Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) at Carolina Panthers (0-2)

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 SEPT. 21, 2010 Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) at Carolina Panthers (0-2) Kickoff: 1 p.m. EDT. Television: CBS broadcast with Bill Macatee (play-byplay) and Rich Gannon (analyst). The game will be aired in the Bengals home market on CBS affiliates WKRC-TV (Ch. 12) in Cincinnati, WHIO-TV (Ch. 7) in Dayton and WKYT-TV (Ch. 27) in Lexington, Ky. Radio: Coverage on the 27-station Bengals Radio Network, including WCKY-AM (1530) Homer (all sports) and WEBN-FM (102.7). Broadcasters are Brad Johansen (play-byplay) and Dave Lapham (analyst). Setting the scene: For the second straight year, the Bengals have rebounded from a particularly painful opening loss to win in Week 2. Last year, Cincinnati went on to eventually capture the AFC North championship. And as for this year? Looking ahead to this week s trip to Carolina, and reflecting on last week s tough win over Baltimore, the Bengals collectively echoed one of head coach Marvin Lewis prime directives of the preseason: Under-promise and over-achieve. Everybody wants to proclaim teams as the best or the worst after Week 1 or Week 2, said Dhani Jones, 11th-year NFL linebacker and a Cincinnati defensive captain. But there s a reason you play 16 games. There are so many variables, so many things that can change in a short period of time. We feel good right now. Let s do better this week. We ll see what happens. Lewis couldn t have put it better himself. We re not going to pat ourselves on the back much, the head coach said, despite having extended to eight a club-record streak for wins in division games. It was a hard-fought game and we came out ahead. Let s leave it at that for now. Regarding Jones comment about things changing in a short period of time, this week s Exhibit A on the positive side is the Cincinnati defense. Though last year s No. 4-ranked NFL unit came out with a thud in Cincinnati s Week 1 loss at New England, the Baltimore game saw the group much more closely resemble the outfit Bengals fans are hoping to see in They raked the Ravens for four interceptions and limited them to 259 net yards, allowing Cincinnati to win for only the fifth time in franchise history without scoring a touchdown (five Mike Nugent field goals produced all of Cincinnati s points). I m not surprised, just happy to see them play that way, QB Carson Palmer said of the defense. The Baltimore defense always gets a lot of hype, and I m not saying they don t deserve it, but I think our defense took that personally and turned it into a challenge. And they took over the game when we needed it. Carolina is 0-2 to start the season, but it could be less a talent issue than an issue of a minus-four turnover differential in the first Game information Week 3, Game 3 Sunday, Sept. 26 at Bank of America Stadium Next up: Week 4, Game 4 Oct. 3 at Cleveland two games. Last year the Panthers were the NFL s No. 3 rushing team. In 2008, they won the NFC South with a 12-4 record. The Bengals have not come close in two previous visits to Panthers turf, losing 27-3 at Charlotte in 1999 and in The series: The Panthers lead, 2-1, including 2-0 as the home team. The Panthers have defeated the Bengals by wide margins in both of Cincinnati s visits to Charlotte, winning 27-3 in 1999 and in Carolina s point total in the 2002 game stands as the most ever allowed in a game by the Bengals. Both games took place at Ericsson Stadium (now Bank of America Stadium). The Bengals won the most recent meeting, at Paul Brown Stadium in Carolina began play in 1995, and even after this week s game, the Panthers will be the Bengals least-played NFL opponent. The franchise the Bengals have played the next-fewest times is the Houston Texans (five), and of course the Bengals played Houston clubs numerous other times, when the Oilers were in that city. The last meetings: Complete summaries of the last two Bengals-Panthers meetings in 2002 at Carolina and in 06 at Cincinnati are on page 13 of this news release. Big plus for Bengals and Panthers: Over Marvin Lewis tenure as Bengals head coach (2003-present), the Bengals and Panthers have both been among the NFL s most successful teams in turnover differential. During Lewis tenure, the Panthers have also had only one head coach, John Fox. The Bengals rank fourth over the period at plus-42. Carolina is fifth at plus-27. The Bengals are tied for fifth in turnover differential this season, at plus-two. Carolina is tied for 29th at minus-four. Prior to Lewis tenure, Cincinnati had posted a minus differential for five straight years ( ). Here are the top five teams in differential since 2003: TEAM TAKEAWAYS GIVEAWAYS DIFFERENTIAL Indianapolis New England San Diego Cincinnati Carolina Since 2003, the Bengals rank fourth in the NFL in takeaways (223). Baltimore leads with 231. In points off turnovers since 2003, Elias Sports Bureau reports that the Ravens lead the NFL with 750, and the Bengals are fourth at 663. Page 1

2 (Game information, continued) Individually vs. Panthers: WR Chad Ochocinco is the only Bengals player who has seen action more than once against the Panthers. He has 12 catches for 187 yards in his two appearances. He caught six-for-114 at Carolina in 2002 and was six-for-73 at Paul Brown Stadium in A summary of the 2006 game is on page 13 of this release. Records vs. Panthers: Carolina s 52 points in its victory over the Bengals in 2002 stand as the most ever allowed by Cincinnati in a game, and Steve Smith s 153 punt return yards in that game (on three returns) is also a Bengals opponents record. T.O. vs. Panthers: Bengals WR Terrell Owens has more career receptions and receiving yards against Carolina than against any other NFL team. In 15 games against the Panthers, he has 75 catches for 1110 yards. His second-most catches (64) have come against Atlanta, in 14 games. His second-most yards (1035) have come against St. Louis, in 17 games. He has played his most games against St. Louis, with Carolina and New Orleans tied for second. He has 10 TD catches against Carolina, tied for third-most in his career. His greatest number of TD catches (12) have come against New Orleans. Bengals-Panthers NFL rankings BENGALS PANTHERS SCORING (AVG. POINTS): Points scored... 15th (19.5) 28th (12.5) Points allowed... T-20th (24.0) T-23rd (25.5) NET OFFENSE (AVG. YARDS): Total... 10th (340.5) 28th (257.5) Rushing... 21st (90.5) 16th (104.0) Passing... 8th (250.0) 27th (153.5) NET DEFENSE (AVG. YARDS): Total... 18th (317.5) 22nd (324.5) Rushing... 18th (113.5) 14th (106.5) Passing... 15th (204.0) 29th (218.0) TURNOVERS: Differential... T-6th (plus-2) T-28th (minus-4) Bengals-Panthers connections: Panthers QB Tony Pike is a Cincinnati native (Reading HS) and played at the University of Cincinnati... Bengals CB Johnathan Joseph played at South Carolina and is from Rock Hill, S.C.... Bengals WR Jerome Simpson played at Coastal Carolina and is from Reidsville, N.C.... Bengals DE Robert Geathers is from Georgetown, S.C.... Bengals DE Carlos Dunlap is from North Charleston, S.C.... Bengals CB Brandon Ghee played at Wake Forest and is from Fayetteville, N.C.... Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco and Panthers WR Steve Smith were teammates at Santa Monica (Calif.) Junior College... Panthers C Dan Santucci (practice squad) was with the Bengals from Panthers OT Garry Williams played at Kentucky and is from Louisville... Panthers TE Gary Barnidge and WR Trent Guy (practice squad) played at Louisville... Panthers CB Chris Gamble played at Ohio State... Bengals strength and conditioning coach Chip Morton attended the University of North Carolina... Panthers defensive coordinator Ron Meeks was on the Bengals coaching staff from Panthers offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson played at Ohio State... Panthers assistant special teams/strength and conditioning coach Sam Garnes played at the University of Cincinnati... Panthers TEs coach David Magazu coached at Kentucky in Bengals special teams coach Darrin Simmons was assistant special teams coach and assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Panthers from He is also the nephew of Panthers strength and conditioning coach Jerry Simmons. Red zone reports: The Bengals and Panthers both are looking to step up their TD production in the red zone. The Bengals have reached the end zone on only two of six possessions that have included snaps inside the opponent s 20- yard line, and the Panthers are only one-for-six. Carolina has come away with no points on four of its six redzone chances. The Panthers have suffered three INTs and once lost possession on downs. Bengals red-zone report OFFENSE DEFENSE Inside-20 poss.: 6 Inside-20 poss.: 6 Total scores: 6 (100.0%) Total scores: 5 (83.3%) TDs: 2 (33.3%) TDs: 3 (50.0%) FGs: 4 (66.7%) FGs: 2 (33.3%) TD% rank: T-23rd TD% rank: T-14th No scores: 0 (0.0%) No scores: 1 (16.7%) Panthers red-zone report OFFENSE DEFENSE Inside-20 poss.: 6 Inside-20 poss.: 8 Total scores: 2 (33.3%) Total scores: 7 (87.5%) TDs: 1 (16.7%) TDs: 4 (50.0%) FGs: 1 (16.7%) FGs: 3 (37.5%) TD% rank: 31st TD% rank: T-14th No scores: 4 (66.7%) No scores: 1 (12.5%) More on the red zone: Red-zone touchdown percentage on offense coordinated strongly with overall success in the NFL in Five of the eight division champions were in the league s top 10 for TD efficiency on drives that reached inside the opponent s 20-yard line. The top three teams in red-zone TD performance Arizona, Indianapolis and Minnesota were all division champs. Six of the top 10 clubs in red-zone TD percentage made the playoffs, and only one of the bottom 10 (Philadelphia at tied for 23rd) reached the postseason. The correlation was not so strong last season in defensive red-zone TD percentage. Five of the top 10 made the playoffs, and three of the bottom 10 reached the postseason. Marvin Lewis is in his eighth season as Bengals head coach, tying the longest tenure in franchise history, and he takes on the challenge of 2010 as the returning 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 The head coaches 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). 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 Page 2

3 (The head coaches, continued) Conference honors in each of his three seasons ( 78-80). He began his coaching career as an assistant at Idaho State University in John Fox is in his ninth season as Panthers head coach. His record is 76-62, including 5-3 in postseason play. His last Panthers playoff team was in 2008, as the club won the NFC South with a 12-4 record. He led the Panthers to the NFC South title and the NFC championship in 2003, before falling to New England in Super Bowl XXXVIII. His 2005 club reached the NFC Championship game from a Wild Card berth, losing to Seattle in the battle for a Super Bowl bid. He shares the NFL coaching record for consecutive postseason road wins (four), compiled over 2003 and Fox in 2002 took over a team that had won only one game in 01, and he shares with Vince Lombardi and Bill Parcells the distinction of inheriting a one-win team and guiding it to the playoffs two years later. Fox began his NFL coaching career in 1989 as Pittsburgh s defensive backs coach. His last job before joining the Panthers was as defensive coordinator for the N.Y. Giants from Fox s hometown is Virginia Beach, Va. He played defensive back at San Diego State in and coached in college for nine seasons, beginning at San Diego State in Lewis vs. Panthers: Lewis leads, 1-0, with a win at Cincinnati in Lewis vs. Fox: Lewis leads, 1-0. Fox vs. Bengals: Tied, 1-1, Lewis needs eight: Lewis Bengals win total of 57 ranks second in franchise history (regular season and postseason), behind Sam Wyche, who won 64 games during an eight-year tenure ( ). With eight more wins (nine total) in 2010, Lewis can pass Wyche into first place. Last season, Lewis passed Paul Brown (55 wins) into second place. Super Bowl face-off: Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis and Panthers head coach John Fox were rival defensive coordinators in Super Bowl XXXV, Lewis directing Baltimore s defense and Fox heading the unit for the N.Y. Giants. The Ravens won the game, 34-7, allowing the Giants just 152 net yards and forcing 5 turnovers. It s a (division) record: The Bengals eight-game win streak in AFC North Division play is not only a franchise record for consecutive division wins, it s tied for the longest such streak for any North team since the division s 2002 birth. Pittsburgh has had two eight-game win streaks in North Division games, but the Bengals could claim a record of nine for themselves if they win their next division assignment, on Oct. 3 at Cleveland. Cincinnati s eight-game streak is also the longest active division win streak in the NFL, according to Elias Sports Bureau. The streak began with the club s final division game in 2008, a home win over Cleveland. Last year, when the Bengals logged the franchise s first perfect division record for a season (6-0), a team record win streak of seven was established. The prior record of six had been posted twice, over in the AFC Central Division over in the AFC North. The streak of eight includes three wins each over Baltimore and Cleveland, and two wins over Pittsburgh. The last Bengals loss in division play was a setback at Pittsburgh on Dec. 2, Please pass responsibly: Though the Bengals made significant offseason steps to improve their receiving corps, the club never envisioned a return to the pass-happy days of the early AFL. The game s going to look like whatever we have to do to win, head coach Marvin Lewis said after last week s defeat of Baltimore. The offense took a supporting role to a physical, play-making defense, playing turnover-free and moving into range for five field goals. The win was the second in Cincinnati s eightgame division win streak that came without an offensive touchdown. QB Carson Palmer passed for only 167 yards, less than half his 345 total in the season opener at New England. But Palmer is 1-0 at 167 and 0-1 at 345, and that s not just a statistical anomaly. In Palmer s Bengals career, the team is only 5-8 when he passes for 300-plus yards, including 0-2 when he tops 400. Across the NFL during Weeks 1-2, passers hitting the 300 mark have led their teams to only a 4-5 record. Without question, the Bengals are plotting a better finish in the NFL passing rankings than 26th. That s where they finished last year while winning the AFC North title, averaging yards per game. And the ingredients to do that are present, with the 2010 additions of WRs Terrell Owens and Jordan Shipley and TE Jermaine Gresham. But if Palmer leads Cincinnati to the postseason for a second straight year, it probably won t come with a league title for passing yards. Being a quarterback, and having the (receivers) we have Bengals information now, you just want to throw it and throw it and throw it, Palmer said. But at the end of the day, a win is a win. There s always the temptation to take some shots and try to throw the ball in certain holes. But we play ball-hawking defenses in this division. They don t drop balls. So sometimes you settle for field goals. During last year s 10-6 campaign, Palmer excelled in ways not specifically tailored to a gaudy passer rating. He directed a remarkable early string of comebacks (four of the first five games), leading drives of 70 or more yards in the last two minutes to gain either a lead or a tie. He adjusted his game to accommodate a much-improved rushing attack, as Cincinnati finished ninth in the NFL in rushing (128.5 per game) with a club-record eight 100-yard games by individual rushers. So I don t concern myself with Carson s stats, says Lewis, as long as his interception totals are low, the fumble totals for the offense are low and we re converting third downs. The Bengals have had only two offensive turnovers in two games, but the offense s third-down performance could stand some sprucing up at Carolina. Cincinnati has converted only 11 of 33 opportunities this far, a 33.3 percent success rate. That s tied for 20th place leaguewide. Lewis on Palmer: Head coach Marvin Lewis, on Carson Palmer s game management and leadership of the offense: His biggest challenge is putting us in the right spots against their looks, which he does an excellent job of week-in and weekout. (Against Baltimore), he moved away from pressure and got to the right guys. Sometimes we had a guy who missed a couple things and left him out there hanging a little bit, so he s got to do a good job of getting rid of the football and keep working to play another play. And for the most part yesterday, I thought he did a good job of that. He s been very, very accurate in his throws. We got some guys fading away from some throws. We ve got to do a better job of not leaving him out there hanging too much. I think Carson played a very good football game. He didn t turn the football over. There was maybe one ball that you wish that he had back. This (Baltimore) is a defense known for not giving up big plays. But Carson is able to hang in there, hang in there, knowing he s going to get hit, to have an opportunity possibly for somebody to scramble around and make a play. Every time you play against these groups that we play, we know that if you don t give them the ball, our opportunity to win is much greater. 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. Page 3

4 (Palmer rates with greats, continued) 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 (63.3) Completions (2654) 300-yd. games (23) Rating (87.7) 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) Nugent speeds down comeback road: Put Bengals K Mike Nugent on the early watch list for NFL Comeback Player of the Year. A two-time 100-point producer for the N.Y. Jets ( ), Nugent was injured for nearly all of 2008 and did not stick at either Tampa Bay or Arizona last season. But for the Bengals who signed him as a free agent on April 23 his start has been picture-perfect. He won the kicking job in a preseason competition with fellow free agent vet Dave Rayner, and in the first two games, he is six-for-six on FG tries and has reached the end zone on seven of 11 kickoffs, with three touchbacks. He scored all of Cincinnati s points in last week s win over Baltimore, connecting on FGs of 36 and 30 yards in the second quarter, 46 in the third quarter, and 38 and 25 in the fourth quarter. His 46-yarder erased a 7-6 Ravens lead, and his 38- yarder put the Bengals ahead to stay at He logged the fifth five-fg performance in Bengals history and became the second Bengals kicker in four years to score all of Cincinnati s points in a victory over the Ravens. In 2007, Shayne Graham kicked a club-record seven FGs to underwrite a 21-7 win at Baltimore. The only other instance of a Bengal kicking more than five FGs in a game was in 1994, when Doug Pelfrey booted six in a win at Seattle. In the season opener at New England, Nugent nailed a 54- yard FG on his only attempt. It tied for the second-longest in Bengals history, as only Chris Bahr (55 yards in 1979) has connected from farther. And though it doesn t go into the official stats, it should be noted that Nugent connected from 50-plus in each of the last two 2010 preseason games. Nugent gives much of the credit for his Bengals success to special teams coach Darrin Simmons. I really feel I ve become a better kicker working with Darrin, Nugent said. I didn t kick like I think I can last year, and I was open to some ideas, and Darrin and I have spent a lot of time working on things. I ve made a few changes, and I really feel I m hitting the ball as consistently as ever right now. More on Nugent: Bengals K Mike Nugent is helping the team not only on the field, but with the Bengals Nation fan base. He s from the Dayton suburb of Centerville, Ohio, and he had a stellar career at Ohio State, leaving with 22 school records. He was an unusually high draft choice for a kicker, going in the second round (47th overall) to the New York Jets in Nugent attended Bengals games regularly as a youth, as his family had season tickets. Shortly before his birth in 1982, his mother, Carolyn, was one of the hardy souls in attendance at the famous Freezer Bowl AFC Championship game against San Diego. And Nugent recalls this from a very early trip to a Bengals game at Riverfront Stadium: I was maybe four years old and I was in my (Bengals) uniform shoulder pads, plastic helmet, everything. I snuck up on the (baseball) dugout holding a football, and my family got a picture of me. The family still has the photo. Defense responds to gut punch: The Bengals opened this season with one of their worst defensive performances under coordinator Mike Zimmer, nearly powerless in all phases as New England took a 24-3 halftime lead en route to a win. We just felt awful, said S Chris Crocker. We knew we had to come in with our hard hats for Baltimore, and that it was a game we had to win. Mission accomplished. Last season s No. 4-ranked NFL defense limited the Ravens to 259 yards and snagged four interceptions. The Bengals win was one of only five in franchise history accomplished without the help of a Cincinnati touchdown. LBs Brandon Johnson and Dhani Jones led the way in tackles, Johnson with 12 and Jones with 11, and Johnson joined DBs Leon Hall, Adam Jones and Chinedum Ndukwe in getting interceptions. Zimmer publicly took the blame for the New England game, saying he had inflicted his players with too complicated a game plan. Paralysis by analysis, Zimmer called it. But Zimmer also challenged his players to show their stuff with a more simple plan for Baltimore. You love to have a coach take the blame for you, said defensive tackle Domata Peko. Zim said we were going to keep it simple and we played much faster than last week. We just kept it loose. We started fast. That was the key to the game. And Zim is the kind of coach you want to lay down your life for. He s got our back, and we wanted to go out there and show him we ve got his back by the way we played. Rookies keep their hands busy: It s very early, for sure, but Bengals WR Jordan Shipley and TE Jermaine Gresham are both on a two-game pace to break the franchise record for receptions in a season by a rookie. Shipley is tied with WR Terrell Owens for second on the team in receptions (10), and that projects to 80 over 16 games. Gresham has nine catches, on an early pace for 72. The Cincinnati rookie record for catches in a season is 67, by WR Cris Collinsworth. The second-place figure in that category is 53, by WR Eddie Brown in Gresham already is within 35 catches of tying the season record by a Bengals rookie TE. Tony McGee set that mark in 1993 with 44 catches. The Bengals record for catches in a season by any TE is 71, by Dan Ross in 1981, and Gresham would top that by one if he maintains the pace he has set through two games. 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 two games (nine catches for 40 yards and a TD). Cincinnati s first-round choice in the 2010 draft showed encouraging flashes throughout the preseason, and it s clear he has the potential to make the TE spot more of a weapon in the Cincinnati offense, while opening more opportunities for wide receivers and running backs as well. But in 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 Page 4

5 (Gresham grinds it, continued) 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 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. Chad chasing Rison on dual tracks: Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco enters the Panthers game with 700 career receptions and 10,155 career receiving yards. He became the 30th NFL player with 700 catches when he grabbed four vs. Baltimore last week, and he joined the 10,000-yard club at New England in the season opener, moving to No. 32 in career yards. Looking to move up the charts, Ochocinco finds Andre Rison in the spot ahead of him in each category. He trails the No. 29 Rison by 43 in catches, but is only 50 behind the No. 31 Rison in yards. Rison played 12 seasons ( ) with seven different teams. For an idea of how far up the receptions list Ochocinco could go in 2010, consider that he has had five seasons in his career of 84 or more catches, and with 84 this season, he d move to 768 and into 23rd place. Here s the list of players Ochocinco would pass with an 84- catch season. All the players ahead of him are retired: 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 Andre Rison No. 30 Chad Ochocinco And below is a list of the players ranked ahead of Ochocinco in receiving yards. If Ochocinco this season would hit his career average through 2009 of 1106 yards and he now is off to a better start than that he would finish the year with 11,058 career yards. That could move him inside the top 25 alltime. With 1106 yards this season, Ochocinco would pass all of the players below except perhaps Joey Galloway (No. 26). Galloway is the only one in the group besides Ochocinco who is still active. Galloway has 88 yards (on three catches) for Washington this season. RANK PLAYER REC. YARDS No. 25 Joey Galloway... 10,865 No. 26 Gary Clark... 10,856 No. 27 Stanley Morgan... 10,716 No. 28 Keyshawn Johnson... 10,571 No. 29 Harold Jackson... 10,372 No. 30 Lance Alworth... 10,266 No. 31 Andre Rison... 10,205 No. 32 Chad Ochocinco... 10,155 Ochocinco has a good lead over the active player who is closest behind him. Indianapolis Reggie Wayne is the nexthighest active player at 9588 yards, 567 behind Ochocinco. Behind Wayne, the next active player is Green Bay s Donald Driver at 9118, trailing Ochocinco by Chad needs one to pass Pickens: WR Chad Ochocinco caught his 63rd career TD pass at New England on Sept. 12, tying him with Carl Pickens for most receiving TDs in Bengals history. He got the score on a 28-yard connection with Carson Palmer in the third quarter. Ochocinco needs eight more TDs to take over the franchise s top spot in total six-pointers, and he needs only two to claim second place in that category. His total is 63 (he has no TDs rushing or returning). The record for total TDs is 70 by FB Pete Johnson, who had 64 rushing scores and six as a receiver. Second place in total TDs is shared by Pickens and RB James Brooks, both at 64. Pickens, in addition to his 63 receiving TDs, had one on a punt return. Brooks had 37 rushing TDs and 27 as a receiver. Ochocinco had a team-leading nine TDs (all receiving) last season, his most since 2005, when he also had nine. He fell one TD catch short of tying his career high of 10, posted in T.O. closing on Bruce for second: Bengals WR Terrell Owens needs 148 receiving yards to pass Isaac Bruce into second place all-time in the NFL. Bruce had 15,208 yards during a 16-year career ( ), and Owens has 15,061 after gaining a team-leading 57 receiving yards last week vs. Baltimore. Could Owens get all 148 against the Panthers? In his career, he has 17 games of 148 or more yards, most recently a 197-yard game on Nov. 22 of last season at Jacksonville, while playing for Buffalo. On Sept. 12 at New England, Owens became the third player in NFL history to reach 15,000 career receiving yards. He crossed the 15,000 barrier and moved to 15,004 on a 13-yard catch in the third quarter. The all-time NFL leader, not to be challenged by anyone presently in sight, is 2010 Hall of Fame inductee Jerry Rice, with 22,895 yards. Competition it s good: When WR Terrell Owens was signed by the Bengals, speculation turned quickly to the possibility that the offense run-oriented in 2009 might not provide enough reception chances to satisfy both T.O. and Chad Ochocinco. But at least in part, the Bengals 2009 run-consciousness was a product of not having enough proven targets for QB Carson Palmer. And since preseason, signs have pointed to a positive effect on both Owens and Ochocinco. Owens, 36, has said that daily exposure to Ochocinco s constant antics have made him feel young (see following item). And as for Ochocinco, key 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, 2004, 2005, 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. Bringing Terrell in here has really catapulted his game to another level that not many receivers can get to. And that s what is exciting about Chad, the potential of the year he can have. 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. They both want to make sure they both look good on film when we practice things. 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. Owens says anticipating a season packed with more fun than any he s had in recent memory. Page 5

6 (Chad keeps him young, continued) Chad has put it in perspective for me going into my last years of playing, Owens said. Just enjoy football. That s what I intend to do. I m going to enjoy this year as much as I can. That s what being around Chad has really allowed me to do. Standing out there on the sidelines and seeing how charismatic and interactive he is with the fans. For me, it s to enjoy the game. I m not going to play forever. I know I have only a small window left. They ve been there, done that: Will the Bengals have enough airborne footballs available to satisfy two receivers with combined career totals entering this season of 1690 receptions, 24,903 yards and 206 receiving touchdowns? Those were the combined NFL career numbers of WRs Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco through The principals say there will be, and this season s first two games have seemed to bear that out. Ochocinco has a teamleading 16 catches, an early pace for a 128-catch season, which would be nothing less than No. 2 in NFL history. Only Indianapolis Marvin Harrison, with 143 catches in 2002, has reached the 128 mark. Owens, meanwhile, has 10 catches, an early pace for an 80-catch year. It s not about that (number of catches), says Ochocinco. It s about winning the darn Super Bowl. Our offense is going to be unfair, but to other teams, not to us. T. (Owens) and I are best friends off the field, and we have the same goal in mind. I think I ve done some great things for this team and this organization, but of course T. is No. 1. He s a Hall of Famer. I give that up out of respect for what he s done in his career. Said Owens: I didn t come to town to mess. We re looking to be in Dallas on Feb. 6 (for Super Bowl XLV). I think this team is special. I feel there is something around the corner for this team. Splitting up those combined numbers, including last week s game: Owens has 1016 career receptions for 15,061 yards and 144 TDs. Ochocinco, four years younger at age 32, has Bengals records of 700 catches and 10,155 yards. His 63 TD catches are tied for first in franchise history. T.O. is tops: Bengals WR Terrell Owens is the NFL s active leader in career receptions (1016) and receiving yards (15,061). Owens will need a good pace to stay in first place in receptions, as Atlanta TE Tony Gonzalez is only 13 behind at But Owens has increased his lead during Weeks 1-2, catching 11 passes to Gonzalez four. In receiving yards, Owens has more of a cushion. He s 499 yards ahead of New England WR Randy Moss. The NFL s active top five in career receptions: PLAYER POS. TEAM REC. Terrell Owens... WR Bengals 1016 Tony Gonzalez... TE Falcons 1003 Randy Moss... WR Patriots 933 Hines Ward... WR Steelers 902 Derrick Mason... WR Ravens 866 And the league s active top five in career receiving yards: PLAYER POS. TEAM REC. YDS. Terrell Owens... WR Bengals 15,061 Randy Moss... WR Patriots 14,562 Tony Gonzalez... TE Falcons 11,861 Derrick Mason... WR Ravens 11,141 Hines Ward... WR Steelers 11,064 Owens second in a two-man race: Bengals WR Terrell Owens ranks second among active NFL players in career TD receptions, and he could make a run at first-place Randy Moss with a big scoring season in For certain, Moss and Owens will not be challenged for the 1-2 spots. The next-closest player, Atlanta TE Tony Gonzalez, is a whopping 62 TDs behind T.O. The NFL s active top five in career TD receptions: PLAYER POS. TEAM TD Randy Moss... WR Patriots 149 Terrell Owens... WR Bengals 144 Tony Gonzalez... TE Falcons 82 Hines Ward... WR Steelers 78 Joey Galloway... WR Redskins 77 Chad rules Bengals charts: Forever is a long time, but it s fair to wonder if WR Chad Ochocinco will ever be caught in the categories of career receptions and receiving yards by a Bengal. As if to make the point, Ochocinco has opened 2010 with 16 catches in the first two games, an early pace for 128 on the season. With 10,155 receiving yards, he is the Bengals career leader by more than 3000 over second-place Isaac Curtis (7101). And with 700 catches, he is 170 ahead of second-place Carl Pickens (530). 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... 10* Carl Pickens T.J. Houshmandzadeh Cris Collinsworth Isaac Curtis * Two games into 10th season And the current top five for all-time Bengals receiving yards: PLAYERS YEARS SEASONS REC. YDS. Chad Ochocinco... 10* ,155 Isaac Curtis Carl Pickens Cris Collinsworth Eddie Brown * Two games into 10th season Chad atop AFC in catches and yards: WR Chad Ochocinco, far and away the Bengals all-time leader in receptions (700) and receiving yards (10,155), is back for a 10th season in stripes, with no thoughts of slowing down. He has shown it in the season s first two weeks, as he leads the AFC in receiving yards (203) while sharing the conference lead with Indianapolis TE Dallas Clark in catches (16). In the NFL, Ochocinco ranks second in receiving yards, behind only Dallas Miles Austin (288). In the NFL receptions race, Ochocinco is tied for third with Washington s Santana Moss. Austin of Dallas and Roddy White of Atlanta share the NFL lead in catches at 20. Ochocinco has four past AFC receiving yards titles on his resume. He turned the trick from 2003 through 2006, becoming the only player to have led either conference four straight years in the category. He has one past AFC receptions title. He is the only Bengal to have won AFC season crowns in both categories. Two other Bengals Carl Pickens and T.J. Houshmandzadeh have won AFC receptions titles, and two others Isaac Curtis and Eddie Brown have led the conference in receiving yards. Chad is the best wide receiver in the league right now, says QB Carson Palmer, and he s playing like it. He s fast, quick. explosive, smart and tough. It s really hard to find a weakness in the package he brings, and I m glad he s on my team. Ochocinco has added boxing to his off-season regimen the last two years in an attempt to stay tough physically. The hits I take in the boxing ring allow me to have more of an edge when I play; it s not as big a deal to be constantly getting hit, he said. It sort of gives me an I don t care type feeling during the game. The footwork (in boxing) coincides with football also. No false steps. It all goes hand-in-hand with everything I m doing. It all works together once the season starts. And his appearance this past offseason on Dancing With the Page 6

7 (Chad atop AFC in catches and yards, continued) Stars, he says, was good training to stay tough mentally. It s very disciplining, he said. It s a You-can t-mess-up, you have one shot type of deal. When you re live in front of 20 million you ve got to be on point. I think it can help the discipline in the things I do. Route-running. Just being on point in that one shot I have. It s just being on point every time that ball snaps. For the record: Here s current list of the Bengals records held by WR Chad Ochocinco: Receptions, career: 700. Receiving yards, career: 10,155. 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. This time it was for real: The Bengals displayed an unusually large and productive crop of kick returners during the 2010 preseason, and last week s Baltimore game saw the first breakout in regular-season play. With 5:51 left in the fourth quarter, just after the Ravens had logged a field goal for a 10-9 lead, second-year HB Bernard Scott sprinted 60 yards on a kickoff return, going to the Ravens 41. Five plays later, Cincinnati took the lead for good, going ahead on a 38-yard Mike Nugent field goal. Scott comes off a 2009 rookie campaign in which he averaged 31.5 yards on 16 KOR, taking over the job in the second half of the season. He had a 96-yarder for the game s only TD in a crucial win last season at Pittsburgh. His 31.5 avg. was better than the 29.1 that Tampa Bay s Clifton Smith posted to win the official NFL title, but he fell four short of the minimum 20 needed to qualify for the final rankings. Scott enters the Carolina game with a 37.5-yard average on two returns on the young season. But despite his accomplishments, he may not be the coaches choice for every return. CB Adam Jones, a May free agent signee, averaged 34.0 yards on six kickoff returns in preseason. And if you didn t see the video, you didn t see that he earned many of the yards on his own, displaying the natural flair that made him a national college star at West Virginia and the sixth overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. Jones is attempting to jump start his career in 2010, after a number of off-field problems that left him eligible but unemployed in the 2009 NFL season. On the punt return side, the Bengals are still dormant in the 2010 regular season, with a 3.0-yard avg. on two returns by second-year WR Quan Cosby. But Cosby was a standout punt returner as a rookie last season, handling all 40 returns and ranking third in the AFC with an 11.9 average. He did not have a lost fumble. Cosby, however, also may be challenged by his own teammates for punt return opportunities. Adam Jones averaged 15.0 yards on five preseason punt returns, and rookie WR Jordan Shipley had a team preseason-best avg. of 16.1 yards on eight punt returns. Head coach Marvin Lewis is happy to leave the team s kick return future a bit foggy for now, hoping to force a guessing game by opponents. We ve been trying to find some guys that can make a difference returning the ball, Lewis said. It s a great weapon to have. Sometimes I ve been envious of teams that have a couple of guys like that. It really changes how the opposing special teams coach looks at the game. He looks and sees that this guy brings this, but this other guy may bring that. They are not sure who the returner is, and it can make a big difference. Not that often, sums up Lewis, will you have as many guys as we do who have the real ability and true desire to return kicks. Under the radar, for now: When the Bengals signed WR Terrell Owens just at the start of training camp, the media and fan focus on the team switched immediately to the irresistible duo of Owens and WR Chad Ochocinco. Big stars. Big personalities. Entirely understandable. But with the regular season now underway, another standout Bengals duo plans to prove soon worthy of some hype. The Bengals were a defense-led team during their 2009 division title season, and before the signing of Owens, standout CBs Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph formed the club s most noted twosome. They didn t go anywhere during the Owens/Ocho preseason festival. Both are former Bengals first-round draft choices, Joseph in 2006 and Hall in Each had six interceptions last season, marking the first time in franchise history that two CBs reached six, and their overall play was consistently excellent. Both have started the first two games, and Hall had his first INT of the season last week against Baltimore. Joseph had two passes defensed and is tied for the secondary lead in tackles (11). A Pro Bowl berth has thus far eluded each of them, but secondary coach Kevin Coyle believes they are deserving. I thought they both played at a Pro Bowl level last year, Coyle said. These two guys played the most consistent at a high level of any corners we ve had here, and we ve had Pro Bowl corners. 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. Coyle goes on: Leon has a quiet confidence. He s a very self-assured guy that knows he s a top level player, but he doesn t take anything for granted. He is a tremendous technician of the game. And Johnathan is a tremendous athlete who has become a better technician. The last year or two, he has more awareness of the field and his role in the defense. Benson s ratio is best: Bengals HB Cedric Benson has nine 100-yard rushing games in 25 Cincinnati starts. That s an average of one 100-yarder for every 2.8 starts, better than the ratios posted by Corey Dillon and Rudi Johnson, the players who rank 1-2 in most 100-yard rushing games for Cincinnati. Dillon got his team-record 28 games of 100 rushing yards in 96 starts, an average of one every 3.4 starts. Rudi Johnson got his 19 games of 100 in 59 starts, one for every 3.1 starts. Benson s nine-for-25 is for regular-season games only. He also had a 100-yard game in his only Cincinnati playoff appearance, last year against the N.Y. Jets. His 169 total for that game is a Bengals postseason record. 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). Five-to-nine games Cedric Benson (nine), 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). Can Benson best Rudi? HB Cedric Benson is off to a modest start in rushing this season, with 121 yards over two games. His average projects to 968 yards over 16 games. But season-long projections are not of great value in mid- September, and Benson still is seen as a possible threat this season to Rudi Johnson s Bengals season record of 1458 yards, set in Benson rushed for 1251 yards last year despite missing three and a half games. His rushing average for the 12 games he fully played was 102.4, which would project to 1639 yards over 16 games. Benson set a Bengals record last season with six 100-yard rushing games. The previous record of five had been set eight times. 25 does the trick: The Bengals are 28-1 in 29 games under coach Marvin Lewis in which a rusher has carried 25 or more times. Cincinnati is 8-0 when HB Cedric Benson has turned the trick, including six times during the 2009 season. Also during the Lewis era, Cincinnati was 18-1 when Rudi Page 7

8 (25 does the trick, continued) 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 2007). 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. Cincinnati s only loss under Lewis with a 25-carry rusher was Dec. 24, 2006 at Denver, when the Broncos overcame a 30-for- 129 day by Johnson in a win. Factors that contributed to the game being the lone exception to the 25-carry formula included a minus-two turnover differential for the Bengals and an aborted PAT in the closing seconds that kept Cincinnati from forcing overtime. O-line optimism: The Bengals offensive line play was an unexpected plus in helping the team to the AFC North Division title last year. With only one starter (RG Bobbie Williams) returning in the same position as 2008, the line put together a performance that fueled a No. 9 NFL rank in both rushing yards (128.5 per game) and fewest sacks allowed (29). In 2010, all the starters are back. Besides Williams, Cincinnati is lining up with Andrew Whitworth at LOT, Nate Livings at LG, Kyle Cook at C and Dennis Roland at ROT. Evan Mathis is a valuable veteran swing man between center and guard, and the Bengals still expect a big 2010 contribution from OT Andre Smith, their top pick in the 2009 draft. Smith got a late start last year due to extended contract negotiations, and he was slowed last season and early this preseason by a foot injury and subsequent rehab. But he played in the last three preseason games, and has seen spot action at ROT in each of the first two games. In two games this season, the line has supported an average of net yards per game, and opponents have only two sacks. On the line as a whole, line coach Paul Alexander says: I know this: I feel a lot better now than I did a year ago at this time. Every year is different, but this year the expectations are different. Last year at this point was a wait-and-see situation, and they did a hell of a job. This year we re just looking to get even better. Hello, Cincinnati: WR Terrell Owens made an unusual response to the intense fan interest in his signing by the Bengals. He worked with the Cincinnati Enquirer for publication of an open letter from himself to the fans. Highlights of the letter, published Aug. 20 with the salutation Dear Bengals Nation, include: Feb. 6, 2011 (date of Super Bowl XLV) is now marked on my calendar with a big orange circle. I m certain nothing in life is guaranteed, but for us to win the Super Bowl, it will take a total team effort... I m promising you that focus will be stronger than you ve ever seen it. The Bengals are now my extended family, and I look forward to learning more about your city, teammates, coaches and you all. Let s make The Jungle roar this season. 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. Sellout streak hits 54: Last week s Bengals home opener vs. Baltimore drew official attendance of , extending to 54 the club s franchise-record streak of sellouts in regularseason and postseason play. The Bengals have not had a regular-season or postseason home game blacked out for local TV since Nov. 9, Prior to the current streak, the record was 43 straight games, at Riverfront Stadium between 1988 and 92. It s a tough one: Based on opponents aggregate 2009 records, the Bengals 2010 schedule ranks as the NFL s fourth-toughest. Cincinnati s foes played to a combined record last season, for a winning percentage of.539. The only clubs whose foes did better are Houston ( ), Tennessee ( ) and Dallas ( ). No team plays more 2010 foes who finished at.500 or better. Cincinnati s total of 11 is tied for the league high. Pittsburgh ( ) has the weakest opponents record of the AFC North Division teams. Cleveland s foes played to a mark last season, and Baltimore s were Uniform watch: The Bengals are scheduled to wear black jerseys and white pants at Carolina. In 2004, when the Bengals uniforms were redesigned, a number of different color options became available. Below is the team record since 2004 (regular season and postseason) in the different combinations of jerseys and pants: JERSEY PANTS W-L PCT. Orange Black Orange White Black Black White Black Black White White White 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 He was the Bengals starting LG in Super Bowl XVI. TV streak may reach 87: In each of the last 86 TV ratings weeks that have included a Bengals regular-season 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 reach 87 when Cincinnati rankings are available for the week of Sept , as the streak of 86 does not include last week s Bengals-Ravens game. But the Ravens game drew a 29.7 local rating, a number that few other programs have matched in recent memory. 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. A stat that matters: Under head coach Marvin Lewis, the Bengals show a record when posting a plus in turnover differential. That s a winning percentage of.856. The Bengals were plus-four in last week s win over Baltimore, with four Page 8