CLEVELAND - In Sunday's 14-0 victory, the Bengals certainly had the Browns' numbers:
The Bengals allowed Cleveland just 182 yards, their best defensive effort since allowing 182 yards to the Browns in a 12-3 victory in Cleveland on Oct. 29, 2000.
The Bengals earned their first shutout since Nov. 26, 2006 in Cleveland, a 30-0 victory.
Bengals running back Cedric Benson racked up 118 yards in the first half, the first time a Cincinnati running back had a 100-yard first half since Rudi Johnson had 124 in a 23-20 victory over Cleveland at Paul Brown Stadium on Dec. 11, 2005. Benson's 171 total yards marked the most since Johnson had 169 in that game.
Benson's 46-yard run was the Bengals' longest in 68 regular-season games, since Johnson's 52-yarder against the Browns in the Nov. 28, 2004 points-fest at PBS won by Cincinnati, 58-48.
Cincinnati came up with four interceptions for the first time since Dec. 23 in a 19-14 win over the Browns at PBS.
More numbers? With Chad Ocho Cinco deactivated by injury (hamstring) for the first time since his rookie year of 2001 and T.J. Houshmandzadeh seeing his skein of 55 straight games with a catch snapped, it marked the first time since Oct. 28, 2001 that the Bengals won a game without a catch from either Ocho Cinco or Houshmandzadeh. That was in Detroit. But The Ocho was out because he broke his clavicle against, naturally, Cleveland two weeks before.
On Sunday, The Ocho said he hurt his hamstring Thursday in practice and he's not sure he'll be back for next week's finale at home against the Chiefs.
"It never got loosened up today," said head coach Marvin Lewis. "He felt tight. So hopefully after resting it today he'll be able to play next week."
With one game left, three teams are in front of the 3-11-1 Bengals in the draft order: The 0-1-15 Lions and the 2-13 Rams and Chiefs. With the Bengals hosting the Chiefs and the 4-11 Browns going to Pittsburgh, they could end up picking fifth.Â
