WEEKLY NEWS RELEASE NOV. 27, 2012 CINCINNATI BENGALS (6-5) AT SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (4-7)

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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. 27, 2012 CINCINNATI BENGALS (6-5) AT SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (4-7) Kickoff: 4:25 p.m. EST. Television: CBS broadcast with Marv Albert (play-by-play) and Rich Gannon (analyst). The game will air in the Bengals home market on WKRC-TV (Channel 12) in Cincinnati, WHIO-TV (Channel 7) in Dayton and WKYT-TV (Channel 27) in Lexington, Ky. Radio: Coverage on the Bengals Radio Network, led by a triple-cast on Cincinnati flagship stations WLW-AM (700), WCKY-AM (ESPN 1530; all sports) and WEBN-FM (102.7). Broadcasters are Dan Hoard (play-by-play) and Dave Lapham (analyst). The game also will be aired nationally by Sports USA Radio, with broadcasters Larry Kahn (play-by-play), John Robinson (analyst) and Troy West (sideline reporter). Setting the scene: The Bengals are heading to San Diego this week with a three-game winning streak and their playoff destiny back under their control. They also are fully aware that the last time they won three straight to move to 3-1 back in September they followed that up with four consecutive losses. I ve got to keep pressing and make sure that it s different this time, head coach Marvin Lewis said after last week s dismantling of Oakland, a third straight decision by 18 or more points. We can t have any backslides. What I want to keep seeing is the same resolve I saw in the guys eyes (against the Raiders). It s going to be December when we get to San Diego, and we want to play our best football in December. We re getting there, and that s what the great teams do. The Chargers have lost three straight, falling to 4-7, and will be fighting for their playoff lives against Cincinnati. We have our work cut out for us, Lewis said. The Chargers are a talented team with an exceptional quarterback (Philip Rivers). The Chargers rank only 25th in the NFL in net offense, but rank 10th in net defense. Though three games under.500, they have outscored their opponents ( ). The Bengals did two things particularly dear to Lewis coaching heart in the Oakland game. They rushed for 221 yards the team s most since 253 vs. Cleveland in 2004 and they allowed the Raiders to convert only three of 12 third-down chances. We re starting to find the way we like to play, and that style, that attitude, is key, said LOT Andrew Whitworth. We ve just got to continue to do it. This isn t enough, obviously, what we ve done so far. We feel like the streak we had in the middle of the season was because a young football team started to feel too good about itself. We thought we could show up and win. When we didn t, we unraveled just a touch. I don t think this team is like that right now. We re ticked off, and we have a chip on our shoulder, and we re out to prove who we are and what we set out this season to be. The Bengals set out in September to build off a Wild Card playoff season in With most key personnel back from one of the NFL s youngest teams, their chances looked good. Now, at 6-5, they are tied with Pittsburgh for the second AFC Wild Card spot, and they ll have a chance on Dec. 23 at Pittsburgh to even their season series against the Steelers. Though it s a tall order to say any team would win its last five games, if the Bengals do that, they ll at least be a Wild Card in the 2012 postseason derby. Indianapolis (7-4) currently has sole possession of what would be the first GAME NOTES 1 WEEK 13, GAME 12 SUNDAY, DEC. 2 AT QUALCOMM STADIUM UP NEXT: WEEK 14, GAME 13 DEC. 9 VS. DALLAS Wild Card spot. Miami (5-6) is the only team trailing the Bengals and Steelers that is within one game of them. When the Bengals were in their losing streak, Lewis challenged the team to play nastier, and some of that attitude showed in the Oakland game. When team leader Whitworth perceived that Dalton had been roughed up after the whistle on a fourth-quarter play, he openly challenged Raiders players and wound up starting a melee that ended with himself and two Raiders ejected. And though Lewis cautioned that we never want to see guys ejected, Whitworth s actions clearly played well in the locker room. It s good to know that guys have my back, said Dalton. It means a lot that Whit s going to do something like that. We came right back after that and hit a big play (a 48-yard pass to A.J. Green that keyed a TD drive to put the game out of reach). Said Whitworth: I ve got two contracts in my life. One with my wife, because we re married, and two, I ve got a contract to protect Andy Dalton. I m going to do everything in my power to fulfill them both. The series: The Chargers lead 19-12, including one postseason game, a loss to Cincinnati in the Freezer Bowl, the unforgettable 1981 AFC Championship game (detail in item below). The Chargers lead 10-5 as the home team, but the Bengals won the last meeting, at Paul Brown Stadium in The Week 16 game was a bright spot in a 4-12 season for the Bengals, as they played spoiler in a contest that essentially ended the playoff hopes of a Chargers team that entered the game at 8-6 and finished 9-7. Bengals QB Carson Palmer posted a career-best passer rating, completing 16-of-21 for 269 yards with four TDs and no INTs. The most recent meeting at San Diego, in Week 15 of 2009, was a spirited contest between teams that would both go on to win division championships. The Chargers prevailed 27-24, the winning margin coming on a 52-yard Nate Kaeding field goal with :03 to play, after the Bengals had rallied from a deficit to a 24-all tie. The Chargers improved to 11-3 and would go on to win the AFC West at The Bengals fell to 9-5 but finished 10-6 as AFC North champs. The last Bengals win at San Diego was a decision in The Bengals played the franchise s inaugural regular-season game in San Diego, on Friday night, Sept. 6, The Chargers won, The baby Bengals jumped to a 7-0 lead on a Paul Robinson TD run, but the Chargers pulled away with second-half TD passes of 48 and 56 yards from John Hadl to Willie Frazier. Team bests from the series: Bengals MOST POINTS: 47, in a victory at Riverfront Stadium in The win completed an 11-3 season for Cincinnati, the best season winning percentage (.786) in franchise history. LARGEST VICTORY MARGIN: 31, in a 31-0 victory at Riverfront in FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED: 0, in the 31-0 victory in 71. Chargers MOST POINTS: 50, in a victory at San Diego in LARGEST VICTORY MARGIN: 28, in a 34-6 win at Cincinnati in FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED: 3, in a 24-3 victory at San Diego in The last meetings: Summaries of the last two Bengals-Chargers meetings in 2009 at San Diego and in 10 at Cincinnati are on page 14 of this news release.

2 (Game notes, continued) BENGALS-CHARGERS NFL RANKINGS BENGALS CHARGERS SCORING (AVG. POINTS): Points scored... 10th (25.6) 16th (22.3) Points allowed... 15th (22.5) 12th (21.6) NET OFFENSE (AVG. YARDS): Total...13th (358.5) 25th (324.4) Rushing...14th (113.9) 25th (99.5) Passing...12th (244.5) 18th (224.9) NET (AVG. YARDS): Total... 9th (334.5) 10th (334.7) Rushing...17th (116.1) T-5th (91.5) Passing... 8th (218.4) 20th (243.3) TURNOVERS: Differential... 15th (plus-1) T-18th (minus-3) It was chilly: The only postseason game in Bengals-Chargers history was the The Freezer Bowl, the 1981 AFC Championship game played Jan. 10, 1981 at Riverfront Stadium. Cincinnati won 27-7 in a minus-59 degree wind chill to advance to Super Bowl XVI. The wind chill was the lowest for a game in NFL history, and the mercury was minus-nine, second-coldest ever. Bengals QB Ken Anderson posted a passer rating. He completed 14-of-22 for 161 yards, with TD throws to M.L. Harris and Don Bass, and no interceptions. Like the old AFL: Though Cincinnati s 27-7 victory in the 1981 Freezer Bowl AFC Championship game is by far the best-remembered Bengals-Chargers game, the series also includes a number of notable highscoring affairs. In the last four games, the losing team has averaged 28.0 points. The Bengals have lost games by scores of and 27-24, and the Chargers have lost by and And the high-scoring history goes back further. Following are brief recaps of five Bengals-Chargers games in which the losing side averaged 34.8 points: On Dec. 20, 1982 at San Diego, the Chargers won on Monday Night Football. San Diego s 661 yards of net offense still stands as the most ever allowed by the Bengals, and Chargers WR Wes Chandler set a Cincinnati opponents record with 260 receiving yards. Bengals QB Ken Anderson set a team record for completions (40) that still stands. Anderson passed for 416 yards, second-most of his career and fifth-most in Bengals history. On Sept. 22, 1985 at Riverfront Stadium, the Chargers won 44-41, allowing 448 net yards but gaining 517 themselves. Working his way into Bengals lore was Lionel Little Train James, a 5-foot-6 RB/WR who scored second-half TDs on a 56-yard run and a 60-yard pass from Dan Fouts. On Nov. 2, 1997 at Cinergy Field, the Bengals beat the Chargers despite giving up punt return touchdowns of 85 and 67 yards to Eric Metcalf. The Bengals defense allowed only 253 net yards and contributed a fumble-return TD from DE John Copeland. On Nov. 23, 2003 at San Diego, the Bengals amassed 444 net yards in holding off the Chargers by San Diego got 139 yards and two TDs from WR David Boston, plus 95 yards and a TD from RB LaDainian Tomlinson. But the Bengals got four TD passes and no INTs from QB Jon Kitna, and three of those scores went to WR Chad Johnson, who totaled 10-for-107 receiving. On Nov. 12, 2006 at Paul Brown Stadium, WR Chad Johnson established a Bengals record with 260 receiving yards, breaking an 18-year-old mark by Eddie Brown. Johnson had 11 catches, two for touchdowns, and Carson Palmer s 440 passing yards still stands as his NFL high. But the Chargers won 49-41, overcoming a 28-7 halftime deficit with 42 second-half points, which stands as the most points allowed by the Bengals in any half. Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson tied Bengals opponents records for touchdowns (four) and points (24). More Bengals-Chargers history: In addition to the Bengals vs. Chargers records included in the previous item, the Bengals had their first 100- yard play on Nov. 8, 1981 at San Diego, when CB Louis Breeden made a 102- yard INT return. It was the longest play of any kind in Bengals history at the time, and it still is tied for the longest play. Eric Bieniemy had a 102-yard kickoff return for the Bengals in 1997 at the N.Y. Giants, and CB Artrell Hawkins had a 102- yard INT return at Houston in Also: On Nov. 2, 1997 at Cinergy Field, Lee Johnson set the Bengals record for most inside-20 punts in a game (six). Ouch: Two of the top five net yardage totals against the Bengals have been posted by San Diego. Both games were in San Diego. The Chargers amassed a record 661 yards in a win on Dec. 20, San Diego had 486 passing yards and 175 rushing. And on Sept. 6, 1968, in the inaugural game for the Bengals franchise, the Chargers mounted 554 yards, tied for fourth-most against Cincinnati. San Diego had 325 passing yards and 229 rushing. Red zone reports: The Bengals offense has come away with points on each of its 13 trips to the red zone over the last three games, including a perfect five-for-five (four TDs, one FG) last week vs. Oakland. Eleven of the last 13 offensive trips to the red zone have resulted in TDs. Going back a week further, the Bengals offense is 17-for-17 since the bye week (Week 8) at coming away with points in the red zone, with 13 TDs and four FGs. On the other side of the ball, the Bengals defense has allowed only five total red-zone trips over the last three games, and just one of those has resulted in a TD. The only blemish a two-yard TD run came with 2:50 remaining and a 25-point lead in the Nov. 11 game vs. the N.Y. Giants. Last week, the Bengals defense held Oakland without a single trip to the red zone. Since the bye week, the Bengals offense has risen from 47.8 to 60.0 in red zone TD percentage, while the defense s TD percentage has dropped from 65.0 to San Diego ranks in the middle of the pack in offensive red zone efficiency, scoring 18 TDs in 35 trips. Defensively, the Chargers defense has allowed points on 64 percent of its red zone trips, however it has allowed teams into the red zone only 25 times, which is tied for second-fewest in the NFL. BENGALS RED ZONE REPORT OFFENSE Inside-20 poss.: 40 Inside-20 poss.: 29 Total scores: 35 (87.5%) Total scores: 25 (86.2%) TDs: 24 (60.0%) TDs: 17 (58.6%) FGs: 11 (27.5%) FGs: 8 (27.6%) TD% rank: T-6th TD% rank: 23rd No scores: 5 (12.5%) No scores: 4 (13.8%) CHARGERS RED ZONE REPORT OFFENSE Inside-20 poss.: 35 Inside-20 poss.: 25 Total scores: 31 (88.6%) Total scores: 23 (92.0%) TDs: 18 (51.4%) TDs: 16 (64.0%) FGs: 13 (37.1%) FGs: 7 (28.0%) TD% rank: 18th TD% rank: 29th No scores: 4 (11.4%) No scores: 2 (8.0%) Bengals-Chargers connections: Chargers ILB Takeo Spikes was a first-round pick (13th overall) of the Bengals in 1998 and played for Cincinnati from Chargers receivers coach and Hall of Fame inductee Charlie Joiner played wide receiver for the Bengals from Chargers LS Mike Windt (Reserve/Injured) is from Cincinnati (Elder HS) and played at the University of Cincinnati... Chargers SS Corey Lynch played was a sixth-round pick of the Bengals in 2008 and played for Cincinnati in 08 and during the 09 preseason... Bengals CB Leon Hall is from Vista, Calif. (Vista HS)... Bengals LB Rey Maualuga and S Taylor Mays played at the University of Southern California... Bengals WR Armon Binns is from Pasadena, Calif.... Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict and S Tony Dye (Reserve/Injured) are both from Corona, Calif.; Dye played at UCLA... Bengals WR Marvin Jones is from Fontana, Calif.... Bengals DE DeQuin Evans (Practice Squad) is from Long Beach, Calif.... Chargers WR Kashif Moore (Practice Squad) spent the 2012 preseason with the Bengals as a college free agent signee... Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis was linebackers coach at Long Beach State from Bengals quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese is from Santa Maria, Calif., played ( ) and coached (1989) at the University of San Diego and coached at the University of Southern California from Bengals defensive backs coach Mark Carrier played for the University of Southern California from Bengals assistant special teams/assistant defensive backs coach Hue Jackson is from Los Angeles, coached at Cal State Fullerton from and coached at the University of 2

3 (Bengals-Chargers connections, continued) Southern California from Bengals running backs coach Jim Anderson played at California Western from , coached there from Chargers secondary coach Ron Meeks was on the Bengals coaching staff Marvin Lewis is in his 10th season as Bengals head coach, having posted the most wins (75) in franchise history, and on July 31 of this year, he signed a contract extension through Under Lewis the Bengals are one of only 10 NFL teams to reach the playoffs in at least two of the last three years. Lewis Bengals were one of the NFL s surprise teams in 2011, a young squad with new stars that posted a 9-7 record and earned a Wild Card playoff berth. 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. Lewis also led Cincinnati to an AFC North title in Lewis record is , including postseason. On Oct. 23 of last season at Seattle, he passed Sam Wyche ( ) for the most wins in club history. Lewis is also the Bengals leader in all-time head coaching tenure. The second-longest tenure is eight seasons, shared by Paul Brown ( ) and Wyche ( ). Lewis has risen to third in the NFL for longest current head coaching tenure with one team, trailing only Philadelphia s Andy Reid (14th season in 2012) and New England s Bill Belichick (13th). 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. AFC North race: Baltimore has three-game lead over Pittsburgh and Cincinnati in its bid to defend its 2011 AFC North championship. The Steelers through Week 12 hold a tiebreaker advantage over the Bengals, having won head-to-head on Oct. 21, but the Bengals will have a chance to erase that edge on Dec. 23 at Heinz Field. Here s the AFC North picture, looking ahead through Week 14. TEAM W-L DIVISION WEEKS Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh; at Washington Pittsburgh at Baltimore; vs. San Diego Cincinnati at San Diego; vs. Dallas Cleveland at Oakland; vs. Kansas City Dominant days: The Bengals have won three consecutive games by 18 or more points for only the second time in franchise history. Cincinnati ended a four-game losing streak by defeating the N.Y. Giants at Paul Brown Stadium on Nov. 11, then the Bengals won 28-6 at Kansas City, and last week Cincinnati won at home vs. Oakland. The only previous instance was in 1976, when a Bengals team under head coach Bill Johnston won Games 3-5 by consecutive margins of 21. The Bengals won 28-7 at home vs. Green Bay, at Cleveland and 21-0 at home vs. Tampa Bay. That team finished 10-4 but missed the playoffs. Red Rifle, as in red hot: Is there a hotter QB in the NFL over the last three weeks than Andy Dalton? The NFL s passing computer says there is just one, New England s Tom Brady, and not by a lot. Brady posted a passer rating of over Weeks 10-12, and Dalton was second in the league at Dalton s three-game numbers were 55-for-89 (61.8 percent) for 639 yards with nine TDs and no INTs. The touchdown pass column says that only New Orleans Drew Brees matched Dalton s nine, and Brees suffered three INTs while Dalton had none. Dalton is the first Bengal with no INTs and nine or more TD passes in three games since Games of 2003, when Jon Kitna was 9-0 in TDs-INTs in wins over Kansas City, San Diego and Pittsburgh. Dalton is also on a red-zone roll. In the three games since the bye week, the offense has produced 11 touchdowns in 13 red-zone drives. The other two drives THE HEAD COACHES BENGALS NOTES 3 from Chargers tight ends coach Jason Michael is from Portsmouth, Ohio, and played at Western Kentucky University from Bengals strength and conditioning coach Chip Morton was on the Chargers coaching staff from Chargers assistant secondary coach Cris Dishman is from Louisville, Ky. 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 Norv Turner is in his sixth season as Chargers head coach and in his 15th season as an NFL head coach. He is overall as Chargers coach, including 3-3 in postseason. His 2007 club reached the AFC Championship game. Turner was head coach of the Washington Redskins from , and his record included a 1-1 mark in postseason. He was head coach of the Oakland Raiders in , posting a 9-23 mark. His overall NFL head coaching record is , including 4-4 in postseason. He ranks sixth among active head coaches in career wins. Despite his long NFL head coaching tenure, Turner did not coach against the Bengals until 2009, with the Chargers. Turner began his NFL coaching career as an assistant with the Los Angeles Rams in He later spent three seasons on the Dallas staff, helping direct teams that won back-to-back Super Bowls following the 1992 and 1993 seasons. A native of LeJeune, N.C., Turner played QB at Oregon. He began his college coaching career at Oregon in 1975 and later was on the staff for nine years at Southern California, including a 1978 national championship year. Lewis vs. Chargers: Tied, 2-2. Lewis vs. Turner: Tied, 1-1. Turner vs. Bengals: Tied, 1-1. produced field goals. Dalton has racked up three straight 100-plus passer ratings, and he has five for the season. Dalton has 23 TD passes, more than the 20 from his rookie season with five games left. He s well ahead of last year in passer rating (94.0 to 80.4), completion percentage (63.4 to 58.1) and yards-per-attempt (7.4 to 6.6). Should Dalton hold his 94.0 passer rating through season s end, it would be the highest by a Bengal since 2005, when Carson Palmer posted the franchise record of Dalton now ahead of Palmer s record TD pace: Through 11 games, QB Andy Dalton is on pace to set a new Bengals record for TD passes in a season. His total of 23 projects to 33 for 16 games (rounded down from actual projection of 33.45). The current record is 32, set by Carson Palmer in Dalton has now exceeded his TD pass total of last season (20). In 2011, Dalton became the first rookie QB in NFL history to throw as many as 20 TD passes and start as many as eight wins. Also, Dalton is on pace to set a new Bengals mark for combined TDs thrown and scored personally. He has two rushing TDs of his own, a pace that would project to three for the season (rounded up from strict projection of 2.91). Add those three to his projected TD pass total, and the end figure is 36. The current club mark for most TDs thrown and scored personally is 33 by Palmer, who scored one rushing TD in 05. For much of this season, Dalton was on a passing yards pace that projected to top Palmer s club record of 4131 in But his yardage totals have not been high the past two games, as the Bengals have built big leads and rushed the ball well, and Dalton has seen his per-game average dip to He now projects to a season total of 4028, which would rank third in club history. Palmer also has what would remain the No. 2 total, with 4035 in Dalton needs to average more than yards per game for the season to top Palmer s record To reach 4132 from his current position, he would need to average over the final five games. To get back on a record-setting pace through 12 games, Dalton would need to pass for 331 yards at San Diego. Dalton s only game of 331 or more this season has been a career-high 381 on Oct. 14 at Cleveland, but the Bengals lost that game. The Bengals have not won in any of Dalton s three highest games in passing yards. His most passing yards

4 (Dalton now ahead of Palmer s record TD pace, continued) in a victory was 328 on Sept. 23 of this season at Washington. The Chargers rank 20th in the NFL in passing yards allowed, at per game. Dalton s 237 completions 21.5 per game project to a total of 345 over 16 games. That would tie for third in club history, behind Palmer s totals of 373 in 2007 and 362 in 10. Dalton holds fifth in AFC and 11th in NFL: Though Andy Dalton had another fine passing day last week vs. Oakland, the passers ahead of him in the AFC and NFL ratings races aren t giving ground. For the fifth straight week, Dalton ranks fifth in the AFC in passer rating. He s now at 94.0 for the season, and for the third straight week he ranks 11th in the NFL. Dalton s rating against the Raiders improved his season rating by 1.3 points, up from 92.7 entering the game. Three times this season Dalton has topped 125.0, including on Sept. 23 at Washington, on Sept. 16 vs. Cleveland and on Nov. 11 vs. the N.Y. Giants. Dalton s Oakland numbers were 16-of-30 for For the season, he is 237-for-374 (63.4 percent) for 2769 yards with 23 TDs and 11 INTs. More on Dalton s current rankings: Dalton s three TD passes last week pushed him to 23 on the season. For the second straight week he is ranked third in the AFC, and he has moved up to 5th in the NFL, after ranking tied for sixth entering the Oakland game. In the AFC passing TDs race, Dalton trails Denver s Peyton Manning (26) and New England s Tom Brady (24). The NFL leader is New Orleans Drew Brees at 31, and Green Bay s Aaron Rodgers has 28, Dalton ranks second in the AFC and fourth in the NFL in fourth-quarter passer rating, at In the fourth quarter last week vs. Oakland, with the Bengals protecting a double-digit lead, Dalton was two-for-four for 55 yards with one TD and no INTs. His fourth-quarter numbers for the season are 58-of-92 (63.0 percent) for 765 yards with eight TDs and four INTs. Peyton Manning leads the AFC in fourth-quarter rating (110.5), and Chicago s Jay Cutler leads the NFL (130.6). Dalton grows as leader: QB Andy Dalton earned instant respect as an NFL rookie, leading the Bengals to the playoffs while engineering four comeback wins in the fourth quarter. He wound up in the Pro Bowl. But in 2012, he has taken his status as team leader up a notch. We know Andy is unflappable, says head coach Marvin Lewis. He continues to show that week in and week out. He really settles and plays. He may have a play that he d want back, but he lets it go. He moves on to the next one, and that s it. He understands it s one play at a time. He has great personality and makeup that way. He has confidence now. He knows he can do this. There is nothing that happens out there that he can t handle. He s a great leader. He did everything that was asked of him a year ago, and now he s better. Says WR A.J. Green: Andy doesn t let anything get to him. He s got ice in his veins. We don t say anything to him when something goes bad, because we know he s going from there and making the next play. Praise from a respected source: Among those singing QB Andy Dalton s praises is former Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian, who helped lead Indy to eight division titles and a Super Bowl championship. In a recent interview with the Bengals Radio Network, Polian said: I ve told this to Marvin (Lewis) and Mike (Brown) so it s no state secret one of my biggest regrets was not taking him in the first round of the 2011 draft and leaving him for (Cincinnati). But if anybody got him, I m glad that my friends at the Bengals did. He is a terrific leader, he s very, very bright, he s got more than adequate arm strength, and he s a fighter. He looks like an altar boy or a choir boy, but plays with a crowbar in his hands. He s got a lot of killer in him. That s what you want in a quarterback. I ve heard people compare him to Bernie Kosar, but I think he s much more athletic than Bernie, and I think that he has a better arm than Bernie. He s a tough character, and he s a winner. A.J. s near-heaven through 11: Bengals WR A.J. Green saw the end last week of a Bengals single-season record streak of nine straight games with a touchdown. But the Bengals beat Oakland by 24 with three TD passes to other players and 221 yards rushing and head coach Marvin Lewis said Green was very much a part of all that. Green had a 44-yard reception on Cincinnati s second TD drive, late in the first quarter. After that, according to Lewis: They decided they were not going to let 18 (Green) beat them anymore. OK 4 then, so (we said) let s just run the football. BenJarvus (HB Green-Ellis) was running up through there, but nobody was home (on defense) because everyone was standing by 18. Green still has a team-leading 10 TDs on the season, and with 1022 receiving yards, he is on pace to set a new club record for receiving yards in a season with His consistent production of remarkable plays has had media covering the team with their creative drive on high as they try to describe what they re seeing. The second-year pro has been called a Martian, in tribute to his otherworldly ability to snag balls in mid-air. He has been dubbed A.J. WhoCatchesEverything, because coverage (even double) often seems to just not matter. It has been stated that plays which would lead a yearly highlight film for most players are simply Routine for Green. His ability to extend himself full-length and hand-catch the ball has evoked visions of a cartoon frog shooting out its tongue to catch a fly. On Nov. 18 at Kansas City, Green seemed even to be re-defining a basic receiving concept being open. It used to mean distance of at least a couple steps between receiver and defender(s). But in the Chiefs game and not for the first time this year Green made separation seem not to matter. Though seemingly blanketed by two Chiefs defenders on a second-quarter pass into the end zone, Green tracked the ball through limbs and bodies like a hockey goalie. He also deftly kept both feet in bounds. Was he open? asked one pundit. I guess he was. He caught the ball. The Kansas City catch got Lewis himself into the wordsmith act. Lewis confessed that after watching film, he still wasn t sure how the ball wound up in Green s hands. Lewis described it as kind of Houdini-ish. And it wasn t as if Green had a sub-par game last week, despite the end of the TD streak. Though he had only three catches with the attention the Raiders were paying him, his 111 yards led all receivers, and he also rushed twice for 21 yards. The 111 yards marked his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season, one short of the club record with five games left to play. The A.J. stat roundup: Though Bengals WR A.J. Green saw his nine-game scoring streak end against Oakland, he retains his NFL lead in receiving touchdowns (10) through Week 12 play. Also at 10 is TE Rob Gronkowski of New England, who did not play last week due to forearm and hip injuries. Green also remains tied for second in the NFL for total TDs. Houston RB Arian Foster leads with 14. Foster has 12 rushing and two receiving TDs. Sharing second place with Green are Gronkowski and Tampa Bay RB Doug Martin (nine rushing, one receiving). Also: With a 111-yard receiving day against Oakland, Green remained third in the AFC in receiving yards (1022), and he moved from sixth to fourth in the NFL rankings. Detroit s Calvin Johnson leads the NFL by more than 100 yards, at Indianapolis Reggie Wayne leads the AFC at ahead of Green. Houston s Andre Johnson is second in the AFC at With only three receptions against an Oakland defense schemed to stop him, Green slipped to fourth in the AFC in receptions (67). He had ranked third entering Week 12. In the NFL receptions rankings, Green slipped from tied for sixth to tied for eighth. Wayne of Indianapolis leads the AFC and NFL in receptions, with 84. Wrapping up the streak: Last week s game was the first since Sept. 10 without at least one TD for A.J. Green. The scope of his nine straight games with a score includes: Through Week 11, the streak stood the longest active run in the NFL. Nine games is a Bengals record for within one season. Green surpassed a streak of eight set by T.J. Houshmandzadeh in Green fell one short of the overall Bengals record for consecutive games with a TD, set at 10 when WR Carl Pickens scored in the last five games of 1994 and the first five of 95. In the receiving-tds category, Green became only the second NFL player in 48 years to record a single-season streak of nine games. The only other instance since 1964 was an NFL-record 12-gamer by Jerry Rice in Green s streak of nine is tied for third-longest in NFL history, equaling a run by Lance Alworth in The second-longest streak has been 10 games by Elroy Crazylegs Hirsch in He s got a Honolulu vibe: Eleven games into his second pro season, Cincinnati s A.J. Green has a consensus rating among the NFL s elite wide receivers. He could be the most coveted, given his youth.

5 (He s got a Honolulu vibe, continued) Last year, Green was the first rookie WR voted to the Pro Bowl since Anquan Boldin in the 2003 season. This year, it seems he ll do Honolulu again. He was the leading WR in early fan voting for the Pro Bowl, and beyond the impressive statistics listed in previous items, there s a non-statistical reason to believe he ll be returned. It is that he is simply fun to watch, for other players as well as for fan voters. There are pass plays of grace, power and precision, and there are pass plays that look embarrassingly bad. But for the vast majority of middle plays from poorly to pretty good, Green s multi-faceted talent gives Bengals fans hope any time the ball and the receiver are in the same camera frame. Green is known most for his midair contortions and fantastic hand-snatches. But he also has speed to burn, as well as surprisingly good elusiveness in the open field. On his 44-yard reception in the first quarter vs. Oakland, he deftly side-stepped a would-be tackler and used his speed to get the last 20 or so yards. On Nov. 18 at Kansas City, with pint-sized and super-quick slot receiver Andrew Hawkins sidelined by a knee injury, the Bengals used Green on one of Hawkins usual short-hitch routes. Green took Andy Dalton s pass just past the line of scrimmage at the Bengals 15, and he made like a 6-4, 207-pound water bug in scooting for a 21-yard gain to the 36. More on Green s TD pace: Tied for the NFL lead in receiving TDs (10), Green is bidding to become the first Bengal to lead the league since 1995, when Carl Pickens set the pace with 17. That performance stands as the Bengals season record for both total TDs and receiving TDs. Also: Green needs seven TDs in the last five games to tie Pickens record 17 for a Bengals season. Green needs six in the last five games to tie Pete Johnson (16 in 1981) for second place. In receiving TDs, Pickens 17 from 1995 has gone basically unchallenged in club history. The second-best total has been 12, by Pickens in 1996 and by Houshmandzadeh in Green has now scored in 16 of 26 games for his career (61.5 percent). His only multiple-td game was two, on Oct. 14 of this season at Cleveland. (Green has been a Bengal for 27 games but missed one last year with a knee injury.) Let s hear it for A.J.: When a team has one of the most gifted players to come down the NFL pike in a long time, people like to talk about him. Comments from the Bengals on WR A.J. Green include: QB Andy Dalton: You think you ve seen about everything A.J. can do, and you ve seen so much you don t think twice about his ability. And then he ll show you something new, something you didn t imagine. You throw him up balls that you wouldn t throw to another receiver, because he s going to beat his man and come down with it. CB Leon Hall: Even if you re covered on him, you have to learn as a DB that you have to go get the ball. That s one of the things he does best; judge the ball in the air. He s able to go get it and come down with it before you even realize it. That s a big help for the DBs here. You would hope that it happens enough in practice that it becomes second nature and you get the ball out during the game. Head coach Marvin Lewis: A.J. was a cut above most players in the league from the start. He was the most impressive rookie I ve ever been around. Nothing A.J. does surprises the people who watch him every day, and we fully expected he would be even better this year. This is not a guy you worry about having a sophomore slump. Irvin on A.J.: Former Dallas Cowboy Michael Irvin, a Hall of Fame wide receiver, has this to say on Cincinnati s A.J. Green: When I look at what he s done and what he possibly can become, he s already one of the top receivers in this league. There is no way he fully understands all he can be. A.J. has an opportunity to be the best in the league. How s this for hot starts? None have denied that since joining the Bengals as the No. 4 overall NFL draft pick in 2011, WR A.J. Green has been exceptionally impressive. But the Elias Sports Bureau put those impressions in concrete form after Week 5 play of 2012, confirming that Green had become the only player in NFL history to top 100 receptions, 1500 yards and 10 receiving TDs in his first 20 games. Green s totals after 20 games were 101 catches, 1550 yards and 11 TDs. He s now at 132 catches, 2079 yards and 17 scores through 26 career games. (Green missed one game last season, due to a knee strain). Other NFL players have topped Green s 20-game totals in one or two of the 5 three categories, but Green is the only one to have hit the benchmark trifecta of Anquan Boldin had higher totals in receptions and yards, but he fell short of 10 TDs, held to eight. Randy Moss had more yards and TDs, but he fell well short of 100 receptions, with 82. Look out, Chad: WR Chad Johnson owns the Bengals record book for receiving yards in a season. He has the top five totals, from 1274 to a clubrecord 1440 (set in 2007). He wiped out Eddie Brown, whose 1273 total from 1988 now stands sixth. But 11 games into this season, second-year star A.J. Green shows himself as a threat to Johnson s dominance. After a 111-yard game last week vs. Oakland, Green has 1022 yards and is on pace for a 16-game total of Green s 67 receptions have him on pace for 98, which would rank fourth in club history. The record is 112, by T.J. Houshmandzadeh in The only other Bengal to reach triple digits in catches was Carl Pickens, with 100 in Green-Ellis gets going: The last two games have seen Bengals HB BenJarvus Green-Ellis get his first two 100-yard rushing games as a Bengal, as well as the first back-to-back 100-yard games of his five-season NFL career. He went 25-for-101 on Nov. 18 at Kansas City and 19-for-129 last week vs. Oakland. With 767 yards on the season, Green-Ellis is on pace for a career-high 1116 yards, topping his 1008 with New England in The Kansas City and Oakland games marked the first instance of one Bengals rusher gaining 100-plus yards in consecutive games since 2009, when Cedric Benson had 189 vs. Chicago and 117 vs. Baltimore in Games 7-8. The last time the Bengals had any individual rushers with 100-plus in consecutive games was later in 2009, when Bernard Scott had 119 in Game 10 at Oakland and Larry Johnson had 107 in Game 11 vs. Cleveland. Green-Ellis has averaged rushing yards per game in the last two outings, after being held to 59.7 over the first nine. Through the first nine games, he never complained about lack of running room, holding true to his reputation as a blue-collar player who plays little attention to individual statistics. I said weeks ago, when things weren t looking so good for us, that we had new guys in the interior line, and it was my first year in the offense, Green-Ellis said after the Oakland game. The more and more we take plays and get more repetitions, you always get better. Green-Ellis played four seasons for New England before joining the Bengals as an unrestricted free agent for He had just four 100-yard games with the Patriots, and his 129 total for the Bengals vs. Oakland was the second-most of his career, second only to 136 last season vs. the Jets. The Oakland game included the two longest rushes of Green-Ellis career, a 48-yarder in the first quarter and a 39-yarder in the fourth. Green-Ellis scored on a one-yard run in the first quarter, and his five TDs for the season rank second on the team. Regarding his big day against the Raiders, he said: It doesn t matter. I m happy we got the win. Honestly, I m on to San Diego. I m happy that the (Chargers) video is on my ipad by the time I get home. Start watching and getting ready. 100 yards good, 25 carries better: The Bengals are 33-2 under head coach Marvin Lewis when a rusher records 25 or more carries. That is a.943 winning percentage. BenJarvus Green-Ellis has had two games of 25 or more carries this season, both in Bengals wins. He was 26-for-82 on Sept. 30 at Jacksonville and 25-for-101 on Nov. 18 at Kansas City. Games under Lewis with a 25-carry rusher have been less frequent and slightly more successful than games with a 100-yard rusher. In the Lewis era, the Bengals are 34-7 with a 100-yard rusher (.829 winning percentage). They are 2-0 in Green-Ellis 100-yard games, both which have come in the last two weeks. It s not always the yardage total that s most important, says Lewis. When your back is carrying 25 times, it means that even though the yardage will vary, you re controlling the ball, controlling the clock, and keeping your defense off the field. As it shows for us that is very likely going to be a winning combination. By rusher, the Bengals won-lost totals with a 25-carry rusher under Lewis have been 18-1 with Rudi Johnson, 11-1 with Cedric Benson, 2-0 with Kenny Watson and 2-0 with Green-Ellis. By rusher, the won-lost totals with a 100-yard rusher under Lewis have been 15-4 with Rudi Johnson, 2-0 with Kenny Watson, 13-2 with Cedric Benson, 1-0 with Corey Dillon, 0-1 with Bernard Scott, 1-0 with Larry Johnson, and 2-0 with Green-Ellis. Getting it done on third-and-one: Bengals HB BenJarvus Green-Ellis has had arguably as good a performance as any NFL rusher this

6 (Getting it done on third-and-one, continued) season in converting third-down-and-one plays. His total of 10 successful conversions ranks second in the league, and he has done that on just 11 chances. The only player with more conversions Houston s Arian Foster at 11 has had 17 chances. As far as success percentage, there eight rushers ahead of Green-Ellis.909 percentage. All eight are at 100 percent. But only one of those rushers has had more than five attempts, and the only one above five is Shonn Green of the Jets with eight. Green-Ellis converted his only third-and-one try last week vs. Oakland, going a career-high 48 yards on a first-quarter play. He also converted a pair of thirdand-two rushes in the Raiders game. Historic streak rests at 589: Through his 10th offensive touch in the Sept. 23 Washington game, Bengals HB BenJarvus Green-Ellis reached 589 career combined rushes and receptions without a fumble. Elias Sports Bureau reports the 589 as the longest such streak to start a career since individual fumbles became a statistic in Green-Ellis finally did cough one up on his 11th touch in the Washington game, ending the streak and setting a benchmark for future ball handlers. Green-Ellis also has 52 career rushes/receptions without a fumble in postseason play, covering four games for New England. Bengals back in top 10 in net defense: While compiling their current three-game win streak, the Bengals have risen from 20th to ninth in the NFL in fewest yards allowed per game. Their average was entering the Nov. 11 Giants game, and they now have lowered that figure to Opponents have averaged only yards in the last three games, the Giants getting 318, Kansas City 284 and Oakland only 218. The Bengals rank eighth against the pass (218.4) and 17th against the rush (116.1). In last year s playoff season, the Bengals ranked seventh overall, ninth against the pass and 10th against the rush. Bengals rise to second in NFL sacks race: The Bengals have never claimed an AFC or NFL title for sacks in a season, but 2012 has promise to be the first. Cincinnati enters the San Diego game with 35 sacks, second only to Denver (37) in the league. The Bengals ranked third with 30 last week, and in addition to getting four sacks against Oakland, the team total rose by one more when a scoring change gave LB Rey Maualuga a sack for a tackle Nov. 18 at Kansas City that was initially ruled a rushing play. The Bengals trailed both Denver and Green Bay entering Week 12, but they have passed the Packers, who had only one sack last week against the Giants. Green Bay is now third on the year at 34. This week s Cincinnati opponent, San Diego, has been vulnerable to the pass rush. The Chargers have allowed 32 sacks, with only five teams having allowed more. Cincinnati s best full-season AFC ranking in sacks has been second, accomplished three times (1973, 2001, 2011). The Bengals 45 sacks in 2011 were second in the conference only to Baltimore (48). In the NFL, the Bengals best-ever season-end ranking has been fourth, in 1973 and The Bengals first rose to prominence in the 2012 league race with consecutive six-sack efforts at Washington and on Sept. 30 at Jacksonville. It was the first team instance of six or more sacks in consecutive games since Games of 2001, when Cincinnati had of six vs. Tampa Bay and eight vs. Jacksonville. On pace to break team sacks mark: The 2001 Bengals set the franchise record for sacks, with 48, but this year s team is on pace to better that. The 2012 Bengals have 35 sacks in 10 games, an average of 3.18 per contest, and that projects to 51 over 16 games (rounded up from an actual projection of 50.9). However, one Bengals team from the era of 14-game schedules posted a higher season-end average for sacks per game. The 1976 team claims that record at 3.29 per game (46 total). The current Bengals team would need 53 sacks to also claim the per-game record, which would be at DT Geno Atkins leads the Bengals individually with 9.0 sacks, and DE Michael Johnson is second at 8.0. DEs Robert Geathers and Wallace Gilberry share third place at 3.0. Geno claims a team crown... : Bengals DT Geno Atkins shot through the Oakland line like a bullet on the Raiders first passing play last week, and before former Bengal Carson Palmer could even look downfield, he was flat 6 on the Paul Brown Stadium turf for a seven-yard loss, courtesy of Atkins. The sack gave Atkins 9.0 for the season, a new club record for an interior lineman. Entering the Oakland game, Atkins had shared the record with DT Dan Wilkinson, who had 8.0 in Atkins of course has five more games to pad his mark. Atkins pace now projects to 13.0 for the season (rounded down from an actual projection of 13.1). Atkins also leads the Bengals in coaches compilation of QB pressures, with 22, and he leads in tackles-for-loss, with and closes on a league crown: With just five games to play in the NFL season, and for the second straight week, Bengals DT Geno Atkins has a lead of 3.0 in the race for most sacks by an interior lineman. Atkins had one sack last week vs. Oakland, moving to 9.0, and only one of the three players tied for second last week was able to keep pace. Chicago DT Henry Melton had one and now is a 6.0. Carolina s Dwan Edwards and Buffalo s Kyle Williams are both four sacks back at 5.0. Atkins is defending a piece the NFL crown he shared last year with Oakland DT Tommy Kelly, at 7.5. Atkins is now tied for sixth among all NFL defenders. He had been tied for 10th entering the Raiders game. San Francisco LB Aldon Smith leads the league at Atkins ranks tied for fourth among all AFC players, with Houston DE J.J. Watt the conference leader at Whit on Geno: Bengals LOT Andrew Whitworth knows a good defensive tackle when he sees one, and he sees one every day in teammate Geno Atkins: Geno s quick, like most small D-tackles, Whitworth says. He s a quicker athletic guy. But the thing that separates him from all others is he has insane exceptional strength. He s a really, really strong guy for a smaller player. That s what takes him to a whole other level. It is hard to deal with a guy who s below you and under you. It s hard to get your hands down there to control him. And of course there s the way he works. When I go in the weight room on Mondays, he s fresh off a two-sack game or seven tackles, he s got 500 pounds on his back, and he s squatting under the rack. He s one of those type of guys. He s on a mission to be a really good player and to push himself. There s no day off to him. That s what makes him good. That s what makes him who he is. As long as he keeps that part of himself, he ll continue to dominate. Polian on Geno: Among those singing Geno Atkins praises is ESPN analyst Bill Polian, who as club president helped the Indianapolis Colts to eight division titles and a Super Bowl championship. The position of inside pass rusher is a key position, Polian said in an interview with the Bengals Radio Network. When you get an athletic defensive lineman who can rush the passer at the tackle position, it makes it so much harder for the offensive line to slide and help people. If you re going to chip, it s going to be with a back or a tight end. The line can t move because you cannot run the risk of the guard whiffing and having that guy go clean to the quarterback. So Geno Atkins has turned out to be a terrific addition to the Bengals, and an inside pass rusher I think after the quarterback is the most important guy on the team because if you can rush from the inside, that usually means you can rush with four and cover with seven, and that gives you a heck of a defensive advantage. No flash in the pan: When the Bengals drafted DT Geno Atkins in 2010 in the fourth round, 120th overall the choice was met with a general yawn by analysts and media. He wasn t huge (290 pounds at the time). He was a bit short at 6-1. His college career at Georgia lacked SportsCenter moments. But Atkins has shown from practice day one as a Bengal that he simply has the stuff to make plays, and there s rarely a snap when he isn t some sort of factor. He wound up leading the team as a rookie in QB pressures, and last year he tied for the NFL sacks lead (7.5) among interior linemen. For 2012 he is the defense s lone returning Pro Bowler, leading NFL interior linemen in sacks (9.0) and tied for sixth among all NFL players. No. 97 may be the best inside pass rusher there is, says Bengals offensive line coach Paul Alexander That s the best thing going for (first-round drafted guard) Kevin Zeitler. He gets to pass block 97 in practice. Says fellow DT Domata Peko: I see some of the things Geno does and I say, Man, how does he do that? He s so quick and he s got the strength of a 350-pound guy. That s the one thing that scares offensive linemen. Not only his quickness, but his strength. I ve seen him bull-rush the best of the best at offensive guard. And defensive line coach Jay Hayes: He s getting better because he hasn t changed the approach he brought