TIME: 1 p.m. Sunday
PLACE: FirstEnergy Stadium (grass)
LOCAL RADIO: Dan Hoard (play-by-play) and Dave Lapham (analyst) led by "triple cast," Cincinnati flagship stations WLW-AM (700), WCKY-AM (ESPN 1530) and WEBN-FM (102.7) on the 41-station Bengals radio network.
TV: Cincinnati's Channel 19, Channel 45 in Dayton, Ohio, and Channel 56 in Lexington, KY. FOX broadcast crew of Justin Kutcher (play-by-play), Matt Millen (analyst), Peter Schrager (sideline).
INJURIES
CIN:
DOUBTFUL: Starting TE Tyler Eifert (pinched nerve) hasn't practiced all week after leaving last Sunday's win over the Rams. Backup CB Chris Lewis-Harris (rib) hasn't practiced all week after leaving the Rams win.
QUESTIONABLE: Starting CB Adam Jones (foot) went limited Friday after sitting out Wednesday and Thursday. He returned last Sunday after missing the Nov. 22 game and admitted he was just "65 percent." Slot CB Leon Hall (back) went limited Friday after not practicing Wednesday and Thursday. The only game he missed was Oct. 18 in Buffalo with the back issue. Starting S George Iloka (groin) sat Thursday and Friday after working Wednesday.
PROBABLE:SLB Emmanuel Lamur (ankle) went full for the first time this week after leaving last Sunday. WLB Vontaze Burfict (knee) went full Wednesday and Friday after being limited Thursday. CB Dre Kirkpatrick (ankle) went limited Friday after going full Wednesday and Thursday. RT Andre Smith didn't work Friday but not because of injury.
CLE:
OUT:
Starting CB Joe Haden, WRs Andrew Hawkins and Taylor Gabriel, and backup CB/kick returner Justin Gilbert all ruled out with concussions.
*QUESTIONABLE: *
Starting LG Joel Bitonio (ankle), starting DE Randy Starks (knee) and OLB Nate Orchard (groin) after going limited all week.
THE SERIES
The 9-2 Bengals lead the 2-9 Browns, 45-39; 17-24 in Cleveland; 9-7 at FirstEnergy
NOTEWORTHY
»» The Bengals try to get to 10-2 for the first time since the 1975 team.
»» The '75 Bengals, a Wild Card team that finished 11-3, went to Cleveland to play the 0-9 Browns and were stunned, 35-23, on running back Greg Pruitt's 121 rushing yards and quarterback Mike Phipps' 298 passing yards for two TDs that included a 13-yarder to Pruitt.
»» A win secures the Bengals' fourth straight 10-win season, joining New England as teams that have done it since 2012. Also in the mix are Denver (nine wins), Indianapolis (six), and Seattle (six).
»» Sunday marks the 151st Bengals game for NT Domata Peko, tying him with wide receiver Chad Johnson for the 17th most games in club history. Only end Eddie Edwards (170) and NT Tim Krumrie (188) have played more games on the Bengals defensive line.
»» Sunday marks the 148th Bengals game for LT Andrew Whitworth, which puts him one behind punter/tight end Pat McInally on the club's all-time list and two ahead of center Rich Braham. Only C Bob Johnson (154), G Max Montoya (157), T Joe Walter (166), G-C Bruce Kozerski (172), T Willie Anderson (181) and Hall-of-Fame T Anthony Munoz (185) have played more games on the Bengals offensive line.
»» With a win Sunday, Bengals QB Andy Dalton secures his 24th road victory, the most by a quarterback in his first five seasons since the 1970 merger. He's tied with Ben Roethlisberger, Dan Marino, and Matt Ryan.
»» With a win Sunday, Dalton secures his 50th victory as a starter. Only Ryan (56), Joe Flacco (54), and Roethlisberger (51) have won 50 in their first five seasons since the merger.
»»With a TD catch Sunday, Bengals WR A.J. Green moves past Eddie Brown into fourth place on the team's all-time list with 42. Isaac Curtis (53), Carl Pickens (63) and Johnson (66) are next.
NFL RANKINGS
CIN: 4th in scoring, 7th in offense (9th rushing, T-12th passing); 1st in scoring defense, 15th in defense (13th rushing, 17th passing), T-4thth in turnover margin at plus-six.
CLE: 28th in scoring, 26th in offense (T-31st in rushing, 11thh in passing); 31st in scoring defense, 30th in defense (31st rushing, 25th passing), T-21st in turnover margin at minus-three.
COACHES
CIN: Marvin Lewis 109-98-2 in 13th season, 17-8 vs. Browns.
CLE: Mike Pettine9-18 in second season, 1-2 vs. Bengals and Lewis.
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PHILIP RIVERS WEATHER UPDATE
The National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio is calling for no chance of rain for a game that kicks off in 47 degrees under mostly sunny skies and rises to 49 during the game. A light wind out the south is projected for five to eight miles per hour.
NUMBERS GAME
.465 _ Bengals winning percentage under head coach Marvin Lewis on road
.622 _ Bengals winning percentage on road with starting QB Andy Dalton
.527 _ Lewis' winning percentage in December
.250 _ Browns' winning percentage in December since '03
5-1 _ Lewis' record vs. Browns in December
.537 _ Bengals' regular-season winning percentage since Lewis became head coach in 2003
.325 _ Browns' regular-season winning percentage since 2003
.666 _ Dalton's winning percentage in December
14-13 _ Dalton's record in AFC North
6-3 _ Dalton's record vs. Cleveland
14 _ Starting Browns QBs Lewis has faced in his 13 seasons
17 _ Individual 100-yard rushing games for Bengals vs. Browns since Cleveland came back into the NFL in 1999
6 _ Bengals RBs who have had 100-yard rushing games vs. Browns since '99: Corey Dillon (5), Rudi Johnson (5), Cedric Benson (4), Kenny Watson (1), Larry Johnson (1), Jeremy Hill (1).
31 _ Cleveland's rank vs. the run
12 _ NFL-leading TD catches for Bengals TE Tyler Eifert
13 _ Career TD passes for Browns QB Austin Davis
71 _ Points Bengals have allowed in last five games
42 _ Fewest points allowed by Bengals over five-game span, 1971
64 _ Fewest points allowed by Bengals over six-game span, 1970
281 _ Points Bengals are on pace to allow
284 _ Fewest points Bengals have allowed in 16-game season, 1978
291 _ Fewest points Bengals gave allowed in Marvin Era, 2009
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