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PREVIEW
NOVEMBER 29, 2009
TIME: 1 p.m.
PLACE: Paul Brown Stadium, FieldTurf
TV: CBS team of Ian Eagle (play-by-play), and Rich Gannon (analyst). Live on Channel 12 in Cincinnati, Channel 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 700-AM (The Big One), 1530-AM (Homer) and 102.7-FM WEBN on "Triple Cast" Cincinnati flagships of the 25-station Bengals radio network.
INJURIES
CIN: RB Cedric Benson (hip) practiced Friday after not going Wednesday and Thursday in an effort to make a call for Sunday. It's the first time he's worked since missing the last six quarters. DT Domata Peko (knee) also practiced for the first time this week Friday after getting hurt last Sunday. WLB Keith Rivers (calf) was limited Wednesday and Thursday and looked like he's ready to play after missing the last two games. WR Laveranues Coles (chest) also didn't work Wednesday and Thursday, but it's believed he has a chance to play. Various players were limited earlier in the week, such as CBs Johnathan Joseph (foot) and Morgan Trent (ankle), and LE Robert Geathers (hip) but they are also expected to go.
CLE: NT Shaun Rogers (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday and Thursday, but he's expected to go. RB Jamal Lewis (ankle) and defensive captain ILB David Bowens (knee) were limited Wednesday and Thursday and are expected to go. Starting RG Rex Hadnot (knee) was out Wednesday but looked OK after coming back to limited status Thursday.
» Complete Injury Report
THE SERIESBengals lead, 37-35; 22-14 in Cincinnati, 5-4 at PBS
NOTEWORTHY» The Bengals vie for their seventh straight AFC North victory. The last division loss came one day shy of a year to this one in a 34-3 loss to the Ravens at PBS on Nov. 30, 2008. It would break a club record for most consectutive division wins. They won six straight AFC Central games from Oct. 7, 1984-Sept. 30, 1985 and six straight in the AFC North from Nov. 6, 2005-Sept. 24, 2006.
» The Bengals are looking to be 8-3 for the first time since 2005, securing head coach Marvin Lewis' fifth non-losing season. That would tie him with Paul Brown and Sam Wyche for most on the club's coaching list.
» A win Sunday would give Lewis his 10th win over the Browns, tying him with Wyche for the most against Cleveland. With nine wins over Cleveland, Lewis has more than the combined Browns victories of Forrest Gregg (3), Dave Shula (1), Bruce Coslet (2) and Dick LeBeau (2).
» The Bengals are 16-10-1 in November under Lewis, 9-4-1 at home.
» Bengals rookie RB Bernard Scott became the 21st Bengal to have a 100-yard rushing game last week in Oakland, matching the Bengals career total for each Ki-Jana Carter and Virgil Carter.
» Scott was also the 12th running back to have a 100-yard game in the 26 seasons under running backs coach Jim Anderson. Scott had 119 on 21 carries. The first was Larry Kinnebrew's 119 on 22 against Seattle in Anderson's first season of 1984, the same year Scott was born.
» Since the Browns came back into the NFL in 1999, the Bengals have had 12 100-yard rushing games against Cleveland by four different backs: Corey Dillon, Rudi Johnson, Kenny Watson, Cedric Benson.
» The Bengals have two backs on the roster, Benson and Larry Johnson, who have each had a 100-yard game against Cleveland.
» The Bengals, ranked second against the run in NFL defense, have given up just one 100-yard rusher this year and it was to the Browns' Jerome Harrison when he had 121 on 29 carries Oct. 4 in the Bengals OT win in Cleveland.
» It looks like Jamal Lewis gets the start in place of Harrison and he has owned the Bengals. His 216 yards for the Browns in 2007 is the second-most ever against Cincinnati, and as a member of the Ravens he had seven straight 100-yard games against the Bengals and eight in his career. Which means two of the five guys that have had 200-yard games against the Bengals (Lewis and Larry Johnson) could both be on the field Sunday. (The other three are Priest Holmes, Terrell Davis and Earl Campbell.)
NFL RANKINGS
CIN: 16th in scoring, 17th in offense (9th rushing, 20th passing); 10th in defense, (second rushing, 19th passing), tied for 10th in turnover margin at plus two.
CLE: 30th in scoring, 31st in offense (22nd rushing, 31st passing), 32nd in defense (29th in rushing, 26th passing), 32nd in turnover margin at minus-11.
COACHES
CIN: Marvin Lewis 53-52-1 regular season, 0-1 postseason in his seventh season, 9-4 vs. Browns.
CLE: Eric Mangini 1-9 in his first season; 24-35 in his fourth overall season, 1-2 vs. Bengals and Lewis.
THE WEATHER
The National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio is calling for game-time temperatures in the low 50s under partly cloudy skies with no chance of rain and a wind of five to 10 miles per hour from the southwest.
GAME DAY ENTERTAINMENT
Anthem: Cheya Dixon
Halftime: Play 60 / Youth Football
Honor Guard: Ohio Highway Patrol
Game Ball: Salvation Army
Giveaway: none, but Salvation Army is giving away Kroger/Bengals pom poms at the kettles for donations (this is the Kettle Kickoff game)
