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OCTOBER 2, 2011
TIME: 1 p.m., Sunday
PLACE: Paul Brown Stadium (FieldTurf)
RADIO: Play-by-play man Dan Hoard and analyst Dave Lapham on flagships 1530-AM (ESPN) and 102.7-FM WEBN on the 25-station Bengals radio network.
INJURIES
CIN: After missing two games following the opener, LE Robert Geathers (shoulder) returned to work in limited fashion Wednesday and Thursday. Backup S Gibril Wilson (knee) coming off an ACL, surfaced on the report Thursday when he didn't practice and may just be getting a rest. Backup S and special-teamer Jeromy Miles (groin) didn't work Thursday after going limited Wednesday. Backup LE Jon Fanene (knee) and backup G Otis Hudson (knee) were limited Wednesday and Thursday. Rookie SAM backer Dontay Moch (foot) could be back to practice next week.
BUF: WR Stevie Johnson (groin) practiced full go after sitting out Wednesday. RG Kraig Urbik (knee) didn't practice Wednesday and Thursday and backup WLB Chris White (hamstring) and backup CBs Aaron Williams (chest) and Terrence McGee (hamstring) didn't either.
» Complete Injury Report
THE SERIES
Buffalo leads regular season series, 15-9; Bengals lead postseason series 2-0; Bengals lead in Cincinnati, 8-6; Bills lead at PBS, 3-0.
NOTEWORTHY
» The Bills come in as the first team in NFL history to win back-to-back games after trailing by 18 or more points in each.
» When the Bills left PBS back on Nov. 21 following their 49-31 win, they were the first team ever to win by 18 points after trailing by 17 at halftime (31-14).
» The Bengals come in ranked third in defense. The last time they finished that high at the end of the season was when they finished No. 1 in 1983.
» The Bengals are 11-1 when running back Cedric Benson carries 25 or more times. The only loss came last season against the Bills when he had 124 yards on 25 carries.
» The Bengals scored four TDs vs. the Bills and Benson is the only one left (Chad Ochocinco, Terrell Owens, Johnathan Joseph).
» Last season when Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick bested the man he backed up in Cincinnati, Carson Palmer, it marked the third time in club history a former Bengals backup quarterback faced off against his starter. It was 17 years to the day the Jets' Boomer Esiason beat the Bengals' David Klingler. Cincinnati's Ken Anderson beat Tampa Bay's Jack Thompson in 1983.
» It's the second straight game at PBS a No. 1 pick from the 2001 draft is going against the team that selected him. This week it is Bengals cornerback Nate Clements, the 21st pick by Buffalo in that draft. Last week it was 49ers defensive tackle Justin Smith going against a Bengals team that picked him fourth.
» Eric Wood, an Elder High School product out of Cincinnati, makes a return trip to PBS as the Bills starting center.
» The only Bengals coach left from the 1988 AFC championship game, their last win over Buffalo, is running backs coachJim Anderson, when the Bengals rushed for 175 yards on 50 carries.
» The Bengals haven't beaten one of their former quarterbacks in this decade. Fitzpatrick (1-0) and Jeff Blake (3-0) have done the deed.
NFL RANKINGS
CIN: Tied for 24th in scoring, 25th in offense (17th rushing, 24th passing); Third in defense (seventh rushing, fifth passing), tied for 13th in turnover margin at plus-1.
BUF: First in scoring, tied for third in offense (fourth rushing, 11th passing), 26th in defense (24th rushing, 24th passing), fourth in turnover margin at plus-5.
COACHES
CIN: Marvin Lewis 61-69-1 regular season, 0-2 postseason in his ninth season; 0-5 vs. Bills.
BUF: Chan Gailey 25-28 overall in fourth season; in second season with Bills at 7-12. 1-0 vs. Lewis and Bengals.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
» 10 - Consecutive games the Bengals have lost to the Bills, their longest losing streak against any team
» 4 - Players on the Bengals roster born after the last time the Bengals beat the Bills on Jan. 8, 1989 (Dunlap, Sands, Boling, Whalen)
» 5 - Starting QBs that have lost to the Bills in that stretch (Esiason, Blake, O'Donnell, Kitna, Palmer)
» 6 - Starting QBs that have won for the Bills in that stretch (Kelly, Flutie, Bledsoe, Holcomb, Losman, Fitzpatrick)
» 11-2 - Bengals record when RB Cedric Benson rushes for 100 yards
» 8-1 - Bills record when RB Fred Jackson rushes for 100 yards
» 41 - Ryan Fitzpatrick's TD passes in 24 Bills starts
» 33 - Carson Palmer's TD passes in last 24 Bengals starts
» 3 - Bills that have at least three TDs or more, only team in NFL
» 5 - TDs by Bengals this season
» 14 - Rookies and first-year players on Bills Opening Day roster
» 9 - Rookies and first-year players on Bengals Opening Day roster
» 7.96 - NFL-best average yards on first down for Bills
» 4.94 - Average yards on first down for Bengals, 24th in NFL
» 129 - Combined rushing yards last week by Bengals and 49ers
» 197 - Rushing yards for Bills running back O.J. Simpson in Monday night 1975 loss to Bengals
» 454 - Total yards last week generated by Niners and Bengals
» 447 - Passing yards for Bengals QB Ken Anderson in Monday night 1975 win over Bills
GAME DAY ENTERTAINMENT
» JungleZone: Band – My Sister Sarah
»Anthem: Danny Kaleikini
» Honor Guard: Xenia Police Department
» Halftime: The Ohio State University Marching Band
» Pregame: There will be volunteers on-site distributing pink ribbons and information cards to fans as they enter the gates of Paul Brown Stadium. Pregame, the Bengals will honor the Marvin Lewis Community Fund's Pink Football Award Winner with a special presentation. The winner also will deliver the pink coin to midfield for the coin toss.
THE WEATHER
The National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio is calling for Sunday's game-time temperature in the mid-50s with a high of 60 under mostly sunny skies. Winds out of the northwest at 10 to 15 miles per hour with zero percent chance of rain.
