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TIME: 1 p.m. Sunday PLACE: Paul Brown Stadium(synthetic)
LOCAL RADIO: Dan Hoard (play-by-play) and Dave Lapham (analyst) on the "triple-cast" Cincinnati flagship stations of WLW-AM (700), WCKY-AM (ESPN 1530) and WEBN-FM (102.7) on the 41-station Bengals radio network.
TV: CBS broadcast crew of Andrew Catalon (play-by-play), Steve Beuerlein (analyst), Steve Tasker (analyst) on Channel 12 in Cincinnati, Channel 7 in Dayton, Ohio, and Channel 27 in Lexington, Ky.
INJURIES
*CIN: *
QUESTIONABLE: Starting TE Tyler Eifert (back) returned to practice this week in limited fashion Wednesday and Thursday after missing two weeks of practice and head coach Marvin Lewis said he'll make the call this weekend. He has yet to go full in a practice this season or play in a game. He was listed as full for first time Friday, but it was for a walk-through.
MOST LIKELY TO PLAY:After sitting out Wednesday's practice when he left late in Sunday's game, starting C Russell Bodine (ankle) went full Thursday. Also sitting out Wednesday but going full Friday were starting LG Clint Boling (shoulder) and backup DT Pat Sims (neck)
CLE:
OUT:Starting WR Corey Coleman (hand); Starting QB Josh McCown (non-throwing shoulder).
DOUBTFUL:Starting CB Joe Haden (groin) didn't practice this week and has missed two games, including last week in Tennessee.
QUESTIONABLE:Starting WR Terrelle Pryor Sr. (hamstring), their leading receiver, didn't practice Wednesday and Thursday and probably isn't 100 percent after going limited Friday.
PROBABLE:Starting LT Joe Thomas (knee) didn't practice Wednesday and Thursday, but he usually takes off Wednesdays and is expected to extend his streak to 150 straight starts. He's never missed an offensive snap in his 10-year career.
THE SERIES
The 2-4 Bengals lead the 0-6 Browns, 46-39; 28-15 at home, 12-4 at PBS
NOTEWORTHY
»» For the fourth time in club history and for the first time since Dec. 22, 2013, a former Bengals assistant coach who has become a head coach opposes his boss. Browns head coach Hue Jackson worked under Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis for seven seasons in four different jobs, the last as offensive coordinator the past two seasons.
»» Before 2013 when former Bengals defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier brought in the Vikings to PBS for a 42-14 loss, the last time it happened was the 1990 opener at Riverfront Stadium when Bengals head coach Sam Wyche fended off his offensive coordinator from the previous four seasons, Jets head coach Bruce Coslet, for a 25-20 win. Before that, it was another 16 years when Lions head coach Rick Forzano, Paul Brown's first backfield coach in 1968, returned to Riverfront and beat Brown's Bengals, 23-17, on Dec. 7, 1974.
»»You won't have to wait 20 years again. Try next week when the Bengals play head coach Jay Gruden and Washington in London. Jackson replaced Gruden when he went to Washington in 2014 after Gruden ran Lewis' offense from 2011-2013.
»» Jackson isn't the only one on his staff with a Cincy reunion. Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton is a second-round pick from the 1983 draft and cornerback on the 1988 AFC champs. He coached the Bengals secondary from 1997-2001.
»»Browns secondary coach Louie Cioffi, a Bengals staffer for 14 seasons from 1997-2010, coached the Cincinnati secondary with current Bengals secondary coach Kevin Coyle for eight seasons, from 2003-2010.
»» Lewis' first win as Bengals head coach came in Cleveland on Sept. 28, 2003, 21-14, when the Bengals were 0-3.
»»Bengals QB Andy Dalton's first NFL win came in Cleveland on Sept. 11, 2011, 27-17.
»» Greg Seamon, who spent the previous 13 seasons as a Bengals scout, returns as the Browns tight ends coach. A Tri-State native from southern Indiana, Seamon was Jackson's offensive coordinator when he was the quarterback at the University of Pacific.
NFL RANKINGS
CIN: 29th in scoring, 12th in offense (24th rushing, 6th passing); 20th in scoring defense, 15th in defense (20th rushing, 17th passing), T-11th in turnover margin at plus-2.
CLE: 26th in scoring, 19thth offense (11th in rushing, 22nd passing); T-29th in scoring defense, 29th in defense (27th in rushing, T-26th passing), T-19th in turnover margin at minus-1.
COACHES
CIN: Marvin Lewis 114-105-2 in 14th season, 18-8 vs. Cleveland
CLE: Hue Jackson 8-14 overall in two seasons, 0-6 in first season in Cleveland; 0-0 vs. Bengals and Lewis
PHILIP RIVERS WEATHER UPDATE
The National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio is calling for sunny skies in downtown Cincinnati with a kick-off temperature of 68 degrees and a high of 70 during the game. No chance of rain with light winds from the southwest at 5-10 miles per hour.
NUMBERS GAME
.604 - Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis' home winning percentage
.229 - Cleveland's road winning percentage in last decade
.443 - Lewis' October winning percentage, his worst month
.425 - Browns' October winning percentage in last decade, their best month
14-11 - Lewis' record vs. rookie QBs
16 - On Sunday, Browns QBs that have started against Lewis' teams in 27 games
4 - Starting QBs Lewis has used against Cleveland in 27 games
15-15 - Bengals QB Andy Dalton's AFC North record
37-15-1 - Dalton's record vs. rest of the NFL
7-3 - Dalton's record vs. Browns
11-9 - Bengals' record vs. their former assistant coaches when they're head coaches
5-0 - Record vs. Bengals for Hall-of-Fame 49ers head coach Bill Walsh, a Bengals offensive assistant in the first eight years of the franchise. It's the most games coached by a former Bengals assistant against Cincinnati and includes two Super Bowls
42 - Bengals WR A.J. Green's NFL-leading catches
33 - Career catches for Browns leading receiver Terrelle Pryor
112 - Green's pace for catches
112 - T.J. Houshmandzadeh's co-NFL leading catches in 2007, the Bengals' season record
6,777 - Green's career yards, fourth on Bengals' list
111 - Yards Green needs to pass Carl Pickens into third place on Bengals' list
1,437 - Rushing yards Bengals on pace to gain this season
1,439 - Fewest rushing yards for Bengals in a season, 1995
24.4 - Points per game Bengals averaged in first five years of Green-Dalton Era
18.2 - Points per game Bengals average this season
28.9 - Points per game Browns allow this season
