Bengals Team Report

INSIDE SLANT

With a win over the Browns on Sunday, the Bengals would go unbeaten in division play for the first time in team history. They have been 5-1 four times, most recently 2005 when they won the AFC North.

It would also mark the third time since the league realigned in 2002 that a team has swept the AFC North. Pittsburgh did it in 2002 and last year.

Even though it would carry some significance to some, it doesn’t to coach Marvin Lewis.

“I don’t think it would mean much more than that. I don’t think we get anything for it, that’s all I mean,” Lewis said. “I don’t mean to belittle that. We don’t get anything for it, it’s one step along the way, which is a good thing. It would be one goal accomplished. Obviously, our goals go a little longer down the line than that.”

Lewis is right in that respect. With a 20-17 loss at Oakland last week, the Bengals still remain one game in front of the Steelers in the division with six games to play. While they still hold the tiebreakers in the division, the Bengals have difficult road games against Minnesota (Dec. 13) and San Diego (Dec. 20). The Steelers will face just one team with a winning record (6-4 Green Bay) but do face 5-5 Baltimore twice, including Sunday.

With the loss to the Raiders, though, Carson Palmer(notes) hasn’t noticed a Bengals squad this angry or frustrated in his seven years here.

“Nothing gets that nasty feeling out of the pit of your stomach like getting a chance to play at home against a division team and going 6-0 in the division and all these things are added onto this game,” Palmer said.

Had the Bengals won at Oakland, they would’ve had a two-game stranglehold on the division. Also adding pressure to this game is the fact that the Bengals needed overtime to defeat the Browns in the first meeting.

Palmer still remembers what happened in his rookie year of 2003 as he watched from the sideline as a 4-11 Cleveland squad came into Paul Brown Stadium and knocked the Bengals out of playoff contention with a 22-14 victory.

“I still feel like our division is the best in the game,” Palmer said. “A lot can be said about the NFC East and probably the AFC East, too. But to me, being an offensive player, being a quarterback, playing against Pittsburgh twice and playing against Baltimore’s defense twice and then a Coach Mangini defense and his schemes and the things he’s able to do, it doesn’t get much more difficult than that.

“It’s something that we talk about all year long—in the offseason, training camp and during the season, about winning our division and dominating our division. We have a chance to do that, and it means a lot to everyone in our locker room.”

Going into this week’s games, the Bengals’ remaining opponents have an aggregate record of 26-34 (.433 winning percentage) while Pittsburgh’s are 25-35 (.417). With 2-8 Detroit on deck next week, the road will get a little tougher over the last five games.

In terms of looking at the AFC playoff picture, the Bengals still have the No. 2 seed entering the week, but only on the fifth tiebreaker, which is strength of victory. The Bengals, who have beaten teams with an aggregate 33-37 record, have a one-game edge over the Chargers (32-38) in that department.

Series History:   73rd regular-season meeting. Bengals lead series 37-35. The Bengals have won two straight in the series, including the Week 4 meeting at Cleveland in overtime, 23-20. The Bengals have a 22-15 edge in games at Cincinnati and are 5-4 at Paul Brown Stadium since it opened in 2000.

NOTES, QUOTES

—Besides the two-game winning streak, the Bengals have won eight of the last 10 games in the Battle of Ohio, which matches the most lopsided 10-game stretch in series history. The Browns were 8-2 in the series from 1991-95. Since the Browns’ rebirth in 1999, the Bengals are 13-8.

• For the first time in team history, the Bengals have held opponents to less than 100 rushing yards for six straight games in the same season. The last time they had done it was the last two games of 1981 and first four of 1982.

They have also allowed just four rushing touchdowns this season, the last being Baltimore’s Ray Rice(notes) two weeks ago. The team record for fewest rushing TDs allowed in a full season is nine in 1989 (they allowed eight in the strike-shortened 1982 season).

• The two highest-scoring games in team history have each been against the Browns. On Nov. 28, 2004 at Cincinnati, the Bengals won 58-48, and the 106 points are second in NFL history, behind the 113 in Washington’s 72-41 win over the N.Y. Giants in 1966. And on Sept. 16, 2007, the Bengals and Browns combined for 96 points at Cleveland in a 51-45 Browns win.

• With a 38-yard return against Oakland, defensive end Robert Geathers(notes) has 113 yards on two fumble recoveries, which are the most fumble return yards in a season in team history since that statistic became officially logged in 1976. The previous record was 75, on one return by linebacker Ray Bentley in 1992. Geathers tied that record in Week 4 at Cleveland.

• Cornerback Johnathan Joseph’s(notes) interception last week in Oakland gave him five for the year, which is a new season high (he had four in 2007). The fourth-year player also has 10 for his career.

Joseph and New England’s Leigh Bodden(notes) are tied for second in the AFC in INTs, trailing Buffalo’s Jairus Byrd(notes).

The Bengals are one of only two teams to have two players with at least four interceptions (Leon Hall(notes) has four). Philadelphia is the other with cornerbacks Asante Samuel(notes) (five) and Sheldon Brown(notes) (four).

•  With the NFL moving the Vikings-Cardinals Dec. 6 game to the Sunday night window, that means the Bengals’ Dec. 13 game at Minnesota will not be flexed to a prime-time kickoff. The league has also informed the Eagles and Giants that their game will remain an 8:20 p.m. kickoff on NBC.

There remains a possibility that the game could still move to a 4:15 p.m. kickoff. If it was to be moved, an announcement would have to be made by Tuesday. But it still might remain at 1 p.m. because CBS has the San Diego-Dallas game at 4:15.

The Dec. 20 game at San Diego has already been protected by CBS, which leaves the Jan. 3 finale at the Jets as the only other viable flexing option. That still might happen since that could be the last game at Giants Stadium if the Giants are unable to win the NFC East (they enter play this week a game behind the Cowboys and tied with the Eagles).

By The Numbers:   9—Wins Lewis has against the Browns in 13 games. A win on Sunday would tie him with Sam Wyche for most wins against the Browns in the series. His .692 winning percentage is the best of Bengals coaches in the series.

Quote To Note:   “I think we were mad just because of a couple things—we really didn’t play as bad as much as we made mistakes a couple times that were just stupid. We knew that was a game we should’ve won. No reason we should’ve lost it and let it get by.”—OT Andrew Whitworth(notes) on the loss to Oakland.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Defensive tackle Orien Harris(notes) is back with the team a week after he was waived to make room for running back Larry Johnson(notes). Harris was signed on Oct. 20 and was active for the Oct. 25 game against the Bears before being inactive for the next two games.

Scott Kooistra(notes), who was first released on Nov. 3, was re-signed six days later when Evan Mathis(notes) was injured. Kooistra’s second release signals that Mathis is healthy enough to return after missing the last two games due to an ankle injury. It also signals that first-round pick Andre Smith(notes) could be active for his first game.

If Cedric Benson(notes) is not able to play again due to his hip flexor injury, it creates a dilemma at kick returner. Bernard Scott(notes) is unable to do double duty as the first-string running back, and Andre Caldwell(notes) has been getting increased snaps at wide receiver since Chris Henry was lost for the season more than two weeks ago. Punt returner Quan Cosby(notes) could be another option since he did return kicks at the University of Texas.

Since it failed in the Week 6 loss to Houston, the Bengals have abandoned the no huddle, but in order to speed things up and mix things up to avoid lulls, they could try to go back to it in certain situations.

Player Notes  

Even if Bengals’ running back Cedric Benson returns for Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns, rookie Bernard Scott is expected to see increased action for the rest of the season.

Coach Marvin Lewis said that Benson appears to be “very close” to recovering from his hip flexor injury and could be available. Benson did not practice with the team on Thursday but did do some rehab work on a side field.

In his first start last week in Oakland, Scott had 119 yards on 21 carries and was one of the five nominees for the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week award.

“Bernard had earned an opportunity to continue to play,” Lewis said. “He’ll have a chance, and he’ll get some opportunities one way or the other. If Ced is back and playing, Bernard will still play a considerable amount this week.”

• WR Laveranues Coles(notes) did not practice for a second straight day due to a chest injury. He should be available to play on Sunday, but if he isn’t Andre Caldwell would get the start.

• DT Domata Peko(notes) did some rehab work on the side field and is probable to play in Sunday’s game. Peko suffered an MCL sprain to this right knee last week at Oakland.

• OG Evan Mathis was listed as having full participation in practice, meaning he should return to his starting spot at right guard after missing the last two games with an ankle injury.

• LB Rey Maualuga(notes) was listed as being limited in practice with a foot injury. He is expected to play on Sunday.

• DT Tank Johnson(notes) had limited participation in practice due to a knee injury, but he is expected to play on Sunday.

Game Plan:   Depending on whom the running back is, the Bengals are still expected to pound the ball at the Browns and might take advantage of some routes over the middle. On defense, expect them to load up the box to stop Jamal Lewis(notes) along with trying to blitz some on Brady Quinn(notes).

Matchups To Watch:   Bengals WR Laveranues Coles vs. Browns CB Mike Adams(notes). Coles continues to gain confidence each week. After having 11 catches for 139 yards in the wins over Baltimore and Pittsburgh, Coles had just two last week at Oakland, but one of them was for 40 yards. When they signed him, Coles was thought to be more of a deep threat than T.J. Houshmandzadeh(notes). Adams, along with Brandon McDonald(notes), has been poor in coverage for the Browns and Palmer could have some easy one-on-one advantages with Coles.

Bengals C Kyle Cook(notes) vs. Browns NT Shaun Rogers(notes). Cook was able to hold his own in the first matchup, but Rogers is a big, physical lineman who can get penetration and push the pocket. The Bengals did struggle a little bit in establishing the run during the first three quarters before Cook and LT Andrew Whitworth were able to start getting some holes open in the fourth and overtime.

Injury Impact:   Lewis likes the fact that the Bengals could be healthier going into this game. The main area to watch remains running back as Cedric Benson works his way back from a hip flexor; he has a 60 percent chance of playing. If he is unable to go, rookie Bernard Scott will get most of the carries with Brian Leonard(notes) and Larry Johnson worked in. Evan Mathis looks like he will return at RG with Keith Rivers(notes) also back at outside linebacker.