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DECEMBER 22, 2013
TIME: 1 p.m. Sunday
PLACE: Paul Brown Stadium (Synthetic)
LOCAL RADIO: Play-by-play Dan Hoard and analyst Dave Lapham led by Triple Cast of WLW 700 AM, ESPN AM 1530 and WEBN FM 102.7 on the 25-station Bengals radio network.
TV: Fox broadcast team of play-by-play Dick Stockton, analyst Ronde Barber, sideline reporter Kris Budden on Cincinnati's Channel 19, Channel 45 in Dayton, Ohio, Channel 56 in Lexington, Ky.
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INJURIES ** CIN: DOUBTFUL: Starting CB Terence Newman (knee) didn't practice for the second straight week and isn't expected to play. QUESTIONABLE: Starting LE Carlos Dunlap, (concussion) dinged on last play of last Sunday's game, went full Friday after not practicing Wednesday and Thursday. Same with starting SAM LB James Harrison (concussion), injured early in first quarter last Sunday. Starting LG Andrew Whitworth (concussion) went full Friday after sitting out Thursday following ding in Wednesday's practice. Starting RG Kevin Zeitler (foot) went full after going limited Wednesday and Thursday. Backup DT Devon Still (back) didn't work Thursday and Friday. PROBABLE: TE Jermaine Gresham (abdomen) went full all three days after missing fourth quarter last Sunday.
MIN: OUT: Starting CB Xavier Rhodes (ankle); DOUBTFUL: Starting TE John Carlson (concussion); QUESTIONABLE: Starting RB Adrian Peterson (foot, groin) after going limited Wednesday and Friday, Thursday rest, and is expected to play; RB Matt Asiata (ankle) went limited Friday after not working Wednesday and Thursday. PROBABLE: Starting CB Chris Cook (knee) went full Friday after being limited early in the week and not playing Sunday. Backup RB Toby Gerhart (hamstring) went full after being limited early in the week.
THE SERIES
Vikings lead 6-5, 1-5 in Cincinnati, 0-1 at PBS
NOTEWORTHY
» A Bengals victory and a Baltimore loss at home to New England (4:25 p.m.-Cincinnati's Channel 12) gives Cincinnati its third AFC North title under Marvin Lewis and second in five years.
» In the two previous seasons the Bengals played the Vikings and the rest of the NFC North, the Bengals won the AFC North in 2005 and 2009. They clinched the '05 title in Detroit on Dec. 18. 2005.
» A Bengals victory and a Miami loss in Buffalo at 1 p.m. secures a wild card berth for Cincinnati, its third straight playoff bid and fourth in five years.
» With Leslie Frazier coming back to town it marks the 21st time the Bengals play a team with a head coach that once was a Bengals assistant or head coach. Frazier was Lewis's first defensive coordinator in 2003-04.
» The last time it happened former offensive coordinator Lindy Infante saw backup quarterback Boomer Esiason come off the bench for the injured Jeff Blake to beat his Colts in Indianapolis on Nov. 9, 1997.
» The late Bill Walsh, a quarterbacks and receivers coach under Paul Brown from 1968-75, did it the most when he coached against his old team five times as head coach of the 49ers. He won all of them, including Super Bowl XXIII.
» Only two former Bengals head coaches have coached against Cincinnati. Green Bay's Forrest Gregg lost a 1986 game in Milwaukee and Sam Wyche's Buccaneers beat the Bengals in 1995 in Tampa.
» None of the current Bengals were on the roster the last time Minnesota played in Cincinnati in the Bengals 37-8 win in the '05 home opener. Chad Johnson caught a 70-yard TD pass from Carson Palmer on the second snap of the game and the Bengals were off to a 27-0 halftime lead.
» Christmas week has been significant in the series. On Christmas night 1989 the Vikings knocked the Bengals out of the playoffs, 29-21, in the regular-season finale in Minnesota. On Christmas Eve in 1995 at Riverfront Stadium in another season finale the Bengals were down 24-3 and staged their biggest comeback ever in a 27-24 victory secured on Doug Pelfrey's 51-yard field goal at the gun.
» Vikings wide receiver Jerome Simpson was a second-round pick of the Bengals in 2008 out of Coastal Carolina.
» Vikings cornerback Shaun Prater, a fifth-round pick of the Bengals in 2012, had his first career interception last week. In that same week Cincinnati's other fifth-rounders that year also produced. Wide receiver Marvin Jones caught his ninth TD of the season and safety George Iloka had six tackles in his 14th start of the season.
» Vikings Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson makes his Cincy debut. He's just the second 2,000-yard rusher to play at PBS, joining former Ravens and Browns running back Jamal Lewis, a 2,066-yard rusher in 2003.
NFL RANKINGS
CIN: 11th in scoring, 10th in offense (19th rushing, 12th passing); 6th in scoring defense, 6th in defense (5h rushing, 7th passing), 16th in turnover margin at minus-1.
MIN: 8th in scoring, 13th in offense (10th rushing, 22nd passing); 31st in scoring defense, 31st in defense (20th rushing, 30th passing), 26th in turnover margin at minus-7.
COACHES
CIN: Marvin Lewis 88-85-1 regular season, 0-4 postseason in his 11th season; 1-1 vs. Vikings
MIN: Leslie Frazier 20-32-1 in his fourth season, 0-0 vs. Bengals and Lewis.
WEATHER
The National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio is calling for a temperature of 46 degrees under mostly cloudy skies and a 20 percent chance of a lingering shower at kickoff, but dry conditions are expected for most of the game. Winds out of the south and west at about 15 to 20 miles per hour.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
» 50-35-1 - Bengals record at home under Marvin Lewis
» 14-8 - Career home record for Bengals QB Andy Dalton
» 15-7 - December home record for Lewis
» 3-2 - December home record for Dalton
» 5-0 - Lewis's record at PBS against NFC North
» 4-0 - Frazier's record vs. Bengals as NFL assistant (Eagles and Colts secondary coach, Vikings D-Coordinator)
» 33 - Points Bengals averaging at home this season
» 30 - Points per game allowed by Vikings this season
» 9 - Interceptions by Vikings QB Christian Ponder in 239 attempts
» 5 - Interceptions by current Vikings QB Matt Cassel in 194 attempts
» 7 - TDs for Vikings WR Jerome Simpson in 29 games as a Bengal
» 1 - TD for Simpson in 26 games as a Viking
» 9 - TDs for Bengals WR Marvin Jones this season
» 71-1,0004 - Catches and yards for Simpson as a Bengal
» 70-963 - Catches and yards for Simpson as a Viking
» 1 - TD passes Dalton needs to break career high of 27 set last season
» 112 - Yards receiving Bengals WR A.J. Green needs to pass Torry Holt for the second-most yards in first three NFL seasons
» 42 - 100-yard career rushing games by Vikings RB Adrian Peterson in seven seasons
» 24 - 100-yard rushing games for Bengals since 2007
» 5 - 100-yard rushing games for Peterson this season
» 0 - 100-yard rushing games for Bengals this season
» 5 - 200-yard rushing games for Peterson in his career
» 5 - 200-yard rushing games in Bengals history (Corey Dillon 3, Rudi Johnson, James Brooks)
» 186 - Rushing yards by Ravens RB Jamal Lewis on Sept. 26, 2004 in his first game at PBS after 2,000-yard season in 2003, a 23-9 Baltimore victory
GAME DAY ENTERTAINMENT
» JungleZone: Holiday music will be played in the JungleZone, plus games and activities.
» Halftime: Team Ghost Riders plus Around the League in 180 Seconds.
SALVATION ARMY
Once again this year, the Bengals are proud to host the Salvation Army Final Drive for the Goal Red Kettle Collection. Volunteers and Red Kettles from the Salvation Army will be stationed around Paul Brown Stadium collecting donations to help those in need around the greater Cincinnati area this holiday season.
SINGLE-GAME TICKETS AVAILABLE
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