New Orleans Saints (8-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (2-9)

Transcription

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. 30, 2010 New Orleans Saints (8-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (2-9) Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST. Television: FOX broadcast with Ron Pitts (play-by-play) and John Lynch (analyst). It is not anticipated that the game will sell out by 1 p.m. on Dec. 2, the deadline for avoiding a TV blackout in the Bengals home market cities of Cincinnati, Dayton and Lexington, Ky. Radio: Coverage on the 28-station Bengals Radio Network, including a triple-cast in Cincinnati on flagships WLW- AM (700) The Big One, WCKY-AM (1530) Homer (all sports) and WEBN-FM (102.7). Broadcasters are Brad Johansen (playby-play) and Dave Lapham (analyst). Setting the scene: The Bengals have been dominant at home in recent years against teams from the NFC. They also have a winning record in their last 11 home games against defending NFL champions. And they could use some magic from that history this week. Cincinnati will host defending league champion New Orleans while trying to snap its own eight-game losing streak. Cincinnati s 2-9 record is particularly stunning because just a year ago, the team was 8-3 and rolling toward an AFC North Division championship. Asked to rate his level of frustration after last week s loss at New York against the Jets, two-time Pro Bowl QB Carson Palmer didn t hedge. It s as high as it s ever been in my football career, period, Palmer said. We had a (7-3) lead at halftime and we felt good. All I know is, we can t accept this. And I don t believe we are. Even when we were down in the second half, guys had the right eyes in the huddle. There was no quit look on anybody s face. But right now we just can t find ways to win a game. Rather than simply being ground down by a foe whose record was (and is) tied for the NFL s best, the Bengals essentially went down on three big second-half plays. The Jets scored early in the third quarter on a 53-yard end-around run by Brad Smith, then turned a muffed punt into a late third-quarter score, and early in the fourth quarter, they broke an 89-yard Smith kickoff return for a TD. At that point it was 24-10, New York. Put this on me, said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, the consensus choice as NFL Coach of the Year in I m disappointed that I have not been able to get our guys over the hump in terms of critical errors. The errors are easy to see on tape, and they should be easy to correct. And if we keep fighting like we have been and keep believing in ourselves, we can start feeling good on Sundays again. The Bengals and New Orleans both will be coming off 10-day breaks, as both last played on Thanksgiving. The Saints, who in 2009 made the franchise s first Super Bowl appearance and won it come to Cincinnati on a four-game winning streak. But they are a game behind Atlanta in the NFC South. New Orleans is Game information Page 1 Week 13, Game 12 Sunday, Dec. 5 at Paul Brown Stadium Next up: Week 14, Game 13 Dec. 12 at Pittsburgh ranked fourth in the NFL in net offense (385.2) and seventh in net defense (306.7). The Bengals are at home under Lewis against NFC foes, and Cincinnati shows a 6-5 record in its last 11 home games against defending league champions. The series: The Bengals lead 6-5 overall and have won three straight, but the series is tied at 3-3 in games at Cincinnati. The Bengals won the only previous game at Paul Brown Stadium, in The Saints won three of the five meetings at Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field. The most recent meeting was in 2006 at New Orleans, the Bengals winning The last Saints victory over Cincinnati was a decision at New Orleans in The last Saints win at Cincinnati was a 21-7 game in A complete listing of past Bengals-Saints results can be found on page 165 of the Bengals 2010 Media Guide. Team bests from the series: Bengals MOST POINTS: 31, in the most recent meeting, a win at New Orleans in LARGEST VICTORY MARGIN: 21, in a 21-0 win at New Orleans in FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED: 0, in the 21-0 win in Saints MOST POINTS: 41, in a win in 1987 at Riverfront Stadium. LARGEST VICTORY MARGIN: 17, in the win in 87. FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED: 7 (twice), most recently in a 21-7 win at Riverfront Stadium in The last meetings: Complete summaries of the last two Bengals-Saints meetings in 2002 at Cincinnati and in 06 at New Orleans are on page 12 of this news release. Cradle of Coaches connection: Saints head coach Sean Payton is among the long line of prominent coaches with connections to Miami (Ohio) University. He was on the Miami coaching staff in , and three of his assistants also have ties to the RedHawks. Offensive line/running game coach Aaron Kromer played OT at Miami from and coached at Miami from Coaching assistant Frank Smith played OL at Miami from and coached there from And strength and conditioning coach Dan Dalrymple played OL at Miami from and was on the coaching staff from More Bengals-Saints connections: Saints OT Zach Strief is from Milford, Ohio and attended Milford High School Saints C/G Matt Tennant is from Cincinnati and attended Moeller High School Saints S Malcolm Jenkins and DE Will Smith both played at Ohio State Saints WR Lance Moore is from Westerville, Ohio and played at Toledo Saints CB Mark Parson (practice squad) played at Ohio University Saints WR Courtney Roby was with the Bengals in 2007 Bengals OT Andrew Whitworth and G Nate Livings both played at

2 (More Bengals-Saints connections, continued) Louisiana State; Whitworth is from West Monroe, La., and Livings is from Lake Charles... Bengals CB Jonathan Wade is from Shreveport, La. Bengals LB Dhani Jones was with the Saints in the 2007 preseason Bengals WRs coach Mike Sheppard was Saints offensive coordinator in 2005 Bengals offensive quality control coach Kyle Caskey was a graduate assistant coach at Louisiana-Monroe in Saints TEs coach Terry Malone coached at Bowling Green from Saints QBs coach Joe Lombardi coached at Dayton from Saints asst. special teams coach Mike Mallory is from Bowling Green, Ohio and coached at Kent State from Bengals tough against champs: This week s game will mark the 27th time in franchise history for the Bengals to play a regular-season game against the defending Super Bowl champion. Cincinnati shows a 9-17 record for the previous 26 contests. But after losing their first eight games against defending league champs, the Bengals have done better, posting a 9-9 mark over the last 18 instances. The Bengals are 6-5 in home games during the 18-game stretch, including 2-1 since moving to Paul Brown Stadium. Here s a recap of the Bengals break-even history in their last 18 games against defending Super Bowl winners: DATE OPPONENT RESULT Oct. 14, 1979 Pittsburgh... Bengals, Dec. 2, Steelers, Sept. 21, 1980 Pittsburgh... Bengals, Oct. 12, Bengals, Sept. 28, 1986 Chicago... Bears, 44-7 Dec. 17, 1988 Washington... Bengals, (OT) Dec. 9, 1990 San Francisco... 49ers, (OT) Dec. 1, 1991 NY Giants... Bengals, Oct. 30, 1994 Dallas... Cowboys, Nov. 1, 1998 Denver... Broncos, Sept. 23, 2001 Baltimore... Bengals, Dec. 23, Ravens, 16-0 Dec. 12, England... Patriots, Sept. 24, Bengals, Dec. 31, 2006 Pittsburgh...Steelers, (OT) Sept. 21, Giants... Giants, (OT) Sept. 27, 2009 Pittsburgh... Bengals, Nov. 15, Bengals, NFC beware: The Bengals are in their last 16 home games against NFC teams, for a winning percentage of.781. The last 15 of the 16 games have been played under head coach Marvin Lewis (11-3-1). The first game of the 15 was a home win over New Orleans on Dec. 22, 2002, under head coach Dick LeBeau. Going back a bit farther, the Bengals are (.691) at home against the NFC since Here s a recap of the run against NFC visitors: DATE OPP. SCORE COMMENT N.O. Cin., Bengals are playoff spoilers Sea. Cin., Five turnovers doom 5-1 Seahawks S.F. Cin., Rudi Johnson rushes for Dall. Cin., 26-3 First time since 2000 holding foe without TD NYG Cin., Chad Ochocinco s 2nd TD caps comeback Minn. Cin., 37-8 Plus-6 TO differential ties team mark G.B. Cin., Brett Favre burned for five INTs Car. Cin., Fourth-quarter rally with 86-yard TD drive Atl. Atl., Michael Vick passes for three TDs Ariz. Ariz., Carson Palmer s only four-int game StL. Cin., Bengals defense allows no TDs Phil. Tie, Only NFL tie since Wash. Cin., Goal-line stand stops Skins comeback bid Chi. Cin., Benson burns ex-team for 189 rushing Det. Cin., Ochocinco 137 rec. yds.; Benson 110 rush T.B. T.B., Bucs rally with two INTs in last 2:28 Bengals-Saints NFL rankings BENGALS SAINTS SCORING (AVG. POINTS): Points scored... 21st (20.5) 9th (24.1) Points allowed... 27th (26.2) 6th (17.9) NET OFFENSE (AVG. YARDS): Total... 22nd (329.5) 4th (385.2) Rushing... 25th (92.0) 24th (94.2) Passing... 11th (237.5) 3rd (291.0) NET DEFENSE (AVG. YARDS): Total... 16th (339.3) 7th (306.7) Rushing... 23rd (123.0) 15th (108.9) Passing... 15th (216.3) 3rd (197.8) TURNOVERS: Differential... T-22nd (minus-4) T-19th (minus-3) Red-zone reports: The Saints have been a bit sloppy in the offensive red zone this season, but they visit often. They lead the NFL in times coming away with no points (10), but they also lead in most offensive chances (46). Their red-zone TD total (21) ranks 11th, but their TD percentage (45.7) ranks 21st. New Orleans ranks sixth in defensive TD percentage (44.0). OFFENSE Bengals red-zone report DEFENSE Inside-20 poss.: 35 Inside-20 poss.: 33 Total scores: 31 (88.6%) Total scores: 29 (87.9%) TDs: 17 (48.6%) TDs: 17 (51.5%) FGs: 14 (40.0%) FGs: 12 (36.4%) TD% rank: 20th TD% rank: 18th No scores: 4 (11.4%) No scores: 4 (12.1%) Saints red-zone report OFFENSE DEFENSE Inside-20 poss.: 46 Inside-20 poss.: 25 Total scores: 36 (78.3%) Total scores: 22 (88.0%) TDs: 21 (45.7%) TDs: 11 (44.0%) FGs: 15 (32.6%) FGs: 11 (44.0%) TD% rank:25th TD% rank: 6th No scores: 10 (21.7%) No scores: 3 (12.0%) Records vs. Saints: Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco had 190 receiving yards at New Orleans in 2006, the week after he had posted a club-record 260 vs. San Diego. The 450 yards from those two games stands as the NFL record for receiving yards in back-to-back contests. Also: Ochocinco s three TD catches against the Saints in 2006 ties the Bengals record for most receiving TDs in a game. Though the Bengals won their last meeting with the Saints in New Orleans in 2006 the Saints set a Cincinnati opponents record with 504 net passing yards. QB Drew Brees had 510 gross passing yards, which ranks second for a Bengals foe behind 513 by Phil Simms of the N.Y. Giants in The Bengals won that game, too. Individually vs. Saints: WR Chad Ochocinco is the only current Bengals skill position player to have seen action for Cincinnati more than once against New Orleans. He caught four passes for 47 yards against the Saints in 2002 at Paul Brown Stadium, and at New Orleans in 2006, he caught six-for-190 with three TDs. His two-game totals against New Orleans are 10 catches for 237 yards with three TDs. Other Bengals statistics from the 2006 contest are in the game summary on page 12 of this release. T.O. vs. Saints: WR Terrell Owens, in his first Bengals season in 2010, has played 15 times previously against New Orleans for other teams, with 61 receptions for 994 yards and 12 TDs. He has averaged a modest 4.1 catches and 66.3 yards per game, but his TD total is tied for his highest against any foe. He also has 12 against Atlanta, including one earlier this season. Owens did not have a catch, however, in his last outing vs. Page 2

3 (T.O. vs. Saints, continued) New Orleans on Sept. 27 of last season for Buffalo. The contest ended an Owens streak of 185 consecutive games with at least one catch, dating back to Owens played 12 of his 15 games against New Orleans from , when his San Francisco 49ers played the Saints twice yearly as members of the old NFC West Division. He also played against the Saints for San Francisco in 2002, for Dallas in 2006 and for Buffalo last season. He has three 100-yard receiving games against New Orleans and four games in which he scored two TDs. He made his NFL debut against the Saints, as a San Francisco rookie in the 1996 opener, but he did not have a catch. Marvin Lewis is in his eighth season as Bengals head coach, tying the longest tenure in franchise history. In 2009 he was the consensus choice as NFL Coach of the Year. Lewis led the Bengals to a 10-6 record and the AFC North Division championship in He earned the major share of Coach of the Year awards, winning the flagship Associated Press honor (given annually by a national media panel since 1957) while also getting nods from Sports Illustrated and Pro Football Weekly/Pro Football Writers Association. The Bengals were unbeaten in division play (6-0) for the first time in history. Lewis Bengals record is now in the regular season, 0-2 in postseason and overall. He was named the ninth Bengals head coach on Jan. 14, In 2002, he directed the NFL s fifth-ranked defense with Washington, serving as assistant head coach in addition to his role as defensive coordinator. Prior to his year with the Redskins, he was a record-setting defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. His six seasons ( ) with the Ravens included a Super Bowl victory following the 00 season. That year, Lewis Baltimore defense set the NFL record for the fewest points allowed in a 16-game season (165). Lewis entered the NFL as linebackers coach with Pittsburgh from , guiding the careers of Pro Bowl selections Kevin Greene, Chad Brown, Levon Kirkland and Greg Lloyd. Born Sept. 23, 1958, in McDonald, Pa., near Pittsburgh, Lewis played linebacker at Idaho State and earned All-Big Sky Conference honors in each of his three seasons ( 78-80). He began his coaching career as an assistant at Idaho State University in Gresham ties rookie TE record: Bengals TE Jermaine Gresham was held to two catches last week, tying his season-low, but with 44 for the season, he has tied Tony McGee s 1993 club record for catches in a campaign by a rookie TE. He has five games left to pad his total in establishing a new mark. What s more, Gresham has a chance to also establish records for most catches by any Bengals rookie and for most catches in a season by any Bengals TE. His totals currently project to 64 over 16 games. The Cincinnati record for all rookies is 67, by WR Cris Collinsworth in The second-place figure for any Bengals rookie is 53, by WR Eddie Brown in And the season mark for all Bengals TEs is 71, set by Dan Ross in Gresham has 366 receiving yards after getting 36 against the Jets. That projects to 532 over 16 games. That would be the most yards by any Bengals TE since 1995, when McGee had 754. The most yards in a season by any Bengals TE is 910 by Ross in The most yards by a Bengals rookie TE is 639 by Bob Trumpy, in the 14-game season of Besides having excellent hands, Gresham has superior athleticism which allows him to remain a viable option in traffic. The thing I have noticed about Jermaine is that he never falls down, says OT Andrew Whitworth. He may get knocked down sometimes, but a lot of guys, if they miss a block, for example, they ll go down and be out of the play. Jermaine stays on his feet and either finds a way to get in another block somewhere or stays open as a possible receiver. Gresham/Shipley hold AFC rookie leads: Bengals TE Jermaine Gresham leads AFC rookies in receptions (44), and Cincinnati WR Jordan Shipley is the AFC rookie leader The head coaches Sean Payton is in his fifth season as Saints head coach, and in the 2009 campaign, he led the franchise to its first Super Bowl appearance and NFL Championship, with a victory over Indianapolis in Super Bowl XLIV. His record is 43-27, including 4-1 in postseason play. Payton began his NFL coaching career as quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles in He was offensive coordinator for the final three years of a four-year stay ( ) with the New York Giants, and he was with the Dallas Cowboys from 03-05, serving as assistant head coach with an emphasis on quarterbacks and the passing game. He coached in college at Indiana State, San Diego State and Miami (Ohio). At Miami, he was as quarterbacks coach/cooffensive coordinator in Payton was a three-time Division I-AA All-American quarterback at Eastern Illinois, and finished his career with a school-record 10,665 passing yards. He played in the pro ranks with Chicago of the Arena Football League and the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian League before joining the Chicago Bears for a portion of the 1987 season. Payton was born Dec. 29, 1963 in San Mateo, Calif., and was raised in Naperville, Ill. Lewis vs. Saints: Lewis leads, 1-0, from a win at New Orleans in Lewis vs. Payton: Lewis leads, 1-0. Payton vs. Bengals: Bengals lead, 1-0. Bengals information in receiving yards (518). Shipley ranks second among conference rookies in catches (40). In third place is New England TE Aaron Hernandez, with 36. Hernandez is second in receiving yards (462), with Gresham fourth at 366. In the NFL, Gresham ranks tied for third among rookies in catches, and Shipley ranks fifth. The leader is Detroit RB Jahvid Best (49). Tampa Bay s Mike Williams is second at 45, and Gresham is tied at 44 with Dallas WR Dez Bryant. In NFL rookie receiving yards, Shipley is in third place, behind Tampa Bay s Williams (701) and Dallas Bryant (547). Gresham grinds it: Bengals fans have likely not been surprised to see rookie TE Jermaine Gresham make his presence felt in the season s first 11 games (44 catches for 366 yards and three TDs). Cincinnati s first-round choice in the 2010 draft showed encouraging flashes throughout the preseason, and it s clear he is making the TE spot more of a weapon in the Cincinnati offense. But in other ways not as noticeable to viewers on the outside, Gresham has convinced coaches and teammates that the Bengals scored in selecting him with the 21st pick in the draft. There is a learning curve for Jermaine in playing the position the way we need it played in the NFL, says head coach Marvin Lewis, but the most important thing at this point is how he works at it. He does not do everything exactly right at this point, but he does everything at full speed. His technique is going to suffer at times, but he s shown us he does not lack one bit in ability or want-to. Gresham displays a strong and intense personality at all times, and it s the want-to part that has most impressed QB Page 3

4 (Gresham grinds it, continued) Carson Palmer. Some rookies might be a little content to have a learning year, to work into things, but that is not Jermaine, Palmer says. He is confident in his ability, and he wants to be the best right now. Maybe sometimes it would help him to slow down a little, to step back and soak it in, but he s an impatient young guy, and I like that. It s a sense of urgency that everybody on this team needs to have. Shipley sights rookie yards list: With 518 receiving yards through 11 games, Bengals third-round draft pick Jordan Shipley is on pace to finish the season with 753. That would make the top five all-time for a Bengals rookie. He s knowledgeable about our system already, and that s one thing you don t see a lot of rookies grasp, QB Carson Palmer says of Shipley. And he grasped it right away. He s just a natural football player, been making plays all his life probably. Shipley had 38 yards last week against the Jets. His best effort so far has been a 131-yard game on Oct. 24 at Atlanta, which included a 64-yard TD. He is challenging the rookie yards marks despite playing on an offense which also includes veteran WRs Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco, as well as promising new TE Jermaine Gresham. I m very blessed coming into this situation, Shipley says. I ve got a great quarterback, and it s great to play with such good other receivers. s have to respect those two guys. That s been good for me. The top five receiving yards seasons by a Bengals rookie: YEAR PLAYER POS. YARDS 1981 Cris Collinsworth WR Eddie Brown WR Darnay Scott WR * Isaac Curtis WR * Bob Trumpy TE * Fourteen-game season. Benson s ratio is best: Bengals HB Cedric Benson has 11 games of 100-plus rushing yards 34 Cincinnati starts, a ratio of one 100-yarder for every 3.09 starts. It s the best such ratio in Bengals history, by a hair over Rudi Johnson. Johnson, who played for Cincinnati from , got his 19 games of 100-plus in 59 starts, one for every 3.11 starts. Corey Dillon, who had a Bengals-record 28 games of 100-plus, needed 96 starts to get that total, a ratio of Benson s 11-for-34 is for regular-season games only. He also had a 100-yard game in his only Cincinnati playoff appearance, last year against the Jets. His 169 total for that game is a Bengals postseason record. Benson has two 100-yard rushing games this season, most recently on Nov. 21 vs. Buffalo (124 yards). In 2009, he set a Bengals season record with six 100-yarders, though he missed three games and half of another game. Here s a listing of the 22 players who have hit the 100-yard rushing mark in stripes, with their number of 100-yarders in parentheses: Ten or more games Corey Dillon (28), Rudi Johnson (19), James Brooks (17), Pete Johnson (14), Cedric Benson (11). Five-to-nine games Harold Green (eight), Paul Robinson (six), Essex Johnson (five), Ickey Woods (five). One-to-four games Larry Kinnebrew (four), Boobie Clark (three), Archie Griffin (three), Jess Phillips (three), Kenny Watson (two), Ki-Jana Carter (one), Virgil Carter (one), Doug Dressler (one), Larry Johnson (one), Marc Logan (one), Bernard Scott (one), Deacon Turner (one), Stanley Wilson (one). 25 does the trick (usually): The Bengals are 29-2 under head coach Marvin Lewis in games with an individual rusher at 25 or more carries, a winning percentage of.935. That mark includes a 9-1 record when current No. 1 HB Cedric Benson has carried 25 or more times. Cincinnati was 18-1 under Lewis when Rudi Johnson had 25 or more carries (over ), and the Bengals were 2-0 when Kenny Watson had a pair of 25-plus games (both in 07). 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. T.O. creeps up on L.T.: Bengals WR Terrell Owens has a team-leading eight touchdowns this season and has passed WR Randy Moss into fourth place on the NFL s all-time list. He is making a run at Jets RB LaDainian Tomlinson for third place. Tomlinson has 158 career six-pointers, and Owens has 155. Owens began the season six behind Tomlinson, but he has cut that margin in half as Tomlinson has scored five TDs thus far in Owens scored his eighth TD of this season on Nov. 21 vs. Buffalo, and that score lifted him from a fourth-place all-time tie with Moss (154), who also is still active. Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith currently rest comfortably in the 1-2 spots for all-time NFL touchdowns. Below is the detailed listing of the top five: PLAYER SEASONS TD-P TD-R TD-Rt. TOTAL Jerry Rice Emmitt Smith LaDanian Tomlinson* Terrell Owens* Randy Moss* * Active. Can T.O. hit 16,000 in Saints game? With 135 receiving yards in the New Orleans game, Bengals WR Terrell Owens would become only the second NFL player to reach 16,000 receiving yards. Owens has 15,865 yards through last week s play. Owens has posted 135 or more yards in a game twice already for the Bengals this season. He had a 222-yard game at Cleveland on Oct. 3 and a 141-yarder on Nov. 8 vs. Pittsburgh. For his career, he has hit or exceeded the 135 mark in 21 games. Owens has been No. 2 all-time in NFL receiving yards since Oct. 3 of this season, when he moved past Isaac Bruce. Here s a look at the all-time top five in NFL receiving yards: PLAYER SEASONS YEARS YARDS Jerry Rice ,895 Terrell Owens* ,865 Isaac Bruce ,208 Tim Brown ,934 Randy Moss* ,804 * Active. T.O. is first and third: On Oct. 3 at Cleveland, Terrell Owens became the oldest player in league history to record a 200-yard receiving game by more than a full year. And Owens also owns the 200-yard game by the third-oldest player, dating from a 2008 game for Dallas. Here s a list of 200-yard games by the five oldest players: PLAYER, TEAM YEAR YDS. AGE Terrell Owens, Bengals years, 300 days James Lofton, Bills years, 108 days Terrell Owens, Cowboys years, 352 days Don Maynard, Jets years, 268 days Rod Smith, Broncos years, 169 days Owens in NFL s 2010 elite: In his second season playing for an AFC team, Bengals WR Terrell Owens is moving toward a seventh career selection to the Pro Bowl. He ranks tied for second in the AFC in receptions (65) and ranks second outright in receiving yards (914). In the NFL, Owens ranks tied for fourth in receptions and third in yards. Reggie Wayne of Indianapolis leads the AFC in receptions (76), and Owens is tied for second place with Houston s Andre Johnson and New England s Wes Welker. In AFC receiving yards, Page 4

5 (Owens in NFL s 2010 elite, continued) Owens trails only Denver s Brandon Lloyd (1122), who is also the NFL leader. Wayne of Indianapolis is third in the conference in yards, trailing Owens by seven at 907. Despite ranking second all-time in NFL receiving yards and fifth all-time in catches, Owens has never won a league or conference crown in either category. Only one Bengal, wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, has claimed an NFL receiving yards title. His 1369-yard season in 2006 is one of six AFC yards titles by Cincinnati players. Ochocinco has led the AFC four times, Eddie Brown led once and Isaac Curtis led once. In catches for a season, wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh is the only Bengal to have claimed even a share of the NFL lead. His 112 catches in 2007 tied for the NFL and AFC lead. Carl Pickens won two AFC receptions titles for Cincinnati, and Ochocinco won once. T.O. tops among actives: Bengals WR Terrell Owens is the NFL s active leader in career receptions (1071) and receiving yards (15,865). In receptions, Atlanta TE Tony Gonzalez is in second place, 21 behind at Owens opened this season with a lead of seven over Gonzalez, and Owens has 65 catches thus far this season to Gonzalez 51. In receiving yards, Owens has more of a cushion. He s 1038 yards ahead of Tennessee WR Randy Moss. The NFL s active top five in career receptions: PLAYER POS. TEAM REC. Terrell Owens... WR Bengals 1071 Tony Gonzalez... TE Falcons 1050 Randy Moss... WR Titans 952 Hines Ward... WR Steelers 935 Derrick Mason... WR Ravens 908 And the league s active top five in career receiving yards: PLAYER POS. TEAM REC. YDS. Terrell Owens... WR Bengals 15,865 Randy Moss... WR Titans 14,827 Tony Gonzalez... TE Falcons 12,306 Derrick Mason... WR Ravens 11,665 Hines Ward... WR Steelers 11,457 Owens just one behind Moss: Bengals WR Terrell Owens raised his career TD reception total to 152 on Nov. 21 vs. Buffalo, moving within one of Randy Moss for the NFL lead among active players. Owens began the season trailing Moss by four, but he has scored eight TDs this season to Moss five. There is no challenge to Moss and Owens for the 1-2 spots. The next-closest player, Atlanta TE Tony Gonzalez, is 66 TDs behind T.O. The NFL s active top five in career TD receptions: PLAYER POS. TEAM TD Randy Moss... WR Titans 153 Terrell Owens... WR Bengals 152 Tony Gonzalez... TE Falcons 86 Hines Ward... WR Steelers 82 Joey Galloway... WR Redskins 77 T.O. could rise to No. 2 in catches: WR Terrell Owens moved into the top five in NFL career receptions on Oct. 3 at Cleveland, and he stands a good chance of ranking second all-time by season s end. He has 1071 catches for his career after grabbing three last week against the Jets. With just 32 more, he would move into second place. The current No. 2 is Marvin Harrison at Owens has averaged 5.9 catches per game this season (65 total), and he would move to 1103 for his career and into second place all-time by averaging 6.2 catches over this season s final five games. Below are the NFL s top five in all-time in receptions: PLAYER, POS. RECEPTIONS Jerry Rice, WR Marvin Harrison, WR Cris Carter, WR Tim Brown, WR Terrell Owens, WR* * Active. T.O. s day second for Bengals: WR Terrell Owens 222-yard receiving game on Oct. 3 at Cleveland comes in second for the category in the Bengals 43-season history. Here s the current top five: PLAYER DATE OPPONENT YDS. Chad Ochocinco San Diego 260 Terrell Owens Cleveland 222 Eddie Brown Pittsburgh 216 Chad Ochocinco Cleveland 209 Cris Collinsworth Baltimore 206 Hall close, but needs a pick: After holding or sharing the AFC interceptions lead for nine straight weeks, Bengals CB Leon Hall dipped into a tie for second place during Week 12 play. New England rookie CB Devin McCourty had two INTs against Detroit last week and moved into sole possession of the conference lead with five. Hall, who has not had an interception since Game 6, is among six players now tied for second place at four. Hall is tied for seventh in the NFL in INTs. Philadelphia CB Asante Samuel leads the league with seven. Hall s INTs this season have come in Games 2, 3, 4 and 6. The only Bengal to claim even a piece of the NFL interceptions title for a full season has been CB Deltha O Neal, who tied for the league lead in 2005 with a Bengals record of 10. O Neal was the lone AFC leader that year. CB Ken Riley won one undisputed AFC crown (with nine in 1976) and tied for the AFC lead two other years ( 82-83). It s not at all close: CB Leon Hall s interception on Oct. 24 at Atlanta was the 18th in his four-season Bengals career, giving him sole possession of sixth place all-time on the Bengals. He had shared the No. 6 spot with S Tommy Casanova, who played six Cincinnati seasons ( ). Hall could move as high as second in the Bengals rankings within two or three years. He needs 15 more to tie the current No. 2, CB Louis Breeden with 33. But in a fashion unmatched in virtually any other Bengals record realm, the club s all-time interception statistics are dominated by one player CB Ken Riley. Over 15 seasons ( ), Riley piled up almost twice as many picks (65) as Breeden. Other players Hall could pass before too long are CB Tory James (fifth with 21), CB Lemar Parrish (fourth with 25) and S David Fulcher (third with 31). Pro Bowl calling? Bengals coaches have for some time pushed the point that starting Cincinnati CBs Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph both merit Pro Bowl recognition. Both players are former Bengals first-round draft choices, Hall now in his fourth season and Joseph in his fifth. Hall is off to the more impressive start in 2010, tied for second in the AFC in interceptions (four) and leading the Bengals in passes defensed (15). Joseph missed last week s game with an ankle injury, but he had two INTs on Nov. 21 vs. Buffalo, raising his season total to three, and he returned one 21 yards for a touchdown. Joseph has now scored a TD in four straight seasons. Joseph has seven passes defensed, ranked second on the team. Hall and Joseph tied for the team lead last year with six INTs each. They have played at the most consistent high level of any corners we ve had here, and we ve had Pro Bowl corners, said DBs coach Kevin Coyle. Both of them are becoming the complete package. They re not just run defenders and they don t just make interceptions, or just play physical or just run. They can do it all. Page 5

6 (Bengals information, continued) Hall has made em all: CB Leon Hall has not missed a game in his Bengals career. The fourth-year pro has played in all 60 games (including one postseason) since his 2007 signing, and he has started the last 52 at RCB. He has played more games without missing one than anyone on the current roster. The Bengals longest active streaks of consecutive games and consecutive starts are both 64, held by RG Bobbie Williams. He has started every game since Game 13 of 2006, when he came back from three weeks off due to an emergency appendectomy. Those three games are the only ones Williams has missed since joining the Bengals in A sometimes overlooked Bengals iron man is WR Chad Ochocinco. He has played 16 games every season but one since 2002 and has played in every game this year. Now in his 10th season, he has missed only six games due to injury. He missed four with a broken collarbone as a rookie in 2001 and missed two with a hamstring strain in He also missed one game due to a team rules violation. Including postseason games, Ochocinco has suited up for 150 of a possible 157 games as a Bengal. Dhani doing it again: Dhani Jones NFL career seemed on the verge of extinction in After seven productive seasons, three with the N.Y. Giants and four with Philadelphia, he had been released by the Eagles in April of 07 and later released by New Orleans at the end of the 07 preseason. But in mid-september, a Bengals team suffering severe injury problems at LB signed Jones off the street, and neither he nor the team has ever looked back. Jones went on to finish second on the 2007 Bengals in tackles (111), and he was also named special teams captain. And that was only the beginning. He not only led the team in tackles in both 2008 and 09, he led by runaway margins. His 163 tackles in 08 were 51 ahead of LB Brandon Johnson, and his 142 stops last season were 41 more than second-place Keith Rivers. This season, it s more of the same. Jones has started every game at MLB and leads the team with 110 tackles, 40 ahead of second-place Rivers (70). He has 78 solo tackles, more than twice as many as second-place Rey Maualuga (38). Jones also leads the LBs in passes defensed (four), and he has one forced fumble. Dhani is a truly brilliant player, says defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. He knows the game and the schemes inside out. He asks probably the best questions I ve ever heard from a player in meetings. It s no surprise that he s in on a hell of a lot of tackles, because he s still very good physically, and he knows what he s doing maybe better than anyone else on the field. He is a huge help to our younger guys, like (Keith) Rivers and (Rey) Maualuga. A starter for Philadelphia in Super Bowl XXXIX after the 2004 season, Jones has not missed a game since joining the Bengals. He has started the last 48 Cincinnati games (including postseason) at MLB. He is in his third season as one of the team s two season-long defensive captains. Chad four short of club TD mark: WR Chad Ochocinco scored his 66th Bengals (and career) TD on Nov. 21 vs. Buffalo, moving within four scores of FB Pete Johnson, the Cincinnati all-time leader at 70. Johnson averaged 10 TDs per season in seven years ( ) with the Bengals. Ochocinco is in his 10th season. Johnson had 64 rushing TDs and six as a receiver. All 66 of Ochocinco s TDs have come as a receiver. Ochocinco became the Bengals all-time receiving TDs leader on Oct. 24th at Atlanta, when he hit the 64 mark to break a tie with Carl Pickens. Chad widens gap to 11: WR Chad Ochocinco now has 11 more 100-yard receiving games than anyone else in Bengals history. He logged his 31st game of 100 or more on Oct. 24 at Atlanta, gaining 108 yards on 10 catches. Behind Ochocinco on the list are WRs Isaac Curtis (20), Carl Pickens (19), Cris Collinsworth (18) and Eddie Brown (14). Ochocinco has two 100-yard games thus far in The Bengals season record of five has been achieved seven times, and Ochocinco has three of those ( and 07). Chad passes Keyshawn: With 41 receiving yards last week against the Jets, Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco passed Keyshawn Johnson into 28th place in NFL history (10,580). The next target for Ochocinco is Stanley Morgan, 136 yards ahead of Ochocinco at 10,716. Morgan played 14 seasons ( ), primarily for New England. Ochocinco is in his 10th season. Below is a list of the players ranked in receiving yards. The only player from still active is Joey Galloway (No. 25). of Washington. Galloway has 173 yards this season. RANK PLAYER REC. YARDS No. 25 Joey Galloway... 10,950 No. 26 Gary Clark... 10,856 No. 27 Stanley Morgan... 10,716 No. 28 Chad Ochocinco... 10,580 No. 29 Keyshawn Johnson... 10,571 Ochocinco has a good lead over the active player who is closest behind him. Indianapolis Reggie Wayne is the nexthighest active player at 10,300 yards, 280 behind Ochocinco. Behind Wayne, the next active player is Green Bay s Donald Driver at 9414, trailing Ochocinco by Chad can reach Top 25 in catches: WR Chad Ochocinco enters the Saints game with 738 career catches, 31st in NFL history. He needs six more to move into 30th place. He has had 54 receptions in this season s first 11 games, and could challenge by season s end for the top 25 all-time. Besides Ochocinco in the list below, the only other active player is Indianapolis Reggie Wayne: RANK PLAYER RECEPTIONS No. 24 Marshall Faulk No. 25 Eric Moulds No. 25 James Lofton No. 27 Michael Irvin No. 27 Charlie Joiner No. 29 Reggie Wayne* No. 30 Andre Rison No. 31 Chad Ochocinco* * Active. Chad rules Bengals charts: Forever is a long time, but it s fair to wonder if WR Chad Ochocinco will ever be caught in Bengals career catches and receiving yards. Ochocinco has 54 catches in this season s first 11 games, raising his career total to 738. With 10,580 receiving yards, he is the Bengals career leader by nearly 3500 over Isaac Curtis (7101). And with his 738 catches, he has crossed the 200 mark in margin over secondplace Carl Pickens. He s 208 beyond Pickens 530 total. By the time he s through, says QB Carson Palmer, these records aren t going to just be broken. They ll be shattered. The current top five for all-time Bengals receptions: PLAYERS YEARS SEASONS REC. Chad Ochocinco... * Carl Pickens T.J. Houshmandzadeh Cris Collinsworth Isaac Curtis * Eleven games into 10th season. And the current top five for all-time Bengals receiving yards: PLAYERS YEARS SEASONS REC. YDS. Chad Ochocinco... * ,580 Isaac Curtis Carl Pickens Cris Collinsworth Eddie Brown * Eleven games into 10th season. Page 6

7 (Bengals information, continued) For the record: Here s the current list of the Bengals records held by WR Chad Ochocinco: Receptions, career: 738. Receiving yards, career: 10,580. Receiving yards, season: 1440 in Receiving yards, game: 260 on vs. San Diego. 100-yard games, career: yard games, season: Five (tied for record). Consecutive games with reception, career: 120. Only Chad predates Marvin: WR Chad Ochocinco is the only player on the Bengals roster whose Cincinnati tenure predates the 2003 arrival of Marvin Lewis as head coach. Ochocinco opened in 2001 under head coach Dick LeBeau, as a second-round draft choice (36th overall). Ochocinco became the lone player in this category on Oct. 13, 2009, when the Bengals released LS Brad St. Louis, a 10thyear vet. St. Louis had joined the Bengals in 2000, under head coach Bruce Coslet. Competition it s good: When Terrell Owens was signed by the Bengals, speculation turned quickly to the possibility that the offense run-oriented in 2009 might not provide enough receptions for both T.O. and Chad Ochocinco. But through Week 12, Owens ranks tied for second in the AFC in catches (65), and Ochocinco is tied for 10th (54). The Bengals, Dolphins and Broncos are the only teams with two receivers ranking between first and 10th. And since preseason, signs have pointed to a positive effect on both Owens and Ochocinco from T.O. s addition to the team. Owens, 36, has said that daily exposure to Ochocinco s antics have made him feel young (see following item). And as for Ochocinco, observers are noticing that Chad has noticed Terrell. Chad has stepped his game up, said QB Carson Palmer. He looks as good now as he did in 2003, 04, 05, whenever he was leading the AFC (in yards). It makes sense. Chad is extremely competitive. He doesn t want to be outshone. He doesn t want to be second fiddle to anybody. Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski is also pleased with the dynamic of the self-proclaimed Dynamic Duo. It s been good for both of them, Bratkowski said. The first part is the competitiveness. Neither one of them wants to be shown up by the other. They both push each other physically. Chad keeps him young: WR Terrell Owens remains an impressive physical specimen as he joins the Bengals this season, but he concedes he s no youngster at age 36. A bonus to signing with Cincinnati, he says, is being around the ever-youthful example of Chad Ochocinco, who s 32 but proud to say he often acts as if 22. I can t keep up with Chad, trust me, Owens said. This guy needs a leash. This guy is like a 12, 13 year-old kid. Honestly, it s a joy to be around him. I don t know where he gets the energy. I don t know what he does before he gets up in the morning. All I know is this guy s all over the field every day. It s a joy to see somebody enjoy what he s doing. I think that s what I need to do more of. 300 passing yards not gold in 10: The Bengals are 0-3 this season when QB Carson Palmer has passed for 300 or more yards. The implication could be that outsize figures on passing yards tend to come when a team is behind, trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to quickly pass its way out of a hole. And it isn t just Palmer in the NFL this season. The fullseason mark of teams with a 300-yard passer is only 35-38, a winning percentage of.479. This year s results appear to be an anomaly, however, on a league-wide basis. For the full 2009 season, teams were (.644) with a 300-yard passer, and for 08 it was (.627). Palmer rates with greats: Bengals QB Carson Palmer stands tall in team passing records against Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason, the Bengals two Super Bowl quarterbacks. Palmer owns the franchise s career records for passer rating and completion percentage, and he holds season marks for TD passes, rating, yards and completions. He also holds the game record for TD passes. Here s how Anderson, Esiason and Palmer compare, with a chart of team records held by each player: Career records (minimum 1000 passes) ANDERSON ESIASON PALMER Attempts (4475) Yds./att. (7.62) Comp. pct (62.7) Completions (2654) 300-yd. games (23) Rating (86.6) Yards (32,838) TD/INT ratio (1.6/1) TD passes (197) Season records (minimum 350 passes) ANDERSON ESIASON PALMER Comp. pct. (70.6) 300-yd. games (5)* Completions (373) TD/INT ratio (2.9/1) Yards (4131) TD passes (32) Rating (101.1) 300-yd. games (5)* * Esiason and Palmer share record. Game records ANDERSON ESIASON PALMER Completions (40) Yards (490) TD passes (6) Comp. pct. (90.9) Longest pass (94) Uniform watch: The Bengals are scheduled to wear black jerseys and white pants vs. New Orleans. In 2004, when the Bengals uniforms were re-designed, a number of different color options became available. Below is the team record since 2004 (regular season and postseason) in the different jersey/pants combinations: JERSEY PANTS W-L PCT. Orange Black Orange White Black Black Black White White Black White White TV streak should hit 94: In each of the last 93 Cincinnati TV ratings weeks that have included a Bengals regularseason or postseason game a period dating back to 2004 the Bengals have ruled the Cincinnati airwaves. They have been the top-rated show among all programming in the Cincinnati market, and usually by a wide margin. The streak is likely to officially reach 94 when Cincinnati rankings become available for the week of Nov The Bengals Nov. 25 game against the New York Jets drew a rating of 25.0, and based on results of the past several years, it s unlikely that will be matched by any other program for the week. The streak began on Dec. 5, 2004, when a wild Bengals win at Baltimore outpolled all other programs. The rating number indicates the percentage of market households tuned to the game including those not watching TV at the time. The highest Bengals rating during the streak has been 45.5 for the Pittsburgh playoff game on Jan. 8, The high rating of Bengals games has occurred despite the fact most games are played in the afternoon, when overall TV viewership is not as high as it is during the evening. Turnover tables turned under Lewis: Over Marvin Lewis tenure as Bengals head coach (2003-present), the Bengals rank fourth in the NFL in turnover differential at plus-36. The Bengals are minus-four in differential for 2010, however. Prior to Lewis tenure, the Bengals had posted a minus differential for five straight years ( ). Page 7

8 (Turnover tables turned under Lewis, continued) Here are the top five teams in differential since 2003: TEAM TAKEAWAYS GIVEAWAYS DIFFERENTIAL Indianapolis New England San Diego Cincinnati Philadelphia Since 2003, the Bengals rank fourth in the NFL in takeaways (240). Chicago is the leader at 246. In points off turnovers since 2003, Elias Sports Bureau reports that the Ravens lead the NFL with 794, and the Bengals are third at 728. A stat that matters: A stat that matters: Under Marvin Lewis, the Bengals show a record when posting a plus in turnover differential. That s a winning percentage of.823. With a minus differential, however, the record under Lewis has been almost a mirror image. The club s mark in such games is 7-41 (.146). The Bengals were minus-two in differential in last week s loss at the New York Jets. When the differential has been even, the results have been relatively even, with the Bengals at (.444) under Lewis. The Bengals experience with turnovers under Lewis is backed up by overall league numbers. Since the start of the 2000 season, here are the records of NFL teams with varying turnover differentials (minus differentials are not included because they are the exact reverse of the plus figure for the same numbers): DIFFERENTIAL W-L PCT. Plus Plus Plus Plus Plus-5 or more Overall, combining the five differential levels listed above, NFL teams with any plus have a winning percentage of.796 since The combined W-L record is Last week, teams with a plus posted a 14-2 record, a winning percentage of.875. The best weekly winning percentage has been.917, reached in Weeks 3 and 11, when plus teams went The worst weekly winning percentage of the season for plus teams was Week 9, when they went only 8-4 (.667). For the full 2010 season, teams with a plus are (.810). Silver anniversary for Lap : In 2010, former Bengals offensive lineman Dave Lapham is in his 25th year as the analyst on the Bengals Radio Network. Colorful, conversational and above all knowledgeable, Lapham stepped into the analyst role in He has worked alongside all five of the radio play-byplay voices in Bengals history Phil Samp, Ken Broo, Paul Keels, Pete Arbogast and current voice Brad Johansen. This job has been a great way for me to stay involved with the Bengals all these years, and I m grateful to have had the opportunity, Lapham said. I really can t think of any assignment I would rather have had. Mike Brown (now Bengals president) was the one who first tipped me off that the job might be open. I went to the radio flagship (then WKRC-AM in Cincinnati), and pretty shortly after that I was hired. Lapham also claims membership in the Bengals Double Digit Club, comprised of 23 players who have played 10 or more seasons for Cincinnati. He was a third-round Bengals draft choice out of Syracuse in 1974 and played until 83. He was the Bengals starting LG in Super Bowl XVI. Bengal bites: Cincinnati and Dallas are tied for the NFL lead in punt coverage, allowing opponents only 5.0 yards per return... The Bengals lead the NFL in fourth-down efficiency at 90 percent, having converted nine of 10 opportunities... New Orleans leads the NFL in third-down efficiency, having converted 73 of 147 opportunities (55.6 percent)... Kevin Huber s 72-yard punt on Oct. 10 vs. Tampa Bay remains the NFL s longest of the season; it is tied for third-longest in Bengals history... Terrell Owens 222 receiving yards at Cleveland on Oct. 3 is the second-most in a game by an NFL receiver this year, trailing only a 225 by Tennessee s Kenny Britt vs. Philadelphia... Since 1994, when the two-point conversion was added to the NFL rule book, the Bengals are 16-for-44 (36.4 percent) and opponents are 17-for-40 (42.5 percent)... On Sept. 26 at Carolina, HB Cedric Benson became the first Bengal in a span of 140 games to score both a receiving and a rushing TD in a game. On Oct. 28, 2001 in a win at Detroit, HB Corey Dillon scored two rushing TDs and one receiving TD... Five players have been voted by the team as permanent team captains for 2010: QB Carson Palmer and G Bobbie Williams on offense, LB Dhani Jones and DT Domata Peko on defense and LB Brandon Johnson on special teams. Head coach Marvin Lewis, looking ahead to the Saints game: We have five football games left. It hasn t been the season that any of us wanted. We have three games left at home, still have a chance to be 4-2 in our division. Four of the five remaining teams have a chance to make the playoffs down this stretch. We re going to play some good teams. We need to change our frame of mind a little bit and move forward. Put some good plays together and win some games. That s the task at hand. Lewis, on the team still fighting but making critical errors: Obviously our guys are showing a lot of toughness. We re a tough football team, but we re a team that s not winning, because we re not playing smart at times. The biggest negative, the biggest disappointment, is that we re unable to play smart and aware through some of the critical points in the game that are hurting us. We have two penalties (against the Jets) and they end up being the two most critical plays of the game. One sets us back on offense and the other one sets us back on defense and gives them a field goal. DBs coach Kevin Coyle, on the Saints offense: A lot of teams are good on their opening drives with their script-type plays, but these guys are exceptional that way. They don t start out slow. They don t start out trying to feel you out. They start out attacking you based on what you ve done. You got Bengals quotes to really be on your toes. Everybody talks about playing fast. If you don t play fast early against them, they put you in a hole right away. CB Jonathan Wade, on preparing for the Saints after facing the Jets: It s going to be the complete opposite of what we faced last week. They will spread us out. They re just the opposite of what we just played. The Jets are a predominantly run team with play action. These guys have a good running game, but they use it as a changeup. OT Andrew Whitworth, on closing out a disappointing season: Guys are playing for jobs and the fact that this isn t a good season. Nobody s safe. You have to play well and prove your worth, and that s the bottom line. WR Terrell Owens, on his team-leading receiving statistics in his 15th NFL season: You would never think that I m 36. I think that s cost me money, the stigma that guys in their 30s are in their decline. We ll see what they have to say at the end of this year. I have guys here asking how I do it. I attribute it to the way that I take care of my body. Look at what I ve done over my career. It hasn t been one year here or there. Page 8