WEEKLY NEWS RELEASE AUG. 28, 2017 CINCINNATI BENGALS (1-2) AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (1-2)

CINCINNATI BENGALS One Paul Brown Stadium Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513) 621-3550 administrative offices (513) 621-3570 administrative fax (513) 621-TDTD (8383) ticket office www.bengals.com WEEKLY NEWS RELEASE AUG. 28, 2017 CINCINNATI BENGALS (1-2) AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (1-2) Kickoff: 7 p.m. Eastern. Television: Live coverage on the Bengals Preseason Network with Brad Johansen (play-by-play), Anthony Munoz (analyst) and Mike Valpredo (sideline reporter). The network is led by flagship WKRC-TV (CBS Channel 12) in Cincinnati. Also on the network are WKEF-TV (ABC Ch. 22) in Dayton, WSYX- TV (ABC Ch. 6) in Columbus, WLIO-TV (FOX Ch. 8.2) in Lima, WDKY-TV FOX (Ch. 56) in Lexington, Ky. and WDRB-TV (FOX Ch. 41) in Louisville, Ky. Radio: Coverage on the Bengals Radio Network, led by 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). Setting the scene: The Cincinnati Bengals travel to Indianapolis for their fourth and final game of the 2017 preseason against the Colts on Thursday at Lucas Oil Stadium. They head into the contest feeling reasonably good about their squad, despite losing to the Washington Redskins, 23-17, this past Sunday at FedExField. Most of the first-team offense and first-team defense played for much of the first half against the Redskins, and despite the game s final outcome, those units played well overall and looked ready for the regular-season opener. In addition, the team had the opportunity to mix in a few of their promising younger players early players who figure to play large roles with the team as the season moves forward. Against the Redskins, the Bengals offense started off with a 15-play, 87- yard drive that took 8:51 off the clock and ended in a three-yard TD run by HB Jeremy Hill. QB Andy Dalton connected with WR A.J. Green four times for 43 yards on the drive, twice converting third downs, while Hill and fellow HB Joe Mixon combined for seven rushes for 27 yards and the score. The offense fumbled and turned the ball over on the second play of the second drive, but otherwise had a solid first half. Defensively, the Bengals began the game forcing three consecutive Redskins drives which all went for negative yardage minus-three yards, minus-nine yards and minus-two yards and a fourth drive that went for just 21 yards before Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict intercepted a Kirk Cousins pass and returned it 62 yards for a TD. The Bengals defense was particularly noteworthy on the three third downs of those three drives. On the first, Bengals DE Chris Smith sacked Redskins QB Kirk Cousins on third down. On the second, pressure by Cincinnati s pass rush forced Cousins into an intentional grounding penalty on third down. And on the third, Bengals LB Carl Lawson sacked Cousins. I was pleased with things overall in the game other than the fumble (on the second drive), said head coach Marvin Lewis. I thought a lot of things were positive, and the tempo was good. We got a few of the starters out of the game early, then we were able to put some young guys in there with some of the other starters and let them play together. We have to keep those young guys going. This week against the Colts, many of the veteran players that the Bengals will count on most during the regular season are likely to play briefly, if at all. The last preseason game generally serves as the final audition for bubble players to state their case for making the team a contest which aids the coaching staff in settling the 53-player roster, while also providing rookies and other young players with valuable game experience that might be harder to come by in the regular season. GAME NOTES 1 PRESEASON FINALE THURSDAY, AUG. 31 AT LUCAS OIL STADIUM NEXT WEEK: REGULAR-SEASON OPENER SEPT. 10 VS. BALTIMORE One of the things that matters most is trying to give the young guys an opportunity to show whether they belong whether they deserve the opportunity to stay here, Lewis said. That s really the focus of it (at this point). The series: The Bengals lead the Colts 16-9 in preseason play, holding an 8-4 margin as the visiting team and an 8-5 lead as the home team. The Bengals have won 11 of the last 15 preseason meetings, as well as three of the past four. The Colts won last year s preseason meeting, 13-10, at Paul Brown Stadium. Since 1992, the Bengals and Colts have played every year except 2000 in the preseason. All 25 preseason games between the two franchises have taken place since the Colts moved to Indianapolis from Baltimore. In the official regular-season series rivalry, the Colts lead 19-10, including 2-0 in postseason. The last meeting was Indy s 26-10 playoff win in the 2014 campaign. The Bengals and Colts are scheduled to meet in the 2017 regular season, on Oct. 29 at Paul Brown Stadium. Complete Bengals-Colts preseason results are on page 205 of the Bengals 2017 media guide, with regular-season/postseason results on page 203. The I-74 rivalry: Cincinnati vs. Indianapolis is the closest geographical rivalry among cities in the AFC, with a driving distance of 110 miles along Interstate 74. The next closest is Cleveland-Pittsburgh at 137 miles. Though the teams are not division rivals, they have met every year but one in preseason since 1992, and they met have met eight times in the regular season and once in the playoffs since 2002. Memorable I-74 moments: The most memorable regular-season and playoff games against the Indianapolis Colts: Oct. 22, 1989: The underdog Colts shocked the defending AFC Champion Bengals 23-12 at Riverfront Stadium. It was the second straight upset loss at home for the 89 Bengals, a powerful team that would outscore its opponents 404-285, but miss the playoffs with an 8-8 record. Nov. 20, 1994: The Colts scored on a controversial late TD pass to defeat the Bengals 17-13 at Riverfront. The result stung a Cincinnati crowd of 55,566, which had gathered to celebrate Blakemania after seeing QB Jeff Blake deliver his first two victories in the two previous games. Sept. 3, 1995: Doug Pelfrey kicked five field goals, including the gamewinner from 47 yards in overtime, as the Bengals won 24-21 in the season opener at Indianapolis. Dec. 22, 1996: The Bengals outlasted the Colts 31-24 at Cinergy Field in a game that was tied four times. The season-ending victory completed a 5-0 run at home for the Bengals under head coach Bruce Coslet, and Indianapolis was denied the home-field edge for the playoffs. Nov. 9, 1997: In the first significant action of his encore stint with the Bengals (following four years with other clubs), QB Boomer Esiason led TD drives on his first three possessions to spark a 28-13 Bengals victory at the RCA Dome. The Colts were leading 10-7 in the third quarter when Esiason took the reins for Jeff Blake, who had been shaken up. Oct. 6, 2002: The Colts won 28-21 at the RCA Dome, but not without a frantic finish. The Bengals rallied from deficits of 21-0 and 28-14 to pull within 28-21 with 0:53 remaining, and after recovering an onside kick, the Bengals drove to a first down at the Indianapolis 35. But on the next play, a Jon Kitna pass bounced off the hands of then-second-year WR Chad Johnson, and the

(Memorable I-74 moments, continued) Colts intercepted to preserve the win. Nov. 20, 2005: The Colts came to Paul Brown Stadium as the NFL s only unbeaten team (9-0), facing a 7-2 Bengals outfit. Indy survived a shootout, winning 45-37. The Colts got three TD passes by Peyton Manning and two rushing scores by Edgerrin James. The Bengals countered with two TD passes by Carson Palmer and two rushing scores by Rudi Johnson. Dec. 18, 2006: Peyton Manning threw four TD passes in leading the Colts to a 34-16 win over the Bengals on ESPN s Monday Night Football. The Bengals produced only one TD from five possessions inside the Indianapolis 20. The Colts improved to an 11-3 record while the Bengals fell to 8-6. Nov. 14, 2010: The Bengals trailed 17-0 early in the second quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium but closed to 23-17 with 2:35 to play on a TD catch by rookie TE Jermaine Gresham. Cincinnati then recovered an onside kick. But Gresham, who caught an astounding nine passes in the fourth quarter, gave up a fumble (lost) on the first play after the onside recovery. Dec. 8, 2013: In a battle of AFC division leaders at Paul Brown Stadium, Bengals QB Andy Dalton threw three TD passes with no interceptions as the Bengals won 42-28. The Bengals improved to 9-4 on the season and maintained a two-game AFC North lead over Baltimore. The Colts fell to 8-5 but clinched the AFC South title later in the day when Tennessee lost at Denver. Jan. 4, 2015: Significantly depleted in their receiving corps, the Bengals were no match for the AFC South champion Colts in a Wild Card playoff, falling 26-10 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis QB Andrew luck passed for 376 yards, setting a Bengals opponent playoff record previously held by Joe Montana from Super Bowl XXIII (357). Bengals-Colts connections: Colts C Ryan Kelly is from Wester Chester, Ohio (Lakota West High School)... Bengals TE Tyler Eifert is from Fort Wayne, Ind. (Bishop Dwenger High School) and played at the University of Notre Dame... Bengals WR Chris Brown and CB KeiVarae Russell also played at the University of Notre Dame... Colts DE Margus Hunt entered the NFL as a second-round draft choice of the Bengals in 2013, and was with Cincinnati through 16... Colts G Deyshawn Bond and RB George Winn both played at the University of Cincinnati... Five Colts players played at Ohio State University: DT Johnathan Hankins, S Malik Hooker, T/G Jack Mewhort, S Tyvis Powell and OLB John Simon. Mewhort is from Toledo, Ohio (St. John s Jesuit High School)... Colts offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski is also from Toledo, Ohio (St. John s Jesuit High School)... Bengals defensive quality control/defensive line coach Marcus Lewis played at Indiana State University... Bengals running backs coach Kyle Caskey coached at Indiana State University from 2006-08... Colts Marvin Lewis in 2017 extends his Bengals-record head coaching tenure to 15 seasons, nearly twice that of Paul Brown (1968-75) and Sam Wyche ( 84-91), who are tied for second with eight seasons each. Lewis has led his teams to the postseason seven times, including a five-year run from 2011-15. The total number of playoff trips and the five-year streak of consecutive appearances are Bengals records, and the Bengals were one of only four NFL teams to reach the playoffs every year from 2011-15. The playoff run ended in 2016, however, as Cincinnati finished 6-9-1. The Bengals last five losses came by a total of 16 points. Injuries were a greaterthan-usual factor, and crucial missed place kicks plagued the team to an extent not seen for many years. Lewis opens the 2017 season with 118 career victories, the most in Bengals history by a margin of 54 over Wyche (64). Lewis record is 118-103-3 in the regular season and 118-110-3 including postseason. The Bengals 58-36-2 record over the last six regular seasons gives the team a.615 winning percentage for the span, ranked sixth in the NFL. The 2016 season ended with reassurance that Lewis has developed the most crucial element for a return to postseason, an accomplished quarterback in his prime. Though Andy Dalton didn t match his overall statistics from 2015, which included a Bengals-record 106.3 passer rating, his stats were still good and he displayed great leadership. He closed the season with his third Pro Bowl berth. In 2017, Dalton figures to get much more help from his receiving corps. A.J. Green missed all but two snaps of the last seven games of 16, after starting the season with numbers that projected to team records by a wide margin in catches and receiving yards. TE Tyler Eifert, a 2015 Pro Bowler, also missed roughly half the season due to injuries. Additionally, WR Tyler Boyd figures to keep improving after a strong rookie season, and No. 9 overall draft pick John Ross also joins the group. THE HEAD COACHES 2 TE Jack Doyle played at Western Kentucky University... Colts OLB Tarell Basham played at Ohio University... Colts assistant offensive line coach Joe Gilbert coached at the University of Toledo from 2001-03 and again in 07... Colts assistant head coach/offensive line coach Joe Philbin coached at Ohio University in 1994... Colts linebackers coach Jim Herrmann was born in Cincinnati. BENGALS-COLTS 2016 NFL RANKINGS BENGALS COLTS SCORING (AVERAGE POINTS): Points scored... 24th (20.3) 3rd (25.7) Points allowed... 8th (19.7) 12th (24.5) NET OFFENSE (AVERAGE YARDS): Total... 13th (356.9) 10th (364.4) Rushing... 13th (110.6) 23rd (101.8) Passing... 15th (246.4) T-5th (262.6) NET DEFENSE (AVERAGE YARDS): Total... 17th (350.8) 30th (382.9) Rushing... 21st (113.3) 25th (120.4) Passing... 11th (237.5) 27th (262.5) TURNOVERS: Differential...12th (plus-3) T-24th (minus-5) BENGALS 2016 RED-ZONE REPORT OFFENSE DEFENSE Inside-20 possessions: 54 Inside-20 possessions: 49 Total scores: 49 (90.7%) Total scores: 42 (85.7%) TDs: 29 (53.7) TDs: 25 (51.0%) FGs: 20 (37.0%) FGs: 17 (34.7%) TD% rank: 18th TD% rank: 7th No scores: 5 (9.3%) No scores: 7 (14.3%) COLTS 2016 RED-ZONE REPORT OFFENSE DEFENSE Inside-20 possessions: 53 Inside-20 possessions: 50 Total scores: 45 (84.9%) Total scores: 45 (90.0%) TDs: 35 (66.0%) TDs: 25 (50.0%) FGs: 10 (18.9%) FGs: 20 (40.0%) TD% rank: 5th TD% rank: 6th No scores: 8 (15.1%) No scores: 5 (10.0%) The 16 Bengals also closed with a rush on defense, finishing eighth in the NFL in fewest points allowed (19.7). Under coordinator Paul Guenther, the 15 Bengals finished second at 17.4. The 15 Bengals were widely considered as Lewis best team thus far. Their 12-4 record tied the 1981 and 88 Super Bowl teams for the best winning percentage (.750) in a 16-game season. The Bengals finished second in franchise history in average scoring differential, outscoring foes by 8.8 points per game. Lewis in 2017 ranks second among NFL head coaches in longest current tenure with one team, trailing only Bill Belichick, who is in his 18th straight season with New England. In the category of most seasons as head coach with one or more teams, Lewis ranks fourth among active coaches, behind Belichick (23rd season in 17), Andy Reid (19) and John Fox (16). Lewis has developed an impressive coaching tree during his Bengals tenure. Five of his former assistants have become NFL head coaches, and four of those are leading teams in 2017. The list, including their teams and head coaching tenures, includes former Bengals offensive coordinators Jay Gruden (Washington, 2014-17) and Hue Jackson (Cleveland, 16-17), former defensive coordinators Leslie Frazier (Minnesota, 10-13) and Mike Zimmer (Minnesota, 14-17) and former defensive backs coach Vance Joseph (Denver, 17). Lewis was the consensus choice for NFL Coach of the Year in 2009, when the Bengals won the AFC North Division while sweeping all six division games. The Bengals also were AFC North champions under Lewis in 2005, 13 and 15. Named the ninth head coach in Bengals history on Jan. 14, 2003, Lewis started quickly. His 03 club finished 8-8, six games better than the 02 club, good for the biggest improvement in the NFL that year. Lewis came to the Bengals with credentials as a record-setting NFL defensive coordinator, having played a huge role in a championship season. His six seasons (1996-2001) as Baltimore Ravens coordinator included a Super

(The head coaches, continued) Bowl victory in 00, when his defense set the NFL record for fewest points allowed in a 16-game campaign (165). That team clipped 22 points off the previous mark. The 2000 Ravens are always an entry in discussions regarding the best NFL defensive units of all time. In 2002, the season before he joined the Bengals, Lewis led the Washington Redskins to a No. 5 NFL defensive ranking, serving as assistant head coach as well as defensive coordinator. He had his first NFL assignment from 1992-95, as linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He aided the development of four Pro Bowl players Kevin Greene, Chad Brown, Levon Kirkland and Greg Lloyd. Lewis began his coaching career as linebackers coach at his alma mater Idaho State from 1981-84. ISU s team (also nicknamed the Bengals) finished 12-1 in Lewis first season there and won the NCAA Division 1-AA championship. Lewis played LB at Idaho State, earning All-Big Sky Conference honors for three consecutive years (1978-80). He also saw action at quarterback and free safety during his college career. He received his bachelor s degree in physical education from Idaho State in 1981, and earned his master s in athletic administration in 82. He was inducted into Idaho State s Hall of Fame in 2001. Born Sept. 23, 1958, Lewis attended Fort Cherry High School in McDonald, Pa. (near Pittsburgh), where he was an all-conference quarterback and safety. He also earned high school letters in wrestling and baseball. He and his wife, Peggy, have a daughter, Whitney, and a son, Marcus. Marcus Lewis joined the Bengals coaching staff for 2014 and remains on the staff for 17. Chuck Pagano was named head coach of the Indianapolis Colts on Jan. 25, 2012. In his five seasons, Chuck Pagano s.613 winning percentage ranks fifth among NFL active head coaches. In the process, he became only the second head coach in NFL history to earn 11 wins in each of his first three Defense closed 16 with momentum: The Bengals 10- point yield to Baltimore in last season s finale closed a stretch of seven games in which Cincinnati held opponents under 20 points six times and allowed a (sevengame) average of only 15.0. The effort pushed Cincinnati into a top 10 NFL finish in fewest points allowed for the full season, ranking eighth at 19.7 points per game. The Bengals ranked second in scoring defense in the 2015 season (17.4), and in 2014, Paul Guenther s first as defensive coordinator, Cincinnati ranked 12th in scoring defense. My job is to limit points, period, Guenther said. That s what I get paid to do. It s not holding them to 200 yards but have three plays be touchdowns. Regardless of where they get the ball if we turn it over (on offense) and it s the 10-yard line let s go play defense. Hold them to three. I m paid to keep them off the scoreboard. Also of note regarding the defense: With their effort in last season s finale vs. Baltimore, the Bengals also rose into the top 10 in defensive red-zone TD percentage. They held the Ravens to one TD in four chances and closed in seventh place in the NFL, allowing TDs on only 51.0 percent of opponent chances (25 of 49). Cincinnati finished with 17 interceptions last season, just one off the NFL lead shared by Baltimore, Kansas City and San Diego. The Bengals were among four teams with 17. Dalton rising: After last year s season-finale win over Baltimore, in which QB Andy Dalton posted a 101.2 passer rating his eighth over 100 on the season Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis concluded that Dalton had produced the best overall season of his seven-year career. Undoubtedly, Dalton played under some adverse conditions in 2016, including being sacked as many times (41) as he was during the 14 and 15 seasons combined. He had to form connections with two new WRs veteran Brandon LaFell and rookie Tyler Boyd and his top two regular targets (WR A.J. Green and TE Tyler Eifert) were fully healthy together for only two games. Dalton, though never one to brag, said: I definitely feel like I did take some steps forward. With some new guys and a new coordinator (Ken Zampese), I felt like I was able to get everybody on the same page and get everybody moving. Obviously, I want to keep getting better, and I m going to take this offseason to look at what I was able to do and the areas I can keep improving. I definitely felt like there were things I did better this year than I ve done at any time in my career. Dalton s 91.8 passer rating for 2016 was better than his career rating (now at 89.1), and his career rating is itself a Bengals record, more than two points BENGALS NOTES 3 seasons with a team. Under Pagano, the Colts went 33 games without losing two in a row from Sept. 9, 2012-Sept. 7, 2014, which is the longest such streak in franchise history to start a career. In 2014, Pagano led the Colts to their first AFC Championship Game since 09. In 2013, Indianapolis earned the division title and won an AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs that marked the secondlargest comeback in NFL postseason history. In 2012, the Colts overcame the loss of Pagano to acute promyelocytic leukemia for 12 games and responded with seven fourth-quarter or overtime game-winning drives en route to an 11-5 campaign. Pagano previously coached with the Baltimore Ravens (2008-11), the last as the team s defensive coordinator. Pagano also coached with the Oakland Raiders (2005-06) and Cleveland Browns ( 01-04). His career record is 52-34. Pagano was a safety at Wyoming from 1980-83. He coached collegiately at Southern California (1984-85), Miami ( 86), Boise State ( 87-88), East Carolina ( 89), Nevada-Las Vegas ( 90-91), East Carolina ( 92-94), Miami ( 95-2000) and North Carolina ( 07). Pagano was born in Boulder, Colo., on Oct. 2, 1960. He and his wife, Tina, have three daughters, Tara, Taylor, Tori, and three granddaughters, Avery, Addison and Zoey. His brother, John, serves as the Oakland Raiders assistant head coach-defense. Lewis vs. Colts: Lewis leads 10-4 in preseason. Colts lead 5-2 in regular season. The Colts lead 1-0 in postseason. Lewis vs. Pagano: Lewis leads 3-2 in preseason. The series is tied 1-1 in regular season. Pagano leads 1-0 in postseason. Pagano vs. Bengals: Bengals lead 3-2 in preseason. The series is tied 1-1 in regular season. Pagano leads 1-0 in postseason. ahead of the second-place mark of 86.9 posted by Carson Palmer between 2004-10. The Bengals were 6-2 in the eight games last season in which Dalton topped the 100 mark in passer rating. He now has 36 career games with a 100-plus rating, and Cincinnati stands 31-5 (.861) in his triple-digit efforts. Record game of keep-away: Andy Dalton threw all 563 Bengals passes in 2016, and his interception total of eight constituted a team record for fewest INTs in a season. The previous team low of nine INTs was set three times, including twice in 16-game seasons. Those two were in 1997, with Jeff Blake throwing seven INTs and Boomer Esiason two, and in 2015, with Dalton throwing seven and AJ McCarron two. Dalton had streaks in 16 of 165 and 147 attempts without an INT. The streak of 165 was the longest by a Bengal since 2005 (Carson Palmer, 169). Dalton s interception percentage of 1.4 for 2016 is his career-best, topping 1.8 in 15. Dalton s mark of seven INTs in 15 stands as his personal career low, but he threw only 386 passes that season, missing time with a thumb fracture. The 16 season s 563 passes were the second-most of his career. Hogging the ball: A season after a thumb fracture ended his year prematurely, Andy Dalton in 2016 became the third player in Bengals history to throw all of his team s passes in a season. Previous Bengals to do it were Jon Kitna in 2003 and Carson Palmer in 07. Dalton was one of three QBs to throw every pass for his team. The others were Eli Manning of the N.Y. Giants and Matt Stafford of Detroit. The Bengals record for most players throwing a pass in a season is seven, set in 1985. The multiple effort included three QBs (Boomer Esiason, Turk Schonert, Ken Anderson), along with four players throwing one pass each. Those four were RB James Brooks, WR Steve Kreider, WR Cris Collinsworth and P Pat McInally. An eighth Bengal WR Eddie Brown also appears in the 1985 passing statistics, but Brown was sacked on his one attempt. Dalton adds a No. 2 to his No. 1: A big lead and resulting conservative second half in last season s finale vs. Baltimore may have caused QB Andy Dalton to fall just short of breaking his own Bengals single-season passing yardage record. Cincinnati got off to a big early lead (20-3 at halftime) in the Jan. 1 game, causing Dalton and the Bengals offense to go into ball-control mode in the second half. Dalton ended up finishing with only 226 passing yards in the game, 88 short of the 314 he needed to break his own Bengals record for passing yards

(Dalton adds a No. 2 to his No. 1, continued) in a season. Dalton closed the year with 4206 yards, second-most in franchise history behind the 4293 he logged in 2013. The most passing yards by a Bengal other than Dalton has been 4131, by Carson Palmer in 2007. Dalton second to go six-for-3000: A season passing total of 3000 yards is not in itself a stupendous NFL feat. Twenty-five passers reached it in 2016. But hitting 3000 in the first six seasons of an NFL career, which Andy Dalton reached last year in Game 11, Nov. 27 at Baltimore, still is an event worth noting. The only QB to do it before Dalton was Peyton Manning. The cinch Hall of Famer is beyond compare in this realm, as he reeled off 13 straight 3000-yarders before missing the 2011 season due to injury. Carolina s Cam Newton ended up joining the same club a few weeks later last season, passing the 3000 mark on Dec. 19 at Washington, and he finished the season at 3509 yards. Newton was chosen first overall in the same 2011 draft in which the Bengals claimed Dalton at No. 35. Dalton finished the 2016 season with 4206 yards. consecutive games (2013). Dalton passed for exactly 366 yards on both Games 1 and 2 of 2016, becoming the first Bengal to hit 366 or higher in consecutive games. Five Bengals named to 2017 Pro Bowl: Five Bengals earned Pro Bowl nods last season. WR A.J. Green and DT Geno Atkins were selected in the initial voting, while QB Andy Dalton, OT Andrew Whitworth (now with the Los Angeles Rams) and DE Carlos Dunlap were added as alternates. Green did not play, due to a hamstring injury. Geno does it again: In 2016, for the fourth time in his seven-year Bengals career, DT Geno Atkins was at least a co-holder of the NFL season lead for sacks by an interior lineman. Atkins claimed the honor outright in 16, with nine sacks. DT Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams was second with eight, and no other interior linemen had more than seven. Atkins also was the outright winner in 2012, when he had a career-best 12.5 sacks. He tied for the league lead in 2011 (7.5 sacks) and 2015 (11). Atkins has 52 career sacks, most by a Bengals interior lineman and fifth overall. Also in 16, Atkins led the Bengals in tackles for losses (13), and total QB hits (26). Dalton chasing Kenny in TDs: Andy Dalton scored four touchdowns in 2016 and now has 19 for his career. His total is just one short of the franchise record for touchdowns by a QB, held at 20 by Ken Anderson, who played 16 Bengals seasons (1971-86). Dalton is in his seventh season. All of Anderson s 20 TDs were rushing scores. Dalton has 18 rushing TDs, and he has 19 total by virtue of being the only Bengals QB ever to catch a touchdown pass. He scored on an 18-yard gadget connection from WR Mohamed Sanu vs. Tennessee in 2014. The next-most TDs by a Bengals QB is 10, by Jeff Blake. Dalton and Jack Thompson share the Bengals season record for touchdowns by a QB, at five. Dalton had five in 2014, tying the record first set by Thompson in 1979. Off on another streak: Andy Dalton started every game last season and threw every Bengals pass. And though he came off an injuryshortened 2015, he still rates as a durable performer. Prior to his thumb fracture in Game 13 of 2015, he had not missed a regular-season or postseason start for the Bengals, covering 81 games. And the fracture occurred during unusual duty, as he made a solo tackle on Pittsburgh DE Stephon Tuitt after an INT. On that play I was the hitter, not the hittee, Dalton said. As far as when I have the ball, I think it s knowing how to take a hit and when not to take a hit. That s part of it. I ve been fortunate. Dalton opened his career with 77 consecutive regular-season starts, a Bengals record for quarterbacks at any point during a career. The previous mark had been 61, posted by Boomer Esiason from 1985-89. Dalton s streak ranks third in NFL history for the start of a career by a QB, trailing only Peyton Manning of Indianapolis (208) and Joe Flacco of Baltimore (122). An Andy roundup: Other records and other notable accomplishments in QB Andy Dalton s career include: He is one of only three QBs in the Super Bowl era to lead a team to postseason in each of his first five campaigns. Dalton did that from 2011-15, while Baltimore s Joe Flacco did it from 08-12 and Seattle s Russell Wilson has done it from 12-16. Dalton has posted 36 career games with a passer rating of 100 or more, and the Bengals are 31-5 (.861) in those contests. Dalton s.613 winning percentage as a starter (56-35-2 regular season) ranks seventh among active QBs with 50 or more starts. Ahead of Dalton are Tom Brady (.779), Russell Wilson (.706), Ben Roethlisberger (.672), Aaron Rodgers (.667), Andrew Luck (.614) and Tony Romo (.614). Dalton s.613 winning percentage also is the best of any Bengals QB with 10 or more starts. Dalton holds club season records for passing yards (4293) and TD passes (33), both set in 2013. Dalton in 16 passed the 20,000 mark in career passing yards (22,214). He ll need just 480 yards in 2017 to pass Carson Palmer (22,694) into third place all-time on the Bengals, behind Ken Anderson (32,838 over 16 seasons) and Jeff Blake (27,149 over six seasons). His career 16.7-to-1 ratio of TD passes to INTs (100-6) in the red zone ranks sixth among active NFL passers. He is the only Bengals passer to throw for 300-plus yards in four 4 Big-play John: Rookie WR John Ross has gained plenty of notoriety for his record-setting 4.22-second 40-yard dash at the 2017 NFL Combine, but his college numbers indicate that his speed translates to the football field as well. Over Ross four years at Washington (one of which was completely lost to injury), the speedster totaled five scoring plays of 90 yards or longer. And while NFL defenses are considered far superior to those at the college level, it s still worth noting that the Bengals as a team over the last 10 seasons (2007-16) have only two scoring plays of 90 yards or longer a 100-yard kickoff return TD by Glenn Holt at Buffalo in 07, and a 96-yard kickoff return TD by Bernard Scott at Pittsburgh in 09. Current CB Adam Jones also had a 97-yard kickoff return vs. Carolina in 2014, but he was tackled just short of the end zone. (John s) dynamic speed shows up on tape, says head coach Marvin Lewis. When teams are playing against him, they feel it when he touches the ball. Joe s 2016 among the best: The University of Oklahoma s backfield has seen it s share of exemplary rushing seasons throughout history. Nine College Football Hall of Fame ball-carriers have cycled through Norman over the years, and over the last decade, players like Adrian Peterson and DeMarco Murray reached stardom there to add to the school s rich running back tradition. That makes Joe Mixon s 2016 campaign all the more impressive. Only three times in school history has a back averaged better than Mixon s 6.8 yards per carry in 2016. College Football Hall of Famer Greg Pruitt, who also played 12 years in the NFL, was first to do it when he averaged 8.98 in 1971. Marcus Dupree was next, when in 1982, at the peak of his famously stellar but injury shortened football career, he averaged 7.84. The only other Oklahoma back to best Mixon s 2016 mark was Billy Sims, another College Football Hall of Famer and NFL standout, who averaged 7.41 during his Heisman Trophy-winning season of 1978. Willis earns praise from a legend: Earning praise from a 77- year-old College Football Hall of Fame coach may not be easy, but that s precisely what Willis received from legendary Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder last year. Jordan is the epitome of what our program is all about, Snyder said in 2016, his 25th season as KSU head coach. He comes to practice exactly the same way he goes to a ballgame. If you were unaware of the setting, you couldn t tell the difference between what he does on the practice field and what he does on the game field. Like I have said so many times, he is a young guy who gives you his very best of every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every week. He has learned the value of that and (realized) what it has meant to him. He has allowed that to carry over into every aspect of his life. He is going to be a highly successful young guy in a lot of ways, because he is that committed to doing the best that he can. Boyd shines on third down: Bengals second-year WR Tyler Boyd looks to keep his momentum going in 2017, after a strong start to his Bengals career in 2016. Boyd finished last season with 54 catches for 603 yards, the most in each category by a Bengals rookie since the incomparable A.J. Green in 2011. But where Boyd especially made his mark was on third downs. He ended the

(Boyd Shines on third down, continued) season with 22 receptions on third down, the most of any 2016 NFL rookie. WR Sterling Shepard of the N.Y. Giants was second at 21. Boyd finished seven short of the overall league lead, posted by Baltimore TE Dennis Pitta at 29. The top figure among all NFL WRs was 28, shared by three wideouts. In third-down catches that produced first downs, Boyd and Shepard tied for the lead among rookies, at 16. Boyd performed under unusual pressure last season to contribute immediately. The Bengals No. 3 spot was wide open as 2016 began, due to veteran free agent departures, and Boyd was clearly among the club s designees to fill the spot, even though he was the youngest player on the team. He saw increased action the last seven games, due to a hamstring injury that sidelined Green, and now in his second year and with a full offseason under his belt, his role figures to grow even more. Obviously we saw a lot in Tyler, as a second-round draft choice, but he was even better than we had reason to expect, says head coach Marvin Lewis. He s a young guy (will turn 23 on Nov. 15), but he was in tune all year with what we were doing. I feel like I practiced hard, and worked hard in the classroom, and that it paid off, Boyd says. I didn t just bring my skills in here and think it would all fall into place without the effort. I just tried to increase my performance with every game. I didn t do it every week, but that was my goal. LaFell producing like a pro: Returning to the Bengals this season after a productive 2016 is eighth-year WR Brandon LaFell, who re-signed with the team on March 9. LaFell played in all 16 games last season for the Bengals and amply filled the role of a veteran to play in the base offense along with flagship pass-catcher A.J. Green. And for the last seven games, with Green injured, he filled the role of the No. 1 wideout. For the season, LaFell had 64 catches and 862 receiving yards, ranked second on the team behind Green in both categories. His catch total was his second-highest for a season, behind only the 74 he caught for New England s 2014 Super Bowl champions. His yardage total was also his second-highest, behind only the 953 he logged with New England in 14. LaFell s six TDs (all receiving) ranked second on the team and first among receivers. In Game 15, Dec. 24 at Houston last year, LaFell had six catches for a personal season-high of 130 yards, including an 86-yard TD in the fourth quarter on which he outran Houston s secondary for nearly 80 yards after taking a short pass from Andy Dalton. The 86-yard reception was the second-longest in LaFell s career. He had a 91-yarder for a TD as a second-year man with Carolina in 2011. Thanks to LaFell s fast feet, it proved to be the longest completion in QB Andy Dalton s career, topping an 84-yarder to WR Jerome Simpson in Dalton s rookie year of 2011. It was the longest Bengals pass play in more than 20 years, since an 88- yarder from Jeff Blake to Darnay Scott in 1995, and it was the team s longest gain of any kind in the 16 season, including kick returns. That guy is the ultimate pro, Green said of LaFell, and he s been a good veteran (seventh-year pro) for me to learn from. I haven t really had that in my first five years here, at least not to the extent he s been able to provide it. He s played well everywhere he s been, and he s been big for us. The guy has played a lot of wide receiver at a very high level, and for a long time by NFL standards, says Bengals wide receivers coach James Urban. He s tough. He s big (6-3, 210) and he s physical. Vontaze impresses the analysts: LB Vontaze Burfict was inactive for the 2016 season s last two games, due to a concussion and a knee injury he suffered in Game 14 vs. Pittsburgh. The missed games, his fourth and fifth of the year, helped cost Burfict the team tackles lead he had held during Weeks 13-15. But despite playing in only 11 games, he finished second on the team at 101 tackles, trailing only LB Karlos Dansby (114), who played in every game. And in December, network TV analysts gave Burfict his due as one of the best linebacker talents in the NFL today. On Dec. 4, while working the Bengals-Eagles game as the FOX network analyst, Charles Davis said, There simply cannot be an NFL middle linebacker playing at a higher level right now than Vontaze Burfict. And on Dec. 11, Steve Tasker, the former Buffalo Bills Pro Bowl special teamer, offered this while working the Bengals-Browns game for CBS: Vontaze Burfict is a monster. Nobody in the NFL at inside linebacker is playing as well as he is right now. The base coin of Burfict s realm is tackles. He led the team by wide margins in his only two previous seasons (2012-13) of playing more than 10 games. In 5 2015 he played only 10 games but finished third in total tackles while leading the team in tackles-per-games-played. And in 16, he again led the team in tacklesper-games-played (9.2). Burfict s top overall outing last season came in a Dec. 4 win vs. Philadelphia. He punished the Eagles with 15 tackles, most by a Bengal in any game on the year, but his real headline effort was in the passing game. He had two interceptions against Carson Wentz, the first multi-int game by a Bengal since S Reggie Nelson in Game 7 of 2015 and his own first game with more than one. He had one return of 47 yards. And beyond the two INTs, he had two additional passes defensed. His total of four PDs tied for the team high for the season. Burfict missed the season s first three games, due to an NFL suspension from a 2015 playing rules violation. In 15, he missed the first six games due to injury rehab, and in 14, he was limited by injuries (including concussions) to five games. Vontaze is a rare talent, said head coach Marvin Lewis. He not only finds the ball himself, his instincts and his innate knowledge of the game are an extension of the coaching staff on the field. Bengals president Mike Brown has also been emphatic in his praise of Burfict. Vontaze is one hell of a football player, Brown said, and we expect more outstanding play from him. He s a difference-maker. We re lucky to have him. Dunlap s PD frenzy unprecedented: In the first 40 seasons (1976-2015) in which Bengals defensive statistics were recorded, no defensive lineman ever led the team in passes defensed for a season. None were even close, really. But it happened in 2016, and it wasn t close. DE Carlos Dunlap had five more PDs 15 than anyone else on the team last season. And he had seven more PDs than any other NFL defensive lineman. The players ahead of Dunlap in the NFL were all cornerbacks, led at 24 by Brent Grimes of Miami. The next-highest total by an NFL D-lineman was eight, by DE Jason Pierre- Paul of the Giants. The next-highest total by a Bengal was 10, by CB Dre Kirkpatrick. Carlos has those long, long arms, says defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, and of course he gets good pressure. So I m not surprised he s one of the best we ve had in that area. Passes defensed include interceptions as well as passes broken up. When a player makes an INT, he also is credited with a PD. Dunlap had no INTs in 16, and in the category of passes broken up without counting INTs, only four players were ahead of Dunlap, led by Grimes at 20. The NFL has no team or league statistics to offer in terms of most PDs ever by a D-lineman or highest league ranking ever by a D-lineman in passes defensed, because the statistic has been officially compiled league-wide only for a few years. Dunlap the playmaker: Bengals DE Carlos Dunlap filled up the defensive stat sheets last season, and as a result, he earned his second career trip to the Pro Bowl. Dunlap piled up eight sacks on the year, which ranked second on the team behind fellow Pro Bowler Geno Atkins, and led the Bengals in passes defensed (15) and forced fumbles (three). No other Bengal had more than one forced fumble. He also ranked second in QB hits (23) and third in tackles for losses (seven). In tackles, he led the D-line with 49. Three of Dunlap s deflected passes were corralled by Bengals LBs for interceptions Vincent Rey on Oct. 23 vs. Cleveland, Rey Maualuga on Nov. 27 at Baltimore and Vontaze Burfict on Dec. 4 vs. Philadelphia. Dunlap now has 57 sacks for his career, ranked fourth all-time on the Bengals and closing in on the third-place player, DE Ross Browner at 59. With continued play at the level he s shown he can produce, Dunlap could wind up as the franchise s all-time sacks leader. He has averaged 8.1 sacks over his seven seasons. All-time Bengals sacks leader Eddie Edwards (83.5) averaged seven sacks over 12 seasons (1977-88), second-place Reggie Williams (62.5) averaged 4.5 sacks over 14 seasons (1976-89), and third-place Browner (59) averaged 6.6 over nine campaigns (1978-86). In 2015, Dunlap had 13.5 sacks, second-most in Bengals history. Besides his 57 sacks, his career totals include 15 forced fumbles, eight fumble recoveries, 41 passes defensed, four blocked FGs and two TDs scored. Carlos brings us a lot, and he needs to keep bringing it for us, said defensive coordinator Paul Guenther. The key thing for Carlos is that he s an athlete, and a very big athlete. He s explosive and he just makes plays. He has also developed into a mature guy and a team leader. Dunlap executed a sack-and-strip in consecutive games early in the 2016 campaign, with the Bengals recovering the loose ball each time. He did it in Game 4 vs. Miami (Ryan Tannehill) and Game 5 at Dallas (Dak Prescott).

(Bengals notes, continued) A.J. stalled just short of big step: On the second offensive snap of Game 10, Nov. 20 vs. Buffalo last season, Bengals star WR A.J. Green went to the turf with a hamstring injury. He did not return to the game and ended up missing the remainder of the season (inactive for Games 11-15, and was placed on the Reserve/Injured list prior to Game 16). As a result of his missed time, Green fell just short of joining Randy Moss as the only players in NFL history to have 1000 or more receiving yards in each of their first six seasons. At the time of his injury, Green had 964 yards with seven games still to play. Green had said he hoped to play in the season finale vs. Baltimore, and had said that joining Moss in the six-by-1000 club was meaningful. But he accepted the team s decision that playing him in a game with no playoff implications presented an inordinate risk of a more serious injury that could affect his 2017 season. It was a little disappointing, Green said. I wasn t happy (with the decision) at the time. But now I look back. Is 30 yards really going to matter if I pull it again and need surgery and don t get back 100 percent in time? I don t think so. In his first five Bengals seasons (2011-15), Green had receiving yards totals of 1057, 1350, 1426, 1041 and 1297. In 2016, through his healthy nine games, he was on pace to post a Bengals-record 1714 yards, blowing away the mark of 1460 by Chad Johnson in 2007. But Moss remains the only player to hit 1000 in each of his first six seasons, doing it for Minnesota from 1998-2003. Moss failed to extend his streak to seven, limited to 737 yards with the Vikings in 2004. Green s injury also derailed his pursuit of the Bengals record for receptions in a season. With his 66 catches through Game 9 at the N.Y. Giants, he was on pace to finish 16 games with 117. That would have topped T.J. Houshmandzadeh s record 112 from 2007. Prior to his injury, Green also stood a good chance of breaking Johnson s Bengals career record for 100-yard receiving games (31). But with 28, Green s pursuit of the record was put on hold until 2017. Green has played only six seasons, compared to Johnson s 10. The Bengals record for 100-yard receiving games in a season is six, set by Green in 2013. Green was over 150 yards in three of his four 100-yard games in 16. He was 12-for-180 in the season opener at the N.Y. Jets, 10-for-173 in Game 4 vs. Miami, eight-for-169 in Game 7 vs. Cleveland and nine-for-121 in Game 8 vs. Washington in London. His 12 catches against the Jets tied his career high. Despite his injury, Green last year was voted for a sixth trip to the Pro Bowl, though he did not play due to the injury. He has joined OT Anthony Munoz, WR Chad Johnson and CB Lemar Parrish as the only Bengals to hit six. Hall of Famer Munoz made a club-record 11 Pro Bowls in 13 seasons, Johnson made six in 10 seasons and Parrish made six in eight seasons. Andy makes the call on No. 18: Though A.J. Green s 2016 season was derailed by a hamstring injury suffered in Game 10, Green clearly has done his time as one of the most promising young WRs in Bengals history. He s the best receiver in the league, QB Andy Dalton said after last season s game vs. Washington, setting a new declarative high in the praise-for- Green category. There s nobody out there like A.J. A 2011 Bengals first-round draft choice (fourth overall), Green turned 29 in July. He has a number of prime years still ahead and is a very serious threat to Chad Johnson s once seemingly unapproachable Bengals all-time leads in receptions, receiving yards and receiving TDs. Green, who now has 481 receptions and 7135 yards, said last year that he thinks he can play at least 12 seasons. Though Detroit superstar WR Calvin Johnson announced his retirement after the 2015 season after a nine-year career, Green doesn t see a parallel. Calvin s a big guy, Green said. His body took a lot of pounding. I feel like I m more of a slim guy (at 6-4 and 210). My knees don t have that much wear and tear. Calvin used to take big hits, cheap shots. The way he hit the ground all the time, that s a big body at 230 (pounds) slamming down. I think my body is set up differently. Green s averages of catches and receiving yards per season took a hit in 16, with him seeing significant action in only nine games due to the injury. Those averages are now at 80.2 catches and 1189 yards. But if one extrapolates those averages to 12 years (Green s forecast for his longevity), it s Chad Johnson who becomes outpaced by a Bengals country mile. After season 12, Green would have 962 catches (211 more than Johnson s 751) and 14,268 yards (3485 more than Johnson s 10,783). One could say Green won t produce at those levels forever, especially not in 6 seasons 11 and 12. But even if Green played just 10 seasons at the pace of his first six full seasons, he d top Johnson by 51 catches (802) and by 1139 yards (11,890). In all-time receiving TDs, Chad Johnson leads the Bengals with 66. Green already has 49. He has averaged 8.2 TDs for his six seasons, which projects to 82 after 10 seasons. Green is under contract with the Bengals for at least three more seasons, through 2019. A.J. passes Ike into second: A.J. Green began last season as likely to take three steps up the Bengals all-time receiving yards ladder, moving into second place. And as of mid-november, that process was complete. His 68 yards against the Giants in Game 10, Nov. 14 the last game in which he caught a pass on the season, due to a hamstring injury pushed his career total to 7135. He moved ahead of Isaac Curtis (7101) into the No. 2 spot. Still far ahead in the No. 1 spot is Chad Johnson (10,783). Green needs 3649 more yards to pass him. But Green apparently has many more years to play, and moving to the No. 1 spot is a feat that projects to possible passage no later than 2019, possibly in 18. Green s contract runs through 19. Green in 16 played his sixth season. Johnson took 10 seasons (2001-10) to post his 10,783 total. Green started 2016 in fifth place in Bengals receiving yards, with 6171. He moved into fourth in Game 6 at New England, passing Cris Collinsworth (6698 in eight seasons), and he took third place in Game 7 vs. Cleveland, passing Carl Pickens (6887 in eight seasons). In all-time Bengals receptions, Green started the season in sixth place, but he s now at No. 4. He has 481 catches and has blown by Curtis (416) and Collinsworth (417). Green needs just 27 catches to pass third-place T.J. Houshmandzadeh (507). He s 50 short of Pickens (530) for second place. Green is still 270 catches behind the first-place Chad Johnson (751), another goal that projects to possible passage in 2018 or 19. Curtis played 12 seasons, Johnson 10, and Collinsworth and Houshmandzadeh eight. Green and some gold jackets: Though a hamstring injury cost him all but two plays of last year s final seven games, A.J. Green finished his sixth season with nine career games with at least 150 receiving yards and a touchdown catch. The only players to have more such games in their first six seasons were Hall of Famers Lance Alworth (13) and Jerry Rice (11), and prime HOF candidate Randy Moss (10). Also, Green s nine games with at least 150 last year were tied with Steve Smith, Sr. of Baltimore, but Smith retired after the 16 season. Dalton and Green make six-year history: WR A.J. Green and QB Andy Dalton were the Bengals first two draft selections in 2011, and their first six seasons produced quite the ride. Per Elias Sports Bureau, they stand as the most productive QB-WR duo in NFL history for players each in their first six seasons. Their 461 completions and 6753 yards are most by any duo, and their 44 TD connections rank second to Miami s duo of QB Dan Marino and WR Mark Clayton (53 TDs from 1983-88). Only A.J.: Cincinnati s A.J. Green had his 2016 season cut short by a hamstring injury, which in turn halted his bid for a sixth-straight 1000-yard season to start his career (he finished with 964). Green did, however, still manage a sixth nomination to the Pro Bowl. While 2016 marked the first time in his stellar career that Green did not accomplish both of those feats, he still stands as the only NFL receiver since the 1970 merger to start his career with five consecutive 1000-yard seasons (averaging more than 1200 yards) and five trips to the Pro Bowl. The last passcatcher to start his career with five consecutive Pro Bowl appearances was Hall of Fame TE Mike Ditka (1961-65). Erickson coming off KOR crown in AFC: Bengals WR Alex Erickson posted a 27.9-yard kickoff return average in his rookie 2016 season (on 29 attempts), leading the AFC and ranking second in the NFL. He trailed only Cordarrelle Patterson of Minnesota (31.7). The second-place AFC qualifier was former Bengal Brandon Tate of Buffalo, more than five yards perattempt behind Erickson at 22.8. Erickson s 27.9 goes down as the second-best average in Bengals history, behind only the 31.3 posted by CB Adam Jones in 2014. Jones figure led the NFL, giving the Bengals their first-ever NFL KOR title. Erickson is the third Bengal to lead the AFC, joining Jones and DB Tremain Mack (27.1 in 1999).