TIME: 8:25 p.m. Sunday
PLACE: Paul Brown Stadium (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: NFL Network broadcast team of Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Phil Simms (analyst), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter) on Cincinnati's Channel 5 and NFL Network.
NATIONAL RADIO: Westwood One Sports. Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Mike Mayock (analyst), Laura Okmin (sideline reporter).
INJURIES
CIN:
OUT: starting WLB Vontaze Burfict (knee) missing his second straight game after a scope; staring CB Leon Hall (concussion) is out after getting hit in the head in the fourth quarter last Sunday.
DOUBTFUL: Starting RB Giovani Bernard (hip, shoulder) didn't practice again this week and looks like he's out for the second straight game. RT Andre Smith (ankle) has been out and wearing a boot since he sprained his ankle on Andy Dalton's 19-yard TD pass to Mohammed Sanu in the second quarter last Sunday. MLB Rey Maualuga (hamstring) hasn't practiced since getting hurt vs. Carolina Oct. 12 and it looks like he'll miss his fourth straight game.
QUESTIONABLE: Backup DL Robert Geathers (shoulder) went limited Wednesday.
PROBABLE: Starting gunner CB Darqueze Dennard (hamstring) sat out last week after getting hurt vs. Baltimore and has been back to full this week. CB Terence Newman (chest) and TE Jermaine Gresham (knee) went limited Wednesday. Starting RG Kevin Zeitler (calf) went full in practice this week after missing last Sunday's game when he re-aggravated his injury in Oct. 26 Baltimore game.
*CLE: *
OUT: Starting DT Phil Taylor (knee), Starting TE Jordan Cameron (concussion)
QUESTIONABLE: Starting WR Andrew Hawkins (thigh, knee) is a game-time decision according to his coach, but nobody thinks he's going to miss this one.
» [Complete Injury Report
](http://www.bengals.com/team/injuryreport.html)THE SERIES
5-2-1 Bengals lead 5-3 Browns, 43-38; Bengals lead at home, 27-14; 10-4 at PBS.
NOTEWORTHY
»» The Bengals and Browns come in as part of the tightest division race since 2008 with all four teams having a winning record this late in the season.
»» According to Todd Jones of The Columbus Dispatch, this is the first time since Oct. 30, 1988 that the Bengals and Browns play each other when both have five wins and a winning record. The 5-3 Browns beat the 7-1 Bengals in Cleveland, 23-16, in large part on a blocked punt at the 1.
»» Jones also reports it is the first time since Dec. 23, 2007 that both teams have five wins when they play each other. The Browns were 9-5 and the Bengals were 5-9 when they met in Cincinnati, and the Bengals won, 19-14, to all but knock the Browns out of the playoffs when after picking QB Derek Anderson four times.
»» Since Marvin Lewis became the head coach of the Bengals in 2003, the Browns have beaten the Bengals No. 1 quarterback once at PBS. Tim Couch beat Jon Kitna in the '03 finale. When Ryan Fitzpatrick filled in for Carson Palmer in 2008, the Browns won, 20-12.
»» The last time the Browns played the Bengals at PBS, Cleveland quarterback Jason Campbell was picked off three times in the Bengals' 41-20 victory, he hit wide receiver Greg Little once for four yards, and Bengals wide receiver Andrew Hawkins had one catch for six yards. Campbell is now the Bengals backup quarterback, Hawkins is the Browns' leading receiver, and Little is playing his fourth game for the Bengals.
»» When the Bengals beat the Browns, 34-27, at PBS in 2012, Hawkins helped make it happen with a 50-yard TD, his first NFL TD. Little had a 24-yard TD catch for Cleveland.
NFL RANKINGS
CIN: 13th in scoring, 12th in offense (9th rushing, 15th passing); T-17th in scoring defense, 30th in defense (T-30th rushing, 21st passing), T-11th in turnover margin at plus-3.
CLE: 16th in scoring, 14th in offense (15th rushing, 14th passing); 8th in scoring defense, T-28th in defense (T-30th rushing, 18th passing), T-6th in turnover margin at plus-6.
COACHES
CIN: Marvin Lewis 95-92-2 in 12th season, 15-7 vs. Browns.
CLE: Mike Pettine 5-3 in first season, 0-0 vs. Bengals and Lewis.
WEATHER
The National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio, is calling for a breezy night of football with steady 15-20 mile-per-hour winds out of the northwest gusting at times to 25-30. There's a 40-percent chance of rain for the game that starts in the low 40s and ends at about 40 degrees.
NUMBERS GAME
56-35-2 - Bengals at PBS under head coach Marvin Lewis
25-18-1 - Bengals in November under Lewis
15-9-1 - Bengals in November at PBS under Lewis
20-8-1 - Bengals under QB Andy Dalton at PBS
9-2 - Bengals at PBS under Lewis vs. Browns
19-11 - Bengals record vs. Browns since 1999 expansion
82 - Browns' victories since 1999 expansion
111 - Bengals' victories since 1999 expansion
139.6 - Yards Bengals allow rushing per game
139.6 - Yards Browns allow rushing per game
16 - 100-yard rushing games Bengals have vs. Browns since 1999
5 - 100-yard rushers Bengals have vs. Browns since 1999 (Corey Dillon, Rudi Johnson, Kenny Watson, Cedric Benson, Larry Johnson)
4.7 -Bengals RB Jeremy Hill's yards per 74 carries
4.8 - Dillon's yards per carry in 1997, last time Bengals running back had at least 4.7 yards per on at least 148 carries
1.9 - Yards per rush Browns have averaged in last three games
4.8 - Yards per rush Bengals have allowed in last three games
12 - Bengals' rushing TDs this season, tied with Saints for NFL lead
9 - Browns' rushing TDs this season, tied for fifth
39-504 - Catches and yards this season for Browns WR Andrew Hawkins
20-358 - Catches and yards this season for Bengals WR A.J. Green
46.2 - TD percentage for Browns defense in red zone, second in NFL
75 - TD percentage for Bengals last two weeks against NFL's top-rated red-zone defenses
