WEEKLY NEWS RELEASE OCT. 27, 2015 CINCINNATI BENGALS (6-0) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (4-3)

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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 OCT. 27, 2015 CINCINNATI BENGALS (6-0) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (4-3) Kickoff: 1 p.m. Eastern. Television: CBS broadcast with Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Dan Fouts (analyst) and Evan Washburn (sideline reporter). The game will be aired 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 Bengals Radio Network, led by a triple cast on Cincinnati flagship stations WLW-AM (700), WCKY-AM (ESPN 1530; all sports) and WEBN-FM (102.7). Broadcasters are Dan Hoard (play-by-play) and Dave Lapham (analyst). The game will also be broadcast to a national audience on affiliates of Sports USA Radio. Broadcasters are Larry Kahn (play-by-play), Doug Plank (analyst) and Troy West (sideline reporter). Setting the scene: The Bengals are 6-0, and looking to go 7-0 for the first time. The roadblock is formidable Pittsburgh this week at Heinz Field. The Bengals lead the Steelers by a healthy two-and-one half games in the AFC North Division race. Pittsburgh lost last week at Kansas City, falling to 4-3. But to use a favorite phrase of Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, the Steelers are sure to show up with a full sense of urgency. And their probable starting QB is Ben Roethlisberger, back in the lineup after four missed weeks with a knee injury. Every time this guy gets hurt, he makes this remarkable recovery, said Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther. But I wouldn t t want it any other way. I totally mean that. We re going to have to beat the Steelers with Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback at some point in time this season to get to where we want to go. Why not Sunday? The Bengals had their bye last week. Their last win, at Buffalo on Oct. 18, made them only the third team in franchise history to go 6-0. And the head coach s happy feelings about becoming the first Bengals team since 1988 to go 6-0? Miniscule, Lewis said. We ve got bigger things to do. But the feeling certainly is growing that this Bengals team is more than just pointed toward the playoffs (been there, done that, the last four years). We ve got more key players healthy and doing well than the last few years, said fourth-year WR Marvin Jones, and in the mentality of the team, I feel a difference. I think it comes from looking at the versatility we have. You can t have enough fingers to count the number of players who can change a game, and we expect greatness from all of them. From the defensive side, fourth-year CB Dre Kirkpatrick says: There s something brewing. There s something going on. This is a different team. I haven t played on this team. This is my first time playing on this team. It s not like the other teams. So many people can say a lot different things about what it is, but I just know it s a different team, a different environment. We ve bonded. And the bond has grown over the four years I ve been here. I just see something great happening now. Eighth-year DE Wallace Gilberry, however, offers a note of caution. Each game is a different game, Gilberry said. True enough, we re one of the undefeated teams, but who s to say we can t get beat the next game? You can t focus on the success you ve had. You can t even think about it. All you can do is go out there today, implement this game plan, go out here tomorrow, polish up the game plan, go out here Friday and Saturday and smooth out the game GAME NOTES WEEK 8, GAME 7 SUNDAY, NOV. 1 AT HEINZ FIELD NEXT WEEK: WEEK 9, GAME 8 THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, NOV. 5 VS. CLEVELAND plan, and then Sunday, hopefully, execute it to best of your ability. The Bengals ride wasn t totally smooth in Buffalo as they posted a doubledigit victory margin for the third time in their six outings. Feelings were less than ebullient at halftime, after the Bills drove 86 yards in 14 plays to close within with 0:17 remaining in the second quarter. You never want to see that happen, said Lewis, have them move down the whole field and get back in it. We needed to respond, said QB Andy Dalton. And of course the Bengals did. Overcoming an illegal block penalty when returning the second-half kickoff, they drove 90 yards in eight plays to reestablish a 10-point lead. Four of those plays were Dalton-to-Marvin Jones passes, including a particularly excellent 42-yard connection against double coverage, as well as a 10-yard TD. Marv is just such a talented guy, said Dalton, who posted a passer rating for the game, his fifth above for the season. He s one of the reasons we re different this year (Jones missed all of 2014 with injuries). It s great to have him back. The Bengals stopped Buffalo at its 40 on its first second-half chance, then drove 78 yards in 12 plays, capped by a four-yard TD pass to TE Tyler Eifert, to go up with 1:42 left in the third period. For practical purposes, game over. A very good team doing what very good teams do. We have a lot of good players maturing at the same time, said OT Andrew Whitworth. There s still a long way to go, but I think that s showing. The series: The Steelers lead 56-34, including 1-0 in postseason. The Steelers have won the last three meetings after losing two straight to Cincinnati. Cincinnati s last win was in the first game of the 2013 series, in Cincinnati on Monday Night Football. The Steelers lead in games at Pittsburgh. The only postseason game in series history was in 2005 at Paul Brown Stadium, the Steelers winning in a Wild Card round contest. The Bengals have played more games against the Steelers (90) than any other foe. Cleveland is second in that category at 83, and Tennessee (formerly Houston Oilers) is third at 74. Team bests from the series: Bengals MOST POINTS: 42, in a 42-7 win at Riverfront Stadium in LARGEST VICTORY MARGIN: 35, from the 1988 home win. FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED: 3, in a 27-3 win at Riverfront in Steelers MOST POINTS: 49, in a victory at Riverfront Stadium in LARGEST VICTORY MARGIN: 28 (twice), most recently in a 35-7 win in 2011 at Pittsburgh. FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED: 0 (twice), most recently in a 15-0 win at Three Rivers Stadium in The last meetings: Summaries of the last season s two Bengals- Steelers meetings are on page 17 of this news release. Bengals vs. Big Ben: Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger has an 89.4 passer rating in 23 career games against the Bengals (including postseason). His won-lost record is Roethlisberger has totaled 694 passes against Cincinnati, with 441 completions (65.6 percent) for 5259 yards (228.6 yards per game) with 32 TDs and 21 INTs. 1

2 (Game notes, continued) Tough to tie 13: More than 17 years ago, in a victory over Pittsburgh on Oct. 11, 1998 at Cinergy Field, Bengals WR Carl Pickens had a team-record 13 receptions (for 204 yards). He surpassed a mark of 12 that had been set twice (once by James Brooks and once by himself). And since he caught the 13, there have been eight other instances of a Bengal catching 12 in a game. But Pickens 13-catch game still stands alone. Other Bengals records involving the Steelers include: On Oct. 28, 1973, Pittsburgh S Mike Wagner became the first opponent to intercept three passes in a game against the Bengals. Four players have tied that since. On Nov. 10, 1974 at Cincinnati, QB Ken Anderson set the Bengals record for completion percentage (90.91), hitting 20 of 22 aerials against the Steelers. On Oct at Cincinnati, the Bengals set a team record with eight sacks, all on Pittsburgh s Neil O Donnell. That mark has since been tied once. On Oct. 19, 1995, the Bengals allowed the most yards in franchise history (468) without allowing a TD in a 27-9 win vs. Pittsburgh at Three Rivers Stadium. On Dec. 20, 1998 at Pittsburgh, HB Brandon Bennett set the Bengals record for most receiving yards in a game by a RB, with 119 on three catches. On Oct. 15, 2000, Pittsburgh s Josh Miller tied for the most punts ever against the Bengals with 12. On Dec. 30, 2001 at Cincinnati, Jon Kitna had a Bengals-record 68 pass attempts in an overtime win over the Steelers. BENGALS-STEELERS NFL RANKINGS BENGALS STEELERS SCORING (AVERAGE POINTS): Points scored...4th (30.3) T-8th (22.6) Points allowed...9th (20.3) 5th (18.7) NET OFFENSE (AVERAGE YARDS): Total... 3rd (410.3) 19th (348.1) Rushing...12th (122.2) 9th (127.1) Passing...5th (288.2) 26th (221.0) NET DEFENSE (AVERAGE YARDS): Total... 22nd (370.7) 24th (376.6) Rushing...16th (109.2) 8th (99.7) Passing... 21st (261.5) 27th (276.9) TURNOVERS: Differential... T-10th (plus-three) T-10th (plus-3) Individually vs. Steelers: Bengals WR A.J. Green logged a thencareer-high 224 receiving yards in last year s first game against Pittsburgh. His 11 receptions included an 81-yard TD. His totals were more modest in last year s second game against the Steelers, but he still led all players in receptions (eight) and led the Bengals in receiving yards (82). Green s 224 yards in last year s first game ranks third for most receiving yards in a game in Bengals history, trailing only Chad Johnson s 260 vs. San Diego in 2006 and Green s 227 earlier this season at Baltimore. Green s eight-game career totals against the Steelers include 53 receptions for 687 yards (13.0, 85.9 per game), with four TDs. Other Bengals past offensive performances for Cincinnati against Pittsburgh include: QB Andy Dalton: Eight games; 162-for-279 passing (58.1 percent) for 1744 yards (218.0 yards per game), with 11 TDs and seven INTs (79.2 rating). HB Giovani Bernard: Four games; 30 rushes for 95 yards (3.2) with two TDs; 13 receptions for 105 yards (8.1) with two TDs; Bernard s seven receptions (for 56 yards) in last year s second game against Pittsburgh was his receptions high for the season. HB Jeremy Hill: Two games; 31 rushes for 146 yards (4.7); Five receptions for 31 yards (6.2); Hill rushed 23-for-100 and added two receptions for 10 yards in last year s game at Pittsburgh. HB Cedric Peerman: Eight games; Two rushes for five yards (2.5) with one TD; Peerman scored his first NFL TD on a five-yard run in 2012 game at Cincinnati. HB Rex Burkhead: Two games; No offensive statistics. H-back Ryan Hewitt: Two games; three receptions for 31 yards (10.3). WR Mohamed Sanu: Five games; 14 catches for 119 yards (8.5). WR Marvin Jones; Four games; 13 receptions for 148 yards (11.4) with one TD; Jones did not play against Pittsburgh last season, missing the entire campaign with injuries. 2 WR Brandon Tate: Eight games; Four catches for 48 yards (12.0). WR Greg Little: One game; One reception for six yards. TE Tyler Eifert: Two games; Six receptions for 99 yards (16.5) with one TD; Eifert s 61-yard reception against Pittsburgh in 2013 stands as the longest by a Bengals TE since 2004; Eifert missed both of last season s Pittsburgh games due to injuries. Bengals seek to tie road win mark: The Bengals are 3-0 on the road this season, with wins at Oakland, Baltimore and Buffalo. With a win this week, they ll tie the franchise record for consecutive road wins within a season. The record of four has been accomplished six times, including last season. The Bengals record for consecutive road wins regardless of seasons is five, begun in the 2008 season finale and continued with the first four road games of Bengals claim red-zone lead: While the Bengals took a bye last weekend, a number of NFL offenses struggled in the red zone. Cincinnati s 71.4 percent red-zone touchdown rate ranked fifth in the league entering Week 7 play, but entering Week 8 the Bengals are tied with New England for first place in the NFL. Cincinnati s offense was a red-zone terror at Buffalo, scoring touchdowns on all four of its opportunities. The offense needed to run only seven total plays inside the Bills 20 to net the four scores. Here s a recap of the snaps inside the zone: First quarter (one play): 13-yard TD pass to Jeremy Hill. Second quarter (one play): 17-yard TD run by Giovani Bernard. Third quarter (two plays): Six-yard run by Bernard; 10-yard TD pass to Marvin Jones. Third quarter (three plays): 12-yard rush by Bernard; One-yard rush by Bernard; Four-yard TD pass to Tyler Eifert. The Cincinnati offense has 20 TDs in 28 red-zone possessions. The Bengals are tied for the NFL lead in total red-zone TDs, with New England and Arizona. Cincinnati s defense allowed touchdowns on each of Buffalo s two red-zone chances, but the defense ranks sixth in the NFL for the season in TD percentage (46.2), with only six of 13 chances resulting in TDs. BENGALS RED-ZONE REPORT OFFENSE DEFENSE Inside-20 possessions: 28 Inside-20 possessions: 13 Total scores: 24 (85.7%) Total scores: 12 (92.3%) TDs: 20 (71.4%) TDs: 6 (46.2%) FGs: 4 (14.3%) FGs: 6 (46.2%) TD% rank: T-1st TD% rank: 5th No scores: 4 (14.3%) No scores: 1 (7.7%) STEELERS RED-ZONE REPORT OFFENSE DEFENSE Inside-20 possessions: 19 Inside-20 possessions: 22 Total scores: 19 (100.0%) Total scores: 19 (86.4%) TDs: 13 (68.4%) TDs: 12 (54.5% FGs: 6 (31.6%) FGs: 7 (31.8%) TD% rank: 4th TD% rank: T-15th No scores: 0 (0.0%) No scores: 3 (13.6%) Bengals-Steelers connections: Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis grew up in McDonald, Pa., near Pittsburgh. Lewis first NFL coaching job was with the Steelers as LBs coach from under head coach Bill Cowher. He also coached at the University of Pittsburgh from Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was defensive backs coach for the University of Cincinnati from Steelers wide receivers coach Richard Mann coached at the University of Louisville from Steelers inside linebackers coach Jerry Olsavsky was with the Bengals as a player in the 1998 preseason... Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger is from Cory Rawson, Ohio (Findlay HS) and played in college at Miami (Ohio)... Steelers LB James Harrison played for the Bengals in 2013 and is from Akron, Ohio... Steelers QB Bruce Gradkowski (reserved/injured) played for the Bengals from Five Steelers OT Mike Adams (reserve/pup), S Will Allen, DE Cameron Heyward, CB Doran Grant (practice squad) and LB Ryan Shazier played at Ohio State; Adams went to high school in the Columbus, Ohio area (Dublin Coffman), and Allen is from Dayton, Ohio (Wayne HS)... Steelers RB Le Veon Bell is from Reynoldsburg, Ohio... Steelers WR Dri Archer went to Kent State... Steelers FB Roosevelt Nix went to Kent State and is from Reynoldsburg, Ohio... Steelers S Mike Mitchell is from Fort Thomas, Ky. (Highlands HS) and played at Ohio

3 (Bengals-Steelers connections, continued) University... Steelers CB William Gay, OT Byron Stingily, and WR Eli Rogers (reserved/injured list) played at Louisville... Steelers K Shaun Suisham (reserved/injured list) played at Bowling Green... Steelers FB Will Johnson is from Dayton, Ohio (Centerville HS)... Bengals LB Chris Carter played for the Steelers from Bengals DE Will Clarke is from Pittsburgh (Taylor Allerdice HS)... Bengals defensive line coach Jay Hayes and Bengals tight ends Marvin Lewis has the most wins of any Bengals coach, and by a wide margin. His 106 total is good for a margin of 42 over Sam Wyche (64). Lewis record is in the regular season and including postseason. Lewis in 2015 extends his tenure to 13 seasons, also a Bengals record, and in April of 15, he signed a contract extension through 16. He has led the team to the postseason in five of the last six years, including four straight. The Bengals are one of only four NFL teams to be in the playoffs every year since 2011, and they are one of only five to qualify as many as five times in the last six years. In total, Lewis has coached six Bengals playoff teams, another franchise record. Paul Brown is second in the category, with three. Lewis has coached three division champions, one more than Paul Brown and Sam Wyche. The Bengals logged their third straight season of double-digit wins in 2014, finishing Cincinnati closed a half-game behind Pittsburgh in the AFC North Division and went to the playoffs as the first Wild Card, falling at AFC South champion Indianapolis. In 2013, Lewis led an 11-5 season, winning the AFC North by three games over both Baltimore and Pittsburgh. In a 2009 title season in which the Bengals swept all six division games and won the North title, Lewis was the consensus choice as NFL Coach of the Year. Lewis also led Cincinnati to an AFC North title in Lewis ranks second in the NFL in longest current tenure with one team, trailing only Bill Belichick, who is in his 16th straight season with New England. In the category of most seasons as an active NFL head coach with one or more teams, Lewis in 2014 ranks sixth. Lewis was named the ninth head coach in Bengals history on Jan. 14, In 02, he directed the NFL s fifth-ranked defense with Washington, serving as assistant head coach in addition to his role as defensive coordinator. Prior to his year with the Redskins, he was a record-setting defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. His six seasons with the Ravens ( ) included a Super Bowl victory following the 00 season. In the 00 season, Lewis Baltimore defense set the NFL record for fewest points allowed in a 16-game campaign (165), and the 00 Ravens are always included in discussions of the best singleseason NFL defenses of all time. Dalton rests and takes passing lead: Cincinnati s Andy Dalton emerged from the bye week as the NFL s leading passer, with a rating. Aaron Rodgers of Green Bay is second (115.9) and Tom Brady of New England is third (113.2). Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger, expected to play against the Bengals this week after missing four games with a knee injury, is at but has temporarily fallen from the ratings due to lack of attempts. Dalton entered the bye weekend in second place, trailing Brady, but Brady was held to a 94.3 rating in New England s win over the Jets, and Brady s season rating fell from to Brady fell to third place, as Aaron Rodgers of Green Bay moved into second, holding his through a Packers bye weekend. This is Dalton s first week of the season to lead the league. The last Bengal to win an AFC season passing title was Boomer Esiason, at a 92.1 number that sounds modest by today s standards. The last Bengal to win an NFL passing title also was Esiason, at 97.4 in For the fourth straight week, Dalton leads the NFL in fourth-quarter passing (146.3). Brady is second at Dalton ranks fifth in third-down passing, at up from a seventh-place ranking entering the bye week. Dalton s high rank in the ratings comes from a balanced performance in relevant categories. He s first in average gain per attempt (9.12), second in yards per team game (293.5). He s sixth in touchdowns (14), and that s slightly skewed due to byes. He s fourth in touchdowns per team game (2.3). He s tied for second in fewest INTs (two). Dalton is third in differential between TD passes and INTs (plus-12), with Brady first (plus-15,16-1) and Rodgers second (plus-13, 15-2). 6-and-0: The 6-0 Bengals have tied the franchise record for longest unbeaten start to open a season. THE HEAD COACHES BENGALS NOTES 3 coach Jonathan Hayes are brothers who grew up in South Fayette, Pa. Jonathan Hayes played TE for the Steelers from , and Jay Hayes was on the Steelers coaching staff from Bengals assistant head coach/offensive line coach Paul Alexander coached at Penn State from Bengals strength and conditioning coach Chip Morton coached at Penn State from Bengals offensive quality control/assistant offensive line coach Brian Braswell worked with the Steelers prior to the 2010 season as part of the NFL s Bill Walsh Minority Internship coaching program. Lewis entered the NFL as linebackers coach with Pittsburgh from , guiding the careers of Pro Bowl selections Kevin Greene, Chad Brown, Levon Kirkland and Greg Lloyd. Born Sept. 23, 1958, in McDonald, Pa., near Pittsburgh, Lewis played linebacker at Idaho State and earned All-Big Sky Conference honors in each of his three seasons ( 78-80). He began his coaching career as an assistant at Idaho State University in Mike Tomlin is in his eighth season as Steelers head coach. His record is 91-53, including 5-4 in postseason. He led the Steelers to the AFC North Division championship last year at 11-5, a half-game ahead of the Bengals. In 2010, Tomlin s Steelers won the AFC North championship and reached the second Super Bowl of his tenure. The Steelers lost that Super Bowl to Green Bay, but they defeated Arizona under Tomlin in Super Bowl XLIII, after the 2008 season. In that game, Tomlin became the youngest head coach (36 years, 323 days) to win a Super Bowl. He is the only head coach in Steelers history to win a division title in each of his first two seasons. In 2006, Tomlin was defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, directing a unit that ranked eighth in the NFL in fewest yards allowed and first in fewest rushing yards. He spent the previous five seasons ( ) as defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His secondary recorded four interceptions in Tampa Bay s victory over Oakland in Super Bowl XXXVII. Tomlin has a Cincinnati connection, having coached DBs for the University of Cincinnati in A native of Hampton, Va., he played WR at William & Mary from and caught a school-record 20 TD passes. Lewis vs. Steelers: Steelers lead, Lewis vs. Tomlin: Tomlin leads, Tomlin vs. Bengals: Tomlin leads, Sam Wyche s 1988 team went 6-0 before losing at New England. The Bengals finished 12-4 and went on to win the AFC Championship. Paul Brown s 1975 team went 6-0 before losing at home to Pittsburgh. That club finished 11-3, for the best winning percentage in franchise history (.786) and earned a Wild Card berth. It is Pittsburgh which will have the chance to stop this year s Bengals from reaching 7-0, in a Nov. 1 game at Heinz Field. AFC North race: The Bengals have a two-and-one-half game lead over Pittsburgh in the AFC North Division. In addition to their meeting this Sunday, the Bengals and Steelers will play this season on Dec. 13 at Cincinnati. Here s the AFC North picture, looking ahead through Week 9. TEAM W-L PCT. DIV. NEXT TWO WEEKS Cincinnati at Pittsburgh; vs. Cleveland (Thurs.) Pittsburgh vs. Cincinnati; vs. Oakland Cleveland vs. Arizona; at Cincinnati (Thurs.) Baltimore vs. San Diego; BYE Touchdown tandem: Even though the Bengals didn t play last week, TE Tyler Eifert and HB Jeremy Hill came out of the weekend still tied for the AFC lead in touchdowns (six). But they did acquire some company, after being the only two AFCers with six TDs entering the bye week. Also now at six are New England TD Rob Gronkowski and Jacksonville WR Allen Robinson. The NFL does not track the last time two players from the same team shared the conference TDs lead this late in a season, but it has been 44 years since teammates ended a season ranked 1-2 in either conference in six-pointers. In 1971, Dallas Duane Thomas led the NFC with 13 TDs, and teammate Calvin Hill

4 (Touchdown tandem, continued) was second with 11. The NFL touchdown leader is RB Devonta Freeman of Atlanta, with 10. Leaguewide, eight players are tied for second at six. Pound it, baby: The Bengals rank fourth in the NFL in rushing attempts per game (30.5). They rank 11th in rushing yards per game, but for now, that s an acceptable numbers juxtaposition for offensive coordinator Hue Jackson. I know we have to run the ball, and we will continue to run the ball, Jackson says. We re never going to shy away from that. Jackson, though known for his many offensive innovations, has preached stressing the run since he took over as offensive coordinator after the 2013 season. Last season, the Bengals ranked fifth in the NFL in rushing attempts and sixth in rushing yards. We can run the ball better, Jackson says. But how we run it, whether it s two backs, one back, six backs, I don t care, we ll find a way. You have to have enough attempts against really good football teams because if not, too many things can happen to your quarterback that are not fair and fun. The top three teams in rushing attempts per game are Carolina (32.8), the N.Y. Jets (32.0) and Seattle (30.6). Dunlap tied for NFL sacks lead: After a week in undisputed possession of the NFL sacks lead, Bengals DE Carlos Dunlap emerges from the bye week in a tie for the lead, at 6.5. Also at 6.5 are New England DE Chandler Jones and Seattle DE Michael Bennett. Going forward, Dunlap and Jones have an edge on Bennett, as the Bengals and Patriots each have 10 games still to play, while Seattle has only nine. Dunlap had 1.5 sacks in Cincinnati s most recent outing, Oct. 18 at Buffalo. Sacks have been an official NFL statistic since only 1982, and the Bengals have never had an AFC or NFL leader for a full season. The highest rank for a Bengal in the NFL has been sixth (DT Geno Atkins with 12.5 in 2012), and the highest Bengals rank in the AFC has been fourth (Atkins fourth in 12, and DE Jim Skow tied for fourth in 1988 with 9.5). Dunlap is on an early pace for 17.5 sacks (rounded up from a projection of 17.3). That would be the most by a Bengal in the official era, topping 13.0 by DE Eddie Edwards in The Bengals date the club s own sacks records to a starting point of 1976, and the Cincinnati record is 22.0 by DE Coy Bacon in 76. Edwards 13.0 is second in Bengals annals. At Buffalo, Dunlap teamed with DT Brandon Thompson to sack E.J. Manuel at the scrimmage line in the second quarter, and he caught Manuel solo for a seven-yard loss in the fourth quarter. Those were the two Bengals sacks for the game. Dunlap also leads the team in total QB hits (13) and total tackles-for-loss (seven). He leads the line in tackles (24), ranked tied for fifth on the team. And though Dunlap does not have a forced or recovered fumble yet this season, he has 10 career forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries, tops on the current team in both categories. The Bengals as a team have 17 sacks and are tied for seventh in the NFL in sacks-per-team-game (2.83). Atkins third inside: Bengals DT Geno Atkins ranks fourth in the NFL in sacks by interior linemen (4.0), and he s only one sack off the lead. He trails Kawann Short of Carolina (5.0), Aaron Donald of St. Louis (4.5) and Gerald McCoy of Tampa Bay (4.5). All four leaders play for teams that have already had their bye. Atkins is on pace for 11.0 sacks on the season (rounded up from a projection of 10.7). Though the Bengals have not had an overall sacks season leader in conference or league, Atkins led NFL interior linemen by a wide margin with his 12.5 sacks in 2012, and Atkins tied for the league s interior line lead in 2011, when he had 7.5. On Atkins, head coach Marvin Lewis adds: I think Geno in particular has been playing the run exceptionally well. I think that always gets a little underrated in Geno s case. I thought he had an excellent year last year playing the run, and this year he came back much stronger in his lower body, and you see that in his play. He understands our run fits and what he needs to get done. If they try to single-block him in the running game, we know the ball is coming back to us. Dunlap on the D-line: Last year we didn t have the rotation (of ingame personnel) that we had the few years before that, says Bengals DE Carlos Dunlap. We had some guys injured at times, and we didn t have Mike 4 (Johnson) or Pat (Sims). And now we ve got year two from young Will (Clarke), who maybe wasn t quite ready to get his feet wet last year, and last year we had Wallace (Gilberry) playing nose in some run situations, and that s not really what we want. Having this rotation back and keeping guys healthy is going to be huge for us. And, Dunlap continued, there s Geno (Atkins). Geno s obviously got his confidence back. Coming from the first career devastating injury, it takes a little while to get that back. This year I feel like he s going to make the cuts and play on his knee like the injury never happened. Having Geno back to his normal ways, that should give us 10 sacks alone. Then hopefully I can top him. I want to lead the league. That s my goal every year. So whoever the leader is, I m trying to have one more than him. Pass pro second in NFL: The Bengals have allowed only six sacks, second-fewest in the NFL behind the N.Y. Jets (four). At this point the Bengals have played one fewer game than 16 teams, but Cincinnati also ranks second, behind the Jets, in sacks allowed per team game (1.0). The Bengals allowed no sacks in their last game, Oct. 18 at Buffalo. It was their fourth game of the season with no sacks allowed. I didn t feel like I got hit at all the whole game, said QB Andy Dalton. Great job by my guys. Cincinnati s only games with sacks allowed have been Sept. 27 at Baltimore (two) and Oct. 11 vs. Seattle (four). The Bengals are on an early pace to allow 16 sacks for the season, which would beat the club record of 17, set in Many factors go into effective pass protection, and the contributions of players like H-back Ryan Hewitt, HB Giovani Bernard and TE Tyler Eifert may sometimes go undervalued. But the core of pass protection is the offensive line, which is getting the job done not only with talent, but with the way they work together. Chemistry? I m not sure I can describe it, but I just know we have it, says OL coach Paul Alexander. You want to sign guys up to your team that are natural, tough, selfless guys. I think if you get enough of guys like that together, eventually they ll mold together. They have to be smart. Our meetings are more like seminars. We kind of watch the film and throw it around and bounce ideas. You can only do that with smart guys. Andrew Whitworth has been Cincinnati s primary starting LOT since 2009, and Andre Smith has been his ROT bookend since Clint Boling has been the starting LG since 2011, and Kevin Zeitler has been at RG since The only relative newcomer in the starting five is C Russell Bodine, who s starting for his second season. Eric Winston is a veteran reserve (121 career NFL starts) who joined the Bengals last season and started the last four games and the Wild Card playoff at ROT, with Smith out due to injury. Rookie OT/G Jake Fisher has contributed as the big tight end in extra-blocker formations his 31-yard reception on Sept. 20 vs. San Diego was the longest by an NFL offensive lineman since 1988 and second-year pro T.J. Johnson backs up Bodine at center. Head coach Marvin Lewis says the starting line s chemistry is visually apparent in position meetings. They sit in meetings the way they line up, Lewis says. The center sits there in the middle, and then the right guard, the right tackle, the left guard, the left tackle all in their places. That s the way they sit, that s the way they do things, because they always have to see things the same way. When you have guys who need to work in conjunction with each other, the chemistry is not underrated. It s part of it. It s very, very important. We ve got a good group, and a strong, strong foundation in that room and in this building. Fourth in sack differential: With a plus-11 differential in sacks (17 by defense, six against offense), the Bengals rank fourth-best in the NFL this week. The top three are Denver at plus-14 (26-12), Green Bay at plus-12 (23-11) and St. Louis at plus-12 (23-11). Eifert on pace for history: Six games into the 2015 season, Tyler Eifert is on pace to log the most catches, receiving yards and touchdowns for a year by any Bengals tight end. Eifert had a modest output in the Bengals last outing, Oct. 18 at Buffalo, catching four-for-30. But included in that was a four-yard TD catch that essentially sealed Buffalo s doom, giving Cincinnati a lead late in the third quarter. For the season, Eifert is second on the team in catches (28) and receiving yards (342), and he s tied with HB Jeremy Hill for the team lead in TDs (six). Eifert s TD total projects to 16, along with Hill, and 16 would tie FB Pete Johnson (1981) for the second-most season TDs by any player in Bengals

5 (Eifert on pace for history, continued) history, behind only WR Carl Pickens 17 in 95. The most season TDs by a Bengals pure TE has been nine, by Rodney Holman in 1989 (Bob Trumpy had nine TD catches in 69, but he was listed as a TE/WR.) Eifert s yardage total projects to 912, which would break the Bengals TE record of 910 set by Dan Ross in 1988, and Eifert s catch total projects to 75, which would break Ross TE record of 71 in 88. Eifert s six TDs lead all NFL tight ends, and Eifert (also Hill) is tied for second among all NFL players in TDs. Eifert and Hill are among four AFC players with six TDs. Arguably, Tyler s the best tight end I ve ever been around, says offensive coordinator Hue Jackson. He s physically tougher than people think he s tough as nails. He blocks better than people think, and of course he can catch the ball with anybody. Great hands, and great moves and speed for a guy his size (6-5, 250). The sky truly is the limit for this guy. The 2013 first-round draft choice showed his blocking prowess at Buffalo, with a key block on Giovani Bernard s 17-yard TD run in the second quarter. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who played 11 years in the NFL and caught 70 or more passes in six seasons, including a Bengals-record 112 in 2007, also had unusually high praise for Eifert after working with the Bengals as an intern assistant coach this past spring. Every time I see that guy run a route, I can t believe it, Houshmandzadeh said. I can t believe that man. He s too big to be moving like that. That s crazy. Eifert had a good rookie season, working with veteran TE Jermaine Gresham in a two-te base offense. He caught 39 passes for 445 yards and two TDs. But he played only eight snaps last season. On the third of his three catches for 37 yards in the season opener at Baltimore, he suffered elbow injury that would put him out for the remainder of the season. QB Andy Dalton looks forward to seeing Eifert use his many tools against smaller defenders who aren t that much faster than No. 85. He s a big matchup mismatch for us, Dalton said. The more that he can do, the better we ll be. Andy s big response: The Bengals needed a strong second-half start in their last outing, Oct. 18 at Buffalo, and no one proved more instrumental in making sure they got it than QB Andy Dalton. Buffalo had made it very much a game just before halftime, driving 86 yards for a TD that closed Cincinnati s lead to But Dalton opened the third quarter by leading an eight-play, 90-yard TD drive, overcoming a kickoff return penalty that put the ball at the Cincinnati 10. And the second time the Bengals got the ball, Dalton took the offense 78 yards in 12 plays for a lead. He capped both drives with TD passes, going 10 yards to WR Marvin Jones and then four yards to TE Tyler Eifert. On the two drives, Dalton completed nine-of-12 for 129 yards with the two TDs, good for a passer rating of He had four completions to WR Marvin Jones, three to WR A.J. Green, one to H-back Ryan Hewitt and one to WR Mohamed Sanu. Our goal on offense is to put pressure on the defense from various points and force them to defend the whole field, said head coach Marvin Lewis. If they re doubling A.J., as we saw a lot from the Bills, it s going to create one-onone opportunities elsewhere on the field. The quarterback has to do a good job orchestrating where the ball is going to go, and Andy did a great job in those situations. We needed a strong response after letting Buffalo get the touchdown they did at the end of the (first) half, and it was a great job. Andy the comeback king: Chalk up Bengals QB Andy Dalton for two superb comeback wins during the Bengals 6-0 start, the kind of wins that mark a QB as a leader and an overall winner. In Week 3 at Baltimore, Dalton was the ultimate counterpuncher. He may have seemed down for the count after the Ravens sacked him in the third quarter, forcing a fumble they returned for a TD and a lead. But as the Cincinnati Enquirer said in a sports page one headline, When there were questions, Dalton answered. He struck back with an 80-yard TD to WR A.J. Green to erase the deficit, and he led an 80-yard drive, all on passes, to later erase a Baltimore lead. It provided the winning points in a decision. Dalton has now led three straight fourth-quarter comeback wins against the Ravens, and he really did it twice, because he led the Bengals back from deficits of and 24-21, both in the game s final seven minutes. And Oct. 11 vs. Seattle, the two-time defending NFC champion and 2013 Super Bowl winner, Dalton led the Bengals back from a 24-7 deficit after three quarters to a overtime win. He completed 13 of 15 passes for 135 yards in 5 the fourth quarter and overtime. He threw a 10-yard TD pass to TE Tyler Eifert, scored himself on a physical five-yard run and led the team to two field goals. Asked after the game if this is the most confident you ve felt in your pro career, Dalton said: Absolutely. Every year that you play and every game you play, you hope to get better, and when you get wins like this, it adds to your confidence. I feel really good about this team and where we are. In the fourth quarter, I m walking up and down the sideline, first off saying to our defense, Let s get a stop and get the ball back. And with our (offensive) guys, we don t have to do anything but play our game. We don t have to try to make bigger plays than we need to, and I just have to get them to stick to our offense. Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson had this to say about Dalton s demeanor in the double-comeback win at Baltimore: There was a calmness. There was a veteran player who had been through the wars, who had been through a lot of things here, who looked me in the eye and said, OK, Coach, let s go. Don t even worry about it. That s how it was, and that s what I ve been looking for. So it s there. And now it will pay off for us in the long run. On Dalton s growth as a leader, head coach Marvin Lewis says: Andy s always had that poise, Lewis said. He s had only rare occasions where he let one bad play lead to another. To me, that s what makes Andy Dalton tick. He hasn t changed, but the other guys have raised their level around him. When things don t quite go their way, they are mentally tough enough to do the things that let Andy do his thing. If a quarterback doesn t have that, that s when (the criticism) all seems to come down on him. Andy the change agent: Bengals QB Andy Dalton has great statistics this season, but much of the praise he s earning from coaches and teammates comes from something fans can t always see his knowledge of the offense and ability to successfully change or alter play calls in the huddle or at the scrimmage line. On Oct. 11 vs. Seattle, Dalton audibled into the keeper that produced a fiveyard TD run during Cincinnati s fourth-quarter comeback. Dalton bulled his way past a tackler into the end zone, but more than that, it was his game-sense that keyed the score. There was a good look, Dalton said. Everything was wide open on the inside, and it gave me an opportunity to just take it myself. You get these looks, you ve practiced against them throughout the week, and we got it and executed it exactly how we wanted to. In the Oct. 4 Bengals win over Kansas City, head coach Marvin Lewis said, The runs Andy got us in and out of were great. Says Dalton: It s great that the coaches have the confidence in me to let me run things out there according to how things are going. Coordinator Hue Jackson puts it like this: There used to be a time you would just play system football; whatever coach calls, that s what you do. But to be good in this league and to be really good, you have to be bright enough, smart enough and understand what you are trying to accomplish when the defense changes. Andy is well-schooled that way. That s something that takes time on his part, a lot of time on the coach s part, and he does it as well as anybody I ve ever been around. He has taken himself to another level. Dalton also is better this season improvising with his feet. In the Kansas City game, he roamed from pressure in the pocket to hit HB Rex Burkhead for a 27- yard completion and WR Brandon Tate for a 55-yard TD. In the Sept. 27 comeback win at Baltimore, he spotted HB Giovani Bernard after nearly being sacked and hit Bernard with a short pass that resulted in a big gain en route to the winning TD. Andy s playing out his mind, says WR A.J. Green. But we all know what type of guy he is. He s just like a commander out there. He knows what they are going to run, what plays to check to get us in the best play possible. We trust Andy, said TE Tyler Eifert. He s always at the facility studying. He gets us into the right play. We trust him and we know he s a great quarterback. We believe in him and that s what we expect him to do. Andy the road warrior: Cincinnati s Oct. 18 win at Buffalo was QB Andy Dalton s 22nd career road victory. With a win this week at Pittsburgh, Dalton would move into a tie for first place (since the 1970 merger) for most road wins by a visiting QB in his first five NFL seasons. The record is currently shared at 23 by Dan Marino, Ben Roethlisberger and Matt Ryan. And with a win at Pittsburgh, Dalton would have four more chances this season to move into first place in the category. Dalton has 13 losses on the road, and a winning percentage of.629.

6 (Bengals notes, continued) Andy the leader: OT Andrew Whitworth has this to say about QB Andy Dalton: The thing that strikes me about No. 14 is that every single season, I see him become better at something else. This year it s been leadership and taking control. He s doing a great job with it. If he continues to lead us that way, there s plenty of talent on this side of the football for us to be really good. One of the things Andy doesn t get enough credit for is how he changes things all the time. One of the things that has made this offense successful is Andy s ability to get us into the right play. Dalton s platform for leadership includes the following other accomplishments since joining the Bengals as a second-round draft choice in 2011: He is only the second starting QB in the Super Bowl era (along with Baltimore s Joe Flacco) to lead playoff teams his first four seasons. He has never missed a start in 74 career opportunities, including postseason. His 70 consecutive regular-season starts is a Bengals record, topping 61 by Boomer Esiason from His regular-season winning percentage of.664 ( record) is the best of any Bengals QB with 10 or more starts. He holds club records for passing yards (4293) and TD passes (33), both set in His career 19.0-to-1 ratio of TD passes to INTs (76-4) in the red zone ranks second among active NFL passers. He is the only Bengals passer to throw for 300-plus yards in four consecutive games (2013). Andy s excellent vacation: QB Andy Dalton s strong start to the season can be attributed in part to his spending offseason time for the second straight year with noted QB instructor Tom House. I think that s the key to a pro s pro, said head coach Marvin Lewis. A guy who wants to be at the top of his game has to spend time on himself all year long, just like a professional golfer does. They go to different people all the time, they re always searching for answers and wondering, What is out there that can make me better? You re not trying to re-invent the wheel, but thinking, What you can do to enhance the things you currently do and make you a better player, and make you more efficient at your job? Turning over those stones is an important part in Andy s maturity and development moving forward. Dalton wasn t taking a repeat course this past offseason. He was moving to a new level. I started where I left off the year before, he said. I was farther along with everything we were doing when I went back. That s where I want to be. I m able to do a lot of the more advanced stuff they have because I have a good understanding for what we are doing. It s not stuff that is strange or different. Just working core, shoulders, and getting everything working for you so you get everything into the throw. Asked where he hoped to see the sessions pay the most dividends in 2015, Dalton said: Mechanically staying sound throughout the whole year. Sometimes you get into the mid-to-late season, and you ve been so focused on defenses and the mental side of it, you may not take as much time thinking mechanically and making sure everything is in sync. That s where I m really trying to use it; to make sure I have everything going for me toward the end of the season. I feel like I ve done the stuff enough now where it s muscle memory. Talking back and forth with them, doing things, and doing them right. I ve done it enough now that it s muscle memory. Andy and the next generation: Andy Dalton has had his share of statistically rubbing elbows with the greats. In 2012, he nudged in right behind Peyton Manning and Dan Marino for most TD passes by a QB in his first two seasons. In 2013, he joined Manning (and also Cam Newton) as the only passers to top 3000 yards each of their first three seasons. He has surpassed Manning, Marino, Brett Favre and others in leading consecutive playoff finishes (four) from his rookie year onward. (And he started with a team that went 4-12 the season before). Through Week 7 of this season, he leads the NFL in passing (116.1 rating), with Aaron Rodgers of Green Bay and Tom Brady of New England in the 2-3 spots. Is Dalton yet the equal of Marino, Manning, Favre, Rodgers etc.? No. But he s 27. His time and others could be coming. You get compared to guys like Peyton, who s 39, Brady who s 38, Rodgers who s 31, Dalton says. Then there s that next group that s got to come up, and that s kind of what I m part of. My goal is to be like one of those guys whenever 6 that time comes. Though Dalton hasn t yet won a playoff game, Manning needed his first five seasons ( ) to lead the Indianapolis Colts to three playoff berths, and the Colts were eliminated in the first round all three times ( 99, 00, 02). Manning led his first playoff wins (two) in 2003, his sixth season as a Colt. Dalton holds second in red zone: After a long run of ranking third among active players in career ratio of red-zone TD passes to interceptions, Andy Dalton moved into second place after the Oct. 11 Seattle game and has been there since. Dalton s ratio is 19.8-to-1, trailing only Aaron Rodgers of Green Bay. Andy s performance in this area is the type of thing we ve come to expect from him, said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. He s not only a fine talent, but a smart player who is going to avoid the big mistake. We ve got a lot of confidence in Andy when we get the ball into scoring range. Here are the active NFL leaders in the category of TD-INT ratio on red-zone plays (minimum 25 TDs): PLAYER, CURRENT TEAM TD INT RATIO Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay to-1 Andy Dalton, Cincinnati to-1 Tom Brady, New England to-1 Russell Wilson, Seattle to-1 Alex Smith, Kansas City to-1 Green s 227 tops NFL in 15: WR A.J. Green s career-best 227 receiving yards on Sept. 27 at Baltimore stands through Week 7 as the highest total in the NFL for The No. 2 total is 196, by Arizona s John Brown on Oct. 18 at Pittsburgh. The last season in which a Bengal had the most receiving yards in a game for a full NFL season was 1998, when Carl Pickens had 204 vs. Pittsburgh. Green faced frequent double-teaming in the Bengals last outing, Oct. 18 at Buffalo, and settled for four catches and 36 yards while the offense made hay with WR Marvin Jones (nine-for-95). Green has 531 yards on the season, and after not playing end due to the bye, he has fallen to tied for 12th in the NFL in total receiving yards. But in receiving yards per team game (88.5), he ranks eighth. Green leads the Bengals for the season in catches (35), as well as in receiving yards. Bottom line, it s clear he s back, as good or better than ever after having his production drop off just a tad during an injury-nagged 2014 season. Through six games, Green is on pace for 93 catches and 1416 yards. Opponents may continue choosing to limit Green by putting themselves at risk against other receivers, but that s part of the problem in playing the unbeaten Bengals, and unlike some receivers across the league, Green has a long track record of not focusing on his own numbers. We re winning, and we have a lot of offensive weapons, which is great, Green says. I have no worries about my numbers. I know my chances will come. It s simple on this team. When your number is called, make the play. Green s first TD in his career-high 227-yard day at Baltimore was an 80- yarder, third-longest of his career, bringing the Bengals back from a deficit. He caught an Andy Dalton pass in stride near midfield and ran the rest of the way, eluding a couple of would-be Ravens tacklers near the Ravens 25. His second score was a seven yarder with 2:10 to play that erased a deficit and posted the final victory margin of Green ran a crisp route to the back left corner of the end zone, beating coverage from CB Jimmy Smith, who had intercepted a pass against him earlier in the game. Green s 227 yards, second in Bengals history to Chad Johnson s 260, topped by three his previous career high. A.J. is so competitive, and such a great team player, said QB Andy Dalton. I am so fortunate that we came here together (in 2011). He is so talented, and I m glad he is on our team. Green through 19: On Sept. 11, the Bengals signed WR A.J. Green to a contract extension, running through the 2019 season. Green previously had been under contract through the current season. Everyone in football, and people who follow football, know that A.J. is a special talent, said head coach Marvin Lewis. He makes plays that you wouldn t think could be made. He s an outstanding teammate and a leader you can rely on. He still has a long, great future ahead of him in Cincinnati. Green (6-4, 207; Georgia) was selected fourth overall by the Bengals in the 2011 Draft and has been a Pro Bowl player on a playoff team in each of his four seasons. Green and Dalton, also drafted in 2011, are the most productive QB-