WEEKLY NEWS RELEASE NOV. 15, 2011 CINCINNATI BENGALS (6-3) AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (6-3)

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1 Cincinnati Bengals One Paul Brown Stadium Cincinnati, Ohio (513) administrative offices (513) administrative fax (513) 621-TDTD (8383) ticket office WEEKLY NEWS RELEASE NOV. 15, 2011 CINCINNATI BENGALS (6-3) AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (6-3) Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST. Television: CBS broadcast with Greg Gumbel (play-by-play) and Dan Dierdorf (analyst). The game will be aired in the Bengals home market on CBS affiliates WKRC-TV (Channel 12) in Cincinnati, WHIO-TV (Channel 7) in Dayton and WKYT-TV (Channel 27) in Lexington, Ky. Bengals radio: Coverage on the Bengals Radio Network, led by a triple-cast on Cincinnati flagship stations WLW-AM (700), WCKY-AM (ESPN 1530) and WEBN-FM (102.7). Broadcasters are Dan Hoard (play-by-play) and Dave Lapham (analyst). National radio: The game will also be aired to a national audience on Westwood One. Broadcasters are Kevin Kugler (play-by-play) and Mark Malone (analyst). Setting the scene: The Bengals lost a big game last week, to Pittsburgh. They have another big one this week at Baltimore. And they figure they ll have plenty more between now and... February? So no, confidence seems not to be an issue as the AFC s most underprognosticated team prepares to face the Ravens with a first-place AFC North berth on the line. We hadn t lost in a while, QB Andy Dalton calmly observed after the Pittsburgh game. We had won five in a row. Now we ll see how we react. We didn t play our best game, but we were in the game the whole time. The Bengals-Ravens winner will join Pittsburgh, idle this week, atop the NFL s best divisional race at 7-3. The loser will be a game back in third place. Nobody in this locker room was scared to be down 14-0 to the Pittsburgh Steelers (with 3:37 still left in the first quarter), said OT Andrew Whitworth. We fought back. We got close. We could have won and we feel like we should have won. Sure it s a big game (at Baltimore). We can handle it. Despite their early deficit, the Bengals didn t go down for the count against Pittsburgh until the 2:27 mark of the fourth quarter. Trailing by the eventual seven-point margin, they gained a first down at the Pittsburgh 26, but on second down, veteran CB William Gay jumped a route and intercepted an Andy Dalton pass intended for WR Jerome Simpson. Not acceptable, said Dalton. The game had so many close opportunities, but we didn t execute. Hopefully a learning experience. We re not down. It s a big week ahead again, and we ll go back to work. Head coach Marvin Lewis is strongly backing his team the AFC s youngest in a season-opening league analysis as a fully vested member of the contenders club for We have the chance, and the ability, to accomplish everything we want to do, all the way to the ultimate goal, Lewis said. I don t think this team has to worry about being able to play with the so-called elite in the AFC. Asked if there had been such a worry going into the Pittsburgh game, Lewis said: No, but the players had to listen to what everyone else had to say. I had no worries. GAME NOTES WEEK 11, GAME 10 SUNDAY, NOV. 20 AT M&T BANK STADIUM NEXT UP: WEEK 12, GAME 11 NOV. 27 VS. CLEVELAND Echoed Whitworth: This game may have convinced you all (media), but we didn t need convincing. The Bengals will face Baltimore without standout CB Leon Hall, who was lost for the season in the Pittsburgh game with an Achilles tear. Sensational rookie WR A.J. Green played only about half the game, due to a scary-looking knee strain, but Lewis said the team s medical staff believes Green will be ready for the Ravens. The series: The Ravens lead, 16-14, but the Bengals have won six of the last nine meetings. In last year s regular-season finale at M&T Bank Stadium, the Ravens won 13-7, extending their lead to 11-5 as the home team in the series, but the Bengals had won the last two in Baltimore prior to that. The teams split last season, Cincinnati winning at home in September. Dominating defensive performances have marked the rivalry in recent years. In the last seven meetings, the losing teams have averaged only 7.3 points per outing. The Bengals and Ravens played their first two Baltimore games at the old Memorial Stadium, in , splitting the pair. Complete Bengals-Ravens series results are on page 155 of the 2011 Bengals Media Guide. Team bests from the series: Bengals MOST POINTS: 42, in a win in 2005 at Paul Brown Stadium. LARGEST VICTORY MARGIN: 14, in a 21-7 win at Baltimore in FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED: 7 (three times), most recently in a 17-7 win in 2009 at Paul Brown Stadium. Ravens MOST POINTS: 38, in a win in Baltimore in LARGEST VICTORY MARGIN: 37, in a 37-0 win at Baltimore in The game is tied for the largest losing margin in Bengals history. FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED: 0 (three times), most recently in a 16-0 win at Baltimore in The last meetings: This is the first Bengals-Ravens meeting of the 2011 season. Complete summaries of the two 2010 meetings between the division rivals are on page 14 of this release. Individually vs. Ravens: Bengals WRs Andre Caldwell and Jerome Simpson had career-best performances against the Ravens in last year s regular-season finale. Caldwell posted career highs with seven catches and 94 yards last year at Baltimore. And in 2009, Caldwell s 20-yard TD catch at Baltimore was a gamewinner, coming with 0:22 to play. Caldwell s career totals against the Ravens (five games) are 12 catches for 142 yards (11.8), with two TDs. Simpson had a career-high 12 receptions in last year s game at Baltimore, for 123 yards. His totals included an 11-yard TD catch. His 12 receptions rank tied for second in a game in Bengals history, behind only Carl Pickens 13 vs. Pittsburgh in Simpson had played briefly in two previous games against Baltimore, with no receptions. Other current Bengals past performances for Cincinnati against the Ravens 1

2 (Individually vs. Ravens, continued) include: HB Cedric Benson: Five games; 115 rushes for 385 yards (3.3), with two TDs; Five receptions for 13 yards (2.6). Benson has two 100-yard rushing games against the Ravens, both in HB Bernard Scott: Four games; 11 rushes for 50 yards (4.5); One reception for nine yards. HB Brian Leonard: Two games; Four rushes for 12 yards (3.0); Six receptions for 49 yards (8.2). HB Cedric Peerman: Two games; One rush for zero yards; One reception for 11 yards. FB Chris Pressley: One game: One rush for zero yards; One reception for six yards. WR Jordan Shipley (Reserve/Injured) Two games; Seven catches for 56 yards (8.0). TE Jermaine Gresham: One game; Three catches for 15 yards (5.0). TE Chase Coffman (practice squad): One game; Three receptions for 30 yards (10.0). Records vs. Ravens: Shayne Graham kicked a Bengals-record seven field goals for all of Cincinnati s scoring in a 21-7 win at Baltimore in Graham did not have a missed attempt. Seven field goals in a game is tied for second-most in NFL history. Also: The Bengals record for kickoff return yardage in a game (228 yards) was set at Baltimore by Brandon Bennett in Bennett had a 94-yarder for a TD. The longest punt return by a Bengals opponent was Lamont Brightful s 95-yarder in 2002 at Baltimore. The longest interception return by a Bengals opponent was Chad Williams 98-yarder in 2002 at Baltimore. On Nov. 30, 2006, when the Bengals finished the third quarter with a 13-0 lead over Baltimore, it marked the first time in franchise history to hold opponents scoreless for seven consecutive quarters. Cincinnati had shut out Cleveland 30-0 the week before. Happy returns: The Bengals and Ravens are among four NFL teams with four touchdowns on returns. That s tied for third-most in the league, behind Chicago (seven) and Green Bay (five). The Bengals have scored three TDs via defense and one via special teams. All of Baltimore s return TDs have come from the defense. Takeaway terrors: Since 2003, when Marvin Lewis took over as Bengals head coach, the Ravens and Bengals are both in the NFL s top five in turnover differential, tied for third place at plus-35. They are also both in the top five in total takeaways. The Ravens are first at 275 and the Bengals are fifth at 258. In points off turnovers since 2003, the Ravens lead the NFL with 899, and the Bengals are fourth at 785. Prior to Lewis tenure, the Bengals had posted a minus turnover differential for five straight years ( ). For 2011, the Bengals are now plus-three in turnover differential. They were minus-one last week vs. Pittsburgh (one takeaway, two giveaways). Here are the top five teams in differential since 2003: TEAM TAKEAWAYS GIVEAWAYS DIFFERENTIAL New England Indianapolis Cincinnati Baltimore San Diego Bengals-Ravens connections: Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis was Ravens defensive coordinator from Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is from Perrysburg, Ohio, played DB at Miami (Ohio) from and coached at the University of Cincinnati from Ravens S Haruki Nakamura played at the University of Cincinnati... Ravens RBs coach Wilbert Montgomery and Bengals HB Bernard Scott both played at Abilene Christian, and they rank 1-2 in all-time scoring at the school (Montgomery 458, Scott 438)... Bengals LBs coach Jeff FitzGerald was Ravens LBs coach from Bengals special teams coach Darrin Simmons entered NFL coaching with the Ravens in Bengals assistant strength and conditioning coach Jeff Friday was on the Ravens staff from Ravens assistant OL coach Andy Moeller is the son of former Bengals assistant Gary Moeller... Ravens special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg was on the University of Cincinnati staff from Ravens offensive assistant Craig Ver Steeg was on the University of Cincinnati staff from Bengals DBs coach Kevin Coyle coached at Maryland from Bengals strength and conditioning coach Chip Morton was assistant S/C coach for the Ravens from Bengals assistant special teams/assistant LBs coach Paul Guenther coached at Western Maryland in Ravens LBs coach Dean Pees is from Dunkirk, Ohio, attended Bowling Green and coached in college at Findlay ( ), Miami-Ohio ( ) and Toledo ( ). BENGALS-RAVENS NFL RANKINGS BENGALS RAVENS SCORING (AVG. POINTS): Points scored... T-15th (23.6) 9th (25.0) Points allowed... 5th (18.2) 3rd (16.9) NET OFFENSE (AVG. YARDS): Total... 24th (316.3) 15th (389.1) Rushing... 20th (104.1) 22nd (110.3) Passing... 23rd (212.1) 11th (278.8) NET (AVG. YARDS): Total... 5th (301.3) 3rd (280.2) Rushing... 2nd (84.5) T-3rd (95.6) Passing... 10th (216.8) 6th (184.7) TURNOVERS: Differential... T-10th (plus-3) T-13th (plus-1) Red zone reports: The good news vs. Pittsburgh was that the Bengals were perfect offensively in the red zone. The bad news was that they had only one red-zone possession. The TD they scored raised their offensive TD percentage for the season to 53.8, and their offensive percentage ranking rose from 15th to 11th. Defensively, Cincinnati s red-zone news last week was just bad. The Steelers had four possessions and netted three TDs and a field goal. Cincinnati s defensive TD percentage inflated to 59.1, and the team s defensive ranking fell to 25th. Baltimore has been strong defensively in the red zone. The Ravens rank third in TD percentage (36.0) and second in overall scoring percentage (76.0). BENGALS RED-ZONE REPORT OFFENSE Inside-20 poss.: 26 Inside-20 poss.: 22 Total scores: 24 (92.3%) Total scores: 21 (95.5%) TDs: 14 (53.8%) TDs: 13 (59.1%) FGs: 10 (38.5%) FGs: 8 (36.4%) TD% rank: 11th TD% rank: 25th No scores: 2 (7.7%) No scores: 1 (4.5%) RAVENS RED-ZONE REPORT OFFENSE Inside-20 poss.: 31 Inside-20 poss.: 25 Total scores: 29 (93.5%) Total scores: 19 (76.0%) TDs: 14 (45.2%) TDs: 9 (36.0%) FGs: 15 (48.4%) FGs: 10 (40.0%) TD% rank: 21st TD% rank: 3rd No scores: 2 (6.5%) No scores: 6 (24.0%) 2

3 Marvin Lewis posted his 66th career win as Bengals head coach in the Nov. 6 Tennessee game. This season he has passed Sam Wyche (64 wins) for the most victories in franchise history. Also this season, Lewis has achieved the longest head coaching tenure in franchise history. He breaks the record of eight seasons he had shared with club founder Paul Brown ( ) and with Wyche ( 84-91). Below are the career Cincinnati records of the top five head coaches in Bengals history, based on total wins: COACH SEASONS REG. SEASON POSTSEASON TOTAL Marvin Lewis Sam Wyche Paul Brown Forrest Gregg Bruce Coslet Lewis was the consensus choice as NFL Coach of the Year in 2009, when the Bengals won the AFC North title while sweeping all six division games. The Bengals also won the AFC North under Lewis in In 2003, taking over a team that had lost 14 games the year before, Lewis directed a six-game improvement to 8-8 and placed second in Associated Press Coach of the Year balloting. He was named the ninth Bengals head coach on Jan. 14, In 2002, he directed the NFL s fifth-ranked defense with Washington, serving as assistant head coach in addition to his role as defensive coordinator. Prior to his year with the Redskins, he was a record-setting defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. His six seasons ( ) with the Ravens included a Super Bowl victory following the 00 season. In the 2000 regular season, Lewis Baltimore defense set the NFL record for fewest points allowed in a 16-game season (165). Lewis entered the NFL as linebackers coach with Pittsburgh from , guiding the careers of Pro Bowl selections Kevin Greene, Chad Brown, Levon AFC North race: It s the best division race in pro football. Three AFC North teams are winning at a.667 clip or better, something only the NFC North can match, and the AFC North race is tighter. The Bengals and Ravens are each only a half-game behind the first-place Steelers. The three teams are even in the loss column. Only four divisional games have been played to date. The Bengals have beaten Cleveland and lost to Pittsburgh, and Baltimore has downed Pittsburgh twice. This week s Bengals-Ravens game will be the fifth of the 12 division games. Here s the AFC North picture entering Week 11, looking two weeks ahead: TEAM W-L DIVISION NEXT TWO WEEKS Pittsburgh Bye; at Kansas City Baltimore vs. Cincinnati; vs. San Fran. (Thurs.) Cincinnati at Baltimore; vs. Cleveland Cleveland vs. Jacksonville; at Cincinnati The toughest road: It s a source of pride for the teams involved, but the northern route looks clearly like the most difficult road to reach the AFC playoffs in The AFC North is plus-seven in games outside the division (including games against NFC teams). The aggregate record is 18-11, for a.621 winning percentage. The AFC East is even in games outside the division, the AFC West is minus-two, and the AFC South is minus-six. The North is also the toughest division in the NFC. Its four teams are a combined plus-10 in non-division games, with a 16-6 record and.727 winning percentage. The AFC North had a rare winless effort in non-division games last week. Baltimore lost at Seattle, and Cleveland lost at home to St. Louis. The only nondivision game this week involving an AFC North team is Jacksonville at Cleveland. Offense soaring in sacks ratings: The Bengals have allowed only two sacks over the last four games, and for the season Cincinnati s 13 sacks allowed are tied third-fewest in the NFL. The Bengals rank fifth in the league in fewest sacks allowed per passing play. Buffalo has allowed the fewest sacks (10), and Oakland ranks second (11). Tennessee is tied with the Bengals at 13. THE HEAD COACHES BENGALS NOTES 3 Kirkland and Greg Lloyd. Born Sept. 23, 1958, in McDonald, Pa., near Pittsburgh, Lewis played linebacker at Idaho State and earned All-Big Sky Conference honors in each of his three seasons ( 78-80). He began his coaching career as an assistant at Idaho State University in John Harbaugh is in his fourth season as Ravens head coach. His record is 42-22, including 4-3 in postseason. He has led the Ravens to Wild Card playoff berths in each of his three full seasons, with at least one playoff win in each season. His club finished 12-4 last season. A graduate of Miami (Ohio) and former coach on the University of Cincinnati staff, Harbaugh spent 10 seasons ( ) with the Philadelphia Eagles before joining the Ravens. He was Philadelphia s secondary coach in 2007, following nine seasons as special teams coordinator. From , Philadelphia was the only team to earn annual top 10 spots in the Dallas Morning News widely respected special teams report. In 2001 and 03, the Eagles ranked first. In 2001, Harbaugh was voted by peers as the NFL s Special Teams Coach of the Year. A native of Perrysburg, Ohio, Harbaugh played defensive back for four seasons ( ) at Miami (Ohio), while earning a degree in political science. His eight-year stint ( ) on the University of Cincinnati staff included two seasons ( ) as assistant head coach. Harbaugh s younger brother, Jim, played QB in the NFL for 14 years and is now head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Lewis vs. Ravens: Lewis leads, Lewis vs. Harbaugh: Tied, 3-3. Harbaugh vs. Bengals: Tied, 3-3. The team is on pace to allow only 23 sacks on the season. The team recordlow is 17, set in 2007, and the No. 2 mark was 21, in the division championship season of In addition to getting good protection from the offensive line, running backs and tight ends, the Bengals have benefitted of late from QB Andy Dalton s ability to 1) buy time with moves in the pocket and 2) know when to throw the ball away to avoid a sack. Andy does a good job of moving away from pressure, said head coach Marvin Lewis, and he s composed and makes good decisions when he s out in space. CB Hall lost for season: Bengals CB Leon Hall, who has not missed a regular-season or postseason game in his Bengals career, will have his streak snapped this week at Baltimore. Hall suffered an Achilles tear in the second quarter of last week s Pittsburgh game and will be out for the remainder of the season. He was placed Nov. 14 on the Reserve/Injured list. Through last week, the fifth-year pro has played in all 74 games since his 2007 signing, and he has started the last 66 (64 at RCB and two at LCB). He has played more Bengals games without missing one than anyone on the current roster, and his streak of consecutive starts is also the current team s longest, at least until this weekend. Hall had an interception against the Steelers before suffering the injury, and for now he has the team INT lead, with two. He also leads the team in passes defensed (10), including two vs. Pittsburgh. He had one tackle in the Steelers game and ends his season with 38 tackles, plus a fumble recovery. In his first four seasons, Hall led team in INTs three times and tied for team lead once. Over his Bengals tenure, he leads the team in INTs (20) and passes defensed (94). He has moved into sixth place in all-time Bengals INTs, needing one more to tie Tory James (21). In addition to his defensive workload, Hall has been among the most active special teams players of the team s regular starters. Injuries happen, but you hate to see it, said defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. Whatever you ask Leon to do, he ll do it and not say a word. If you tell him to play the best receiver, he ll do it. If you tell him to play the nickel, he ll do it. If you tell him to run down on a kickoff, he ll do it. Left side, right side, he does it. He s tough, smart, practices every day and he s passionate about football. Just the kind of guy we like.

4 (Bengals notes, continued) Next up for play-time streaks: When CB Leon Hall s teambest streak of 66 consecutive starts ends this weekend (see previous item), the current team s longest streak will be shared by C Kyle Cook and OT Andrew Whitworth. They have both started every Bengals game including postseason since the start of the 2009 campaign. If they play, as expected, at Baltimore, they will both be at 43 consecutive starts. And when Hall s streak of 74 straight Bengals games played ends this weekend, LB Brandon Johnson will take over the lead with 59 (including postseason). Johnson has played in every game since joining the Bengals in He has started 16 games. Nasty after intermission: The Bengals have outscored their first eight opponents by in the second half and by a dominating in the fourth quarter. Some of the credit for this goes quite naturally to strength and conditioning coach Chip Morton and assistant Jeff Friday. The fourth quarter is like the first for us; we still have that energy, says defensive tackle Domata Peko. Those guys (coaches) are tough on us, but we love it. The defense has had three games of not allowing a touchdown in the second half. Though the margins have for the most part not been large, the Bengals have been outscored in the fourth quarter in 12 of the last 14 full seasons. Streak-breakers: The Bengals rose to mid-season contention by reversing a sizable chunk of negative history: Their win Oct. 30 at Seattle snapped a four-game losing streak as well as 1-11 run in West Coast road games. The win on Oct. 16 vs. Indianapolis broke a seven-game losing streak to the Colts. On Oct. 9 at Jacksonville, the Bengals snapped a seven-game road drought against the Jaguars with a win. On Oct. 2 vs. Buffalo, Cincinnati s win ended a 10-game losing streak to the Bills, the longest Bengals losing streak against any NFL foe. In addition, the Bengals five-game win streak (Games 4-8) was the club s longest since a six-gamer in I m tired of hearing about how it s been 23 years, nine years, eight years, 30 years, said a smiling Thomas Howard, the team s starting WLB. We just want to win the next game, the next week. The road record: The Bengals are 4-1 on the road, headed toward a challenge to the club full-season record of 6-2, set in 1981 and tied in The 6-2 record covers both most wins and best winning percentage. The 1981 team went on to win the AFC Championship, and the 2005 team won the AFC North title. Club contending for best 16-game point yield: Despite a 24-point yield last week to Pittsburgh, the Bengals have allowed only 164 points in nine games (18.2 avg.) and are not far from a pace to allow a franchiselow total for a 16-game season. The 2011 team s pace is to allow 292 points, and the current 16-game record is 284 points allowed, set in The 2011 Bengals are ranked fifth in the NFL in fewest points allowed per game. The run stops here: There s a strong school of thought at all levels of football that rushing defense is the true foundation of a champion. It has been the bedrock for years of the dominant defenses in Pittsburgh and Baltimore, and through Week 10, for the third straight week, the Bengals are No. 2 in the NFL in rush defense. After a 109-yard yield to Pittsburgh only their second 100-yard yield in nine games the Bengals are allowing 86.8 yards per game. Cincinnati is fifth in fewest total yards allowed per game, at The Bengals have another No. 2 ranking in the less-publicized category of fewest yards allowed per rushing play (3.4). They led the NFL in this category entering the Pittsburgh game. The Bengals are more than holding their own with the rival Steelers and Ravens in rush defense. Baltimore is tied for No. 3 in yards per game (90.3), and Pittsburgh ranks seventh (96.9). The only team ahead of the Bengals is San Francisco (73.2). Baltimore does have the lead in fewest yards per rushing play, at 3.3. Pittsburgh is a distant 15th in this category, at 4.2. Cincinnati s defensive rushing average per play (3.4) and per game (86.8) would both set franchise records if held through season s end. The current perplay record is 3.6, set in 1980, and the current per-game record is 93.7, set in The mind of Zim: Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis has offered this recent summation of Mike Zimmer, who he brought on in 2008 as defensive coordinator: Zim has a great feeling for what s going on in the mind of the guy on the other side of the field. He s got an innate knack for play-calling, to know what the other team is going to do and respond to it. He puts our guys in position to win the down, and he makes sure they have the knowledge of what they and the other team are doing. You go into our meetings, and you see everybody taking notes like it s trigonometry class. And I know when he misses (a play call), he beats himself up unmercifully about it. In his four seasons on the job, Zimmer has had his unit on a steady rise. Last season the results were so-so, with a yardage ranking of 15th, but the injury situation was severe. This year, the expectation of Zimmer s best defense yet has been an in-house Bengals feeling from the start, but perhaps one only beginning to catch the attention of the wider NFL world. Here s a brief Zimmer timeline: : Served eight seasons as an NFL defensive coordinator, in Dallas and Atlanta. 2008: Signs with Bengals. Inheriting a defense that had finished 27th the previous year in net yardage, he fashioned a group that finished 12th. 2009: The defense was the rock for a division title winner, finishing fourth at yards allowed per game. It was the franchise s best finish since : The defense managed a top-half finish (15th) despite an injury year that qualified as an all-timer. Nine veterans who would have started or played regularly wound up on the Reserve/Injured list. 2011: Through Week 10, the Bengals rank No. 5 in the NFL in fewest yards allowed, No. 2 in fewest rushing yards allowed and No. 5 in fewest points allowed. More on Bengals D : More notes on the Bengals defense through eight games: The 2011 Bengals rank fourth in the NFL in fewest yards allowed per offensive play (4.8). Baltimore is first at 4.5. The Bengals rank 10th in fewest passing yards allowed (217.4). The Bengals have ranked No. 1 in overall defense only once at the end of a season, in That team allowed yards per game. Since the conclusion of the 83 campaign, Weeks 4 and 5 of this season are the only two for Cincinnati to be ranked No. 1. North pursues re-do of unique feat: When it happened, after Week 7 play this season, it was the very first instance in the 501 regularseason NFL weeks that had unfolded since the 1970 merger. So perhaps it s not surprising that through Weeks 8 and 9, it has no longer been the case. But it could happen again soon. The subject is the unprecedented feat of one NFL division having the league s top four defenses, based on average yards allowed per game. After Week 7, the spots were held, in order, by AFC North members Baltimore, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Since then, the AFC North clubs have been close but not quite there. Through Week 8, it was for the AFC North, as Cleveland fell to fifth. Through Week 9, it was And through Week 10, it s Pittsburgh is second, Baltimore third, the Bengals fifth and Cleveland sixth. The No. 1 defense is Houston (269.7), and the No. 4 spot belongs to Jacksonville (296.4). The AFC North s bully defenses have many remaining opportunities to battle on the same field. Only four of the AFC North s scheduled 12 intra-division games have been played thus far. This week s Bengals game at Baltimore will be the fifth. Overall, the AFC is the conference of defense, housing the league s top six units. The NFC leader, Detroit, is seventh overall at yards per game. First since 83: The Bengals scored a defensive TD in three straight games (Games 5-7), the first such club feat since Games 6-8 of 1983: On Oct. 9 at Jacksonville, S Gibril Wilson forced a Blaine Gabbert fumble on the game s final play, and DT Geno Atkins returned it 10 yards for his first TD 4

5 (First since 83, continued) at any level of football. On Oct. 16 vs. Indianapolis, the defense made a bid for highlight play of the year on either side of the ball. With 2:36 to play, Indianapolis trailed by only three (20-17) and took possession at its 36-yard line after a missed Bengals field goal try. The Colts were on a run of 10 straight unanswered points. But on Indy s first play, which began with a five-yard pass to WR Pierre Garcon, Bengals S Reggie Nelson forced a fumble an instant before Garcon was ruled down. DE Carlos Dunlap found the ball at the Colts 35 and was impressively elusive on a run for a game-clinching touchdown. And on Oct. 30 at Seattle, S Reggie Nelson ended the Seahawks last possession with a bang, streaking 75 yards with an interception in the final minute to close out the scoring at It was the fifth-longest INT return in Bengals history, and the longest since 2002, when CB Artrell Hawkins tied the team record with a 102-yarder at Houston. Big-play Nate: Nate Clements is the second-oldest player on the Bengals, due to turn 32 on Dec. 12. The 2011 free agent acquisition is in his 11th season as a starting NFL cornerback, and in recent games he has added to his long history as a playmaker. Clements is one of the NFL s best at prying the ball from foes when they are trying to break tackles for extra yardage, and he had a huge such play in Cincinnati s Nov. 6 win at Tennessee. With just under four minutes to play, and the Titans trailing by just four (21-17), he separated TE Jared Cook from the ball and recovered it himself at the Tennessee 20. Tennessee was forced to use all its timeouts as the Bengals capitalized to score a field goal, and the Titan offense never threatened again. I thought he was holding it a little loose, I took a shot, and fortunately the ball came out, Clements said. What I ve always been taught is, the first (tackler) holds him up, and the next one in goes for the ball. It was Clements second forced fumble this season (tied for team lead) and the 22nd of his 11-season career. Clements also had big plays in the two games preceding the Tennessee contest: On Oct. 30 at Seattle, he made the first key play to shift a close game in Cincinnati s favor. The Seahawks had scored nine straight points to close a 17-3 deficit to 17-12, but when they elected to try a two-point conversion to move within a field goal, Clements denied the bid by stripping the ball from WR Ben Obomanu in the end zone. And on Oct. 16 vs. Indianapolis, Clements blunted a late Colts bid to tie the game, blocking a 52-yard Adam Vinatieri FG attempt with 5:43 to play. The Bengals held on to a lead and went on to win In the first quarter vs. Indianapolis, Clements set up the offense for the first scoring drive of the game. He forced a fumble by Colts TE Dallas Clark that LB Thomas Howard recovered at the Indianapolis 44. He always makes plays, said head coach Marvin Lewis. He s a pro, and he has never been to the playoffs. He can taste it. One reason these guys (other Bengals defenders) play hard is because of the way he goes about his business. What a role model he is for these guys. Clements is a native Ohioan (Shaker Heights) who played at Ohio State. He is back in Ohio after spending his first 10 NFL seasons in Buffalo and San Francisco. He was a first-round draft choice of Buffalo in Clements career totals also include nine touchdowns and 33 INTs. Take a swig: Bengals coach Marvin Lewis likes to say that the best way to play defense is drinking Gatorade on the bench while your offense stays on the field. Fittingly, according to Elias Sports Bureau, the Bengals defense is tied for the NFL lead through Week 10 in most opponent possessions without allowing a first down (53). That s an average of 5.9 per game. Detroit, which matches Cincinnati s 6-3 record, is also at 53. This statistic does not record only three-and-out possessions, and thus there is some potential for padding, as it also includes such things as possessions on which the offense takes over with only seconds remaining in a half. But those anomalies can be expected to even out over time. Dunlap could return: DE Carlos Dunlap, a significant factor in the Cincinnati pass rush, could be back for the Ravens game after missing last week s Pittsburgh contest with a hamstring strain. His progress will be monitored during the week. Dunlap had three sacks over the two games preceding the Pittsburgh, sparking hope that he was priming for a late-season reign of terror against opposing QBs. Though Dunlap did not have a sack in Games 1-6, he has consistently led the team this year in coaches compilation of QB pressures, and last year his sacks also came in a late rush. He logged a Bengals rookie-record 9.5 sacks, getting all nine in the last eight games and 8.5 in the last six. Despite missing last week, Dunlap leads the team by a prohibitive margin in QB pressures. He has 20, with DT Geno Atkins far back in second place with eight. I hope I can get back out there this week, Dunlap said. With all those pressures, it means you re getting there, so it was nice to get the burden off with those sacks I did get. You never want to rush it or let yourself get frustrated. Just let the play come to you and capitalize on the opportunity. You ll notice when he gets back, said defensive tackle Domata Peko. Once he got that first one, I knew they were going to start coming. Defense s sacks pace rising: The Bengals defense tied its season high with five sacks last week, and with 25 sacks on the season, Cincinnati is on pace for a season total of 44. That would be the most in Marvin Lewis nine-season tenure as head coach, the most since a team-record 48 in 2001 and the fourth-most in team history. Cincinnati ranks seventh in the NFL in total sacks and eighth in sacks per passing play. The Bengals sack total has been a team effort, the closest race in recent memory for the team sacks title. DT Geno Atkins had one sack vs. Pittsburgh and leads the club for the year 4.5. DE Frostee Rucker also had a sack in the Steelers game and is second at 4.0. Three players DE Carlos Dunlap, DE/DT Jonathan Fanene and DE Michael Johnson are 1.5 sacks off the lead at 3.0. In all, 12 players have contributed to the 25 total. DE Robert Geathers led the team vs. Pittsburgh with 1.5 sacks, his first sacks of the season. I don t want to talk about sacks, said Fanene. It makes it too individual. I don t want to be an individual teammate. Stats are stats, but my personality and my attitude is, I want to win. The rotation is rolling: NFL trends of recent years have blurred the distinction between starters and reserves on defensive lines. Though the ideal of having an unstoppable pass rushing star or an immovable interior line behemoth has not died, the goal for a successful line includes having the depth to use six or more players for significant snap counts. The goal is keeping everyone fresh particularly the top players for crunch time and the Bengals are on track with eight consistent contributors. No active defensive lineman has had less than 15 snaps in a game this season. Of the seven linemen who played in the Pittsburgh game (DE Carlos Dunlap was out with an injury), the lowest snap total was 27. It s a really good rotation, says Domata Peko, the starter at NT, and you hope it keeps going. Because you re able to keep that same high motor at the end of the game when you really need it. Defense getting reinforcements: Bengals CB Adam Jones saw his first action of the season on Oct. 30 at Seattle, and though he suffered a hamstring strain that kept him out the last two games, he could be back for the Ravens game. If so, he d provide a boost to a secondary hurting from last week s loss of CB Leon Hall to a season-ending Achilles injury. Jones was productive in 2010, in his first Cincinnati season, but he suffered a season-ending neck injury in Game 6. He was on the shelf due to that injury all through 2011 preseason and opened the regular season on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list. He returned to practice on Oct. 24, and in the Seattle game, on his first play, he returned a punt 63 yards, the longest Bengals punt return since He suffered the hamstring strain on that play, however, and thus has not yet made his 2011 debut on defense. Two other potentially key Bengals defenders who have been out of action since training camp are also getting closer to returning: LB Dontay Moch, Cincinnati s third-round 2011 draft pick, has not seen game action since the preseason opener, when he suffered a foot injury. But he returned to practice on a limited basis prior to Game 4, and he had full participation in practice beginning with Week 5. He has been on the active roster all season inactive on game days and can make his NFL regular-season debut when coaches deem the time is right. Moch came to the team carrying high expectations as an edge rusher. The 241-pounder has exceptional speed for his size, and in college (Nevada) he logged 30 sacks and 63 tackles-for-loss. 5

6 (Defense getting reinforcements, continued) LB Keith Rivers, Cincinnati s first-round draft choice in 2008, is still rehabbing from wrist surgery in July. But he looms as a possible late-season weapon. He is on reserve status that will allow him to rejoin the roster when physically ready. Rivers finished second on the team in tackles in both 2009 and 10. He had 95 tackles last year despite playing most of the season with a painful foot condition (plantar fasciitis). Dalton gets Big Ben s nod: A look at the NFL rankings inspires no great hurrahs for the Bengals offense. It ranks 24th in yards per game (312.1), 20st in rushing (104.7) and 23rd in passing (207.4). QB Andy Dalton, meanwhile, ranks 17th in the league in passer rating (82.6). He ranks 20th in passing yards (1866) and 24th in yards per pass (6.5). But the Bengals are 6-3, the offense is getting a plenty big share of kudos, and most of them continue to go to Dalton, the cool rookie from TCU who gets ultra-high marks for poise, leadership and just a winning instinct. Last week, praise for Dalton came from a significant source, Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger. Perhaps more than any QB in the NFL today, Roethlisberger has earned the reputation of being a winner, even if his stats are sometimes less than shiny. He s a good player. He spins the ball really well, especially with the wind, Roethlisberger said of Dalton after last week s Bengals-Steelers game. He seems to be very cerebral. He knows what s going on out there. I think he s playing the best out of all the rookie quarterbacks. The other guys have numbers, but he makes some great throws. We were on the sideline (QBs) Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch and I and we were saying, Oh, that s a good throw. He makes good throws, he anticipates and I think he s playing really well. I told him, We ll see you in a couple weeks, but you re playing lights out. Dalton has led fourth-quarter comebacks in half of Cincinnati s six wins. He did it Oct. 2 vs. Buffalo, Oct. 9 at Jacksonville and Nov. 6 at Tennessee. Another first since merger : Though QB Andy Dalton s overall statistical report is not glowing (see previous item), he s doing just fine as a rookie in finding receivers in the end zone. He has accomplished the most TD passes (14) in a season s first nine games of any rookie since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. The second-highest nine-game total has been 13, by Jim Plunkett (1971) and Dan Marino (1983). Dalton would need two TD passes at Baltimore to post the most by a rookie in the first 10 games. The record is 15, shared by Marino in 83 and Peyton Manning in 98. The full-season record since 1970 for TD passes by a rookie is 26, by Manning in 98. Dalton is currently on pace for 25 through 16 games (actual projection is 24.9). This is the second category in which Dalton has had an accomplishment spanning the post-merger era. In Games 1-2 of this season, at Cleveland and at Denver, he joined Marino in becoming only the second rookie since the merger to log a 100-plus passer rating in each of his first two starts. The 35th is the first: Andy Dalton was only the 35th selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, but he was the NFL s No. 1 rookie last month. On Nov. 3, the league named him NFL Rookie of the Month for October. Dalton led the Bengals to a 4-0 record in October, becoming the first Bengals rookie QB to lead four straight victories. Two of the wins featured fourthquarter comebacks. Dalton is the third Bengal to win an NFL Rookie of the Month Award. RB Corey Dillon was the Offensive winner in December of 1997, and LB Odell Thurman was the Defensive winner in September of Impartial admirer: The Andy Dalton Admiration Society grew to include an NFL referee on Oct. 30. Andrew Whitworth, Cincinnati s starting LOT, reported that during a TV timeout at Seattle, referee Tony Corrente approached him and nodded toward Dalton. He s pretty special, isn t he? Whitworth recalled Corrente saying. (Corrente) could see Andy s attitude, Whitworth went on. How he was having fun and enjoying it. He s amazing. He did everything he had to for us to win, and that s a place (Seattle s CenturyLink Field) that is as loud as it gets. In essence it s all about Dalton being a football player, not just a passer. He has one rushing TD this season, and in the Oct. 9 Jacksonville game, he managed to make a big play on his worst play of the day. Jaguars S Dwight Lowery appeared bound for a 32-yard TD return after a second-quarter interception, but Dalton sent him spinning in mid-air with a solo tackle at the Bengals two, and the Cincinnati defense made good on the play by allowing only a field goal. Gruden, Dalton mesh: Bengals rookie QB Andy Dalton gives much of the credit for the offense s success this season to his smooth relationship with first-year offensive coordinator Jay Gruden. The thing that makes this offense how it is, is the interaction and dialogue between us, Dalton says. Jay has helped us out and has definitely put us into a position to make plays. There s a lot of give and take. We don t know anything different. With he and I coming (here) at the same time, we both were going to have new people around us. It s been great. He s done a great job calling plays. Head coach Marvin Lewis noted some weeks ago that Gruden brings a more QB-friendly offensive scheme to the team. We are much more simple this year in what we re doing with the quarterback, scheme-wise, Lewis said. From week to week, we are not reinventing the wheel against every new defense we face. Jay sees the offense through the quarterback s eyes, and it s more a case of building from week to week rather than starting over. The quarterback has a lot of leeway in the things he can call. Adds Dalton: I ve felt comfortable since day one here. The way we call plays is very similar to what I did in college. The words and verbiage are different, but the concept is very similar. I had a good grasp in college, and it prepared me for the transition to the NFL. All for Andy: Bengals players are praising rookie QB Andy Dalton: Andy commands our attention out there, says ROT Andre Smith. He s got that eye of the tiger, as I like to say. I really enjoy blocking for him. His poise and his confidence just oozes out of him, says RG Bobbie Williams. He s not playing like a kid. I ll pat him on the back, but we re going to keep him humble and hungry. He s gritty, says TE Jermaine Gresham. He just gets the job done. I look in his eyes and I see a winner, says WR A.J. Green. He is used to winning, and I am so happy and blessed to have him as my quarterback. The kid shows gumption; he s in our face, says OT Andrew Whitworth. It takes a lot for a rookie to do that. Dalton by the numbers: Despite his less-than-glitzy season statistics (see previous items), Bengals QB Andy Dalton has had his individual moments this season: On Sept. 18 at Denver, he set a Bengals rookie record with 332 passing yards. Also at Denver, Dalton and WR A.J. Green became the first rookie pair in NFL history to combine for 10 completions in a game. On Sept. 11 at Cleveland, he directed the offense to scores on the first three possessions, the first time that had happened in a Bengals season opener. Dalton on Dalton s cool: Bengals QB Andy Dalton is forever having to explain himself, but in a good way. Folks want to know how he has opened his career as an immediate starter and remained unflappable through the ups and downs of seven NFL games. Asked where his poise comes from, Dalton said: I feel like I ve played in a lot of games (including a 42-7 record as a college starter at TCU) and have been through a lot. A game s four quarters, and I ve learned you can t get too high or too low. You have to stay on an even keel, and everybody else on the team needs to see that in you. If you get too excited at times it can hurt you, and if you re too low it can hurt you. It s just my attitude. It s just what I do. Asked about the challenge of claiming a leadership role as a rookie, he said: That s just my job. The quarterback is the leader of the team. It s expected of me, and I expect it of myself. As advertised, every week: Bengals rookie WR A.J. Green has gone only a couple Sundays, at most, without making some kind of signature play. 6

7 (As advertised, every week, continued) Last week at Pittsburgh, it came in the first quarter. On a second-down play from the Steelers 36, QB Andy Dalton saw no immediately open receivers and was flushed from the pocket. Then he looked to the end zone, spotted Green there with double coverage from CB Ryan Clark and S Troy Polamalu, and did what he has learned is worth a try. He lofted a ball into the area and trusted his fellow rookie to beat the traffic and come up with it. Done. Green out-leaped and outfought the two defenders and came down with the ball. He landed hard, suffering a knee strain that cost him most of the rest of the game, but it s expected he ll be fine for the Ravens game. Of his catch for his team-leading sixth TD of the season Green said: Once that thing (the ball) is in my hand, I m not letting it go. But I came down straight-legged and hyper-extended (the knee) a little. The same thing happened in training camp, but it was nothing serious. Green returned to the game after the TD, but the knee stiffened on him at halftime, and he didn t play as the Bengals fell just short in the second half. Green spent most of the half pedaling on a stationary bike behind the bench. It s one of the toughest things to be out of a big game, watching when you know you can make plays to help your team, but they told me I couldn t come back, Green said. It happens. But we have another tough game coming up, so I have to be back for that one. Green had a similar one-against-two play the previous week at Tennessee. It wasn t for a touchdown, but he set up Andre Caldwell s deciding TD catch by claiming a 20-yard gain on a third-and-18 play to the Titans seven. He beat coverage from CB Jason McCourty and S Michael Griffin. Three bodies launched, all came down hard, but it was Green with the ball. I want to attack the ball and come down with the tough catches, Green said. I heard them coming, but they weren t attacking the ball like I was. I was going to attack it before they reached it. Green has rookie leads: Through Week 10 play, Bengals WR A.J. Green of Georgia leads NFL rookies in receptions (41), receiving yards (635) and receiving TDs (six). Green s closest rookie challenger in catches is Cleveland WR Greg Little (North Carolina), with 37. The second-place rookie in receiving yards is Atlanta s Julio Jones (Alabama), with 498. The second place rookies in TD catches are Baltimore s Torrey Smith (Maryland) and Oakland s Denarius Moore (Tennessee), each with four. Green is second among rookies in total TDs (six), with Carolina QB Cam Newton in first at seven (all rushing scores). Among all players in receptions, Green ranks tied for 11th in the AFC. He ranks tied for eighth in the AFC in catches per team game. Among all players in receiving yards, Green ranks tied for seventh in the AFC, and he ranks tied for seventh in the AFC in yards per team game. Stalking Cris: Rookie WR A.J. Green s nine-game receiving totals of 41 catches and 635 yards project to 16-game numbers of 73 catches and 1129 yards. Both figures would be Bengals rookie records by a good margin, breaking marks of 67 catches and 1009 yards set by Cris Collinsworth in Green is on pace to have better rookie numbers than current NFL standouts such as Larry Fitzgerald of Arizona (58-780) and Calvin Johnson of Detroit (48-756). Green is the first Bengals rookie receiver since Darnay Scott in 1994 to have two 100-yard games. The Bengals rookie record is three, set in 1973 by Isaac Curtis and equaled in 1985 by Eddie Brown. Green makes history: In three of his first five games, rookie WR A.J. Green sent pundits scurrying for the history books: In his pro debut at Cleveland on Sept. 11, he put the Bengals ahead to stay with a 41-yard TD catch from Bruce Gradkowski. It was the longest gamewinning TD catch in league history by a rookie playing in his team s first game. The previous long in the category was only 22 yards, and it stood for more than 85 years, set by Cobb Rooney of the Duluth Kelleys in On Sept. 18 at Denver, Green hooked up with rookie QB Andy Dalton for 10 receptions. It stands as the only time in league annals that a rookie passing duo has hit double figures in completions. On Oct. 2 vs. Buffalo, Green became the first Bengal in 23 years with two receptions of 40 or more yards in one game. He had grabs of 58 and 40 yards. The last Bengal to do it was WR Eddie Brown, who had catches of 69 and 46 yards on Dec. 17, 1988 vs. Washington. When talking A.J., don t forget tough : Size, speed, hands, strength that fearsome foursome of factors is a common litany in descriptions of Bengals rookie receiver A.J. Green. He is proving he can be the same threat in the NFL that he was in college at Georgia the player whose combination of gifts is just too much overall for most defenders to handle. He s a cut above most players in the league, says Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. Nothing A.J. does surprises the people that watch him every day. But Green has gone beyond elegant and acrobatic, raising at least a few outside eyebrows with his aggressive play in the hard-knocks world of over the middle. It s a task some premier wideouts seem to try to avoid. His most notable play in this area came Oct. 9 at Jacksonville, when he went over the middle in heavy traffic to convert a fourth-and-six play on what turned out to be a TD drive. They were playing Cover-2, and I was just able to work the middle of the field, Green said of the fourth-and-six play. It s just part of my job to go over the middle a little bit. Lewis the lyrical: Bengals coach Marvin Lewis notes that WR A.J. Green will push the defense and make them defend him over the top. The comment evokes memories of one of Lewis most expressive past comments. Speaking from his experience as a defensive coordinator, he said this about facing an offense with a big-play weapon: It s when they strike up that band, you know? When that big bird drops the bomb on you. You know it s over, and they re striking up the fight song. It s a bad day, it s a bad deal. Those are the things that are important as an offense. Otherwise, you don t put any fear in the defense. When I was coaching defense, if I didn t think the other team could go over our heads, well, we d just keep doing what we do and pressing them up front. Benson sights Bengals top five: HB Cedric Benson has the still relatively modest total of 47 Bengals starts, but he has been a consistent force since being given his first start in Game 7 of He led that team in season rushing, and he averaged 1181 yards in leading the team from Benson has played eight games this season, missing one. He led all rushers last week vs. Pittsburgh with 57 yards (on 15 carries), and through Week 9 play, his team-leading 593 yards rank seventh in the AFC and 14th in the NFL. As a result, he is now in sight of the team s all-time top five in rushing yards. His 3702 total is just 25 short of fifth-place Harold Green s Benson has less than three full Bengals seasons under his belt, while Green played in six campaigns ( ). But while Benson figures to pass Green this season, it ll be another hike to reach fourth place. FB Pete Johnson holds that spot, with 5421 yards in a sevenseason career. Corey Dillon, with 8061 yards in seven seasons, is the Bengals all-time leader. Benson s 104-yard game on Oct. 2 vs. Buffalo pushed him over the 5000 mark in career NFL rushing yards, and he now is at 5295 yards. He had 1593 in three seasons with Chicago before joining the Bengals. Benson chasing Rudi again: HB Cedric Benson has had two 100-yard rushing games this season, but he has not had one in the last four games, allowing Rudi Johnson (played ) to regain the all-time franchise lead in the category of most 100-yard games per start. Benson now has 15 games of 100-plus in 48 Bengals starts (including postseason). That s a ratio of one for every 3.20 games. Johnson s ratio was 3.16, as his 60 starts included 19 games of 100-plus. Corey Dillon, who holds the Bengals record for total 100-yard games (28), had a ratio of one 100-yarder for every 3.43 games (96 total games). In 2009, Benson set a Bengals season record with six 100-yard rushing games. Here s a listing of the 22 players who have hit the 100-yard rushing mark in a game for the Bengals, with their number of 100-yarders in parentheses: Ten or more games Corey Dillon (28), Rudi Johnson (19), James Brooks (17), Cedric Benson (15), Pete Johnson (14). Five-to-nine games Harold Green (eight), Paul Robinson (six), Essex Johnson (five), Ickey Woods (five). One-to-four games Larry Kinnebrew (four), Boobie Clark (three), Archie Griffin (three), Jess Phillips (three), Kenny Watson (two), Ki-Jana Carter (one), Virgil Carter (one), Doug Dressler (one), Larry Johnson (one), Marc Logan (one), Bernard Scott (one), Deacon Turner (one), Stanley Wilson (one). 7