AFC North champions 2009 SEASON IN REVIEW. Table of contents. Page 1

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1 CINCINNATI C I N N I BENGALS AFC NORTH CHAMPIONS 2009 SEASON IN REVIEW

2 AFC North champions 2009 SEASON IN REVIEW Table of contents 2009 SEASON GENERAL TEAM INFORMATION UPDATED PLAYER BIOGRAPHIES (supplement 2009 media guide bios) OTHER UPDATED BIOGRAPHIES (2009 players no longer with Bengals) STATISTICS AND OTHER INFORMATION preseason individual statistics preseason participation chart game summaries In the 2009 regular season, the Bengals were: In the regular season under Marvin Lewis, the Bengals are: regular-season best performances transactions regular-season participation chart postseason participation chart starting lineups Depth chart (end-of-season, as of Jan. 9, 2010) Pronunciation guide Alphabetical roster (as of March 9, 2010) Numerical roster (as of March 9, 2010) postseason individual statistics game-by-game team statistics regular-season individual statistics (The information in the 2009 Season in Review booklet is intended to supplement the Cincinnati Bengals 2009 media guide. All information in the Season in Review is accurate through March 9, 2010.) Page 1

3 Bengals win 2009 AFC North crown, but playoff run eludes them The Bengals 2009 season went one game farther than most analysts expected, and the 10-6 regular season earned Marvin Lewis the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year award. But the campaign was three games too short for Lewis high achievers. We had such big expectations for ourselves, QB Carson Palmer said after the AFC North champions lost to the visiting New York Jets in a Wild Card playoff. I was really looking forward to watching the games the next day to see who we would play. I already had my mind made up that it would happen that way. Widely forecast to finish third in the AFC North, following an injury-riddled four-win season in 2008, the Bengals opened 09 with a potentially devastating loss. They fell 12-7 to Denver when the Broncos scored in the final minute on the Immaculate Deflection, one of the most improbable finishing plays in NFL history. But Cincinnati rallied to win its next four games and seven of its next eight. With a 6-0 sweep of their AFC North rivals, the Bengals had put a stranglehold on the division lead by mid-november. They entered the season s final stretch with Super Bowl visions, but could not sustain their bid for a first-round playoff bye against a late schedule that included road games against two other division champions (Minnesota and San Diego) and two games against a hot Jets team that would reach the AFC Championship game. It hurts bad to be eliminated, and it s supposed to, said Lewis, who also was named Coach of the Year on the Pro Football Weekly/Pro Football Writers All-NFL team. Unless you re the last team standing, you re gonna fall off that cliff. It s sudden. It doesn t feel good. But we ll fight, and we ll get back. This (season) will make a difference. We started as one of the NFL s youngest teams, and we kept getting younger (through most in-season personnel moves). We learned a lot, I think. We won t do it without a lot of work, but we will work, and we ll climb back up. The Bengals achieved the two major goals Lewis stated in preseason establishing a rushing game and defending the run. Cincinnati averaged 30 yards better than its opponents on a given day, with a yard rushing output and a 98.3 yard yield. The Bengals ranked ninth offensively and seventh on defense in NFL rushing. The resurgent Cedric Benson set a team record with six 100- yard rushing games, and a rebuilt offensive line led a pass protection effort that ranked ninth in fewest sacks allowed (29). The defense, with CBs Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph as its foundation, ranked fourth overall in yards allowed. The Bengals were sixth in the league in fewest points allowed (18.2). But the passing game ranked 26th in net yards. In its three previous seasons with Palmer healthy ( ), the passing game had ranked fifth, sixth and seventh. Hence, a likely point of offseason focus. We will look at getting better offensively, said Lewis. As we go forward, the guys up front will be another year more mature. We have another offseason and another draft, to keep tinkering with our football team. We will be a better football team. The quarterback (Palmer) is always going to be a fine player. We need to keep putting key pieces around him to enable him to utilize his skills as much as we can. The 2010 team s hands-on preparation will begin March 29, when players report for the team s voluntary organized workout program. Training camp, set for Georgetown (Ky.) College for the 14th consecutive year, will begin in late July. First plays first: The Bengals list of 2010 opponents includes games against all three of the other 09 AFC Division champions. AFC East champ New England is on every AFC North team s schedule, because the North and East are scheduled Page 2 against each other in the 2010 schedule rotation. But as AFC North champions, the Bengals also draw standings-determined games against the champs of the AFC South (Indianapolis) and West (San Diego). Game dates and tentative kickoff times will not be determined until the spring, but below is a roundup of Bengals opponents for 2010: Home: Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, San Diego Chargers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Away: Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers. Coaching staff set: The Bengals on Feb. 24 made two additions to the coaching staff, hiring Kyle Caskey as offensive quality control coach and Jeff Friday as assistant strength and conditioning coach. Caskey comes to Cincinnati from the University of Mississippi, where he served in 2009 as a defensive assistant working with safeties and quality control. Caskey entered college coaching in 2004 at Louisiana-Monroe as a graduate assistant, and from 06-08, he was at Indiana State. He played tight end at Texas A&M in and was a four-year letterman in track and field from , including 00 All-Big XII honors in the discus. His hometown is Daingerfield, Texas. Friday was head strength and conditioning coach for the Baltimore Ravens from , including an NFL Championship season in 00. He left Baltimore in conjunction with Brian Billick s 2007 release as head coach. In 2009, he was a consultant to the United Football League. Chip Morton, Bengals head strength and conditioning coach since 2003, worked in Baltimore as an assistant under Friday from Marvin Lewis, Bengals head coach, was defensive coordinator in Baltimore during Friday s first three seasons with the Ravens. Friday earned a bachelor s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1989 and a master s degree from Illinois State in 92. He is a Milwaukee native. Two coaches from the 2009 Bengals staff assistant offensive line coach Bob Surace and associate strength and conditioning coach Ray Oliver resigned to take other positions for The complete Bengals coaching staff, as set for 2010, is as follows: Head coach Marvin Lewis Assistant head coach/offensive line Paul Alexander Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer Quarterbacks Ken Zampese Running backs Jim Anderson Tight ends Jonathan Hayes Wide receivers Mike Sheppard Offensive quality control Kyle Caskey Defensive line Jay Hayes Linebackers Jeff FitzGerald Defensive backs Kevin Coyle Assistant defensive backs Louie Cioffi Special teams Darrin Simmons Assistant special teams/assistant LBs Paul Guenther Strength and conditioning Chip Morton Assistant strength and conditioning Jeff Friday Bengals in Hall of Fame game: The Bengals have been selected along with the Dallas Cowboys as the teams for the 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. The game will kick off the 2010 NFL preseason at 8 p.m. on Sun., Aug. 8 from Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio, with national television coverage on NBC s Sunday Night Football.

4 (Bengals in Hall of Fame game, continued) For the first time in 28 years, the game will pit two defending NFL division champions. The Bengals won the AFC North in 2009 with a 10-6 record, and Dallas won the NFC East at The last time two defending division champs played in the game was 1981, when defending AFC Central champion Cleveland played defending NFC West champ Atlanta. The game will also mark the Bengals first-ever preseason meeting against Dallas. Playing in the Hall of Fame game means that the Bengals and Cowboys will play five preseason games in The preseason opens the following week for the other 30 teams. The remainder of the preseason schedule is yet to be announced. The Bengals have played twice previously in the Hall of Fame Game, and in both instances it was the start to what proved to be a successful season. In 1988, Cincinnati opened in Canton with a 14-7 win over the Los Angeles Rams and went on to reach the Super Bowl. The Bengals made their first Hall of Fame Game appearance in 1975, and though they lost 17-9 to Washington, they finished the regular season with an 11-3 record and the AFC Central Division championship. Cincinnati s.786 winning percentage in 1975 still stands as the highest in franchise history. Sellout streak hits 53: The Jan. 9 playoff game against the New York Jets extended to 53 the Bengals franchiserecord streak of sellouts in regular-season 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. Slow start, fast finish: In 2009, for only the second time in their nine seasons of making the playoffs, the Bengals qualified despite losing their season opener. In both years when the Bengals overcame a season-opening loss, that loss was to Denver. On Sept. 16, 1973, the Broncos won at Denver against a Bengals team that would go 10-4 and win the AFC Central Division. And on Sept. 13 of 2009, Denver won 12-7 against the eventual AFC North champs. Prior to 2009, the Bengals last six playoff qualifying seasons had begun with a win. Here are Bengals season opener results from playoff years: YEAR OPP. RESULT COMMENT 1970 OAK. Cin., Won AFC Central at 8-6 Den., Won AFC Central at CLE. Cin., for best-ever win pct. (.786) 1981 SEA. Cin., Went 12-4 and reached SB XVI 1982 HOU. Cin., in strike-shortened season 1988 PHX. Cin., Went 12-4 and reached SB XXIII 1990 NYJ Cin., Central title at 9-7; went 1-1 in playoffs Cin., finish for AFC North crown 2009 DEN. Den., 12-7 Broncos win on Immaculate Reception See-saw it wasn t: The Bengals held at least a share of the AFC North Division lead for the last 12 weeks of the season. For eight of those weeks, including the last seven, Cincinnati was alone in first place. After losing their season opener in stunning fashion, the Bengals grabbed their first share of the lead on Oct. 4, when they won at Cleveland while Baltimore was losing at New England. The Bengals and Ravens both were 3-1. The Bengals took sole possession of first place on Oct. 11, when they won at Baltimore to go 4-1. On Oct. 18, when the Bengals lost to Houston, Pittsburgh pulled into a first-place tie at 4-2 by beating Cleveland for its third straight win. The Bengals and Steelers remained tied until Nov. 15, when the Bengals moved ahead to stay with a win at Heinz Field. The Bengals wound up winning the division by one game over Baltimore and Pittsburgh, as the Ravens and Steelers each finished 9-7 to Cincinnati s The Ravens earned a Wild Card playoff berth, and the Steelers were eliminated from the postseason via tiebreakers. 6-0 wasn t easy: The Bengals 6-0 march through the AFC North was the first perfect division run in franchise history. This piece of team lore was accomplished in historically hairraising fashion. In Weeks 3-5, the Bengals defeated each division rival by three points (23-20 vs. Pittsburgh, in overtime at Cleveland, and at Baltimore). When Elias Sports Bureau researched the feat as far back as the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, the Bengals were found to be the only team to have won division games that closely (three points or less) in three successive weeks. The second meetings against each division rival were slightly less frantic. Cincinnati beat Baltimore by 10, Pittsburgh by six and Cleveland by nine. The Bengals completed their division schedule in the first 11 games, their earliest such finish in a season since Red-zone reports: At midseason (after Weeks 7 and 8), the Bengals were the NFL s No. 1 team in red-zone offensive touchdown percentage. Entering the Nov. 15 Pittsburgh game, Cincinnati led the league at 69.2 percent, having scored TDs on 18 of 26 drives with snaps inside the opponent s 20-yard line. But the Bengals cashed TDs on only seven of 24 red-zone chances the rest of the way, and for the full season they dropped to tied for 18th in red-zone TD percentage, at an even 50 percent (25-for-50). Bengals final 2009 red-zone report OFFENSE DEFENSE Inside-20 poss.: 50 Inside-20 poss.: 40 Total scores: 43 (86.0%) Total scores: 35 (87.5%) TDs: 25 (50.0%) TDs: 19 (47.5%) FGs: 18 (36.0%) FGs: 16 (40.0%) TD% rank: T-18th TD% rank: 11th No scores: 7 (14.0%) No scores: 5 (12.5%) Missed FG: 3 (6.0%) Interceptions: 2 (5.0%) Fumble: 2 (4.0%) End of game: 1 (2.5%) Fumble: 1 (2.0%) Blocked FG: 1 (2.5%) Downs: 1 (2.0%) Fumble: 1 (2.5%) Bengals final 2009 NFL rankings BENGALS NFL RANK SCORING (AVG. POINTS): Points scored... 22nd (19.1) Points allowed... 6th (18.2) NET OFFENSE (AVG. YARDS): Total... 24th (309.1) Rushing... 9th (128.5) Passing... 26th (180.6) NET DEFENSE (AVG. YARDS): Total... 4th (301.4) Rushing... 7th (98.3) Passing... 6h (203.1) TURNOVERS: Differential... 18th (even) The head coach: Marvin Lewis has completed his seventh season as Bengals head coach, and with the Bengals Dec. 27 victory vs. Kansas City, he moved ahead of club founder Paul Brown into second place for all-time Cincinnati coaching victories. Lewis Bengals record is now in the regular season, 0-2 in postseason and overall. Brown, who coached the Bengals from their expansion season of 1968 through 75, posted a record, including 0-3 in postseason. Lewis is now eight short of all-time Bengals wins leader Sam Wyche, whose mark from included a 3-2 mark in postseason. In 2010, Lewis is set to tie Brown and Wyche for the franchise s longest head-coaching tenure (eight seasons). Lewis Bengals log includes AFC North Division championships in 2005 and Lewis entered 2009 tied for fifth in the NFL for current consecutive seasons as a head coach (seven). He also cracked the active top 10 for most total seasons as an NFL head coach, Page 3

5 (The head coach, continued) sharing ninth place at seven with Jacksonville s Jack Del Rio. Lewis was named the ninth head coach in Bengals history on Jan. 14, In 2002, he directed the NFL s fifth-ranked defense with Washington, serving as assistant head coach in addition to his role as defensive coordinator. Prior to his year with the Redskins, he was a record-setting defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. His six seasons ( ) with the Ravens included a Super Bowl victory following the 2000 season. In the 2000 regular season, Lewis Baltimore defense set the NFL record for fewest points allowed in a 16-game campaign (165). 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 ( ). He began his coaching career as an assistant at Idaho State University in Lewis is Coach of Year: Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis was named 2009 NFL Coach of the Year by the Associated Press. The prestigious award has been given annually since 1957, and Lewis is the second to win it as head coach of the Bengals. Paul Brown won the award with the 1970 Bengals, who captured the AFC Central Division championship in Cincinnati s first year in the NFL. The voting panel was comprised of 50 leading sports media figures from around the nation. Additionally, Lewis was named Coach of the Year on the All- NFL team released together by Pro Football Weekly and the Pro Football Writers Association. This is a reflection of the work of all our players and coaches, Lewis said. I m very flattered to receive the honors, but there are a lot of people here who should also take a bow. And while we re proud of the season we had, we didn t get beyond our first goal (winning a division championship). There is a lot more for us to accomplish in Lewis guided the Bengals to the AFC North Division championship, with a 10-6 regular season that included Cincinnati s first-ever sweep of its divisional opponents. The Bengals went 6-0 against AFC North rivals Baltimore, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. The team was kept on course despite three tragedies that befell the franchise during the season. In September, a tsunami in Samoa affected the lives of several Bengals players with ties to the area. In October, defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer suffered the sudden death of Vikki Zimmer, his wife of 27 years. And in December, WR Chris Henry died in an accident while visiting his fiancé s family in North Carolina. We did all we could to keep the players focused on our football task while we gave honor and support to our family members in need, Lewis said. We are fortunate to have a great group of players who could come together and stay strong. In 2003, his first Bengals season, Lewis finished second to New England s Bill Belichick in balloting for the AP honor. The Bengals were the NFL s most improved team in 2003, as Lewis led an 8-8 season for a club that had won only two games the year before. Sixth in scoring defense: The Bengals finished sixth in the NFL in scoring defense at 18.2 points per game, just missing the franchise s highest-ever NFL rank. The 1972 Bengals had the top ranking ever, finishing fifth in the league at 16.4 points allowed over a 14-game schedule. Rankings aside, the Bengals record for fewest points allowed per game for a full season remains 15.0, set by the 1976 club that yielded 210 points in 14 games while posting a 10-4 record. But 1976 was a tough defensive year in the NFL, and that team s ranking was only No. 7. The 2009 Bengals allowed 291 total points in the regular season, the third-fewest allowed by Cincinnati in a 16-game season (since 1978). The 1978 team allowed only 284 points, and the 1989 club allowed 285. Tough against the run: The 2009 Bengals posted the franchise s third-best average in rushing defense, allowing 98.3 yards per game. Cincinnati ranked seventh in the NFL. The Bengals ranked in the top three in rush defense for much of the season s second half. They ranked second entering the regularseason finale at the N.Y. Jets, when the Jets mounted 257 yards against a patchwork defense with several starters resting for the playoffs. The 1983 Bengals set the club record for defensive rushing average at The 1982 team was at More on rush defense: Baltimore and Pittsburgh have set the tone in the AFC North for stopping the run, says Bengals QB Carson Palmer. They were the ones to come up with the formula, which is good solid defense, run the football, and control the field position. But now that s something we ve turned into. Our defense is giving us the chance to play that kind of game every week. Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis notes that in assessing rush defense, fans sometimes pay attention too exclusively to the performance of the defensive line and/or front seven. It starts from the perimeter guys, Lewis says. Teams that don t play the run very well usually have secondary guys who don t tackle very well. It s really never as much a reflection of the front guys as it is of the perimeter players. You don t see most teams rip up and down the middle of the field. What happens is the secondary guys don t play the leverages and forces correctly. They called em the Cardiac Cats : Seven of the Bengals 16 games were hotly contested until inside the last minute of play, and two other games were not decided until inside two minutes. The frantic finishes occurred in Games 1-5, 9-10 and Here s a recap of the nine tight ones, in which Cincinnati posted a 6-3 record: On Sept. 13 vs. Denver, Cincinnati drove 91 yards for a goahead (7-6) TD with 0:38 remaining, only to see the Broncos score on the Immaculate Deflection, an 87-yard TD pass with 0:11 left. On Sept. 20 at Green Bay, the Packers were at the Bengals 10, seeking a tying touchdown, when the clock ran out as they scrambled to make one more snap. On Sept. 27 vs. Pittsburgh, the Bengals rallied from a 20-9 fourth-quarter deficit. They got the TD for a win at 0:14, when Carson Palmer passed for four yards to Andre Caldwell. On Oct. 4 at Cleveland, Cincinnati trailed in the fourth quarter and tied the score at 20 with 1:55 to play. But the score remained tied when Cleveland blocked the ensuing PAT, and the game went into overtime. The Bengals won with only :04 left in the overtime period, on a 31-yard Shayne Graham field goal. On Oct. 11 at Baltimore, the Bengals saw a 10-7 lead become a deficit with 6:59 to play, but they drove 80 yards to secure a win on Carson Palmer s 20-yard pass to Andre Caldwell with 0:22 remaining. On Nov. 15 at Pittsburgh, the Steelers were a TD drive away from victory, trailing 18-12, when they took possession at their 33-yard line with 1:49 left. But the Bengals snuffed the threat by forcing four straight incompletions, and QB Palmer was able to kneel on the ball three straight times to kill the final 1:26. On Nov. 22 at Oakland, the Raiders tied the score at with at TD at the 0:33 mark, and following a fumble recovery on the ensuing kickoff, Oakland won with a field goal at 0:15. On Dec. 20 at San Diego, the Bengals tied the score at on a Graham field goal with 0:54 remaining, only to see the Chargers win the game on Nate Kaeding s 52-yard field goal at the 0:03 mark. On Dec. 27 vs. Kansas City, the Chiefs had a first down at the Bengals 48 with 1:13 to play, looking for a TD to erase a Cincinnati lead. The Bengals fended off the threat on the next play, when CB Leon Hall made a leaping INT at the Cincinnati 19. Page 4

6 (2009 season general team information, continued) Chad needs 48 for 10,000: Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco will enter the 2010 regular season needing 48 receiving yards to become the 33rd NFL player to get 10,000 for a career. Ochocinco s total is 9952 yards. Ochocinco has had 87 receiving yards in two playoff games, but postseason results do not count in the all-time yardage rankings. Ochocinco has compiled all of his yardage in a Cincinnati uniform, and he is the team career leader by more than 2800 yards over second-place Isaac Curtis (7101). Ochocinco went over the 1000-yard mark for the 2009 season on Dec. 20 at San Diego, and he finished with 1047 receiving yards for the year. He had more than twice as many yards as the Bengals No. 2 player in receiving yards, Laveranues Coles at 514. Ochocinco has topped 1000 in seven of his nine Bengals seasons. He led the team in receiving yards in 10 games in In career receptions, Ochocinco finished the season at a franchise-record total of 684. He now is 154 ahead of the secondplace player, Carl Pickens, who caught 530. And Ochocinco turns 32 years old on Jan. 9, presumably with many more opportunities to fatten his leads. By the time he s through, says QB Carson Palmer, these records are going to be shattered. The current top five for all-time Bengals receptions: PLAYERS YEARS SEASONS RECEPTIONS Chad Ochocinco Carl Pickens T.J. Houshmandzadeh Cris Collinsworth Isaac Curtis And the current top five for all-time Bengals receiving yards: PLAYERS YEARS SEASONS REC. YARDS Chad Ochocinco Isaac Curtis Carl Pickens Cris Collinsworth Eddie Brown Chad s streak finally snapped: WR Chad Ochocinco s streak of 120 straight games with at least one reception a Bengals record was snapped when the N.Y. Jets held him without a catch in the regular-season finale. Ochocinco left the game with a knee bruise at halftime, and did not return for the second half. Entering that game, Ochocinco s streak was the fifth-longest active one in the NFL, and the third-longest active streak accomplished all with one team. Ochocinco first established a new Bengals mark at 94 on Sept. 14, 2008 vs. Tennessee, breaking a tie at 93 with Carl Pickens. Ochocinco has played in 137 total Bengals games and has had a catch in all but five of them. Prior to the 2009 regularseason finale, his last game played without a catch was Game 4 of his second season, in 2002 vs. Tampa Bay. Chad s 100-yarders: Chad Ochocinco s season-best 137-yard receiving game on Dec. 6 vs. Detroit was his 29th career contest with 100 or more receiving yards. He is the club recordholder in the category, with Isaac Curtis ranked second at 20 and Carl Pickens third at 19. Ochocinco is a three-time holder of the Bengals record for most 100-yard games in a season five. He shares the mark with Carl Pickens (twice), Eddie Brown (once) and Tim McGee (once). Ochocinco had three 100-yard games in Chad one short of TD mark: WR Chad Ochocinco caught his 62nd career TD pass Dec. 27 vs. Kansas City on a six-yard pass from Carson Palmer in the fourth quarter for the winning score. Ochocinco has spent his entire career with the Bengals, and his next TD catch will tie him with Carl Pickens (63) for most receiving TDs in Bengals history. Ochocinco has played nine seasons with the Bengals. Pickens played eight seasons for Cincinnati ( ). Ochocinco had a team-leading nine TDs (all receiving) in 2009, his most since 2005, when he also had nine. He fell one TD catch short of tying his career high of 10, posted in In total Bengals TDs, Ochocinco s 62 total ranks fourth. The record is 70 by FB Pete Johnson, while Pickens shares second place with RB James Brooks at 64 each. In addition to his 63 receiving TDs, Pickens had one score on a punt return as a rookie. For the record: Here s the list of the Bengals records held by WR Chad Ochocinco: Receptions, career: 684. Receiving yards, career: 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. A record streak: The Bengals have won a franchiserecord seven consecutive games in division play. The streak includes a 2008 season victory over Cleveland and the 2009 campaign s 6-0 division mark. The Bengals had previously posted six consecutive division wins over the seasons and the campaigns. Benson might have done it: In his first full Bengals season, although he missed three and a half games, HB Cedric Benson rushed for 1251 yards. Benson s total ranks as seventh-best in Bengals history. But Benson missed 10 quarters of play with a hip strain suffered in the first half Nov. 15 at Pittsburgh. He sat out the second half and was inactive for the next two contests, which came against teams (Oakland and Cleveland) ranked low in rushing defense. He also sat out the regular-season finale against the Jets at New York, as coaches determined it was best to rest him for the playoffs. Thus, Bengals fans can t help but wonder what Benson might have done playing a full 16 games. His rushing average for the 12 games he fully played was 102.4, which would project to 1639 yards over 16 games. The official club record is 1458 yards, set by Rudi Johnson in Benson s 2009 rushing total marks the ninth time that a Bengal has reached the 1200-yard mark for a season. He is the fifth individual to do it, joining Corey Dillon (four times), Rudi Johnson (three times) and James Brooks (once). Despite his missed time, Benson ranked fifth in the AFC and eighth in the NFL in rushing yards for the season. Benson led the league in rushing at two junctures in 2009, through games of Week 5 and Week 7. Benson the workhorse: Despite his missed playing time in 2009, Bengals HB Cedric Benson finished the season ranked fourth in the AFC and sixth in the NFL in carries (301). Benson is a straight-ahead power runner who relishes a heavy load, looking to break down a defense. They (coaches) know I don t need a break, he says. They know I can run all day. I always feel great (physically) after that kind of game, ironically. Whatever the team needs me to do, I m all for it. I love carrying the ball that much. That usually just means we re putting a team away, and I love putting a team away. Rushing riches: Glad as they were to have HB Cedric Benson healthy for the last four games and the playoffs, the Bengals didn t hurt badly for a bell cow rusher during Benson s two games out of the lineup due to a hip strain. In Week 11 (Game 10) at Oakland, rookie Bernard Scott rushed for 119 yards, and the team totaled 177. And in Week 12 (Game 11) vs. Cleveland, veteran free agent pickup Larry Johnson rushed for 107 while the team totaled 210, its secondhighest output of the season. When Benson came back in Week 13 with 110 yards vs. Page 5

7 (Rushing riches, continued) Detroit, it marked the first time in Bengals history with three different backs reaching the century mark over a span of three games. It was the first time since 2006 for an NFL team to do it in three straight games, and it was the first time since 1993 for a league club to do it in three games over a three-week period. The 2006 Packers did it in three games over a four-week span (including a bye). The rushers were Noah Herron, Ahman Green and Vernand Morency. The 1993 Seahawks did it over three consecutive weeks, with 100-yard games from Chris Warren, Jon Vaughn and John L. Williams. Benson and team break rush marks: HB Cedric Benson s 133-yard rushing game Dec. 27 vs. Kansas City was his sixth 100-yarder of the season, a team record for an individual. He broke a longstanding logjam in the record book, as the old mark of five games had been set nine times, by six different players (including Benson). Also in 2009, Bernard Scott and Larry Johnson each logged one 100-yard rushing game, and the team total of eight individual 100-yarders set a franchise record. The former record of seven was logged in 1988, when Ickey Woods had five 100-yarders and James Brooks had two. The 2009 season marked only the second time for three different Bengals to post 100-yard rushing games in the same season. The previous instance was 1970, when RB Jess Phillips, RB Paul Robinson and QB Virgil Carter each had a 100-yard game. Each had only one on the season. Carter s 110-yard game against Cleveland stands as the only 100-yard rushing game by a Bengals QB. Here s a recap of this season s club-record eight 100-yard individual rushing games, including the individual record of six by Benson: DATE, OPPONENT RUSHER ATT. YARDS AVG. Sept. 20 at Green Bay Cedric Benson Oct. 11 at Baltimore Cedric Benson Oct. 25 vs. Chicago Cedric Benson Nov. 8 vs. Baltimore Cedric Benson Nov. 22 at Oakland Bernard Scott Nov. 29 vs. Cleveland Larry Johnson Dec. 6 vs. Detroit Cedric Benson Dec. 27 vs. Kansas City Cedric Benson Benson s ratio is best: Bengals HB Cedric Benson has nine total 100-yard rushing games in 23 Cincinnati starts. That s an average of one 100-yarder for every 2.6 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. On Nov. 29 vs. Cleveland, HB Larry Johnson became the newest member (22nd overall) of the Bengals 100-yard rushing club. In what to date is his only Cincinnati start, Johnson gained 107 yards against the Browns. Here s a listing of the 22 Bengals who have hit the 100-yard rushing mark, 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). 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 Benson s 29-for-133 worksheet on Dec. 27 vs. Kansas City. Six of Benson s eight 25-carry games occurred in the 2009 season. Also during the Lewis era, Cincinnati was 18-1 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 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 Rudi 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. Keep the chip: With early career disappointments, including being released by Chicago in June of 2008, HB Cedric Benson has often been asked about playing with a chip on the shoulder. And though he made an emphatic statement to the Bears on Oct. 25, rushing for a career-high 189 yards, Benson made clear then that he still values the motivational factor of his troubled start. I kind of like the chip on my shoulder, he said with a smile. I think I m going to keep it. Scrap Iron is tough: It s traditional for successful NFL defenses and particularly for ones lacking superstar identity to have a nickname. The 2009 Bengals defense is now in that category, as players adopted the name Scrap Iron Defense. The nickname fits because the Bengals were still considered hugely unproven entering 2009, and because they owe much of their high standing to players whose recent NFL resumes had been shaky. We had a lot of pieces that nobody wanted, said LB Brandon Johnson, but when we all came together, we could be a hell of a machine. Johnson himself is a true piece of scrap iron. The fourth-year pro from Louisville, among the team s tackling leaders in both 2008 and 09, was denied a relatively routine tender offer by Arizona in 08. In two seasons with Arizona, he played only nine games and had no statistics on defense. The Bengals grabbed him as a free agent for I don t blame Arizona for releasing me, Johnson has said. I wasn t much of a player when I was there. I wasn t big enough or strong enough. When the Bengals picked me up, I knew it was time to get stronger and pick up my game. I kind of felt like it was a last chance. More on the Scraps : Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer played the scrap-iron theme, without coining the nickname, since the 2009 preseason. Nobody wanted us was his mantra to the group. Besides LB Brandon Johnson (see previous item), defenders who fit the Scrap Iron mold included: MLB Dhani Jones was released and jobless for almost three weeks before the Bengals, racked by LB injuries, signed him in September of He was the team tackling leader in 2008 and also in 09. FS Chris Crocker joined Cincinnati in midseason 2008, after being released by Miami. In 2009, he had 56 tackles and two INTs, despite being limited by an ankle injury in Games and missing Games due to the injury. He has been credited as a mentor to younger players in the secondary. Rookie SLB Rey Maualuga, who started 15 games before suffering an ankle fracture on Dec. 27 vs. Kansas City, had a stellar career at USC but was notably bypassed in the first round of the 2009 draft. Rookie DE Michael Johnson, who came on as a playmaker as the season progressed, was also drafted significantly lower (third round, 70th overall) than he had hoped. Page 6

8 (More on the Scraps, continued) DE/DT Jonathan Fanene and DE Frostee Rucker both had moments in 2009 among the top playmakers on the defensive line. But both entered the season with performance records that spelled backup, Rucker in part due to injuries and Fanene in part to having entered the NFL with very little combined high school and college football experience. DT Tank Johnson, though coming to Cincinnati for 2009 as an unrestricted free agent, was not pursued aggressively by his former team (Dallas). SS Roy Williams, who started four games before being sidelined with an elbow injury, was released by Dallas after the 2008 season. After helping the defense get off to a good start, he was replaced by Chinedum Ndukwe, a seventh-round supplemental selection by Cincinnati in the 2007 draft. Rookie CB Morgan Trent, who moved into the nickel back role, was a sixth-round choice (179th overall) by Cincinnati in the 2009 draft. More on the castoffs : The Bengals defense (see previous items) is not the only side of the team which has prospered from the efforts of players coach Marvin Lewis has affectionately called castoffs. A roundup of that group on offense and on special teams would include: Running backs: HB Cedric Benson was released by Chicago in June of 2008 and out of football until the Bengals signed him in late September of 08. FB Jeremi Johnson was released by Cincinnati in November of 2008 due to conditioning issues and not re-signed until April of HB Brian Leonard was traded to the Bengals by St. Louis in May of 2009 for DT Orien Harris, HB Bernard Scott was a sixth-round pick (209th overall) in the 2009 draft, and HB Larry Johnson was released in November of 09 by Kansas City. Receivers: WR Laveranues Coles, despite a 70-for-850 season with the Jets in 2008, became a free agent by mutual consent with the team, due to a contract issue. TE J.P. Foschi was released in August by Oakland before joining the Bengals, and TE Daniel Coats entered the NFL as a college free agent. Offensive linemen: Starting C Kyle Cook entered the NFL undrafted, as a college free agent with Minnesota, and was cut by the Vikings before climbing onto the Bengals roster via the Cincinnati practice squad. Nate Livings, who started nine games at LG, was a college free agent in 2006 and did not play until 08. Evan Mathis, the starting LG for seven games in 2009, joined the Bengals in 08 after being waived by Miami. Dennis Roland, promoted to the starting lineup at ROT in Game 6, was a 2006 college free agent for Dallas who waited more than two years, mostly on practice squads, before playing. Specialists: K Shayne Graham, though a top performer since 2003, was released five times by NFL clubs before gaining a foothold. PR Quan Cosby was undrafted last April and joined the Bengals as a college free agent. Rashad Jeanty and Kyries Hebert, among the team leaders in special teams tackles, both started their careers in the Canadian Football League. Record on the road: From the 2008 road finale at Cleveland through Nov. 15, 2009, the Bengals set a franchise record by compiling five consecutive road wins. In starting 4-0 on the road in 2009, the Bengals tied the club record for consecutive road wins within a season. The four-game streak put them on equal footing with some of the best clubs in team annals. Other Bengals clubs that won four straight on the road in the same season have been: The 1975 team, which finished 11-3, for the best regularseason winning percentage (.786) in franchise history. The 1981 club, which finished 12-4 and reached Cincinnati s first Super Bowl. The 2005 team, which went 11-5 and claimed the AFC North championship. Single-digit D: The Bengals defense finished the 2009 regular season ranked seventh in rush defense, sixth in pass defense and fourth in total defense. This marked just the second time since the AFL/NFL merger that a Bengal defense finished with a single-digit ranking in the three major categories. The last time this feat was accomplished by a Bengals squad was in the 1983 season. That year, the defense finished first overall, tied for second vs. the rush and third vs. the pass. The 2009 campaign marked the first time since 2001 that the Bengals defense finished the season ranked in the top 10 in any of the three major defensive categories. That year, the team finished top-10 in just one category total defense (ninth). Before that, the last such year was 1994, when the pass defense ranked ninth. The 2009 defense gave up an average of yards per game also the best mark since the 1983 defense, which yielded yards per game. Prior to 2009, the best average allowed under head coach Marvin Lewis was in Hall s No. 6 makes history: Starting RCB Leon Hall snagged his career-best sixth interception Dec. 27 against Kansas City, with a leaping grab of a Matt Cassel pass in the fourth quarter, killing the Chiefs last real comeback hope. Hall tied starting LCB Johnathan Joseph for the team lead, and they both finished the season with six. For the first time since 1985 and for the first time ever by two cornerbacks the Bengals had two players with six or more INTs. In 1985, safety James Griffin had seven INTs and safety Robert Jackson had six. The only other instance of two Bengals reaching six in INTs was in 1971, when CB Lemar Parrish had seven and LB Al Beauchamp had six. With 12 INTs between them, Hall and Joseph had the most INTs by a Bengals starting CB duo since 2005, the last Bengals playoff year before In 05, Deltha O Neal had a team-record 10 and starting mate Tory James had five. Joseph, Hall and Darrelle Revis of the Jets ended the regular season tied for second in the AFC in interceptions. Buffalo rookie CB Jairus Byrd led the AFC with nine, sharing the NFL lead. Hall and Joseph were among a group tied for fifth in the NFL. The Bengals and Green Bay were the only NFL teams in 2009 boasting two players with six or more INTs. For the Packers, S Nick Collins had six to go along with CB Charles Woodson s nine. Top CB tandem?: Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer opened the year by putting his starting cornerbacks both Cincinnati first-round draft picks on the spot. Those two cornerbacks, they ve got to play good for us to be good, Zimmer said of LCB Johnathan Joseph and RCB Leon Hall. If they don t, we re probably not going to be very good. But the defense turned out to be the Bengals best in recent memory, and Joseph and Hall were considered its foundation. They were regarded as among the NFL s best starting CB tandems. Joseph and Hall each had six INTs this season, a career high for both players. Hall led the team with 27 passes defensed, and Joseph was second at 25. Together they helped hold opponents to a 38.6 percent success reading on third-down conversions. I don t know of a better tandem, Bengals QB Carson Palmer has said of Joseph and Hall. They re young, fast and physical, and they both have been working on their hands to make big plays. I don t think I would take any two corners over our guys. Joseph, from South Carolina, was the Bengals first-round draft choice in 2006 (24th overall). Hall, from Michigan, was Cincinnati s top pick in 2007 (18th overall). Hall has played in every game since joining the Bengals, and his 42 starts at RCB include the last 40 games in a row. He leads the team in INTs (14) and passes defensed (64) over his Bengals tenure. Joseph had one of his INT returns in 2009 for a TD, a crucial score in the Sept. 27 win vs. Pittsburgh, and he has scored one TD in each of the last three seasons. Zimmer counts on Hall and Joseph to handle top WRs with minimal help, allowing the defense to focus on the pass rush. It s like always man-to-man, Joseph says. We have to stay on point all the time. Pressure is a big thing in this league, and there s pressure on us. Page 7

9 (2009 season general team information, continued) Coaches on the corners: Regarding CBs Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph, head coach Marvin Lewis has said: They played both fundamentally sound and smart, and I put a big capital on Smart. That s key to playing cornerback in this league. Both guys have tremendous athleticism, speed and ability to play the ball in the air. And from DBs coach Kevin Coyle: Those guys are tied at the hip. They re in meetings together, talking to each other, and I think they feed off each other. And now they ve got a good, competitive deal going. Every time one makes a pick, the other one is going out there to make a pick. Hand Dhani another crown: MLB Dhani Jones, the Bengals tackling leader by a wide margin in 2008, captured the 2009 team crown in another runaway. Jones finished with 142 tackles, leading the team by 41. LB Keith Rivers finished second at 101. In 2008, Jones led the team in tackles by 53, with a margin over LB Brandon Johnson. The 53 margin was the largest of any Bengals season tackling leader under Marvin Lewis. Jones also led the front seven in 2009 with six passes defensed, and his 3.5 sacks tied him for third on the team. He also tied for the team lead in defensive fumble recoveries, with two. Moving up in pass protection: The Bengals finished the regular season ranked ninth in the NFL in fewest sacks allowed (29). Indianapolis led the NFL in this category, with only 13 sacks allowed. Tennessee ranked second at 15, New England was third at 18, New Orleans was fourth at 20 and Houston was fifth at 25. Praise flows for Palmer: Two-time Pro Bowl selection Carson Palmer has been much higher in the NFL statistics derbies than he was in 2009, but he has never been higher in the esteem of his coaches or teammates. We have a great leader at quarterback, and the numbers don t really concern me, head coach Marvin Lewis said. He is so poised, so calm under duress. When things start to break down and get chaotic, he s lights out in the way he stays in control. Four times in the first five games, while Cincinnati was posting a 4-1 start, Palmer drove the offense 70 yards or more for at least a tie in the last two minutes of regulation. But at that 4-1 point of the season, Palmer had a passer rating of only 76.9, ranked 24th in the NFL. In the 11 games after the 4-1 start, Palmer brushed up his stats a bit. He had a career-high rating Oct. 25 vs. Chicago, and through Week 17, he moved up to 16th in the NFL in passer rating, at New Orleans Drew Brees led the NFL at Palmer s comebacks: The Bengals wins in Weeks 3-5 over Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Baltimore marked the eighth, ninth and 10th times that QB Carson Palmer has rallied the team from behind to win in the fourth quarter or overtime. Palmer turned the trick twice against each of Cincinnati s AFC North Division rivals. Here s recap of all 10 games: DATE OPPONENT *DEFICIT FINAL SCORE CLEVELAND Bengals, Bengals, Bengals, Bengals, CAROLINA Bengals, BALTIMORE Bengals, N.Y. JETS Bengals, PITTSBURGH 9-20 Bengals, Bengals, (OT) Bengals, * Largest Bengals deficit in fourth quarter. Palmer the scorer: Bengals QB Carson Palmer scored three rushing TDs in 2009, one more than he had tallied in 65 career games entering the season, and on Dec. 20 at San Diego, he scored the first two-point conversion of his career, on a designed QB draw. Palmer scored both Cincinnati TDs on Nov. 22 at Oakland. Both were on gains of one yard, but only the second was on a QB sneak. On the first score, Palmer scrambled after looking to pass and got the TD on a diving collision with the goal-line pylon. Palmer also had a one-yard rushing TD at Green Bay on Sept. 20. Prior to the Green Bay game, Palmer had played 45 straight games without a rushing TD, as his most recent one had been in Game 7 of the 2005 season at Pittsburgh. Palmer fell one short of the team record for TDs in a season by a QB. Jon Kitna rushed for four in 2002, and Ken Anderson had four in It should be noted, however, that Anderson got his four in 82 in a strike-shortened, nine-game season. Anderson is by far the Bengals all-time leader in rushing TDs by a QB, with 20. Jeff Blake is second at 10. Palmer the rusher: Bengals QB Carson Palmer rushed for 93 yards in the regular season, a career high. Palmer s previous rushing high for a season was 47 yards in 2004, when he played for the first time after seeing no action as a rookie in And though Palmer was no threat to challenge Jeff Blake s 1999 Bengals record of 332 rushing yards by a QB, Palmer made scrambles on fourth down that were key plays this season in wins Oct. 4 at Cleveland and Oct. 11 at Baltimore. On the winning FG drive in overtime at Cleveland, Palmer converted a fourth-and-11 with a 15-yard run. On the winning TD drive at Baltimore, Palmer ran for six yards on fourth-and-one. Bengals QBs coach Ken Zampese doesn t point to any scheme changes when discussing Palmer s improved effectiveness as a rusher this season. We re not doing anything differently, Zampese said. But Zampese credits Palmer s own adjustments within the scheme. You saw that mobility on his college tape, but it kind of dried up here, Zampese said. But now he s more comfortable in the offense, he s had success with it, and he s seen other guys do it, too. You make it part of your game when your mind decides you can make it part of your game. Palmer rates with greats: The Bengals were looking forward to QB Carson Palmer s full return in 2009, and a comparison of top team QBs shows why. Despite not playing as a rookie in 2004, as well as playing only four games in 08, Palmer already stands tall in team passing records against Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason, the Bengals two Super Bowl QBs. 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 (63.2) Completions (2654) 300-yd. games (23) Rating (87.9) 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) Page 8