFENSE SLB MLB DATE OPPONENT LDE NT DT RDE WLB LCB RCB SS FS Sept. 7 Sept. 14 Sept. 21 Sept. 28 Oct. 5 Oct. 12 Oct. 19 Oct. 26 Nov. 2 Nov. 6 Nov. 16 Nov. 23 Nov. 30 Dec. 7 Dec. 14 Dec. 22 Dec. 28 at Baltimore ATLANTA TENNESSEE — BYE — at New England CAROLINA at Indianapolis BALTIMORE JACKSONVILLE CLEVELAND at New Orleans at Houston at Tampa Bay PITTSBURGH at Cleveland DENVER at Pittsburgh Dunlap Dunlap Dunlap Peko Peko Peko Atkins Atkins Atkins Gilberry Gilberry Gilberry Lamur Lamur Lamur Maualuga Maualuga Maualuga Burfict Burfict Rey Newman Newman Newman Hall Hall Hall Iloka Iloka Iloka Nelson Nelson Nelson Dunlap Dunlap Dunlap Dunlap Dunlap Dunlap Peko Peko Peko Peko Peko Peko Atkins Atkins Atkins Atkins Atkins Atkins Gilberry Gilberry Gilberry Gilberry Gilberry Gilberry Lamur Lamur DiManche Lamur Lamur Lamur Maualuga Maualuga Rey Rey N.Johnson N.Johnson Rey Burfict Burfict Burfict Rey Rey Newman Newman Newman Newman Newman Newman Hall Hall Hall Hall Hall A.Jones Iloka Iloka Iloka Iloka Iloka Iloka Nelson Nelson Nelson Nelson Nelson Nelson — 27 — DEPTH CHART NOV. 11, 2014 OFFENSE WR LOT LG C RG ROT TE H-B/TE WR QB HB 18 A.J. GREEN 77 ANDREW WHITWORTH 65 CLINT BOLING 61 RUSSELL BODINE 68 KEVIN ZEITLER 71 ANDRE SMITH 84 JERMAINE GRESHAM 89 RYAN HEWITT (H-back) 12 MOHAMED SANU 14 ANDY DALTON 25 GIOVANI BERNARD 19 74 67 67 60 72 83 83 11 17 32 LDE NT DT RDE SLB MLB WLB LCB RCB SS FS 96 CARLOS DUNLAP 94 DOMATA PEKO 97 GENO ATKINS 95 WALLACE GILBERRY 59 EMMANUEL LAMUR 58 REY MAUALUGA 55 VONTAZE BURFICT 23 TERENCE NEWMAN 29 LEON HALL 43 GEORGE ILOKA 20 REGGIE NELSON 99 98 75 91 51 52 57 27 24 36 26 P K LS H PR KOR 10 2 46 10 19 19 Brandon Tate Marshall Newhouse Mike Pollak Mike Pollak T.J. Johnson Tanner Hawkinson Kevin Brock Kevin Brock (TE) Dane Sanzenbacher Jason Campbell Jeremy Hill 86 James Wright 60 T.J. Johnson 88 Greg Little 30 Cedric Peerman 33 Rex Burkhead DEFENSE Margus Hunt Brandon Thompson Devon Still Robert Geathers Jayson DiManche Nico Johnson Vincent Rey Dre Kirkpatrick Adam Jones Shawn Williams Taylor Mays 93 Will Clarke 53 37 21 Marquis Flowers Chris Lewis-Harris Darqueze Dennard 11 24 30 Dane Sanzenbacher Adam Jones Cedric Peerman SPECIAL TEAMS Kevin Huber Mike Nugent Clark Harris Kevin Huber Brandon Tate Brandon Tate 24 11 Adam Jones Dane Sanzenbacher NOTE: Players whose names are CAPITALIZED are projected starters in the team’s base units. Rookies are underlined. PRONUNCIATION GUIDE Geno Atkins ................................................................................................. JEE-no Giovani Bernard ..............................................................................jee-o-VAHN-ee Russell Bodine ........................................................................................... BO-dine Vontaze Burfict ................................... VONN-tez BER-fict(rhymes with “perfect”) Darqueze Dennard .............................................................. dar-KWEZ deh-NARD Jayson DiManche ............................................................................. dih-MAHNCH Tyler Eifert (Reserve/Injured) ........................................... IE(rhymes with “tie”)-fert Marquis Flowers .............................................. mar-KEECE(rhymes with “peace”) Robert Geathers ........................................................... (pronounced as “gathers”) Jermaine Gresham .............................................................. jer-MAIN GRESH-em Paul Guenther (defensive coordinator)....................................................GUN-thur Cobi Hamilton (practice squad)...................................................................KO-bee Ryan Hewitt.................................................................................................. HUE-it Margus Hunt .......................................................................................... MAR-guss George Iloka ............................................................... ie(rhymes with “tie”)-LO-kuh Nico Johnson.............................................................................................. NEE-ko Dre Kirkpatrick ............................................................................................... DRAY Emmanuel Lamur ...................................................................................... luh-MER Rey Maualuga .................................... RAY mow(rhymes with “now”)-uh-LOO-guh Onterio McCalebb (practice squad) ...................................................mc-KAY-lebb Domata Peko ..................................................................... DOE-mah-tah PECK-o Vincent Rey ..................................................................................................... RAY Mohamed Sanu ........................................................................................suh-NOO Dane Sanzenbacher ................................................................ SAHNZ-en-bock-er Devon Still .................................................................................................. DEV-un Ken Zampese (quarterbacks coach) .................................................zam-PEE-zee Kevin Zeitler ............................................................................................... ZITE-ler — 28 — ALPHABETICAL ROSTER NO. NAME POS. HT. WT. NOV. 11, 2014 BORN EXP. COLLEGE HOMETOWN HOW ACQ. 97 Atkins, Geno ...................................................DT 6-1 303 3-28-88 5 Georgia Pembroke Pines, Fla. D4a’10 25 Bernard, Giovani ............................................ HB 5-9 208 11-22-91 2 North Carolina Boca Raton, Fla. D2a’13 61 Bodine, Russell ................................................. C 6-3 306 6-30-92 R North Carolina Scottsville, Va. D4’14 65 Boling, Clint....................................................... G 6-5 310 5-9-89 4 Georgia Alpharetta, Ga. D4’11 83 Brock, Kevin.................................................... TE 6-5 264 4-9-86 2 Rutgers Hackensack, N.J. FA’13 55 Burfict, Vontaze .............................................. LB 6-1 248 9-24-90 3 Arizona State Corona, Calif. CFA’12 33 Burkhead, Rex ............................................... HB 5-10 215 7-2-90 2 Nebraska Plano, Texas D6a’13 17 Campbell, Jason ............................................ QB 6-5 235 12-31-81 10 Auburn Laurel, Miss. FA’14 93 Clarke, Will..................................................... DE 6-6 271 5-4-91 R West Virginia Pittsburgh, Pa. D3’14 14 Dalton, Andy .................................................. QB 6-2 220 10-29-87 4 Texas Christian Katy, Texas D2’11 21 Dennard, Darqueze ....................................... CB 5-11 202 10-10-91 R Michigan State Dry Branch, Ga. D1’14 51 DiManche, Jayson .......................................... LB 6-1 244 9-22-90 2 Southern Illinois Hamilton, N.J. CFA’13 96 Dunlap, Carlos ............................................... DE 6-6 280 2-28-89 5 Florida North Charleston, S.C. D2’10 53 Flowers, Marquis ............................................ LB 6-3 240 2-16-92 R Arizona Phoenix, Ariz. D6’14 91 Geathers, Robert ........................................... DE 6-3 286 8-11-83 11 Georgia Georgetown, S.C. D4b’04 95 Gilberry, Wallace ........................................... DE 6-2 275 12-5-84 7 Alabama Bay Minette, Ala. FA’12 18 Green, A.J..................................................... WR 6-4 207 7-31-88 4 Georgia Summerville, S.C. D1’11 84 Gresham, Jermaine ........................................ TE 6-5 260 6-16-88 5 Oklahoma Ardmore, Okla. D1’10 29 Hall, Leon....................................................... CB 5-11 195 12-9-84 8 Michigan Vista, Calif. D1’07 46 Harris, Clark .................................................... LS 6-5 245 7-10-84 6 Rutgers Manahawkin, N.J. FA’09 72 Hawkinson, Tanner........................................ OT 6-5 300 5-14-90 2 Kansas McPherson, Kan. D5’13 89 Hewitt, Ryan ................................................. H-B 6-4 254 1-24-91 R Stanford Denver, Colo. CFA’14 32 Hill, Jeremy .................................................... HB 6-1 235 10-20-92 R Louisiana State Baton Rouge, La. D2’14 10 Huber, Kevin ..................................................... P 6-1 214 7-16-85 6 Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio D5’09 99 Hunt, Margus ................................................. DE 6-8 290 7-14-87 2 Southern Methodist Karksi-Nuia (Estonia) D2b’13 43 Iloka, George .................................................... S 6-4 220 3-31-90 3 Boise State Houston, Texas D5c’12 52 Johnson, Nico ................................................. LB 6-2 249 6-19-90 2 Alabama Andalusia, Ala. PS(K.C.)’14 60 Johnson, T.J. ................................................ G/C 6-4 310 7-17-90 1 South Carolina Aynor, S.C. D7b’13 24 Jones, Adam .................................................. CB 5-10 186 9-30-83 8 West Virginia Atlanta, Ga. FA’10 27 Kirkpatrick, Dre .............................................. CB 6-2 190 10-26-89 3 Alabama Gadsden, Ala. D1a’12 59 Lamur, Emmanuel .......................................... LB 6-4 240 6-8-89 3 Kansas State West Palm Beach, Fla. CFA’12 37 Lewis-Harris, Chris ........................................ CB 5-10 186 2-11-89 2 Tennessee-Chattanooga Smyrna, Ga. CFA’12 88 Little, Greg .................................................... WR 6-2 220 5-30-89 4 North Carolina Durham, N.C. FA’14 58 Maualuga, Rey................................................ LB 6-2 255 1-20-87 6 Southern California Eureka, Calif. D2’09 26 Mays, Taylor ..................................................... S 6-3 225 2-7-88 5 Southern California Seattle, Wash. T(S.F.)’11 20 Nelson, Reggie ................................................. S 5-11 210 9-21-83 8 Florida Melbourne, Fla. T(Jax.)’10 74 Newhouse, Marshall ...................................... OT 6-4 328 9-29-88 5 Texas Christian Dallas, Texas UFA(G.B.)’14 23 Newman, Terence ......................................... CB 5-10 197 9-4-78 12 Kansas State Salina, Kan. FA’12 2 Nugent, Mike..................................................... K 5-10 190 3-2-82 10 Ohio State Centerville, Ohio FA’10 30 Peerman, Cedric ............................................ HB 5-10 214 10-10-86 5 Virginia Gladys, Va. W(Det.)’10 94 Peko, Domata .................................................DT 6-3 322 11-27-84 9 Michigan State Pago Pago (American Samoa) D4’06 67 Pollak, Mike .................................................. G/C 6-3 300 2-16-85 7 Arizona State Chandler, Ariz. UFA(Car.)’13 57 Rey, Vincent ................................................... LB 6-0 255 9-6-87 4 Duke Far Rockaway, N.Y. CFA’10 12 Sanu, Mohamed ........................................... WR 6-2 210 8-22-89 3 Rutgers South Brunswick, N.J. D3a’12 11 Sanzenbacher, Dane .................................... WR 5-11 184 10-13-88 4 Ohio State Toledo, Ohio W(Chi.)’12 71 Smith, Andre .................................................. OT 6-4 340 1-25-87 6 Alabama Birmingham, Ala. D1’09 75 Still, Devon......................................................DT 6-5 310 7-11-89 3 Penn State Wilmington, Del. D2’12 19 Tate, Brandon ............................................... WR 6-1 195 10-5-87 6 North Carolina Burlington, N.C. W(N.E.)’11 98 Thompson, Brandon .......................................DT 6-2 315 10-19-89 3 Clemson Thomasville, Ga. D3b’12 77 Whitworth, Andrew ........................................ OT 6-7 330 12-12-81 9 Louisiana State West Monroe, La. D2’06 36 Williams, Shawn ............................................... S 6-0 216 5-13-91 2 Georgia Damascus, Ga. D3’13 86 Wright, James ............................................... WR 6-1 201 12-31-91 R Louisiana State Buras, La. D7a’14 68 Zeitler, Kevin ..................................................... G 6-4 315 3-8-90 3 Wisconsin Waukesha, Wis. D1b’12 PRACTICE SQUAD (date assigned) 63 Cleary, Emmett (9-16-14) ...........................OT/G 6-7 324 4-27-90 1 Boston College Arlington Heights, Ill. FA’14 64 France, Dan (8-31-14) ................................... OT 6-5 315 4-1-91 R Michigan State North Royalton, Ohio CFA’14 87 Hamilton, Cobi (10-14-14) ............................ WR 6-2 197 11-13-90 1 Arkansas Texarkana, Texas FA’14 50 Jackson, Justin (11-3-14) ............................... LB 6-0 232 8-24-91 R Wake Forest Rockingham, N.C. FA’14 76 King, David (8-31-14) .....................................DT 6-4 300 12-27-89 1 Oklahoma Houston, Texas FA’13 39 McCalebb, Onterio (9-10-14)......................... CB 5-10 175 8-10-89 1 Auburn Fort Meade, Fla. CFA’13 70 Montgomery, Sam (8-31-14) ......................... DE 6-3 270 5-25-90 2 Louisiana State Greenwood, S.C. FA’14 80 Murphy, Jake (11-3-14) .................................. TE 6-4 252 9-21-89 R Utah Alpine, Utah FA’14 16 Reese, Tevin (9-3-14)................................... WR 5-10 170 1-2-91 R Baylor Temple, Texas FA’14 34 Wilder, James Jr. (8-31-14) ........................... HB 6-3 232 4-14-92 R Florida State Tampa, Fla. CFA’14 RESERVE/NON-FOOTBALL INJURY (date assigned; injury) 5 McCarron, AJ (8-30-14; shoulder) ................. QB 6-3 220 9-13-90 R Alabama Mobile, Ala. D5’14 RESERVE/INJURED (date assigned; injury) 85 + Eifert, Tyler (9-10-14; elbow) .......................... TE 6-6 250 9-8-90 2 Notre Dame Fort Wayne, Ind. D1’13 73 Hopkins, Trey (8-30-14; leg) ............................. G 6-3 310 7-6-92 R Texas Houston, Texas CFA’14 82 Jones, Marvin (10-14-14; ankle)................... WR 6-2 198 3-12-90 3 California Fontana, Calif. D5b’12 56 Porter, Sean (10-7-14; knee).......................... LB 6-1 242 1-12-91 2 Texas A&M Schertz, Texas D4’13 50 Schaffer, J.K. (8-27-14; concussion) .............. LB 6-0 232 6-10-90 2 Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio FA’12 81 Smith, Alex (9-16-14; biceps) ......................... TE 6-4 250 5-22-82 10 Stanford Denver, Colo. UFA(Cle.)’13 COACHING STAFF: Head coach: Marvin Lewis. Assistants: Paul Alexander (assistant head coach/offensive line), Brian Braswell (offensive assistant/quality control), Matt Burke (linebackers), Mark Carrier (defensive backs), Kyle Caskey (running backs), Brayden Coombs (assistant special teams/quality control), Jeff Friday (assistant strength and conditioning), Paul Guenther (defensive coordinator), Jay Hayes (defensive line), Jonathan Hayes (tight ends), Hue Jackson (offensive coordinator), Vance Joseph (defensive backs), Marcus Lewis (defensive assistant/quality control), David Lippincott (assistant linebackers/quality control), Chip Morton (strength and conditioning), Darrin Simmons (special teams coordinator), James Urban (wide receivers), Ken Zampese (quarterbacks). NOTE: A plus sign (+) indicates a player on the Reserve/Injured list who is designated for possible return to the active roster in 2014. — 29 — NUMERICAL ROSTER NO. NAME POS. HT. WT. NOV. 11, 2014 BORN EXP. COLLEGE HOMETOWN HOW ACQ. 2 Mike Nugent...................................................... K 5-10 190 3-2-82 10 Ohio State Centerville, Ohio FA’10 10 Kevin Huber ...................................................... P 6-1 214 7-16-85 6 Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio D5’09 11 Dane Sanzenbacher ..................................... WR 5-11 184 10-13-88 4 Ohio State Toledo, Ohio W(Chi.)’12 12 Mohamed Sanu ............................................ WR 6-2 210 8-22-89 3 Rutgers South Brunswick, N.J. D3a’12 14 Andy Dalton ................................................... QB 6-2 220 10-29-87 4 Texas Christian Katy, Texas D2’11 17 Jason Campbell ............................................. QB 6-5 235 12-31-81 10 Auburn Laurel, Miss. FA’14 18 A.J. Green..................................................... WR 6-4 207 7-31-88 4 Georgia Summerville, S.C. D1’11 19 Brandon Tate ................................................ WR 6-1 195 10-5-87 6 North Carolina Burlington, N.C. W(N.E.)’11 20 Reggie Nelson .................................................. S 5-11 210 9-21-83 8 Florida Melbourne, Fla. T(Jax.)’10 21 Darqueze Dennard ........................................ CB 5-11 202 10-10-91 R Michigan State Dry Branch, Ga. D1’14 23 Terence Newman .......................................... CB 5-10 197 9-4-78 12 Kansas State Salina, Kan. FA’12 24 Adam Jones ................................................... CB 5-10 186 9-30-83 8 West Virginia Atlanta, Ga. FA’10 25 Giovani Bernard ............................................. HB 5-9 208 11-22-91 2 North Carolina Boca Raton, Fla. D2a’13 26 Taylor Mays ...................................................... S 6-3 225 2-7-88 5 Southern California Seattle, Wash. T(S.F.)’11 27 Dre Kirkpatrick ............................................... CB 6-2 190 10-26-89 3 Alabama Gadsden, Ala. D1a’12 29 Leon Hall........................................................ CB 5-11 195 12-9-84 8 Michigan Vista, Calif. D1’07 30 Cedric Peerman ............................................. HB 5-10 214 10-10-86 5 Virginia Gladys, Va. W(Det.)’10 32 Jeremy Hill ..................................................... HB 6-1 235 10-20-92 R Louisiana State Baton Rouge, La. D2’14 33 Rex Burkhead ................................................ HB 5-10 215 7-2-90 2 Nebraska Plano, Texas D6a’13 36 Shawn Williams ................................................ S 6-0 216 5-13-91 2 Georgia Damascus, Ga. D3’13 37 Chris Lewis-Harris ......................................... CB 5-10 186 2-11-89 2 Tennessee-Chattanooga Smyrna, Ga. CFA’12 43 George Iloka ..................................................... S 6-4 220 3-31-90 3 Boise State Houston, Texas D5c’12 46 Clark Harris ..................................................... LS 6-5 245 7-10-84 6 Rutgers Manahawkin, N.J. FA’09 51 Jayson DiManche ........................................... LB 6-1 244 9-22-90 2 Southern Illinois Hamilton, N.J. CFA’13 52 Nico Johnson .................................................. LB 6-2 249 6-19-90 2 Alabama Andalusia, Ala. PS(K.C.)’14 53 Marquis Flowers ............................................. LB 6-3 240 2-16-92 R Arizona Phoenix, Ariz. D6’14 55 Vontaze Burfict ............................................... LB 6-1 248 9-24-90 3 Arizona State Corona, Calif. CFA’12 57 Vincent Rey .................................................... LB 6-0 255 9-6-87 4 Duke Far Rockaway, N.Y. CFA’10 58 Rey Maualuga................................................. LB 6-2 255 1-20-87 6 Southern California Eureka, Calif. D2’09 59 Emmanuel Lamur ........................................... LB 6-4 240 6-8-89 3 Kansas State West Palm Beach, Fla. CFA’12 60 T.J. Johnson ................................................. G/C 6-4 310 7-17-90 1 South Carolina Aynor, S.C. D7b’13 61 Russell Bodine .................................................. C 6-3 306 6-30-92 R North Carolina Scottsville, Va. D4’14 65 Clint Boling........................................................ G 6-5 310 5-9-89 4 Georgia Alpharetta, Ga. D4’11 67 Mike Pollak ................................................... G/C 6-3 300 2-16-85 7 Arizona State Chandler, Ariz. UFA(Car.)’13 68 Kevin Zeitler ...................................................... G 6-4 315 3-8-90 3 Wisconsin Waukesha, Wis. D1b’12 71 Andre Smith ................................................... OT 6-4 340 1-25-87 6 Alabama Birmingham, Ala. D1’09 72 Tanner Hawkinson ......................................... OT 6-5 300 5-14-90 2 Kansas McPherson, Kan. D5’13 74 Marshall Newhouse ....................................... OT 6-4 328 9-29-88 5 Texas Christian Dallas, Texas UFA(G.B.)’14 75 Devon Still.......................................................DT 6-5 310 7-11-89 3 Penn State Wilmington, Del. D2’12 77 Andrew Whitworth ......................................... OT 6-7 330 12-12-81 9 Louisiana State West Monroe, La. D2’06 83 Kevin Brock..................................................... TE 6-5 264 4-9-86 2 Rutgers Hackensack, N.J. FA’13 84 Jermaine Gresham ......................................... TE 6-5 260 6-16-88 5 Oklahoma Ardmore, Okla. D1’10 86 James Wright ................................................ WR 6-1 201 12-31-91 R Louisiana State Buras, La. D7a’14 88 Greg Little ..................................................... WR 6-2 220 5-30-89 4 North Carolina Durham, N.C. FA’14 89 Ryan Hewitt .................................................. H-B 6-4 254 1-24-91 R Stanford Denver, Colo. CFA’14 91 Robert Geathers ............................................ DE 6-3 286 8-11-83 11 Georgia Georgetown, S.C. D4b’04 93 Will Clarke...................................................... DE 6-6 271 5-4-91 R West Virginia Pittsburgh, Pa. D3’14 94 Domata Peko ..................................................DT 6-3 322 11-27-84 9 Michigan State Pago Pago (American Samoa) D4’06 95 Wallace Gilberry ............................................ DE 6-2 275 12-5-84 7 Alabama Bay Minette, Ala. FA’12 96 Carlos Dunlap ................................................ DE 6-6 280 2-28-89 5 Florida North Charleston, S.C. D2’10 97 Geno Atkins ....................................................DT 6-1 303 3-28-88 5 Georgia Pembroke Pines, Fla. D4a’10 98 Brandon Thompson ........................................DT 6-2 315 10-19-89 3 Clemson Thomasville, Ga. D3b’12 99 Margus Hunt .................................................. DE 6-8 290 7-14-87 2 Southern Methodist Karksi-Nuia (Estonia) D2b’13 PRACTICE SQUAD (date assigned) 16 Tevin Reese (9-3-14).................................... WR 5-10 170 1-2-91 R Baylor Temple, Texas FA’14 34 James Wilder Jr. (8-31-14) ............................ HB 6-3 232 4-14-92 R Florida State Tampa, Fla. CFA’14 39 Onterio McCalebb (9-10-14).......................... CB 5-10 175 8-10-89 1 Auburn Fort Meade, Fla. CFA’13 50 Justin Jackson (11-3-14) ................................ LB 6-0 232 8-24-91 R Wake Forest Rockingham, N.C. FA’14 63 Emmett Cleary (9-16-14) ............................OT/G 6-7 324 4-27-90 1 Boston College Arlington Heights, Ill. FA’14 64 Dan France (8-31-14) .................................... OT 6-5 315 4-1-91 R Michigan State North Royalton, Ohio CFA’14 70 Sam Montgomery (8-31-14) .......................... DE 6-3 270 5-25-90 2 Louisiana State Greenwood, S.C. FA’14 76 David King (8-31-14) ......................................DT 6-4 300 12-27-89 1 Oklahoma Houston, Texas FA’13 80 Jake Murphy (11-3-14) ................................... TE 6-4 252 9-21-89 R Utah Alpine, Utah FA’14 87 Cobi Hamilton (10-14-14) ............................. WR 6-2 197 11-13-90 1 Arkansas Texarkana, Texas FA’14 RESERVE/NON-FOOTBALL INJURY (date assigned; injury) 5 AJ McCarron (8-30-14; shoulder) .................. QB 6-3 220 9-13-90 R Alabama Mobile, Ala. D5’14 RESERVE/INJURED (date assigned; injury) 50 J.K. Schaffer (8-27-14; concussion) ............... LB 6-0 232 6-10-90 2 Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio FA’12 56 Sean Porter (10-7-14; knee)........................... LB 6-1 242 1-12-91 2 Texas A&M Schertz, Texas D4’13 73 Trey Hopkins (8-30-14; leg) .............................. G 6-3 310 7-6-92 R Texas Houston, Texas CFA’14 81 Alex Smith (9-16-14; biceps) .......................... TE 6-4 250 5-22-82 10 Stanford Denver, Colo. UFA(Cle.)’13 82 Marvin Jones (10-14-14; ankle).................... WR 6-2 198 3-12-90 3 California Fontana, Calif. D5b’12 85 + Tyler Eifert (9-10-14; elbow) ........................... TE 6-6 250 9-8-90 2 Notre Dame Fort Wayne, Ind. D1’13 COACHING STAFF: Head coach: Marvin Lewis. Assistants: Paul Alexander (assistant head coach/offensive line), Brian Braswell (offensive assistant/quality control), Matt Burke (linebackers), Mark Carrier (defensive backs), Kyle Caskey (running backs), Brayden Coombs (assistant special teams/quality control), Jeff Friday (assistant strength and conditioning), Paul Guenther (defensive coordinator), Jay Hayes (defensive line), Jonathan Hayes (tight ends), Hue Jackson (offensive coordinator), Vance Joseph (defensive backs), Marcus Lewis (defensive assistant/quality control), David Lippincott (assistant linebackers/quality control), Chip Morton (strength and conditioning), Darrin Simmons (special teams coordinator), James Urban (wide receivers), Ken Zampese (quarterbacks). NOTE: A plus sign (+) indicates a player on the Reserve/Injured list who is designated for possible return to the active roster in 2014. — 30 — STATISTICS RECORD: 5-3-1 DATE 9-7 9-14 9-21 9-28 10-5 10-12 10-19 10-26 11-2 11-6 11-16 11-23 11-30 12-7 12-14 12-22 12-28 W-L W W W SCORE 23-16 24-10 33-7 L T L W W L 17-43 37-37 0-27 27-24 33-23 3-24 OPPONENT ATTENDANCE at Baltimore 70,925 ATLANTA 58,574 TENNESSEE 56,743 — BYE — at New England 68,756 CAROLINA 57,053 at Indianapolis 66,539 BALTIMORE 55,711 JACKSONVILLE 60,057 CLEVELAND 65,871 at New Orleans at Houston at Tampa Bay PITTSBURGH at Cleveland DENVER at Pittsburgh TEAM STATISTICS BENGALS TOTAL FIRST DOWNS ...........................................169 Rushing ...............................................................63 Passing ................................................................88 Penalty .................................................................18 3rd Down: Made-Att. .................................... 41-117 3rd Down Pct. ...................................................35.0 4th Down: Made-Att. .......................................... 2-5 4th Down Pct. ...................................................40.0 POSSESSION AVG. ............................................. 27:45 TOTAL NET YARDS ..............................................3058 Avg. Per Game ............................................... 339.8 Total Plays .........................................................561 Avg. Per Play ......................................................5.5 NET YARDS RUSHING .........................................1057 Avg. Per Game ............................................... 117.4 Total Rushes......................................................253 NET YARDS PASSING .........................................2001 Avg. Per Game ............................................... 222.3 Sacked-Yards Lost ........................................ 12-76 Gross Yards .....................................................2077 Att.-Completions ........................................ 296-180 Completion Pct. ................................................60.8 Had Intercepted .....................................................9 PUNTS-AVG. .................................................... 44-47.5 Net Punting Avg. ......................................... 44-44.3 PENALTIES-YARDS.......................................... 58-461 FUMBLES-BALLS LOST ......................................... 8-5 TOUCHDOWNS ........................................................21 Rushing ...............................................................12 Passing ..................................................................9 Returns ..................................................................0 SCORE BY PERIODS 1 BENGALS .............................................29 OPPONENTS .......................................37 2 57 32 3 52 64 OPPONENTS 211 78 114 19 48-128 37.5 7-12 58.3 32:15 3527 391.9 650 5.4 1287 143.0 284 2240 248.9 13-81 2321 353-209 59.2 10 39-41.9 39-33.8 65-563 9-4 23 12 10 1 4 56 75 OT 3 3 PTS 197 211 SCORING TD TD-R TD-P TD-Rt K-PAT FG S PTS Mike Nugent................... 0 0 0 0 20-20 15-21 0 65 Giovani Bernard ............. 5 5 0 0 — — 0 30 Jeremy Hill ..................... 5 5 0 0 — — 0 30 Mohamed Sanu ............. 4 0 4 0 — — 0 26 Andy Dalton ................... 3 2 1 0 — — 0 18 A.J. Green...................... 3 0 3 0 — — 0 18 Brandon Tate ................. 1 0 1 0 — — 0 6 Taylor Mays ................... 0 0 0 0 — — 1 2 BENGALS .................... 21 12 9 0 20-20 15-21 2 197 OPPONENTS .............. 23 12 10 1 20-20 17-22 0 211 Two-point conversions: Sanu 1 (1 P). BENGALS 1-1 (0-0 R, 1-1 P), OPPONENTS 1-3 (1-2 R, 0-1 P). Sacks-yards: Carlos Dunlap 4.5-31.5, Geno Atkins 1.5-12.5, Reggie Nelson 1.5-12.5, Wallace Gilberry 1.5-8.5, Robert Geathers 1-7, Margus Hunt 1-6, Darqueze Dennard 1-3, Domata Peko 1-0. BENGALS 13-81, OPPONENTS 12-76. Fumbles-lost: A.J. Green 2-1, Andy Dalton 1-1, Jeremy Hill 1-1, Dane Sanzenbacher 1-1, Brandon Tate 1-1, Jermaine Gresham 1-0, Adam Jones 1-0. BENGALS 8-5, OPPONENTS 9-4. PASSING ATT Andy Dalton ................................... 281 Jason Campbell ............................... 13 Mohamed Sanu ................................. 2 BENGALS ...................................... 296 OPPONENTS ................................ 353 * CMP 171 7 2 180 209 YDS 1960 49 68 2077 2321 CMP% 60.9 53.8 100.0 60.8 59.2 RUSHING ATT Giovani Bernard............................... 109 Jeremy Hill ......................................... 86 Andy Dalton ....................................... 30 Mohamed Sanu ................................... 4 James Wright....................................... 2 Cedric Peerman................................. 12 Brandon Tate ....................................... 3 Rex Burkhead ...................................... 4 A.J. Green ........................................... 2 Ryan Hewitt ......................................... 1 BENGALS ....................................... 253 OPPONENTS .................................. 284 YDS 446 404 86 40 24 22 21 12 2 0 1057 1287 AVG 4.1 4.7 2.9 10.0 12.0 1.8 7.0 3.0 1.0 0.0 4.2 4.5 LG 89t 60t 20 26 13 4 12 7 5 0 89t 43 TD 5 5 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 12 RECEIVING REC Mohamed Sanu ................................. 41 Jermaine Gresham ............................ 36 A.J. Green ......................................... 23 Giovani Bernard................................. 22 Jeremy Hill ......................................... 15 Brandon Tate ..................................... 14 Dane Sanzenbacher ............................ 7 Greg Little ............................................ 5 Rex Burkhead ...................................... 4 Tyler Eifert ........................................... 3 Cedric Peerman................................... 3 Ryan Hewitt ......................................... 3 Kevin Brock ......................................... 2 James Wright....................................... 1 Andy Dalton ......................................... 1 BENGALS ....................................... 180 OPPONENTS .................................. 209 YDS 648 276 381 179 146 159 87 63 13 37 27 18 1 24 18 2077 2321 AVG 15.8 7.7 16.6 8.1 9.7 11.4 12.4 12.6 3.3 12.3 9.0 6.0 0.5 24.0 18.0 11.5 11.1 LG 76t 23 77t 46 38 50 26 21 8 20 17 7 4 24 18t 77t 80t TD 4 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 10 INTERCEPTIONS NO George Iloka ........................................ 3 Reggie Nelson ..................................... 2 Emmanuel Lamur ................................ 2 Adam Jones......................................... 1 Robert Geathers .................................. 1 Leon Hall ............................................. 1 BENGALS ......................................... 10 OPPONENTS ...................................... 9 YDS 58 31 6 12 2 -3 106 148 AVG 19.3 15.5 3.0 12.0 2.0 -3.0 10.6 16.4 LG 28 31 5 12 2 -3 31 80 TD 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 PUNTING NO Kevin Huber ................ 44 BENGALS .................. 44 OPPONENTS ............. 39 YDS AVG NET TB IN-20 LG BLK. 2091 47.5 44.3 3 18 69 0 2091 47.5 44.3 3 18 69 0 1634 41.9 33.8 4 7 59 1 PUNT RETURNS NO Adam Jones..............................13 Brandon Tate ..............................7 BENGALS ................................20 OPPONENTS ...........................16 FC 0 10 10 10 YDS 193 42 235 82 AVG 14.8 6.0 11.8 5.1 LG 47 11 47 11 TD 0 0 0 0 KICKOFF RETURNS NO Adam Jones....................................... 12 Brandon Tate ..................................... 12 BENGALS ......................................... 24 OPPONENTS .................................... 30 YDS 383 257 640 780 AVG 31.9 21.4 26.7 26.0 LG 97 31 97 47 TD 0 0 0 0 FIELD GOALS 1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ Mike Nugent .............................. 0-0 4-4 6-8 5-7 0-2 BENGALS ................................. 0-0 4-4 6-8 5-7 0-2 OPPONENTS ............................ 1-1 3-3 5-6 5-8 3-4 Mike Nugent: (49G, 22G, 28G, 46G, 38G, 45B), (31G, 38WR, 49WL, 55SH), (29G), (52SH, 23G), (44G, 38G, 42G, 36WR), (—), (32G, 33G), (31G), (43G). Opponents: (55WR, 38G), (46G), (40WR, 44WR), (48G, 19G, 23G, 47G, 35G), (39G, 38WR, 44G, 36G), (23G, 50G), (45G, 50G, 53G), (25G), (32G, 44WR). YDS/ATT 6.98 3.77 34.00 7.02 6.58 TD 8 0 1 9 10 TD% 2.8 0.0 50.0 3.0 2.8 INT 9 0 0 9 10 INT% 3.2 0.0 0.0 3.0 2.8 NOTE: All defensive statistics above are press box statistics produced at the games. — 31 — LG 77t 38 50 77t 80t SKD-YDS 11-70 0-0 1-6 12-76 13-81 RAT 78.0 62.7 158.3 79.5 76.5 DEFENSE* ST Emmanuel Lamur ..... 31 Reggie Nelson .......... 35 Vincent Rey .............. 22 Terence Newman ..... 33 George Iloka ............. 34 Adam Jones ............. 31 Leon Hall .................. 27 Carlos Dunlap........... 23 Wallace Gilberry ....... 13 Domata Peko............ 16 Vontaze Burfict ......... 15 Geno Atkins .............. 12 Rey Maualuga ............ 9 Devon Still .................. 9 Robert Geathers ......... 6 Brandon Thompson .... 5 Nico Johnson.............. 7 Dre Kirkpatrick ............ 6 Jayson DiManche ....... 4 Margus Hunt ............... 4 Darqueze Dennard ..... 4 Marquis Flowers ......... 2 AT 29 24 31 17 13 11 12 15 21 17 14 7 10 8 7 7 4 2 3 2 1 2 TT SKS-YDS INT-YDS PD 60 0-0 2-6 7 59 1.5-12.5 2-31 6 53 0-0 0-0 3 50 0-0 0-0 8 47 0-0 3-58 8 42 0-0 1-12 9 39 0-0 1-(-3) 4 38 4.5-31.5 0-0 1 34 1.5-8.5 0-0 2 33 1-0 0-0 0 29 0-0 0-0 2 19 1.5-12.5 0-0 1 19 0-0 0-0 0 17 0-0 0-0 0 13 1-7 1-2 2 12 0-0 0-0 0 11 0-0 0-0 0 8 0-0 0-0 1 7 0-0 0-0 0 6 1-6 0-0 1 5 1-3 0-0 0 4 0-0 0-0 1 FF FR-YDS 0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0 1-0 0 0-0 1 1-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 1 1-0 1 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-0 SPECIAL TEAMS* ST AT TT FF FR-YDS BP BFG BXP Dre Kirkpatrick ....................... 6 1 7 0 0-0 0 0 0 Cedric Peerman .................... 6 1 7 0 0-0 0 0 0 Shawn Williams ..................... 4 2 6 0 1-0 0 0 0 James Wright ........................ 5 0 5 1 0-0 0 0 0 Darqueze Dennard ................ 4 1 5 0 0-0 0 0 0 Taylor Mays ........................... 4 0 4 0 0-0 1 0 0 Nico Johnson......................... 1 2 3 0 0-0 0 0 0 Jayson DiManche .................. 2 0 2 0 0-0 0 0 0 Marquis Flowers .................... 1 1 2 0 0-0 0 0 0 Reggie Nelson ....................... 1 1 2 0 0-0 0 0 0 Rex Burkhead........................ 1 0 1 0 0-0 0 0 0 Clark Harris ........................... 1 0 1 0 0-0 0 0 0 Margus Hunt .......................... 1 0 1 0 0-0 0 0 0 Emmanuel Lamur .................. 1 0 1 0 0-0 0 0 0 Terence Newman .................. 1 0 1 0 0-0 0 0 0 Mike Nugent .......................... 1 0 1 0 0-0 0 0 0 Ryan Hewitt ........................... 0 1 1 0 0-0 0 0 0
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