Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) at N.Y. Giants (2-0)

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1 Cincinnati Bengals One Paul Brown Stadium Cincinnati, Ohio (513) administrative offices (513) administrative fax (513) 621-TDTD (8383) ticket office WEEKLY NEWS RELEASE SEPT. 16, 2008 Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) at N.Y. Giants (2-0) Kickoff: 1 p.m. EDT. Television: CBS broadcast with Greg Gumbel (play-byplay) and Dan Dierdorf (analyst). The game will air in the Bengals home market on WKRC-TV (Channel 12) in Cincinnati, WHIO-TV (Channel 7) in Dayton and on WKYT-TV (Channel 27) in Lexington, Ky. Radio: Coverage on the 27-station Bengals Radio Network, including flagships WCKY-AM (1530) Homer (all sports) and WEBN-FM (102.7). Broadcasters are Brad Johansen (play-by-play) and Dave Lapham (analyst). The game will also air to a national audience on Sports USA Radio. Broadcasters are Howard David (play-by-play), Tim Pernetti (analyst) and Tony Graziani (sideline reporter). Setting the scene: The NFL gives no breaks to an 0-2 team, and particularly not to the Bengals this week. They travel to the home of the defending world champions, who are off to an impressive start with clinical disposals of Washington and St. Louis. So be it, says the Cincinnati camp. We ve earned where we are with inconsistent play in all phases, head coach Marvin Lewis said after last week s 24-7 home loss to Tennessee. The only way to fix it is to go play and win. We re going to get to work and go beat the New York Giants in New York, and that s all we can do. QB Carson Palmer leads a veteran offense which has managed only one touchdown in two games (the defense also has scored one). But Palmer cast this week s the assignment as opportunity, not worst-case scenario. And the last time the Bengals played at the home of a defending world champion at Pittsburgh in September of 2006 they came away with a win. We re 0-2, but by no means are we out of the playoffs, Palmer said. We ve definitely got an uphill battle at this point, but what better way to get the momentum back than to go to the home of the defending world champions and get a win? When it s as early as it still is, one win can do a lot. S Chinedum Ndukwe noted after the Tennessee game that the Giants started 0-2 last season. Then they started making plays and along the way they made a run, Ndukwe said. I m looking forward to the week, to looking at the film and seeing what I can do better. If you re a pro, you welcome the challenge. Not to say, however, that the Bengals are without problems. Start with an deficit in rushing yards allowed and gained. Add in a 37.0 passer rating for Palmer. And on special teams, a punt block allowed in the end zone for a touchdown last week to close out the game s scoring with 14:05 still to play. There s not a whole lot to explain, said G Bobbie Williams. Game information Week 3, Game 3 Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008 at Giants Stadium Next up: Week 4, Game 4 Sept. 28 vs. Cleveland We put it all on film. And it s not pretty. The offense suffered a blow last week when TE Ben Utecht, seen as a major new cog in the receiving game, sustained a chest injury that will sideline him for at least the Giants game. On defense, the team s biggest injury concern will be the secondary, where SS Dexter Jackson is out (thumb) and CB Johnathan Joseph is questionable (ankle). The Giants show formidable balance, with NFL yardage rankings of No. 4 offensively (397.5) and No. 3 defensively (205.0). They have outscored their two foes by without mounting any edge in turnovers. The series: The Bengals lead, 5-2, but this is a series in which the visitor has yet to win. The Bengals are 5-0 against the Giants in Cincinnati but are 0-2 on the road, with Giants Stadium losses of in 1994 and in 97. The last meeting was a Bengals win at Paul Brown Stadium in The Giants series is tied for third in Bengals annals for fewest total meetings. The only teams the Bengals have played fewer times are the more recently born Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans (three meetings each). The other team the Bengals have played only seven times is Washington, which on Dec. 14 will make its first Cincinnati visit since Team bests from the series: Bengals MOST POINTS: 35, in a win at Riverfront Stadium in LARGEST VICTORY MARGIN: 17, in a win at Riverfront Stadium in FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED: 10, in a win at Riverfront Stadium in Giants MOST POINTS: 30, in a loss at Riverfront Stadium in LARGEST VICTORY MARGIN: 7, in a win at Giants Stadium in FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED: 13, in a loss at Cincinnati in The last meeting: A complete summary of the last Bengals-Giants game in 2004 at Cincinnati is on page 11 of this release. Close ones: Six of the seven previous Bengals-Giants games have been decided by a touchdown or less. The only exception has been a Bengals win at Riverfront Stadium in In the last four meetings, the winning team s average margin has been 3.3 points. Complete series scores are on page 162 of the 2008 Bengals Media Guide. Bengals hold their own vs. champs: The Giants game will mark the 24th time in Cincinnati franchise history that the Bengals have played a regular-season game against the defending Super Bowl champion. Page 1

2 (Bengals hold their own vs. champs, continued) Cincinnati shows a 7-16 record in the previous 23 games. But after losing their first eight games against defending league champs, the Bengals have posted a 7-8 mark over the last 15 instances. The most recent such meetings were in 2006, when the Bengals split their AFC North Division series against defending champ Pittsburgh. Here s a recap of the last 15 Bengals games against defending Super Bowl winners. DATE OPPONENT RESULT Oct. 14, Pittsburgh... Bengals, Dec. 2, Sept. 21, Pittsburgh... Bengals, Oct. 12, Bengals, Sept. 28, Chicago...Bears, 44-7 Dec. 17, Washington... Bengals, Dec. 9, San Francisco...49ers, (OT) Dec. 1, NY Giants... Bengals, Oct. 30, Dallas... Cowboys, Oct. 1, Denver...Broncos, Sept. 23, Baltimore... Bengals, Dec. 23, 16-0 Dec. 12, @New England...Patriots, Sept. 24, Bengals, Dec. 31, Pittsburgh...Steelers, (OT) Records vs. Giants: On at Giants Stadium, HB Eric Bieniemy had a 102-yard kickoff return, the longest in Bengals history and tied for the longest play in team history. On Oct. 13, 1985, Giants QB Phil Simms set Bengals opponent records for passing yards ( 513) and completions (40), but the Bengals won the game, at Riverfront Stadium. On Nov. 27, 1977, Cincinnati s Tony Davis set a club record (since tied) with 7 punt returns against the Giants at Riverfront Stadium. Bengals-Giants connections: Bengals LB Dhani Jones entered the NFL as a Giants draft choice and was with the Giants from Giants rookie C Digger Bujnoch (Reserve/Injured) is a Cincinnati native (Elder High School) and played at the University of Cincinnati; Bujnoch s father, Glenn, played for the Bengals from Giants QB Anthony Wright (Reserve/Injured) played for the Bengals in Giants QB Andre Woodson (practice squad) played at Kentucky and is from Radcliff, Ky.... Giants CB Sam Madison and practice squad G Kurt Quarterman played at Louisville... Bengals assistant head coach/offensive line coach Paul Alexander coached for the N.Y. Jets in Bengals defensive backs coach Kevin Coyle is from Staten Island, N.Y.... Bengals assistant defensive backs coach Louie Cioffi is from Greenlawn, N.Y., and was a coaching assistant with the N.Y. Jets in Bengals CB Geoffrey Pope (practice squad) was with the Giants in 2007 and the 2008 preseason... Giants TEs coach Mike Pope was on the Bengals staff in Giants LBs coach Bill Sheridan was on the University of Cincinnati staff from Giants RBs coach Jerald Ingram grew up in Pennsylvania but was born in Dayton, Ohio... Giants WRs coach Mike Sullivan was on the Ohio University staff in Red zone reports: The Giants defense rank tied for last in the NFL in red-zone touchdown percentage, but the ranking is misleading at this early point of the year. Though their percentage of TDs allowed is 100, the Giants have allowed opponents only one foray inside the New York 20- yard line in two games. Only Baltimore has also allowed only one penetration, and the Ravens have played only one game. Bengals red-zone report OFFENSE DEFENSE Inside-20 poss.: 3 Inside-20 poss.: 5 Total scores: 1 (33.3%) Total scores: 4 (80.0%) TDs: 1 (33.3%) TDs: 2 (40.0%) FGs: 0 (0.0%) FGs: 2 (40.0%) TD% rank: T-23rd TD% rank: T-11th No scores: 2 (66.7%) No scores: 1 (20.0%) Interceptions: 1 (33.3%) End of game: 1 (50.0%) Missed FGs: 1 (33.3%) Giants red-zone report OFFENSE DEFENSE Inside-20 poss.: 6 Inside-20 poss.: 1 Total scores: 6 (100.0%) Total scores: 1 (100.0%) TDs: 3 (50.0%) TDs: 1 (100.0%) FGs: 3 (50.0%) FGs: 0 (0%) TD% rank: T-12th TD% rank: T-30th No scores: 0 (0.0%) No scores: 0 (0.0%) Bengals-Giants NFL rankings BENGALS GIANTS SCORING (AVG. POINTS): Points scored...30th (8.5) 6th (28.5) Points allowed... T-15th (20.5) T-2nd (10.0) NET OFFENSE (AVG. YARDS): Total... 31st (184.5) 4th (397.5) Rushing...23rd (79.0) 5th (177.0) Passing...32nd (105.5) 12th (220.5) NET DEFENSE (AVG. YARDS): Total... 21st (326.5) 3rd (205.0) Rushing...30th (203.0) 5th (76.0) Passing...3rd (123.5) 5th (129.0) TURNOVERS: Differential...T-20th (minus-one) T-12th (even) Marvin Lewis is in his sixth season as Bengals head coach. Only Paul Brown and Sam Wyche have had longer tenures (eight seasons each), or more career victories. Lewis record over five previous campaigns is in regular season, 0-1 in postseason and overall. He is 13 wins behind Paul Brown ( ) and 20 wins behind Wyche (64-68). He is one of three Bengals coaches with a career winning record, joining Forrest Gregg (34-27) and Bill Johnson (18-15). Lewis guided the franchise s fourth season of 11 or more wins in 2005, when his club captured the AFC North Division championship with an 11-5 mark. Lewis five previous teams have drawn the five highest season attendances in Bengals history, and the Bengals have an active sellout streak of 36 home games (regular and postseason). In the last 53 TV ratings weeks in which there has been a Bengals game (all during the Lewis era), the Bengals have been the The head coaches highest-rated show among all programming in the Cincinnati market. Lewis was named the ninth Bengals head coach on Jan. 14, In 2002, he directed the NFL s fifth-ranked defense with Washington, serving as assistant head coach in addition to his defensive coordinator s role. 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 ( ). He began his coaching career at Idaho State in Tom Coughlin coached the Giants to the NFL championship last season, with a win over New England in Super Bowl XLII. Coughlin is in his fifth season as Giants head coach and in his 13th year as an NFL head coach. He was the first coach of the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995 and coached in Jacksonville for eight seasons ( ), posting a record, including 4-4 in the playoffs. His Jaguars team is the only expansion club in NFL history to advance to the playoffs four times in its first five seasons. Coughlin has a record with the Giants, including 4-2 in postseason. His teams have reached the postseason for the last three years. His overall NFL coaching record is , including 8-6 in postseason. From , he was head coach at Boston College, turning a struggling program into a Top-20 contender. He was an assistant coach at Philadelphia, Green Bay and the Giants. He was previously with the Giants from , serving as defensive coordinator for the 1990 season Super Bowl champions. Coughlin was born Aug. 31, 1947 in Waterloo, N.Y. He played wingback at Syracuse from Lewis vs. Giants: Lewis leads, 1-0, from a win at Cincinnati in Lewis vs. Coughlin: Lewis leads, 1-0. Coughlin vs. Bengals: Coughlin is 10-6, including 10-5 with Jacksonville and 0-1 with the Giants. Rivers keeps producing: Bengals top draft pick Keith Rivers has started the regular season the same way he finished the preseason as one of the team s top tacklers. The starting WLB from Southern California led the team with 11 stops at Baltimore, and he logged 11 again against Tennessee, including two for losses. His 21 tackles rank second on the team, behind only MLB Dhani Jones, who had a team-best 15 stops against Tennessee. Rivers led the Bengals in preseason with 18 tackles. Head coach Marvin Lewis is being borne out for consistently expressing his confidence in Rivers ability to be in top form for the regular season. Rivers was the subject of mild concern when he missed the first 12 workouts of training camp due to contract talks. He did not hit the practice field until Aug. 6, five days before he led the team in tackles at Green Bay. It s not like we re asking him to learn Chinese, Lewis says. He s playing essentially the same position (WLB) that he played in college. And he s shown us from the very start that he knows how to be a pro, how to study and be prepared. Rivers puts his work habits in a slightly different light. I don t like to get yelled at, he says. I try to do my job the best I can. LBs coach Jeff FitzGerald says, The expectations are high, and I really feel like they re going to be met in a short period of time. Holt fifth in KOR: WR Glenn Holt, who first came to the Bengals as an unsigned tryout player at 2006 rookie minicamp, has averaged 30.0 yards on seven kickoff returns this season, ranking fifth in the NFL through Week 2. Holt averaged 30.7 yards on three returns last week, with a long of 38. The third-year pro from Kentucky has returned kickoffs in all three of his Bengals seasons, and this is second year as the primary KOR. In all of his three seasons, he has been above average, based on the NFL s 22.6-yard average for KOR in Holt averaged 24.3 yards in 07, the Bengals best average since 2005 for a player with 20 or more returns. He was at 24.6 yards for brief action in Holt s 2007 totals of 59 returns and 1432 yards were both second-most in club history. Despite his numbers from last year, Holt entered 2008 training camp in a competition for the position. His spot was less than secure because he had three fumbles in 07 (two recovered by the opponent). But he outlasted his preseason competition to again claim the job, and he has not fumbled this season. The NFL leader in kickoff return avg. through Week 2 is Felix Jones of Dallas, at Jones had a 98-yard return for a TD this past Monday night. Holt has breakaway potential as well. He had a 100-yard return for a TD last season at Buffalo. No Bengal has led the NFL in kickoff returns for a full season. The Bengals only AFC title in punt returns came in 1999 when Tremain Mack posted the club season-record of 27.1 yards. Bengals information Chad adds another mark: With the first of his four receptions last week against Tennessee, Chad Ocho Cinco established a new Bengals benchmark for consecutive games with at least one catch (94). He broke a tie with Carl Pickens. Ocho Cinco has played in 110 total Bengals games and has had a catch in all but four of them. His last game without a catch was Game 4 of his second season, Sept. 29, 2002 vs. Tampa Bay. His streak does not include carryover through any games missed due to injury. He has played in 105 consecutive games. Chad and T.J. are 1-3: Bengals WRs Chad Ocho Cinco and T.J. Houshmandzadeh rank first and third, respectively, in all-time receptions for the Bengals. Houshmandzadeh started this season in fifth place, but has passed Cris Collinsworth and Isaac Curtis. The current top five for all-time Bengals receptions: PLAYERS YEARS SEASONS RECEPTIONS Chad Ocho Cinco * Carl Pickens T.J. Houshmandzadeh * Cris Collinsworth Isaac Curtis * Two games into eighth season. Chad keeps churning: Playing through a sore shoulder from a preseason injury, Bengals WR Chad Ocho Cinco is approaching the hallowed ground of the top five in all-time Bengals streaks of consecutive games played. He ran his streak to a current team high of 105 last week against Tennessee. He has not missed a contest since Game 9 of his rookie 2001 season. That was the fourth of a four-game absence due to a fractured left clavicle. That is the only injury that has ever caused Ocho Cinco to miss action. If Ocho Cinco plays in every game this season, he ll end the year with a streak of 119 games. Fifth-place all-time on the Bengals is currently held by former TE Tony McGee, who logged 117 in a row from The top spot on the all-time list is held by a former punter, Lee Johnson, who played in 169 straight. Second place at 149 belongs to Pat McInally, who saw time as a Bengals receiver but was primarily a punter for his 10 seasons ( ). The longest Bengals streak of consecutive games by a non-kicker is 137, set by LB Reggie Williams between 1980 and Chad soars in yards: Following an offseason at Base Camp 8365, Chad Ocho Cinco now begins his ascent toward the 10,000 mark in career receiving yards. He likely won t make it this year, but Ocho Cinco himself might dispute that. He needs 1635 yards. The Bengals season record is 1440 yards, set of course by Ocho Cinco last year. It is easy, at this point, to ponder if any other Bengal will ever Page 3

4 (Chad soars in yards, continued) wear the team receiving yards crown. Chad s going to shatter this record, says QB Carson Palmer. He s just getting started. One game deep into 2008, here s the Bengals top five: PLAYERS YEARS SEASONS REC. YARDS Chad Ocho Cinco * Isaac Curtis Carl Pickens Cris Collinsworth Eddie Brown * Still active entering 2008 Current Bengal T.J. Houshmandzadeh is now No. 7 in career yards at Dizzy heights from a numbers game: Carson Palmer exaggerated a bit when he said (previous item) that Chad Ocho Cinco is just getting started. Ocho Cinco is 30 years old as he plays through the 2008 season. But in the numbers exercise that follows, we ll float the idea of Ocho Cinco becoming only the second NFL player to reach 15,000 career receiving yards. Here goes: Ocho Cinco has not missed a game since a rookie shoulder separation in If he keeps playing through 2013, when he ll be 35, he ll have the chance (injury-free) to play in 94 more games (rest of this season plus five more). Ocho Cinco has played 110 games to date, and has missed only four games due to injuries. Allowing four more games missed for injury, let s say he s fortunate enough to play 90 of those possible 94 more games. If he were to play those 90 with the 76.6-yard average he has posted through his first 110 contests, he would add 6892 yards to the 8424 he already has. He then would have 15,316 career yards, surely in strong contention for second-most in NFL history, no matter what others may do in the meantime. The all-time NFL leader is Jerry Rice, at a stratospheric 22,895 yards, but the second-place player is currently Tim Brown at 14,934. James Lofton is currently third in all-time receiving yards at 14,004, followed by fourth-place Cris Carter (13,899) and fifthplace Henry Ellard (13,777). Chad, Chad, Chad, Chad... and Chad: In most major categories, the Bengals official media guide record pages note the top five performances. Such is the case in 2008 in the category of Receiving Yards in a Season, but the entry lists only one name Chad Johnson. (The guide was printed before Johnson changed his surname to Ocho Cinco.) Ocho Cinco entered 2007 already claiming the top four receiving yards seasons in club history. And during his seventh season, he not only bumped Eddie Brown from the top five, he broke his own Bengals record with 1440 yards. (Brown had claimed the No. 5 spot entering 2007, by virtue of a 1273-yard year in 1988). Here s the listing entering 2008 (with surname updated): PLAYER SEASON YARDS Chad Ocho Cinco Chad Ocho Cinco Chad Ocho Cinco Chad Ocho Cinco Chad Ocho Cinco Chad and T.J. sky s the limit: Chad Ocho Cinco and T.J. Houshmandzadeh joined the Bengals in the same draft (2001) from the same school (Oregon State). Though they and the offense as a whole are off to a slow start this season, they have become by far the most productive teammate receiving duo in Bengals history. And based on the last few years leading up to 2008, they are the NFL s best: Houshmandzadeh was the only NFL player with 200 receptions over He caught 202 for a 12-catch margin over second-place Reggie Wayne. Ocho Cinco ranked fourth for with 180 catches. Over the last three years ( 05-07), Houshmandzadeh was second in catches (280) and Ocho Cinco was third (277). The leader was Torry Holt of St. Louis at 288. Over the last four years ( 04-07), Ocho Cinco was second in catches (372) and Houshmandzadeh was third (353). Holt of St. Louis was the leader at 382. Though Houshmandzadeh was not in the top five in receiving yards for the last two, three or four seasons, no other teams are represented twice, either. As for Ocho Cinco in receiving yards: He ranked second the last two seasons, with 2809, behind 2820 by Indianapolis Reggie Wayne. He ranked first over the last three years (4241) as well as first over the last four years (5515). One more note on T.J.: He ranked fifth in the league in touchdown catches for the last two years (21) and also was fifth for the last three years (28). In Bengals annals, Chad and T.J. hold the top three years by a WR duo in catches, and four of the top five years. In receiving yards by a Bengals duo, Chad and T.J. claim the top four years. Defense hits bottom line: No one is calling anything a success in Bengal Land these days, but the team s retooled defense has hit the 17-points-allowed mark in each of the first two games. (Tennessee s 24 points last week included a special teams TD). The 17-point level is a benchmark often used for a realistic season goal for a playoff team. The NFL average for points allowed last season was The defense has scored a TD of its own on a 65-yard fumble return at Baltimore but big plays on offense have been its undoing. Baltimore used a double-reverse and an unscripted QB ramble to get its two TDs in Week 1, and Tennessee turned the momentum last week with a 51-yard run on a draw play just before halftime. Prior to Chris Johnson s 51-yard run, the Bengals had limited Tennessee to 30 yards on 14 carries. We stopped the run, but then we had the boneheaded play before halftime, said head coach Marvin Lewis. Those are the kind of plays we have to ultimately stop. We have to have consistency, said S Chinedum Ndukwe, who owned up to a key missed tackle on the Johnson run. We have to keep playing for all 60 minutes. They pounded the ball at us, and we stepped up and played pretty solid for the most part. But that big play I gave up was a big difference in the game. The Bengals do not have a defensive player who has been to a Pro Bowl, and new coordinator Mike Zimmer s rebuilding plan for 2008 includes full use of the squad s depth. Maybe we don t have the best 11 right now, Zimmer said, but maybe we have 22 who can make 11. We have to be a little creative and inventive with some of the things we re doing. It may involve guys who don t play that many snaps, but who are in the right place for key situations. Zimmer harks back to a 2001 Dallas defense he describes as his favorite. That unit was composed of little-known names before it went on to post a No. 4 NFL yardage ranking. We had a whole bunch of guys who just wanted to line up and play, he says. It taught me that if you put all the guys on the same page doing the right things, and they care about football and about winning, you ve got a chance to be pretty good. Chad makes the call: Regarding Bengals CB Johnathan Joseph, Bengals WR Chad Ocho Cinco had this to say to media during training camp: He s one of the better corners in the league. If he doesn t get credit for it, make sure the credit gets out there. Joseph, Cincinnati s first-round pick in the 2006 draft, backed up those words in the season opener at Baltimore. He scored a TD, had a team-high three passes defensed, and logged eight tackles. In the fourth quarter, Joseph scooped a Ray Rice fumble forced by LB Rashad Jeanty and went 65 yards for a TD that cut Baltimore s lead to Joseph was limited early last season by rehab from a foot injury, but played a strong second half and wound up tied for the team lead in passes defensed (16). However, Joseph suffered an ankle injury against Tennessee and has an early listing of questionable for the Giants game. Page 4

5 (Bengals information, continued) Shayne s magic number now 20: The wind conditions were exceptionally tough, with continual gusts up to 60 mph, but when Bengals K Shayne Graham hit an upright on a 37- yard attempt vs. Tennessee, it was still a miss on the stat sheet. Thus, in his bid to gain status as the NFL s all-time leader in field goal accuracy, Graham was pushed a few steps back. He now would need a streak of 20 straight made FGs to pass the inactive Mike Vanderjagt. Graham entered the Tennessee game needing 14 straight to take over the No. 1 spot. Mike Vanderjagt s career accuracy mark is percent. He has been out of the league for more than a year, and unless he should return, the second-place Graham is competing essentially against himself as he pursues the top spot. Currently at 85.0 percent for his career (153 of 180), Graham would rise to 86.5 percent by making good on 20 more consecutive attempts (he d be 173 of 200). That would put him three one hundreths of a point ahead of Vanderjagt s Graham already has one Bengals streak of more than 20, as he reset his own club record last year with a run of 21 in a row. Graham is No. 2 all-time: Bengals K Shayne Graham ranks second all-time in the NFL for field goal accuracy, with a career percentage of 85.0 (on 153-of-180). He is the percentage leader among active kickers, with the lead held by Mike Vanderjagt, not currently active with an NFL club. A minimum of 100 made FGs are required to qualify for the rankings. Here is the all-time NFL top five through Week 2: PLAYER FG FGA PCT. Mike Vanderjagt Shayne Graham Matt Stover Phil Dawson Adam Vinatieri Better than the best? As far as Bengals coaches are concerned, K Shayne Graham is the true No. 1 in all-time field goal accuracy. Though Graham (85.0) trails Mike Vanderjagt (86.47) in career percentage, Graham s career totals (153-for-180) include a 19-for-26 performance in previous NFL stops at Buffalo and Carolina. As a Bengal, Graham is 134-for-154, an percent accuracy rate which is Cincinnati s all-time best and also tops Vanderjagt s career mark. Perry, Watson take the rock: With the release of HB Rudi Johnson in final cuts, the Bengals parted ways with their No. 3 all-time rusher and handed the ball to fifth-year pro Chris Perry. Seventh-year player Kenny Watson will also be in the mix, and speedy DeDe Dorsey, a third-year pro, continues to grab attention in limited opportunities. Perry was Cincinnati s first-round draft pick out of Michigan in The former Doak Walker Award winner (nation s top RB) played in only 22 games with three starts over his first four seasons, due to a long list of injuries. But the 6-0, 224-pounder thrived through an active and physical preseason, and with 40 carries over the first two games, he s on an early pace to finish the season with 320, which would be fifth-most in Bengals history. Like the rest of the Bengals offense, Perry is looking for much more in the way of yardage results than he s managed in the first two games. He has 106 rushing yards and a 2.7-yard average per carry. But Perry was a much more promising 15-for-54 in the first half last week, before the flow of a losing effort dictated less focus on rushing. His first-half action included a 13-yard TD run on a fourth-and-one play in the second quarter. I thought Chris got some things going early and got to feel good and comfortable in there today, head coach Marvin Lewis said after the Titans game. We just have to keep him going. In 2005, Perry s only healthy Bengals season, he backed up Rudi Johnson and helped the Bengals capture the AFC North championship, rushing for a 4.6 avg. (61-279) and going 51-for- 328 receiving. This season sees Perry getting the chance to get comfortable with the down-to-down rhythm of a game, rather than seeing action in spot situations. He s never had that opportunity, so this is his chance, Lewis said. This is what he s asked for and wanted. He s worked extremely hard to return from his injury to have this (opportunity), and he s made good on it. Now it s time, so he has everything to play for. It ought to be exciting for him. Watson, 6-0 and 220, entered the NFL not as a first-round draftee, but as an undrafted free agent in 2001 with Washington. But last year, subbing for a hobbled Rudi Johnson, Watson led the Bengals with a career-high 763 rushing yards (4.3 avg.) and also posted career highs for receptions (52) receiving yards (374) and touchdowns (seven, all rushing). Watson has averaged 4.5 yards on six carries (27 total yards) in the first two games. Dorsey showed again last week that he has potential breakaway speed. Though held to 10 yards on three rushes, he had a team-leading 49 receiving yards on two catches, including a team season-long 36-yarder. He led the team in yards from scrimmage (59). Last season, though Dorsey s action was limited, his 21-for- 183 rushing performance qualified for the highest rushing average (8.7) in Bengals history for a player with 20 or more attempts. Stacy ready for spotlight? Heading into the 2008 season with the Bengals franchise player designation, ROT Stacy Andrews surely rates as one of the lesser-known NFL players to wear that tag. Andrews is in his fifth NFL season, but became a starter only last year. A fourth-round Bengals draft choice in 2004, the 6-7, 342-pounder was selected for his tremendous physical potential, not for his college football resume. A nationally recognized track thrower at Ole Miss, he took up football late and played in only five Rebel games. But the Bengals saw him as an excellent long-term prospect, and when he became an unrestricted free agent after last season, the club utilized the franchise tag, proclaiming its belief that he is now ready to fulfill his promise and become much more of a household NFL name. Stacy is as athletic a guy as you ll see for his level of size and strength, said Paul Alexander, Bengals assistant head coach and offensive line coach. We knew we d have to invest a lot of time to make up for his lack of football experience, but we think that s paying off now. Comparing the big three: In his sixth NFL season and his fifth season of actually seeing action Carson Palmer is holding his own in team passing records against Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason, the Bengals two Super Bowl quarterbacks. 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 (63.7) Completions (2654) 300-yd. games (23) Rating (88.8) 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 5

6 (Bengals information, continued) Turnover tables are turned: In turnover differential under head coach Marvin Lewis, the Bengals rank third in the NFL at plus-41. Prior to Lewis tenure, the Bengals 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 Cincinnati San Diego Minnesota The Bengals lead the NFL in total takeaways (173) during Lewis tenure. In points off turnovers, Elias Sports Bureau credits the Bengals with 526 in the Lewis era, second in the NFL to Indianapolis 528. Marvin s men don t lose fumbles: In their first five seasons under Marvin Lewis, the Bengals averaged only 8.8 lost fumbles per year. That s some 27 percent better than the NFL average of 12.0 fumbles lost per team for the same period. Prior to Lewis tenure, the Bengals average for 16-game seasons was 13.9 fumbles lost. The Bengals have one lost fumble in two games this season, a projection to eight for the year. A stat that matters: The Bengals are 29-4 in regular-season play under head coach Marvin Lewis with a plusdifferential in turnovers. That s an.879 winning percentage. The Bengals are.474 (9-10) under Lewis when the differential has been even, and are.133 (4-26) with a minus. More extensive league-wide numbers also bear out the Bengals experience. Since the start of the 2000 season, here are the aggregate records of NFL teams with varying turnover differentials (minus differentials are not included because they are the exact reverse of the plus figure for the same numbers): DIFFERENTIAL W-L PCT. Plus Plus Plus Plus Plus-5 or more In Week 2 NFL play, teams with a plus-differential went 10-2 (.833). Record sellout streak in view: It should be over but the actual filing in. The Bengals 2008 home season is sold out in advance, and the Dec. 28 finale against Kansas City will mark a franchise-record 44th straight sellout (including regular season and postseason). The streak began against Kansas City on Nov. 16, It stands officially at 37 after last week s crowd of 64,540 for the home opener against Tennessee. The record 43-game streak that will be surpassed was set at Riverfront Stadium from the 1988 opener through the 1992 finale. The Bengals Oct. 28 game vs. Pittsburgh last season drew attendance of 66,188, breaking the franchise mark of 66,113 which had been set earlier in the year against New England. Total home attendance (regular season) was 526,320 for the 2007 campaign. That ranked third in club history, behind 527,870 in 2006 and 526,469 in NFL rules Cincy airwaves... : NFL games played on Sept. 7 took the top three TV ratings spots among all programming in the Cincinnati market for the week of Sept The Bengals-Baltimore game in the 1 p.m. time slot drew a 26.6 rating, followed by 13.5 for Indianapolis-Chicago on Sunday night and 12.3 for Cleveland-Dallas in the 4 p.m. slot. The Bengals game had nearly three times the rating of the highest rated non-nfl program for the week, which was Bones at 9.5: Bones ranked No. 4 overall.... And the streak s at 54: For 54 consecutive TV ratings weeks that have included a Bengals regular-season or postseason game, the Bengals have been the top-rated show in the Cincinnati market. And usually by a wide margin. The streak began in 2004 and hit 54 during the week of Sept. 1-7, when the Bengals at Baltimore game posted a 26.6 rating, nearly double the second-place program. The streak could go to 55 based on the ratings week of Sept. 8-14, including the Sept. 14 Bengals-Tennessee game, but Cincinnati rankings for the week were not yet available at press time for this release. 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 that most games are played in the afternoon, when overall TV viewership is not as high as it is during the evening. Football (especially NFL) reigns again: Pro football has long dominated all competition in major polls on Americans favorite sports, and such was the case again during a survey by Harris Interactive following the 2007 season. The survey asked Americans who follow more than one sport to identify on as their favorite. Pro football led at 30 percent, double the total of the second-place sport, baseball, at 15 percent. Close on the heels of baseball was college football (12 percent), giving football overall a prohibitive percent margin over baseball. Since Harris Interactive began asking this question in 1985, pro football has always been on top, and its popularity is now six points higher than it was in 85 (24 percent). Uniform watch: The Bengals will wear white jerseys and black pants at New York. Since 2004, when the Bengals uniforms were redesigned, a number of different color options have been available. Below is the team record since 2004 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 Team captains: Bengals players have voted five of their number as 2008 team captains. The captains are WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, S Dexter Jackson, LB Dhani Jones, QB Carson Palmer and G Bobbie Williams. This is a great representation of the veteran leadership of our team, said head coach Marvin Lewis. It represents a diversity of positions, and we ll be looking to these guys many times for their professionalism in giving direction to the younger segment of our roster. The Bengals also will designate a special teams captain for each week s game. Final four: Only four players remain on the Bengals from the conclusion of the 2002 season, just before Marvin Lewis was hired as head coach. No players remain from the defense of the pre-lewis era. The four survivors are: WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR Chad Ocho Cinco, OT Levi Jones and LS/TE Brad St. Louis. Bengal bites: Last week s loss to Tennessee snapped a four-game Bengals win streak in home openers LS/TE Brad St. Louis is the current roster leader for most Bengals career games played (125); WR Chad Ocho Cinco is second at 110 games, followed by WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (92), K Shayne Page 6

7 (Bengal bites, continued) Graham (82) and DT John Thornton (79)... Ocho Cinco is the roster leader in career Bengals starts (97)... TE Reggie Kelly leads the Bengals roster in most total NFL games (138), with DT John Thornton second (130) and St. Louis third (125)... Kelly also leads the roster in career NFL starts (120), with Thornton second (114)... The heaviest Bengal on the current roster is G Bobbie Williams at 345 pounds; the shortest and lightest Bengal is WR Antonio Chatman (5-8, 185); The tallest Bengals are OT Stacy Andrews and G Andrew Whitworth, both at Half the Bengals regular-season games this year will be against foes who finished in the NFL s top 10 in rushing yards last season... The Bengals were 2-0 in 2007 in games when one player had 25 or more rushing attempts, and they are 20-1 in the last 21 regularseason games with a 25-carry runner. Both of last year s 25-carry games were posted by HB Kenny Watson... DT John Thornton holds the unusual distinction of being the last Bengal to block an opponent s field goal, as well as being the last opponent to block a Bengals field goal. He actually has authored the Bengals last two blocks, a 49-yard attempt by Seattle s Josh Brown on and a 48-yarder by Pittsburgh s Jeff Reed on And the last opponent to block a Bengals field goal attempt was Thornton, playing for Tennessee against Bengals K Neil Rackers on a 35- yard attempt on Since 1994, when the two-point conversion was added to the NFL rulebook, the Bengals are 13- for-34 (38.2 percent), and opponents are 16-for-34 (47.1 percent)... One Bengals player LB Keith Rivers has a different uniform number than he did when the Bengals 2008 Media Guide was published. Rivers, the team s first-round draft pick out of Southern California who previously was assigned No. 58, now wears No. 55. Head coach Marvin Lewis, on the Giants game: We are playing the world champions, who are undefeated at this point. They have played two very efficient football games and they are at home. We know it s going to be another physical challenge. They are running the ball well and they are very good with the passing game. They give a lot of play-action looks and keep the ball vertical. Defensively, they can rush the passer and give you a lot of formation looks as well. Lewis, on whether HB Chris Perry, coming back from a long injury layoff, is still a bit rusty reading holes and hitting them: I think he has been getting better. He s going to need time to get things back to normal. He has to let things happen in front of him, and he did that a lot against Tennessee. He has to let the thing read out and go. That s what running backs do, and the more he plays, the better he ll get. QBs coach Ken Zampese, on Carson Palmer helping his pass blockers: Tennessee s pass rush had seven sacks in their opener, and for them to get around the corner only one time in our game is pretty good. We talked a lot about depth in the pocket last week, and how we re going to help our tackles by not being as deep as we have been. And it worked for us. He got touched around the outside one time. LB Keith Rivers, still looking for his first NFL win: I take it pretty hard, but at the end of the day you have another game and have to have a short memory. You relive every play, especially in a loss, and you really don t get much sleep. But you have a new week and a new opponent, and if you don t focus on that, you won t be better for the next week. You come in here and go over it with the coaches. You get it corrected and move on. If you do anything else, you ll kill yourself with your mind how many times you messed up. Bengals quotes WR Chad Ocho Cinco, on the 08 season: I ve got a lot of making up to do to a lot of people. Not to just my teammates and coaches, (but) from the top all the way down. I made a lot of people mad in the offseason. I ve got to become completely focused. No distractions. I have to stay an attraction and be extraordinary in what I do. Ocho Cinco, on how friend and mentor Ray Lewis of the Ravens offered counsel about Ocho Cinco s offseason discontent: He really made me understand the position I m in; how blessed I am. I m very fortunate. He had me look at it from a different direction. Not just being frustrated by (last) season, but from a different way. There are a lot people that want to play this game and they can t, and I m sitting here fussing about things I really can t control. Houshmandzadeh, on the addition of a healthy Chris Perry to the Bengals backfield: As a receiver, you know if you get the safety blocked, you get him an edge, it can be a touchdown every time. If you re on defense, Chris can make you miss. Lewis, on QB Carson Palmer: Carson is so down-to-earth, you used to think it was almost an act. And he s never changed. He is what he is. That s part of his makeup, and it probably always has been. He s so unflappable. He can focus in and see right through the eye of that storm, and that may be the greatest quality he has. I thinks everybody around him feels the confidence that kind of oozes out of him, and it makes them feel good about things. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, on Palmer: He s one of the most down-to-earth guys I ve met in this league, especially considering how high his station is. He could be such a pain if he wanted to be. But that s just not him. OT Levi Jones, on slow starts and accompanying criticism: The first thing is not listening to the media, seriously. I get back here and get back to work. This is the professional ranks. You have to keep composed. You just have to stay focused. When you stay composed and focused, you re able to move on. You have to have a short memory. Lewis, on emphasizing a better rushing attack in 08: It s important in order for us to go back to being a productive team and being able to close out games. That s blocking the right people, that s carrying the football correctly, that s taking care of the football and not putting ourselves in situations where we re having to move the football almost totally through the air. There will be times, obviously, when we can throw it and make great strides down the field. We can be an impressive football team, and we want to rear back and throw it. But if you get one bad thing happening in that, it can get you out of sync as an offense. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, on the week ahead: I m a bad loser. On Sundays and Mondays, if we lose or don t play good, I m not any fun to be around. I m usually I m OK when it gets down to Wednesdays and Thursdays, because we re focusing so much. But I probably grind harder and harder when we don t do well. Lewis, on LB Dhani Jones: He s an excellent guy in the passing lanes and the passing zones, whether it be zone or man, and he s making a lot of plays and preventing the football from going in some of the areas the offense is trying to get it in. Number one, that will be a great asset to us. Secondly, he s a guy that s got a great command of what s going on. He s seeing the game as the coaches are seeing the game, which makes a big difference when you re out there in the huddle on game days. Page 7

8 (Bengals quotes, continued) S Kyries Hebert, on defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer: Coach Zimmer is probably the toughest defensive coordinator I ve had. He gives me a hard time. All and all, his whole deal is, he doesn t want to necessarily be your friend. But truth be told, I like him. I like his character and all the things he brings to our defense. He stays in my face, he makes me responsible for myself and holds me accountable. I don t want to let down my teammates or Coach Zimmer. Position-by-position roundup Quarterbacks: Fifth-year pro Carson Palmer, voted by his teammates as a 2008 team captain, is the cornerstone of the Bengals roster, a two-time Pro Bowl selection who last season reset his own Bengals records for passing yards (4131) and completions (373). Also last season, Palmer became the fifth-fastest passer in NFL history to reach 100 TDs, hitting the century mark in his 59th game played. But Palmer and his offense are off to a poor start this season, having produced only one TD while averaging just yards per game. Against Tennessee last week, passing in high-wind conditions, Palmer completed 16-of-27 for 134 yards and suffered two INTs with no TD passes. He has three INTs and no TDs on the season, after entering the year with a career edge in TDs to INTs. Fourth-year vet Ryan Fitzpatrick was in the No. 2 QB role for the Tennessee game and relieved Palmer for the offense s final series, but he had no pass attempts. Fitzpatrick closed the preseason with a passer rating. First-year pro Jordan Palmer was the designated third QB on the inactive list for the second straight week and has not played this season. Running backs: Against Tennessee, fifth-year pro Chris Perry had 64 yards on a career-high 21 carries, and he scored his first NFL rushing touchdown by going 13 yards on a fourth-and-one play in the second quarter. Perry is 40-for-106 rushing on the season. Injuries limited Perry to just 22 games and three starts over his first four seasons. Veteran Kenny Watson rushed four-for-14 against the Titans. He is six-for-27 rushing on the season (4.5 avg.) and is two-for-three receiving. Watson led the Bengals last season with a career-high 763 rushing yards and also posted career bests in receptions (52), receiving yards (374) and TDs (seven). Third-year HB DeDe Dorsey saw his first action of the season on offense in the Tennessee game and led the team in yards from scrimmage (59). He led the team in receiving yards, gaining 49 on two catches, including a team season-long 36-yarder. He also had three rushes for 10 yards. Second-year pro Ben Coats was in the No. 1 FB role for the second straight game. He has not had a rush or a reception, but he had one of the key blocks on Chris Perry s 13-yard TD run (on a fourth-and-one situation) in the Tennessee game. Coats played TE as a rookie last season. FB Reagan Maui a, second-year pro signed Sept. 3 as a free agent, has been inactive for Games 1-2. Wide receivers: The Bengals have, for several years, boasted one of the NFL s best starting duos in Chad Ocho Cinco and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. They return for 2008 after both making the Pro Bowl the first time in franchise history that two Bengals WRs were selected for the annual all-star showcase but they each have had modest starts to the season as the offense has struggled overall. Ocho Cinco led the team in receptions (four) against Tennessee, but he was limited to 37 yards. He did, however, establish a new Bengals record for consecutive games with at least one reception (94), breaking a tie with Carl Pickens. Ocho Cinco, who played in his fifth straight Pro Bowl last season, is five-for-59 receiving on the year. Houshmandzadeh had three catches for 26 yards against Tennessee. He leads the team for the season in catches (six) and receiving yards (70), but is far off his pace of last season, when he tied for the NFL receptions lead (112) and had a career-high 1143 yards. Houshmandzadeh missed all four preseason games while rehabbing a hamstring pull. Ocho Cinco missed the last two preseason games due to a shoulder injury suffered Aug. 17 vs. Detroit. Antonio Chatman is in the No. 3 WR role and had his first two catches of the season against Tennessee, gaining 16 yards. Veteran Glenn Holt and rookie Jerome Simpson have played in the first two games but do not have a catch. Simpson saw his first brief action with the offense in the Tennessee contest. Third-round draft choice Andre Caldwell of Florida has been out since the second preseason game with a foot injury. He is questionable for New York. On Aug. 19, the Bengals resigned former Cincinnati WR Chris Henry. He played in the preseason finale at Indy and had three catches for 20 yards, but he will be on NFL suspension for Games 1-4 of the regular season. Tight ends: Ninth-year pro Reggie Kelly is the Bengals rock at TE, a powerful blocker and a locker room leader. He had three catches for 14 yards and is four-for-29 for the season. The offense hopes to present a heightened receiving threat from the TE spot this season with the addition of Ben Utecht, a restricted free agent acquisition from Indianapolis, but Utecht suffered a chest injury early in the first quarter against Tennessee and did not return to action. He has ruled out for New York. Utecht had two catches for 10 yards in the season opener after finishing second on the team in catches (10) and Page 8 receiving yards (108) in preseason. Utecht caught 68-for-741 over the past two seasons for the Colts and was a starter on Indianapolis 2006 season NFL championship club. Ben Coats has played FB in the first two games, but also works with the tight ends. Veteran Brad St. Louis is on the depth chart at TE, but his primary job is as the team s long snapper. St. Louis is tied for the special teams tackles lead for the year, with two. Offensive linemen: The Bengals line returns all five primary starters from last season, a year in which the team established a franchise record for fewest sacks allowed (17). All the starters have played in the first two games. Tennessee logged one sack last week, and the Bengals have allowed three sacks on the season. The starting ROT is fifth-year pro Stacy Andrews, an emerging standout who was designated the team s franchise player for Andrews, an All- American track thrower in college (Mississippi), had scant football experience when the Bengals drafted him in 2004, but he has progressed steadily to become a leading performer. Agile and athletic Levi Jones, a former Bengals first-round draft pick, returns for his seventh season in the starting LOT spot, and looks for a healthier 08 after battling through soreness from knee surgery rehab during much of 07. Jones had one of the key clearing blocks against Tennessee last week as Chris Perry ran for a 13-yard TD on a fourth-and-one play, and earlier in the game, Jones prevented a Bengals turnover by covering a Perry fumble. The Bengals have two stout returning performers at guard in ninth-year vet Bobbie Williams and third-year pro Andrew Whitworth. RG Williams has started 64 of 67 games (including postseason) since joining Cincinnati as a free agent in 2004, with no football-related injuries. His three missed games were due to an emergency appendectomy. Williams has been voted by his teammates as a 2008 team captain. LG Whitworth missed only six of the offense s 1047 snaps last season and has proven to be a reliable front-liner at tackle as well as guard. He would move to the LOT spot in the event of an injury to Jones. Eric Ghiaciuc played and started 12 games at center last season and is in his fourth Bengals campaign in 08. Sixth-year pro Scott Kooistra provides proven depth at both G and OT. Kooistra has played in both games. OT Anthony Collins, Cincinnati s fourth-round 2008 draft pick, made his pro debut in the Tennessee game after being on inactive status at Baltimore. Collins saw some action as an extra blocker in short-yardage plays. Backup C Kyle Cook, a first-year player, made his NFL debut in the Titans game, on special teams. Defensive linemen: DE Antwan Odom, Cincinnati s top unrestricted free agent signee, logged his first Bengals sack and the team s only sack thus far in the Tennessee game. He stripped the ball from QB Kerry Collins (Titans recovered), and the 10-yard loss forced a punt that preceded the Bengals first-half TD drive. Odom had five tackles in the game and has six for the season. He saw limited action in the season opener after missing the entire preseason schedule with a foot injury. Odom had a career-high eight sacks for Tennessee last season and helped lead the Titans to the postseason with a team-best 29 QB pressures. Starting LDT Domata Peko led the line in tackles (eight) against Tennessee, and he leads the line for the season with 16 stops. Peko is a third-year pro who had 65 tackles last year, and he signed a long-term Bengals contract extension in June. Third-year pro Frostee Rucker has made his first two NFL starts this season, opening at RDE, and his seven tackles vs. Tennessee included his third tacklefor-loss of the season. He leads the team in TFLs and has 13 tackles, along with a forced fumble. Rucker was a third-round Bengals draft pick in 2006, but was hampered by injuries in each of his first two seasons. Starting LDE Robert Geathers had six tackles vs. Tennessee and has eight for the season. Starting RDT John Thornton is in his 10th NFL season and his sixth Bengals campaign. He had six tackles vs. Tennessee and has 10 for the season. DT Orien Harris, an Aug. 31 waiver acquisition from New Orleans, has had two tackles in each of the first two games. Fourth-year DE Jonathan Fanene had four tackles vs. Tennessee and has six tackles on the year. DT Pat Sims, a third-round choice in the 08 draft, has been out since suffering a turf toe injury Aug. 17 against Detroit. He has an early listing of questionable for New York. DT Jason Shirley, a fifth-round 08 draftee, has been a game-day inactive for the first two games. Linebackers: MLB Dhani Jones, voted by his teammates as a 2008 team captain, led the team with 15 tackles against Tennessee and now holds the tackles lead for the season (23). The ninth-year vet