WEEKLY NEWS RELEASE AUG. 25, 2014 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (0-3) AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (1-2)

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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 AUG. 25, 2014 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (0-3) AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (1-2) Kickoff: 7 p.m. Eastern. Television: Coverage on the Bengals Preseason Network with Brad Johansen (play-by-play), Anthony Munoz (analyst) and Mike Valpredo (sideline reporter). The network is led by flagship WKRC-TV (Ch. 12) in Cincinnati. The game is not a sellout and will be aired on tape delay in the Bengals home market. Air time on Channel 12 will be at 11:35 p.m., and air time on WRGT-TV (Ch. 45) in Dayton will be 11 p.m. The game will air live in Columbus and Lima, Ohio, and in Louisville, Ky. The network affiliate in Columbus is WSYX-TV (Ch. 6), the affiliate in Lima is WLIO-TV (FOX Ch. 8.2), and the affiliate in Louisville is WDRB-TV (Ch. 41). 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). Setting the scene: It takes 46 good men on a game-day active roster to win consistently in the NFL, and some big Bengals decisions regarding the latter half of that number will hinge on this week s preseason finale vs. Indianapolis at Paul Brown Stadium. But after three games of the 2014 preseason, the Cincinnati club is feeling good about what it has accomplished since the July 24 opening of training camp. The Bengals won last week on the big stage of NBC s Sunday Night Football, beating a highly regarded Arizona team on the road. It was the showcase game of the preseason in terms of time played by the starting units each side kept them on the field for the entire first half and the Bengals exited that portion with a 13-3 lead. Though Cincinnati s August record is 1-2, its starters have left all three games with a lead. We ve still got a long way to go in getting fully ready for Baltimore (in the Sept. 7 regular-season opener), head coach Marvin Lewis said after the Arizona game, but I feel good about what we ve shown so far. The big things tonight were that the offense took care of the ball in some bad field-position situations we didn t turn it over and we finished the game with the young guys with a good fourth quarter, something we hadn t been able to do in the first two games. Cincinnati s defense contributed two takeaways, including a 54-yard interception return for a touchdown by CB Terence Newman, and Lewis couldn t resist thinking Baltimore two weeks out when he addressed the team in the locker room postgame. He pointed out that in his 11 previous seasons as Cincinnati head coach, the Bengals are 7-0 against the Ravens when they finish with a plus in turnover differential. Take care of the ball, and you win the football game, Lewis exhorted his troops. I ve said it over and over, it s the most crucial statistic in the NFL. Keep taking care of it on offense, and keep making the big plays on defense. You ve got to keep it in your mind every minute. (For more on the crucial nature of turnover differential, see item A stat that matters on page 7 of this release.) Starting QB Andy Dalton hasn t been intercepted in 34 preseason attempts, and he has completed 70.6 percent of his throws. With 372 net yards, his average per attempt is an outstanding 10.9 yards. His passer rating is Dalton has faced a hot spotlight this preseason. The pressure was strong enough when training camp began, as he was a QB who had risen to prominence (three straight playoff seasons) but not to the elite (no playoff wins). GAME NOTES 1 PRESEASON FINALE THURSDAY, AUG. 28 AT PAUL BROWN STADIUM NEXT WEEK: REGULAR-SEASON OPENER SEPT. 7 AT BALTIMORE And the scrutiny became more intense on Aug. 4, when he and the Bengals agreed to a contract extension through Bottom line, Dalton has stood up to it as well as anyone could have expected. I feel very confident with what we have on this team, Dalton said after the Cardinals game. I like the guys we have and the way we ve been playing. I think we re in a good state of being ready to go for the opener. Asked if he felt he might get the night off this week against the Colts a veteran QB perk he has not been afforded in his first three preseason finales Dalton merely smiled and said, That s Marvin s decision, and we ll go with his best plan. Having entered the Arizona game with a white-hot passer rating, Dalton managed only a nicely respectable 84.8 against the Cardinals. But the first offense faced dangerously bad field position to start most of its drives, and offensive coordinator Hue Jackson was effusive in his praise of Dalton s passing yardage total (157) and game management. We re on the road, in a new stadium to us, on Sunday Night Football, Jackson said. We re backed up most of the half, maybe we aren t blocking guys our best, but the quarterback is smart with the ball and we win the game. Games in the NFL are going to be tough, and that s the way you win them sometimes. This guy is showing us exactly what we need. He has lighted it up when the conditions have been better, and I couldn t be more excited for him. The Bengals first defense has also had a good preseason showing. Veteran CBs Newman and Leon Hall have come back strongly from 2013 injuries, and in the Arizona game, All-Pro DT Geno Atkins played for the first time since suffering a serious knee injury in Game 9 of last season. The Indianapolis game will be arriving quickly, just four days after the Arizona contest, and then will begin the 10-day countdown to Sept. 7 at Baltimore. The series: The Bengals lead the Colts 14-8 in preseason play, including 7-4 as the home team. The Bengals have won eight of the last 10 preseason meetings, including at Paul Brown Stadium in Since 1992, the Bengals and Colts have played every year in the preseason except All 22 preseason games between the two franchises have taken place since the Colts moved to Indianapolis from Baltimore. In the official series rivalry, including regular-season and postseason games, the Colts lead 17-10, but the Bengals have won the last two encounters, in 2011 and in 2013, both at Paul Brown Stadium. Indy s lead includes a edge in regular season, plus a victory in the rivalry s only postseason game, a 17-0 win by the Baltimore Colts against the visiting Bengals in The Bengals and Colts are scheduled to meet again in the 2014 regular season, on Oct. 19 at Indianapolis. Complete Bengals-Colts preseason results are on page 212 of the Bengals 2014 media guide, with regular-season/postseason results on page 211. The I-74 rivalry: Cincinnati vs. Indianapolis is the closest geographical rivalry among cities in the AFC, with a driving distance of 110 miles along Interstate 74. The next closest is Cleveland-Pittsburgh at 137 miles. Though the teams are not division rivals, they are meeting for the 22nd time in 23 years in preseason, and they are scheduled to meet for the seventh time in the last 10 regular seasons on Oct. 19 at Indianapolis. Memorable I-74 moments: The most memorable Bengals-Colts regular-season games include:

2 (Memorable I-74 moments, continued) Oct. 22, 1989: The underdog Colts shocked the defending AFC Champion Bengals at Riverfront Stadium. It was the second straight upset loss at home for the 89 Bengals, a powerful team that would outscore its opponents but miss the playoffs with an 8-8 record. Nov. 20, 1994: The Colts scored on a controversial late TD pass to defeat the Bengals at Riverfront. The result stung a Cincinnati crowd of 55,566, which had gathered to celebrate Blakemania after seeing QB Jeff Blake deliver his first two victories in the two previous games. Sept. 3, 1995: Doug Pelfrey kicked five field goals, including the gamewinner from 47 yards in overtime, as the Bengals won in the season opener at Indianapolis. Dec. 22, 1996: The Bengals outlasted the Colts at Cinergy Field in a game that was tied four times. The season-ending victory completed a 5-0 run at home for the Bengals under head coach Bruce Coslet, and Indianapolis was denied the home-field edge for the playoffs. Nov. 9, 1997: In the first significant action of his encore stint with the Bengals (following four years with other clubs), QB Boomer Esiason led TD drives on his first three possessions to spark a Bengals victory at the RCA Dome. The Colts were leading 10-7 in the third quarter when Esiason took the reins for Jeff Blake, who had been shaken up. Oct. 6, 2002: The Colts won at the RCA Dome, but not without a frantic finish. The Bengals rallied from deficits of 21-0 and to pull within with 0:53 remaining, and after recovering an onside kick, the Bengals drove to a first down at the Indianapolis 35. But on the next play, a Jon Kitna pass bounced off the hands of then-second-year WR Chad Johnson, and the Colts intercepted to preserve the win. Nov. 20, 2005: The Colts came to Paul Brown Stadium as the NFL s only unbeaten team (9-0), facing a 7-2 Bengals outfit. Indy survived a shootout, winning The Colts got three TD passes by Peyton Manning and two rushing scores by Edgerrin James. The Bengals countered with two TD passes by Carson Palmer and two rushing scores by Rudi Johnson. Dec. 18, 2006: Peyton Manning threw four TD passes in leading the Colts to a win over the Bengals on ESPN s Monday Night Football. The Bengals produced only one TD from five possessions inside the Indianapolis 20. The Colts improved to an 11-3 record while the Bengals fell to 8-6. Nov. 14, 2010: The Bengals trailed 17-0 early in the second quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium but closed to with 2:35 to play on a TD catch by rookie TE Jermaine Gresham. Cincinnati then recovered an onside kick. But Gresham, who caught an astounding nine passes in the fourth quarter, gave up a fumble (lost) on the first play after the onside recovery. Dec. 8, 2013: In a battle of AFC division leaders at Paul Brown Stadium, Bengals QB Andy Dalton threw three TD passes with no interceptions as the Bengals won The Bengals improved to 9-4 on the season and maintained a two-game AFC North lead over Baltimore. The Colts fell to 8-5 but clinched the AFC South title later in the day when Tennessee lost at Denver. Bengals-Colts connections: Bengals TE Tyler Eifert played at Notre Dame and is from Fort Wayne, Ind.... Bengals G Mike Pollak was a 2008 second round draft pick by the Colts and played for them from Colts Marvin Lewis in 2014 extends his Bengals record for head coaching tenure to 12 seasons. He has led the team to the postseason in four of the last five years, including three straight. The Bengals are one of only five NFL teams to be in the playoffs every year since 2011, and they are one of only six clubs to qualify as many as four times in the last five years. In total, Lewis has coached five Bengals playoff teams, also a franchise record. Paul Brown is second in the category, with three. Lewis will open the 2014 regular season with 90 career victories, most in Bengals history by a margin of 26 over Sam Wyche (64). Lewis record is in the regular season and including postseason. Lewis record in preseason games is The Bengals went 11-5 in the regular season in 2013, winning the AFC North Division championship by three games over both Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Cincinnati lost in the first round of the playoffs, however, falling to San Diego at Paul Brown Stadium. Last year s division title was Cincinnati s third under Lewis. In a 2009 title season in which the Bengals swept all six division games, Lewis was the consensus choice as NFL Coach of the Year. Lewis also led Cincinnati to an AFC North title in THE HEAD COACHES RB Daniel Herron played for the Bengals in 2012 and was on the Bengals practice squad for part of the 2013 season; Herron also played at Ohio State... Bengals C Trevor Robinson played at Notre Dame... Colts TE Jack Doyle and LB Andrew Jackson played at Western Kentucky... Bengals DT Larry Black played at Indiana University... Bengals S Isaiah Lewis is from Indianapolis... Colts G/T Jack Mewhort played at Ohio State... Colts linebackers coach Jeff FitzGerald coached for the Bengals from and at the University of Cincinnati in Bengals running backs coach Kyle Caskey coached at Indiana State from Colts special teams coordinator Tom McMahon coached at Louisville in Bengals defensive line coach Jay Hayes coached at Notre Dame from Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph played for the Colts in Colts offensive line coach Joe Gilbert coached at Toledo from and in Bengals defensive assistant/quality control coach Marcus Lewis played at Indiana State... Colts assistant linebackers coach Brad White coached at Murray State in BENGALS-COLTS FINAL 2013 NFL RANKINGS BENGALS COLTS SCORING (AVERAGE POINTS): Points scored... T-6th (26.9) T-14th (24.4) Points allowed... T-5th (19.1) 9th (21.0) NET OFFENSE (AVERAGE YARDS): Total... 10th (368.4) 15th (341.8) Rushing... 18th (109.7) T-20th (108.9) Passing... 8th (258.7) 17th (232.8) NET DEFENSE (AVERAGE YARDS): Total... 3rd (305.5) 20th (357.1) Rushing... 5th (96.5) 26th (125.1) Passing... 5th (209.0) 13th (231.9) TURNOVERS: Differential...13th (plus-1) 3rd (plus-13) BENGALS 2013 RED-ZONE REPORT OFFENSE DEFENSE Inside-20 poss.: 46 Inside-20 poss.: 36 Total scores: 39 (84.8%) Total scores: 30 (83.3%) TDs: 34 (73.9%) TDs: 18 (50.0%) FGs: 5 (10.9%) FGs: 12 (33.3%) TD% rank: 2nd TD% rank: T-8th No scores: 7 (15.2%) No scores: 6 (16.7%) COLTS 2013 RED-ZONE REPORT OFFENSE DEFENSE Inside-20 poss.: 50 Inside-20 poss.: 41 Total scores: 45 (90.0%) Total scores: 34 (82.9%) TDs: 28 (56.0%) TDs: 24 (58.5%) FGs: 17 (34.0%) FGs: 10 (24.4%) TD% rank: 14th TD% rank: 20th No scores: 5 (10.0%) No scores: 7 (17.1%) Lewis ranks second in the NFL in longest current tenure with one team, trailing only Bill Belichick, who is in his 15th straight season with New England. In the category of most seasons as an NFL head coach with one or more teams, Lewis in 2014 ranks sixth among active coaches, behind Belichick (20th season in 2014), Jeff Fisher (20), Tom Coughlin (19), the Chiefs Andy Reid (16) and John Fox (13). Lewis was named the ninth head coach in Bengals history 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 2000 season. In the 2000 regular season, Lewis Baltimore defense set the NFL record for fewest points allowed in a 16- game campaign (165), and the 2000 Ravens are always included in discussions of the best single-season NFL defenses of all time. Lewis entered the NFL as linebackers coach with Pittsburgh from , guiding the careers of Pro Bowl selections Kevin Greene, Chad Brown, Levon Kirkland and Greg Lloyd. Born Sept. 23, 1958, in McDonald, Pa., near Pittsburgh, Lewis played 2

3 (The head coaches, continued) 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 Chuck Pagano is in his third season as head coach of the Colts, looking for a third straight postseason berth. His record is 23-12, including 1-2 in postseason. Last season, his club won the AFC South title with an 11-5 record. The Colts defeated visiting Kansas City in the Wild Card round before losing at New England in Divisional play. In 2012, the Colts went 11-5 in the regular season and earned a Wild Card playoff berth, but the story of Pagano s season went beyond wins and losses. After three games of the regular season last year, he was forced to take a leave of absence, due to a diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia, a curable form of the disease. Then-offensive coordinator Bruce Arians took over as interim head coach for the next 12 games, though Pagano remained in constant communication with the coaching staff and players. Pagano analyzed practices while continuing game-planning schemes. He was cleared to return to the sidelines for the final regular-season game and for the Colts playoff game, a loss Atkins in action at Arizona: DT Geno Atkins, one of the NFL s premier defensive linemen, returned to game action in last week s Arizona contest. He started with the base defense in the first two offensive series, then played in nickel fronts for the remainder of the first half. A two-time first-team All- Pro selection (2013 by Sports Illustrated and 2012 by Associated Press), Atkins missed the last seven games of last season with a knee injury (ACL tear) suffered Oct. 31 at Miami. Atkins had 6.0 sacks in his limited action last season, and in 2012 he led NFL interior linemen by a wide margin with 12.5 sacks. In 2011, he tied for the sacks lead by NFL interior linemen with 7.5. Geno has developed into one of the better inside pass rushers in the game, said head coach Marvin Lewis. He creates an issue for one-on-one matchups, and he s done a real good job of growing and really playing well in the run game. Hopefully we continue to create issues in the middle of the line, which makes it better for your outside rushers. Though Atkins was held out of the first two preseason games, he has been practicing since early training camp. Geno is one of the best defensive tackles in the game, said his first-team interior line mate, NT Domata Peko. It s going to uplift everybody. We re excited to have him back, back. I m sure the entire city is glad he s back. Not only is he a hell of a pass rusher, one of the best inside pass rushers in the game, but he s a hell of a run stopper, too. Especially in our zone scheme. He can blow a guard back and destroy plays. Teams are always going to have to respect him because he can change the whole game. A lot of teams game plan just for (No.) 97. Defensive line coach Jay Hayes said: We are always trying to get Geno in one-on-one situations. Sometimes on a double team they have trouble with him, and if you can get him in one-on-one situations, people are going to have a long day. Whoever that guy is, he s going to have a bad day. The Burfict bandwagon: Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict, with just two seasons under his belt, has emerged not only as a Pro Bowl player physically, but as the defense s emotional leader. Here s a sampling of kudos from teammates and coaches: Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther: I love the kid. I really do. I ll coach very few guys like him in my career. I realize that. 11th-year DE Robert Geathers: He s intense, and everybody feeds off of his energy. He s a football-smart guy, and when you re prepared like that and have his energy, it doesn t matter how old you are. S Reggie Nelson: If you don t want to play with a guy like that next to you, I don t know what to tell you. I love playing next to him. LB Jayson DiManche: He s as confident as any player I ve ever seen at any level, and that s what really impresses me. You ll never know if and when he makes a mistake out there, because he s always going so fast and playing so hard. His attitude and effort level are off the charts. That s something as a young linebacker that you try to emulate. It s crazy because Vontaze is actually younger than me. CB Darqueze Dennard: All of the great ones pretty much have that personality, that combative edge that Vontaze does. Lawrence Taylor... Ray BENGALS NOTES at eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore. Before joining the Colts in 2012, Pagano spent the previous four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, including 2011 as defensive coordinator. Under his direction the AFC North champ Ravens ranked third in the NFL in total defense (288.9 yards per game), second against the run (92.6) and fourth against the pass (196.3). Pagano was Baltimore s secondary coach from In 08, the Ravens led the NFL in interceptions (26), including Ed Reed s league-leading nine. Pagano also coached in the NFL as defensive backs coach at Oakland ( ) and at Cleveland ( ). He also coached 18 years at the major college level, beginning in 1984 at Southern California. A native of Boulder, Colo., he played safety at the University of Wyoming. His brother, John, is defensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers. Lewis vs. Colts: Lewis leads 7-2 in preseason and is 2-4 in the regular season. Lewis vs. Pagano: Tied 1-1 in preseason; Lewis leads 1-0 in regular season. Pagano vs. Bengals: Same as Lewis vs. Pagano. Lewis... you see the passion in all of that barking and hollering, and you see that in Vontaze. I love it, and I think the rest of the guys appreciate that. He motivates guys and gets them going. When you see a player who is running around having fun and screaming and hollering after he makes plays, it makes you want to go out there and have fun with him. Burfict is known for taking his edge to practice as well as games, giving teammates some verbal and physical jabs. You have to have fun, said Burfict. Preseason is like 40 days, and it gets old around day five. So you want to make it competitive and have fun with it and talk crap. When I talk to Andy (Dalton), Gio (Bernard), BenJarvus (Green-Ellis), it spices things up. You don t think about the reps, you just think about competing and trying to win that rep. I feel like bringing a bit of an edge and talking a little trash makes us play better and faster. Two ways to build a defense: The Bengals were the thirdranked defense in the NFL last season. They had strong play at linebacker and in the secondary. But the pre-nfl pedigrees of the LB and DB units were strikingly different, and they remain so in The LB corps is dominated by players who entered the NFL undrafted, as college free agents, and the secondary is laden not only with draft choices, but first-round draft choices. Pro Bowler Vontaze Burfict of course heads the LB group. His story is now widely known. Early in his college career at Arizona State, he was touted as a possible NFL first-round draft choice. But he later acquired the tags of being undisciplined and out of shape, and he was bypassed in the draft. He has disproven those raps with the Bengals, however, and the WLB now stands among the most productive CFA signees of any NFL team in any year. Emmanuel Lamur, opening the preseason as the No. 1 SLB, and Vincent Rey, a strong contender for playing time at MLB or OLB, also were originally college free agent signees with the Bengals. Third-year pro Lamur, big and athletic at 6-4 and 240 pounds, had been tabbed for a significant role last season but was lost for the year to a preseason shoulder injury. Not only was Lamur a college free agent in 2012, he had to earn that by starting rookie minicamp as an unsigned tryout player. Rey, a fourth-year pro, broke out last season with 54 tackles, 4.0 sacks, and two INTs (one for a TD). He started three games as an injury replacement at MLB and saw considerable action otherwise in the defensive rotation. College free agent LB Jayson DiManche found a significant role as a rookie last season, finishing second in special teams tackles (12) and blocking a punt that the Bengals returned for a TD. LB J.K. Schaffer, originally a CFA signee with Jacksonville, played in nine games last season. Coaches are anxious to see what they have in LB Brandon Joiner, an original Bengals CFA signee who missed all of last season with a knee injury. And also vying for a roster spot is 2014 CFA James Davidson of Texas-El Paso. Among 10 LBs presently on the roster, the only drafted players are No. 1 MLB Rey Maualuga (second round, 2009), OLB Sean Porter (fourth round, 13) and WLB Marquis Flowers (sixth round, 14). Among 15 DBs on the roster, 11 were drafted, and six of those were firstround choices. Among the six are five CBs and one safety. The CBs are Leon 3

4 (Two ways to build a defense, continued) Hall (Bengals, 2007), Terence Newman (Dallas, 03), Adam Jones (Tennessee, 05), Dre Kirkpatrick (Bengals, 12) and Darqueze Dennard (Bengals, 14). The safety is Reggie Nelson (Jacksonville, 07). Two more DBs, safeties Danieal Manning and Taylor Mays, were secondround NFL draft picks. The Cincinnati defensive line is more balanced between drafted players and college free agents. Of 15 players currently on the roster, 11 were drafted and four have been CFAs. None were drafted in the first round, but seven were in Rounds 2 or 3. The only original CFA with a high spot on the current depth chart is No. 1 RDE Wallace Gilberry, who entered the NFL undrafted with the N.Y. Giants in Gilberry tied for the team lead in sacks (7.5) last season. Aggressiveness calls for a fine line: The Bengals aren t out to beat each other up during practice, but neither will they risk getting beaten up on Sundays for having prepared in too soft a manner. So when contact occurs in practice that goes a bit beyond the design of the work, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther looks the other way to some extent. We re not playing against the Bengals, they re not on our schedule, and we never want our guys doing stupid things, Guenther says. But some things happen in practice. You can t tell a dog not to eat red meat. Tough but smart is the defense s goal. There s one time when it s OK to be a bully when you re out to establish your physical dominance during a game, and that concept is one of the ones driving the defense to not rest on its laurels after finishing third in the NFL s 2013 yardage rankings. Until we re No. 1, there s always room for improvement, says starting strong safety George Iloka, and this year we want to be smart bullies. Our mentality is to play aggressive and physical, but we ve got to be smart. We ve got to know when to take chances. We ve got to know if it s third-and-1, we ve got to know if it s fourth-and-1, we ve got to know if we re backed up that they re going to try to give you a hard count. Little things like that. You don t want to be too aggressive where you re hurting yourself. Last year the Bengals were a bit on the high side in defensive penalties, ranking 11th with 41 infractions. You want to cut down on penalties, Iloka says. You want to cut down on mistakes. But it s not even those things. There are other aspects to playing smart. Let s say it s third-and-4, and all week we ve practiced that this team in this formation is going to run a seam route. Why are you going to be overaggressive and jump the out route? Just be a smart bully. You re smart, and when the time comes to make the hit... you bully them and you make the play. Adds Guenther: I like how passionate these guys are, how smart they are and how flexible they can be. I m just really hammering home being a smart football team. Call him Unsinkable : Leon Hall has made such progress in his rehab from a right Achilles tear suffered in Game 7 last season, he looks like a lock to reclaim the starting RCB position he has held since Thus, he is a viable candidate for an unofficial NFL first first player to return to a prominent lineup position with two Achilles tears in his history. He has started both preseason games. Hall suffered a left Achilles tear in Game 9 of 2011 and returned for the 12 season opener. And when head coach Marvin Lewis was asked whether he could recall another player putting two such injuries behind him, Lewis said he could not. I don t know that there s been history of that, Lewis said. All I can say is that Leon again has been very, very diligent and worked very, very hard. His goal was to make it back to practice Day 1 of training camp, and he did it. Hall could log his 100th Bengals game and 100th Bengals start in He enters the season at 92 and 86. He has 23 career INTs, fifth in Bengals history. He s two short of fourth-place Lemar Parrish and eight short of third-place David Fulcher (31). I m confident my Achilles is where I want it to be, where it should be at this point, Hall says. Really, there was never really a doubt in my mind. It was just trying to be patient enough to go through that long process again. The long days of (repetitive) calf raises, every day of coming in and seeing Nick (trainer Nick Cosgray) in the morning, being with him for hours day after day, not letting it get to me and mentally staying into it. I knew the physical part of it as far as my strength and running would come in time. To repeat, who said T-New was old? Bengals CB Terence Newman will turn 36 three days before the Sept. 7 season opener. He missed the last three games of last season, plus the Wild Card playoff, due to a 4 knee injury. His competition among Cincinnati s CB corps includes four firstround NFL draft picks (Adam Jones 2005, Leon Hall 07, Dre Kirkpatrick 11 and Darqueze Dennard 14). But Newman himself was a No. 1, selected by Dallas in 2003, and he is showing no signs that anyone can budge him from the starting lineup for that Sept. 7 opener at Baltimore. After an excellent performance Aug. 16 vs. the New York Jets more on that in a moment Newman scored the only touchdown by either team in the first half last week at Arizona. He picked off a third-down Carson Palmer pass in the first half and returned it 54 yards for a 7-0 Bengals lead. Newman has three career INT returns for touchdowns in regular-season play. Newman also tied for the team lead in tackles (three) in the first half last week. And on Aug. 16 against the New York Jets, Newman s brief action amounted to a condensed tutorial on how to play the CB position. He stymied the Jets first possession when he dropped running back Chris Johnson for a five-yard loss on a flare pass. He stopped the Jets second try with an interception, and it wasn t as if Jets No. 1 QB Geno Smith dropped a lollipop in his lap. Smith instead tried to drill a hard liner through the secondary, and Newman caught a ball many others would have only deflected. He had only a split second to react, standing only a bit more than 10 yards from where Smith unleashed his missile. But he corralled it, and after that play, Newman held his ground but didn t react illegally when two Jets offensive linemen saw fit to take post-whistle shots at him. Both Jets players drew personal fouls, and the 15 yards the Bengals gained put them in range to cash a 42-yard field goal. Newman s veteran reaction stood out on a night when the Bengals overall drew 11 penalties for 92 yards. He s damn good, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said of Newman after the game. He s a great pro. He takes care of his body, He asks good questions. He s a leader in our room. And he told me he was going to get a pick tonight. And in yet one more veteran pro move, Newman gave the credit for the interception to his first-year defensive coordinator. I was in the right place, and it was the perfect defense, Newman said. I didn t do anything. All credit goes to Paulie G. Newman is in his third Bengals season, following a nine-year Cowboys career in which he was selected for two Pro Bowls. Not spectacular this time, but solid: After completing the first two preseason games with a preseason passer rating including a perfect mark on Aug. 16 vs. the N.Y. Jets Bengals QB Andy Dalton came back to earth just a bit last week. Facing good pressure from Arizona s defense and largely poor field position, Dalton played the first half and passed 13-for-21 for 157 yards with no TDs or INTs. He led the offense to a more-thanrespectable 198 net yards in the half and managed the game for a 13-3 Bengals lead. We got a lot of work for the ones on offense in backed-up situations, said head coach Marvin Lewis, mostly because of penalties on special teams. That s not exactly what you want, but preseason is all about facing different situations. It obviously can be a disaster in those situations if you have mistakes and turnovers, so Andy did well with what he had to work with. He s continuing to show us the things we want to see as we move toward (the regular-season opener at) Baltimore. The Bengals started four of their six first-half drives at Arizona inside their 10-yard line at the nine, seven, seven and four. They started another at their 17 and one at the 38. Dalton led field goal drives of 63 and 78 yards in a half when neither offense scored a TD. Standard procedure holds that Dalton will see little if any action in this week s preseason finale vs. Indianapolis, and so his cumulative preseason totals are likely to be close if not identical to where he now stands 24-for-34 (70.6 percent) for 372 yards with one TD and no INTs. That s a passer rating of On Aug. 16 vs. the New York Jets, Dalton s rating the highest possible on the NFL s computer was achieved with a passing performance of eight-for-eight for 144 yards with one TD and no INTs. He finished the first series with a 43-yard TD pass to WR Mohamed Sanu, and he connected with WR A.J. Green for a 35-yarder on a second series that ended with a rushing TD. Andy was dropping it on a dime all over the place, said Sanu. On mine, (the TD reception), all I had to do was stick my hands out and not blow it. To Dalton s coaches, his preseason game performance has been gratifying but not particularly surprising. They have also viewed 25 or so practices, live and on tape, and were practice performance expressed numerically, Dalton s wouldn t be far from ish. I know he s better, says quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese. I can see it in

5 (Not spectacular this time, but solid, continued) his decisiveness, his details, the ball placement, the confidence. What strikes me is the consistency. Something may not be right, but we bounce back quickly. Nothing lingers from one bad play to causing another bad one. If there was any kind of a transition period with Dalton moving into new coordinator Hue Jackson s offensive scheme, it s over now. I think we have a bond, which is important, Jackson says. Andy s getting to know me and I m getting to know him. I like everything about him. What I m most proud of is, he has allowed me to coach him. I ve seen some guys bristle when change happens. He hasn t blinked, and none of the guys on offense have, and that s been good to see. Says Dalton: It s been a really easy transition. Hue and I started this with a good relationship, him being on the staff (in other roles) the last two years. Hue has made it clear that I m his guy, that I m going to be running everything, and that s great. Everything with Hue is about the quarterback position, that he s the leader of this team. Dalton signed up through 2020: Two weeks into preseason, the Bengals signed QB Andy Dalton to a contract extension running through the 2020 season. His original contract had run through A second-round Bengals draft choice in 2011, Dalton has led the Bengals to the playoffs in each of his three previous seasons, including an AFC North Division championship in 13. In 13, he set franchise season records for passing yards (4293) and TD passes (33). Andy is being rewarded for his accomplishments with a significant contract, said Katie Blackburn, Bengals executive vice-president, and we are pleased to have a deal that will make him a key part of our team for a number of years. Dalton in 2013 won two AFC Offensive Player of the Week awards and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for October. He joined S David Fulcher as the only Bengals to win three AFC weekly or monthly awards in a season. It s stating the obvious that this is a key move for the ongoing success of our team, said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, I congratulate our front office, and Andy and his representatives, for coming together to make this happen in a constructive way for the football team. Andy is still a young player (26), he has led us to the playoffs three straight years, and by far we have not seen the best of him yet. It s great that the Bengals have shown this confidence in me, Dalton said. This is only a beginning. We have higher goals than just making the playoffs, and it s my job to lead us there. The Bengals and Dalton have received praise for structuring a contract that preserves the team s ability to retain other key players under the salary cap while still rewarding the quarterback handsomely. That s important to Andy, said OT Andrew Whitworth. He understands the game. He understands what makes it go. He won in college at a place (TCU) where not many people won as much as he did. He understands that he needs other guys that help him win. He came in as a rookie and played on a team when it lost its franchise quarterback and was supposed to go Whitworth s reference was to 2011, when the Bengals opened the season with QB Carson Palmer holding out. The team was widely forecast as a lastplace finisher, but Dalton, a second-round draft choice, led a 9-7 playoff season and earned a Pro Bowl berth. A parallel for Dalton? Bengals QB Andy Dalton hasn t yet won a playoff game, but he has led the team to three berths in three seasons, and that s a far better start than most including one Peyton Manning, Denver s Hall-of-Fame lock of a QB. Manning needed his first five seasons ( ) to lead the Indianapolis Colts to three playoff berths, and the Colts were eliminated in the first round all three times ( 99, 00, 02). Manning led his first playoff wins (two) in 2003, his sixth season as a Colt. Dalton s playoff passer rating is not a point of pride at 56.2, but head coach Marvin Lewis points out that Cincinnati s highly rated defenses allowed opposing QBs to post an aggregate 94.9 rating in the three postseason contests. So obviously it s not all on Andy, Lewis says. We all know the way it works, how the pressure falls on the quarterback, but that doesn t mean it s always valid. The pressure is on us as an entire team to improve. Dalton has had no bigger backer than Bengals president Mike Brown. Prior to the Aug. 4 completion of Dalton s new contract, Brown said: I like him on the field; he s steady Eddie, Brown said. He competes. He doesn t do stupid things. He keeps us focused. He makes us a winning team. He s won nine games, then 10, then 11. That s pretty good. Everybody knows we 5 didn t win in the playoffs, and we have to get over that hump. And we are counting on Andy to get us to that point. Dalton has a history of earning statistical comparisons with the biggest names among NFL QBs. For example, he has thrown more TD passes (80) over his three seasons than anyone except Manning and Drew Brees. But Brown takes the comparison with the best to off-field matters as well. I think he is an exceptional person, Brown said. Nobody has more respect in our building than he. I would tell you that of all the quarterbacks we have had, he is respected by his teammates as much as any of them. Apprised of Brown s remarks, Dalton said: It means a lot to hear him say that. To know I have support from the top down, that is exactly what you want. And saying how everyone in the organization respects me... not that I doubted that, but it s really good to hear. Andy by the numbers: More of the reasons why QB Andy Dalton draws such high praise from his bosses. Career: His W-L record as a starter gives him a.625 winning percentage, best in Bengals history for a QB with 10 or more starts. He is one of only five starting QBs in NFL history to lead a team to the playoffs his first three seasons. His 18.7-to-1 ratio of TD passes to INTs in the red zone (56-3) ranks third among active NFL passers. His 80 TD passes are third-most in NFL history for a player in his first three seasons, trailing only Dan Marino (98) and Peyton Manning (85). He has been on the throwing end for the vast majority of A.J. Green s 260 receptions, most in NFL history for a player in his first three seasons. Last season: He joined Peyton Manning and Cam Newton as the only QBs in league history to pass for 3000 yards in their first three seasons. He broke Bengals season records set by Carson Palmer for touchdown passes (33) and passing yards (4293). He finished the season with a passer rating of 88.8, improving that mark for the third straight season. He ranked fifth in the AFC. He joined S David Fulcher as the only Bengals to win three of the NFL s weekly or monthly AFC offensive player awards in a season. He became the first Bengals passer to throw for 300 or more yards in four consecutive games. Here comes Jeremy: Slowly but steadily through the preseason, Bengals rookie HB Jeremy Hill is showing he can be a big part of the 2014 offense, just as the team envisioned when it drafted him in the second round. The 238-pounder from LSU is the biggest back on whom the Bengals have spent a high draft pick since 248-pound Pete Johnson in 1977 (also second round). He has plenty of power, but also speed. He set an LSU career record for yards per carry (6.25). Last season, he had six rushes of 50 or more yards. He capped his career with 216 rushing yards in the Outback Bowl vs. Iowa. Also last season, he averaged 9.8 yards on 26 receptions. Hill saw his most significant action of August last week at Arizona, rushing 12-for-48 and catching two passes for 10 yards. He played with the first offense in the second quarter and perked up a Cincinnati ground game that almost literally gone nowhere (six rushes, one net yard) in the first quarter. Continually driving his formidable legs, Hill carried a scrum of tacklers and blockers from a potential loss to a three-yard gain on his first carry. He does that every day in practice, observed one veteran viewer of Bengals daily drills. Hill s second carry was even more key for the team s grand scheme. Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson called for Hill to carry on a third-and-one play from the Bengals 34, and he wound up bulling for five yards. I want to know who we are, Jackson said of his play call. There were other things on the sheet I could have called. But I wanted to find out who we are, and I think I m beginning to know who we are. Since taking over as coordinator, Jackson has made no secret of a priority to improve a Bengals ground game that last year ranked 18th in yards per game (109.7) and 28th in yards per rush (3.6). Hill is 21-for-100 rushing for the preseason, a 4.8-yard average. Throughout his early time as a Bengal, he has shown an appealing blend of confidence and rookie humility. I m glad Coach Hue trusted me with that opportunity to extend the drive, Hill said. I pride myself on being a 100 percent guy on short yardage and around the goal line. I want to earn his trust. I ve got to do a better job as a receiver. I didn t make a couple catches I should have. Hill also has acknowledged torturing himself over a fumble in an early

6 (Here comes Jeremy, continued) August practice drill. In the rough Southeastern Conference, he fumbled only once in 371 career touches, and his offense recovered it. It s common knowledge; you just can t fumble, Hill said. The coaches didn t really come down hard on me, but it s the kind of thing you really don t need to say anything about. Those things happen, but it s a very serious matter. I just want to make sure that I don t make the same mistake twice. All s good with Whit: Bengals No. 1 LOT Andrew Whitworth has returned to game action the last two weeks after missing the preseason opener against the Chiefs. Whitworth has been confident all along that his situation is not the same as in early 2013, when he missed all four preseason games and the regular-season opener while rehabbing from offseason knee surgery. Last year in the offseason, I couldn t train, Whitworth says. All I was able to do was rehab up until training camp. Then when I got to camp, I re-injured it and I couldn t do anything at all. This year In the offseason, I trained great. So, physically, I feel wonderful. I m in fantastic shape, best shape I ve ever been in, and I just have to be smart. I have to make sure the calf is OK and 100 percent before I get going at full tilt for an extended period. It s no different than pulling a hamstring. If you rush it, it can end up being a six-month injury, but if you take your time, it ll be fine. Hue J. pushes A.J.: Entering his fourth NFL season, Bengals WR A.J. Green has the most catches (260) and second-most yards (3833) of any receiver in NFL history for his first three seasons. But when his name came up No. 2 in the NFL Network s rating of WRs from 2013, behind Calvin Johnson of Detroit, Green received a text message from new offensive coordinator Hue Jackson that was more of a prod than a pat on the back. He said, Now, let s go be (number) one, Green recalls. One thing about Hue J., he s never satisfied with where I am. Which is more than fine with Green. I knew that text was coming, Green says. He s pushing me to be better. I want that. No matter what I do or how much I ve accomplished these first three years, there s always more I can do, and it s a coach s job to push you to that. I feel like I haven t reached my peak yet. When you get to the point when you feel like you have done everything, it s time for you to hang it up. Green has had a productive 2013 preseason. In brief action with the first offense, he has managed team-leading totals of 10 catches and 184 yards. Last season, Green set Bengals records for 100-yard receiving games in a campaign (six) and for most consecutive 100-yard games (five). He joined Hall of Famer Tom Fears for fewest games played (38) to hit the triple benchmark of 200 receptions 3000 yards and 20 receiving TDs. In 2012, he became only the second NFL player in what is now a 49-year span to catch a TD pass in nine straight games, joining Hall of Famer Jerry Rice. But for motivation purposes, Green chooses to take a painful look at his totals from Cincinnati s 0-3 postseason record of the last three years. He has averaged only 53.9 yards with no TDs. If I play well, the team plays well, Green says. I ve got to give them that spark in the playoffs, and I haven t done that the whole three years. I ve got a lot of regrets about my play in those games, but you can t live in the past. Best for first four? As noted in the previous item, Bengals WR A.J. Green is first in NFL history for receptions in a player s first three seasons and second for that span in receiving yards. So what numbers does Green need to reach in 2014 to end the year with the top totals for a receiver s first four seasons? In receptions, he ll need 83. That would move him from 260 to 343, ahead of Anquan Boldin, the current four-year leader at 342. Certainly that appears within range. Green has had 97 and 98 catches the past two seasons, after grabbing 65 as a rookie. In receiving yards, Green will need 1564 to overtake Randy Moss, the only player Green has not topped for seasons 1-3. Moss had 5396 yards over his first four seasons, and Green enters his fourth at A total of 1564 would be a Bengals record, easily topping Chad Johnson s mark of 1440, but that s not to say Green couldn t do it. To stay behind Moss in second place when the fouryear total is in, Green would need That would push him to 5089, ahead of second-place Torry Holt (5088). Green has had more than 1256 receiving yards each of the last two seasons, logging 1350 in 2012 and 1426 last season. C.C. talks Bengals: Former Bengals WR Cris Collinsworth, now an Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, called last week s Bengals-Cardinals game on NBC s Sunday Night Football. Still a resident of Greater Cincinnati, he also 6 visited Bengals practice the week of the game. He didn t hesitate to proclaim the Bengals a Super Bowl contender. There s not a team that has more physical talent across the board than they do, Collinsworth said. It s just a matter of can you make those big plays in big games? Can you beat a (Peyton) Manning? Can you beat a Tom Brady? Can you beat an Aaron Rodgers? There are certain teams that have those guys that have proven themselves Super Bowl worthy. Right now they re certainly good enough to be in that hunt. Second-year Bengals HB Giovani Bernard has particularly caught Collinsworth s eye. He s as good as there is around, Collinsworth said. And Collinsworth likes the look of the QB position with Andy Dalton entering his fourth season, after engineering three playoff berths. Go back through history, he said. Most young players, about this time, this is when they start doing their best stuff. Way to work: To understate things, Paul Alexander has seen a few players come and go over 20 seasons as Bengals offensive line coach. And Alexander insists he isn t overstating when he says of G Kevin Zeitler: Hardest-working guy I ever coached. Zeitler, a first-round Bengals draft choice in 2012, has been the starter at RG since day one of his career. He isn t letting it go to his head. He s physically trimmer entering 2014 and says, I see things on every play that I that tell me I could be that much better. I just want to make more of an impact, make the right corrections, and be more of an impact guard. Says Alexander: He s a machine. He s the Energizer Bunny. He s always in the weight room early; he s always hustling and finishing in practice. He s in range to have a top, top season. The third season is huge for NFL offensive linemen. Alexander s advice for Zeitler going forward? It might be that sometimes, you can chill out just a little. He s very demanding of himself, Alexander says. He has to overcome that sometimes. At some point you have to accept there s a margin of error you won t always be perfect and be realistic. Who s up for more WR time? The Bengals offense has taken a temporary hit with WR Marvin Jones down. He suffered a foot fracture in practice Aug. 9, and his status is pending for the early regular season. Jones had 10 TD catches last season, including a club-record four against the N.Y. Jets. He was second on the team in receiving yards (712). His reception total (51) ranked third on the team and second among the WRs. But Jones is expected back for plenty of regular-season action, and in the meantime... I m not losing any sleep about it, says offensive coordinator Hue Jackson. I d love to have him back as soon as we can, obviously. But we ve got to keep moving. We ll do whatever it takes to keep our passing game going. We talked about it in our room when Marv got hurt, says WRs coach James Urban. I said, Look, Marv, we re supporting you, we love you, we want you to get healthy, but for the next guy up, this is a great opportunity. They re going to get more reps, more reps with the ones, and more opportunity to show what they can do. With Jones out, third-year pro Mohamed Sanu has a firm claim on the other starting WR spot alongside flagship A.J. Green. Sanu led the team in receiving yards (70) last week at Arizona, and he tied for the lead in receptions (five). He s seven-for-126 (18.0 average) for the preseason, with one TD. His TD catch was a 43-yarder on Aug. 16 vs. the Jets, as he added a downfield-speed highlight to his general repertoire of toughness and great hands. Sanu and Jones have flipflopped in the 2-3 spots for much of their previous two Cincinnati seasons. But the Bengals will run plenty of formations with three wide receivers, so September could bloom with opportunity for other players, including: Dane Sanzenbacher: The fourth-year pro from Ohio State was tabbed by head coach Marvin Lewis during the offseason as a player who deserved more opportunities in He s not physically impressive at 5-11 and 184 pounds, but he has inspired widespread confidence that game day is not too big for him and that he finds a way to beat defenders and contribute. He had an impressive 26-yard TD catch in the preseason opener. He missed the Arizona game while rehabbing from a concussion but may be able to return to action against the Colts. Brandon Tate: A sixth-year player, Tate has contributed mostly as a kick returner in three previous seasons with the Bengals. But he has had a nice TD catch this preseason, a tough hands grab at Kansas City. Tate caught 24-for-432 with three TDs with New England in 2010, and he has one regular-season TD catch for the Bengals.