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PREVIEW
SEPTEMBER 12, 2010
TIME: 1 p.m.
PLACE: Gillette Stadium (FieldTurf)
TV: CBS team of Jim Nantz (play-by-play) and Phil Simms (analyst). Live on Channel 12 in Cincinnati, Chanel 10 in Columbus, OH, Channel 7 in Dayton, OH, and Channel 27 in Lexington, KY.
RADIO: Play-by-play man Brad Johansen and analyst Dave Lapham on 1530-AM (ESPN) and 102.7-FM WEBN on Cincinnati flagships of the 25-station Bengals radio network.
NATIONAL RADIO: Sports USA Radio with play-by-play man Larry Kahn, analyst Ross Tucker, sideline reporter Troy West.
INJURIES CIN: WR Andre Caldwell (groin) didn't work Thursday and Friday and CB Brandon Ghee (head) didn't work at all this week. RB Brian Leonard (foot) returned Thursday for the first time in four weeks and did not participate in team work.
NE: RT Nick Kaczur (back) and CB Terrence Wheatley (foot) have not practiced this week. RB Laurence Maroney (thigh) and WR Julian Edelman (foot) were limited Thursday.
THE SERIES
Patriots lead 13-8; at home 8-2, 1-0 at Gillette.
NOTEWORTHY
» Marvin Lewis appears in his 115th game as head coach of the Bengals, tying him with Paul Brown for second on the franchise list behind Sam Wyche's 134.
» Bill Belichick appears in his 179th game as Patriots head coach and leads the franchise with 126 victories.
» Bengals wide receiver Terrell Owens needs 49 yards to join Jerry Rice and Isaac Bruce as the only players with 15,000 receiving yards.
» Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco needs 48 yards to become the 33rd player to hit 10,000 receiving yards.
» Oakland's Jerry Rice and Tim Brown are the only tandem in NFL history where one receiver had 15,000 yards (Rice) and the other (Brown) had 10,000 during three seasons with the Raiders early in the last decade.
» Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss is fourth on the NFL's all-time touchdown list with 149, Owens is fifth with 147.
» The Patriots are 8-0 in Gillette openers and have the NFL's longest Opening Day winning streak at six.
» The Bengals are 3-4 under Lewis in openers, 2-2 on the road, and have lost two straight on Opening Day.
» The last time the Bengals and Patriots met on Opening Day (Sept. 9, 2001), the visiting Pats won the Super Bowl.
» Former Rutgers co-captains go at it with the Bengals' Leonard (2006) and Pats rookie cornerback Devin McCourty (2009).
» The Bengals and Pats have played at six different sites: Nippert Stadium, Riverfront Stadium, Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati and Fenway Park, Schaefer/Sullivan/Foxboro Stadium, and Gillette in New England.
2009 NFL RANKINGS CIN: 22nd in scoring, 24th in offense (9th rushing, 26th passing); 4th in defense, (seventh rushing, sixth passing), 18th in turnover margin at even.
NE: Sixth in scoring, third in offense (12th rushing, third passing), 11th in defense (13th in rushing, 12th passing), tied for eighth in turnover margin at plus-6.
COACHESCIN: Marvin Lewis 56-55-1 regular season, 0-2 postseason in his eighth season; 0-3 vs. Pats, 0-3 vs. Belichick.
NE: Bill Belichick 163-97 in his 15th season, 126-52 in 10th season with Pats; 4-1 vs. Bengals and 3-0 vs. Lewis. Overall vs. Bengals 12-3.
THE WEATHER
There is a 20 percent chance of rain, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio, the high for the mostly cloudy day is going to be 68 degrees with a wind out of the east at about five to 10 miles per hour.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
7-1 - Patriots QB Tom Brady's NFL-best record on Opening Day
3-3 - Bengals QB Carson Palmer's record on Opening Day
63.35 - Brady's career passing percentage, 7th on all-time list
63.17 - Palmer's career passing percentage, 10th all-time
296- Combined career TDs by Bengals WR Terrell Owens and Patriots WR Randy Moss
294- Combined career TDs by Bengals WRs Carl Pickens (64), Chad Ochocinco (62), Isaac Curtis (53), Eddie Brown (41), T.J. Houshmandzadeh (38) and Cris Collinsworth (36)
6 - Bengals 100-yard Opening Day rushers (Last time at home Corey Dillon went for 104 against Pats in 2001)
6 - Bengals-record 100-yard rushing games by RB Cedric Benson last season
4 - Patriots 100-yard Opening Day rushers (Last time Curtis Martin went for 102 against Belichick's 1995 Browns)
183- Receiving yards for Moss in Pats debut on Opening Day 2007
80- Most receiving yards for Ochocinco against Pats (2004)
99- Most Opening Day receiving yards for Ochocinco (2004)
280- Most Opening Day passing yards by Palmer (2005)
0- Palmer TD passes last two Opening Days
2- TDs Brady threw in last two minutes to beat Bills in last year's opener
8- Bengals starters who started against Pats in 2007
19-13 - Pats September record under Belichick
11-12 - Bengals September record under Lewis
