TIME: 1 p.m. Sunday
PLACE: Mercedes-Benz Superdome (Synthetic)
LOCAL RADIO: Dan Hoard (play-by-play) and Dave Lapham (analyst) led by "triple cast," on Cincinnati flagship stations WLW-AM (700), WCKY-AM (ESPN 1530) and WEBN-FM (102.7) on the 25-station Bengals radio network.
TV: CBS broadcast team of Greg Gumbel (play-by-play), Trent Green (analyst), Evan Washburn (sideline reporter) on Channel 12 in Cincinnati, Channel 7 in Dayton, Ohio, and Channel 27 in Lexington, KY.
NATIONAL RADIO: Sports USA Media. Larry Kahn (play-by-play), Doug Plank (analyst), Troy West (sideline reporter).
INJURIES
*CIN: *
OUT: starting WLB Vontaze Burfict (knee) missing his third straight game after a scope; starting RB Giovani Bernard (hip, shoulder) missing his third straight game after going on the rehab field for the first time this week.
DOUBTFUL: Starting RT Andre Smith (ankle) after missing last Thursday's game and then going limited Wednesday and then not working this Thursday and Friday. He hasn't played since getting hurt blocking on a TD pass Nov. 2 in the win over the Jags.
QUESTIONABLE: Starting MLB Rey Maualuga (hamstring) went limited this week in his first action since injuring it Oct. 12 and missing four games. He went full for the first time Friday. Starting CB Terrence Newman (knee) didn't work this week after getting hurt last Thursday against Cleveland.
PROBABLE: Staring CB Leon Hall (concussion) went full practice this week after missing the Cleveland game. Starting TE Jermaine Gresham (thigh) missed Wednesday's practice but went full go Thursday and Friday.
NO:
OUT: Backup RBs Pierre Thomas (rib/shoulder), Khiry Robinson (forearm), Edwin Baker (concussion)
QUESTIONABLE: Starting CB Keenan Lewis (knee) and starting ILB Curtis Lofton (knee) didn't practice Wednesday and Thursday, but went limited Friday
PROBABLE: Starting RB Mark Ingram (shoulder) and starting ILB David Hawthorne were limited all week.
» [Complete Injury Report
](http://www.bengals.com/team/injuryreport.html)THE SERIES
5-3-1 Bengals are tied with the 4-5 Saints at 6-6; Bengals lead in Superdome, 3-2.
NOTEWORTHY
»» For the second time in three weeks all four teams in the AFC North are within a half-game of each other , the first time this late in the season for a division in the 45 seasons since the merger.
»» Four of the Saints' losses have come after they lost a lead with 1:48 left in regulation.
»» The Bengals' three losses are by a combined 74 points.
»» The last time the two clubs met in New Orleans, on Nov. 19, 2006, the Bengals won 31-16, despite Saints QB Drew Brees' 510 passing yards. His 504 yards are the most net passing yards ever against the Bengals.
»» Also in that game, wide receiver Chad Johnson had 190 yards, giving him a Bengals' record 450 in two games.
»» In that game Bengals second-round rookie LT Andrew Whitworth, a Louisiana native with a 7-1 record in high school and college in the Superdome, made his seventh NFL start. He makes his 126th NFL start on Sunday.
»» Bengals rookie running back Jeremy Hill, another second-rounder, grew up in the shadow of LSU and makes his fourth NFL start in his first appearance ever in the Superdome.
»» The last time the two clubs played, on Dec. 5, 2010 at Paul Brown Stadium, the defending Super Bowl champion Saints came from behind to win, 34-30, in the last 34 seconds. Even though it was less than four years ago, only six Bengals starters from that game are still with the team: Whitworth and tight end Jermaine Gresham on offense and defensive linemen Domata Peko and Robert Geathers, cornerback Leon Hall and safety Reggie Nelson on defense.
»» Saints head coach Sean Payton worked as an assistant in 1994 and 1995 at Bengals founder Paul Brown's alma mater of Miami University. Four of his assistants also have ties to the Oxford, Ohio campus.
NFL RANKINGS
CIN: T-18th in scoring, 20th in offense (12th rushing, 21st passing); T-18th in scoring defense, 30th in defense (31st rushing, 20th passing), T-14th in turnover margin at even.
NO: 6th in scoring, 2nd in offense (6th rushing, 3rd passing); 22nd in scoring defense, 19th in defense (11th rushing, 24th passing), 28th in turnover margin at minus-8.
COACHES
CIN: Marvin Lewis 95-93-2 in 12th season, 1-1 vs. Saints.
NO: Sean Payton 83-48 in eighth season, 1-1 vs. Bengals and Lewis.
NUMBERS GAME
39-52 - Bengals record on the road under head coach Marvin Lewis
43-17 - Saints record in Superdome under head coach Sean Payton
27-16-2 - Bengals record under Lewis vs. the NFC
12-10 - Bengals record under Lewis in NFC road games
9-9 - Bengals record in November since 2009
17-4 - Saints record in November since 2009
25-19-1 - Bengals in November under Lewis
15-12 - Bengals under QB Andy Dalton on the road
10-3-1 - Dalton vs. the NFC
5-1 - Dalton's road record vs. the NFC
27.9 - Saints points per game since Payton became coach in 2006
21.8 - Bengals points per game since 2006
199 - Sacks Saints have allowed since 2006, lowest in NFL
272 - Sacks Bengals have allowed since 2006
88 - Dalton's TD passes in first 57 starts
79 - Saints QB Drew Brees' TD passes in first 57 starts
58 - Dalton's interceptions in first 57 starts
53 - Brees' interceptions in first 57 starts
1,911 - Dalton's attempts in first 57 starts
1,768 - Brees' attempts in first 57 starts
7.0 - Dalton's yards per attempt in first 57 starts
6.8 - Brees' yards per attempt in first 57 starts
115 - Carries for Saints RB Mark Ingram this season
86 - Carries for Bengals RB Jeremy Hill this season
4.8 - Ingram's yards per attempt
4.7 - Hill's yards per attempt
4.5 - Yards per rush allowed by Bengals this season
