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 JAN. 1, 2013 PRESENTED BY FIFTH THIRD BANK CINCINNATI BENGALS (10-6) AT HOUSTON TEXANS (12-4) Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. EST. Television: NBC broadcast with Dan Hicks (play-by-play), Mike Mayock (analyst) and Alex Flanagan (sideline reporter). The game will air live in the Bengals home market on WLWT-TV (Channel 5) in Cincinnati, WDTN-TV (Channel 2) in Dayton and WLEX-TV (Channel 18) 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 also will be aired nationally by Dial Global Radio Sports, with broadcasters Tom McCarthy (play-by-play), Tony Boselli (analyst) and Steve Tasker (sideline reporter). Setting the scene: The Bengals are in the playoffs for the second straight year, and headed for a second straight postseason opening date in the Wild Card round at Houston. Last year, a young 9-7 Bengals team that had been widely forecast to miss the playoffs was ousted by Houston, 31-10. But this year, the Bengals have a better regular-season record (10-6), a generally more seasoned roster and a head of steam. After a 3-5 start to the 2012 campaign, Cincinnati won seven of its last eight games, tying the 1981 Super Bowl Bengals for the best second-half record in a 16-game season. Cincinnati tied Baltimore for the best record in the AFC North Division and split its two games against the Ravens, but Baltimore claimed the division title via tiebreaker with a better division record (4-2 to 3-3). Cincinnati closed the regular season last week with a 23-17 home win over Baltimore. Asked after that contest if the bar has been raised higher than simply making the postseason, head coach Marvin Lewis replied: No doubt. I think our guys realize that just being in the playoffs is not what we re here for. We want to go win the championship. We realize the sense of urgency we ve got to have. Some minutes earlier, Lewis had told his players in the winning locker room: It s been an uphill climb for us, but now everybody s 0-0 again. We re one of 12 that have the chance to be the best team for the next four games in five weeks, and that s all that counts. We have to be the team that prepares best, learns best, executes best and finishes best. Houston stood a mighty 11-1 in early December, but the Texans lost three of their last four games and lost out for the AFC s second bye on a tiebreaker with New England. All of their last four games were against opponents now also in the playoffs. They are looking for an offensive re-start after averaging only 12.0 points scored in the three recent losses. But the Texans still boast NFL season rankings of seventh in net offense, seventh in net defense, eighth in scoring and ninth in scoring defense. The Bengals will try to keep Houston s offense in slumber with a defense as hot as any that has ever carried the Cincinnati banner into the playoffs. In the always-hot category of sacks, the club ranked third in the NFL at 51, the best ranking in franchise history and only one off the league lead shared by Denver and St. Louis. The Bengals ranked sixth in net defense (319.7), and the defense scored a touchdown in each of the last three games. When invited by media to proclaim this defense the best he s had in 13 NFL seasons as a coordinator, Mike Zimmer demurred. GAME NOTES 1 AFC WILD CARD PLAYOFF SATURDAY, JAN. 5 AT RELIANT STADIUM UP NEXT: AFC DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF, JAN. 12 OR JAN. 13 We ll see about that, but this group is pretty salty right now, Zimmer said. Our guys study hard and are playing well together. The form charts seem to call for a defense-dominated game. Houston s No. 7-ranked defense will face a Bengals offense that lately has made some key plays but has not moved the ball consistently or with flair. The Bengals ranked as high as 13th in net offense heading into Week 12, but they finished the season ranked 22nd (332.7). It s fun to be on the sidelines and watch our defense make plays, said QB Andy Dalton, but we ve got to be able to play well on both sides of the ball. The series: The Bengals and Texans are meeting for the second consecutive year in a Wild Card game at Reliant Stadium. Houston won last year s meeting 31-10, taking a 4-3 lead in the series, which includes regularseason and postseason games. Last year s Wild Card game was the first postseason meeting of the two teams, which are tied 3-3 in regular-season play. Houston leads 2-1 as the home team, and all three games at Reliant have been lopsided, with an average winning margin of more than four touchdowns (28.3). Prior to last year s 21-point playoff win, the Texans defeated the Bengals 35-6 in 2008 and lost to Cincinnati 38-3 in 2002. The Bengals won the first three games in the series, but the Texans have now won four straight. Team bests from the series: Bengals MOST POINTS: 38, in a 38-3 win at Houston in 2002. LARGEST VICTORY MARGIN: 35, in the 02 win at Houston. FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED: 3, in the 02 win at Houston. Texans MOST POINTS: 35, in a 35-6 win at Houston in 2008. LARGEST VICTORY MARGIN: 29, in the 08 win at Houston. FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED: 6, in the 08 win at Houston. The last meeting: Summaries of the last two Bengals-Texans meetings both played last season (one in the regular season, and one in the Wild Card round of the playoffs) are on page 16. Hello again, Houston: Though the Bengals and Houston Texans have met only seven times, Cincinnati s rivalry against teams from Houston spans 64 games. The total includes 57 meetings between the Bengals and the Houston Oilers (now Tennessee Titans). Those 57 games were split evenly, 28-28-1, and the Bengals-Texans series is close, with Houston leading 4-3. Thus, the Bengals combined record against Houston teams is 34-35-1. The Bengals played one postseason game against the Houston Oilers, winning 41-14 at home in a 1990 season Wild Card game. NFL s top two on third-and-one: This week s game will pit the NFL s top two 2012 performers in third-down-and-one rushing conversions. Cincinnati s BenJarvus Green Ellis led the league with 14, and Houston s Arian Foster was second at 13. Green-Ellis has posted his league-best 14 in only 15 attempts, a success rate of 93.3 percent. Foster had 19 attempts and a 68.4 percent conversion rate. And though there were seven rushers ahead of Green-Ellis 93.3 success rate all at 100 percent only one of those rushers had more than six attempts. That one was Shonn Greene of the Jets, with 10.
(NFL s top two on third-and-one, continued) Neither Green-Ellis nor Foster had a third-and-one opportunity in either of the season s final two weeks. Green-Ellis was held out of last week s Bengals vs. Baltimore game with hamstring soreness but could return to action against the Texans. Fairly frequent visitors: The Bengals are one of only seven NFL teams to reach the playoffs in three of the last four seasons (2009-12). The other six teams have been Atlanta, Baltimore, Green Bay, Indianapolis, New England and New Orleans. The Bengals are also among a minority of 12 teams to have made it four times in the last eight years. Prior to their Wild Card berths this season and last season, the Bengals under head coach Marvin Lewis won AFC North championship in the 2005 and 09 seasons. A win means Denver: If the Bengals defeat Houston, their next playoff assignment will be on Sat., Jan. 12 at No. 1 AFC seed Denver. Kickoff will be at 4:30 p.m. Cincinnati time, with CBS as the televising network. Denver defeated Cincinnati 31-23 at Paul Brown Stadium in Game 8 of the regular season, overcoming an early fourth-quarter Cincinnati lead of 20-17. The loss dropped the Bengals to a 3-5 record, but Cincinnati rebounded to go 7-1 in the season s second half and clinch its Wild Card playoff spot. Records vs. Texans: HB Rudi Johnson s 43 rushing attempts against the Texans in 2003 is a Bengals record. It is tied for the second-most carries in NFL history and tied for the most carries in a non-overtime game. The only player with more carries in an NFL game was Washington s Jamie Morris, who rushed 45 times in an overtime game on Dec. 17, 1988. That game was against the Bengals, incidentally, at Paul Brown Stadium. In Johnson s 43-carry game against Houston, he gained 182 yards, secondmost of his career. Also: In 2002 at Houston, Bengals CB Artrell Hawkins returned an INT 102 yards for a TD. That s the most recent of three plays tied for the longest play in Bengals history (Louis Breeden had a 102-yard INT return at San Diego in 1981, and Eric Bieniemy had a 102-yard kickoff return at the N.Y. Giants in 1997). BENGALS-TEXANS NFL RANKINGS (2012 REGULAR SEASON) BENGALS TEXANS SCORING (AVG. POINTS): Points scored... 12th (24.4) 8th (26.0) Points allowed... 8th (20.0) T-9th (20.7) NET OFFENSE (AVG. YARDS): Total...22nd (332.7) 7th (372.1) Rushing...18th (109.1) 8th (132.7) Passing...17th (223.6) 11th (239.4) NET (AVG. YARDS): Total... 6th (319.7) 7th (323.3) Rushing...12th (107.2) 7th (97.5) Passing... 7th (212.5) 16th (225.8) TURNOVERS: Differential... 11th (plus-4) 7th (plus-12) Bengals-Texans connections: Bengals QB Andy Dalton is from the Houston area (Katy Texas; Katy HS) and played at Texas Christian Marvin Lewis is in his 10th season as Bengals head coach, having posted the most wins (79) in franchise history, and on July 31 of this year, he signed a contract extension through 2014. Under Lewis the Bengals are one of only seven NFL teams to reach the playoffs in at least three of the last four years (including 2012). Lewis Bengals were one of the NFL s surprise teams in 2011, a young squad with new stars that posted a 9-7 record and earned a Wild Card playoff berth. Lewis was the consensus choice as NFL Coach of the Year in 2009, when the Bengals won the AFC North title while sweeping all six division games. Lewis also led Cincinnati to an AFC North title in 2005. Lewis record is 79-83-1, including postseason. On Oct. 23, 2011 at Seattle, he passed Sam Wyche (64-68-0) for the most wins in club history. THE HEAD COACHES 2 University...Texans CB Johnathan Joseph was a first-round draft pick of the Bengals (24th overall) in 2006, and was with Cincinnati from 06-10... K Shayne Graham played for the Bengals from 2003-09... Texans WR Devier Posey is from Cincinnati (La Salle HS) and played at Ohio State... Texans OLB Connor Barwin played at the University of Cincinnati... Bengals OT Anthony Collins is from the Houston area (Beaumont, Texas; Central HS)... Bengals CB Jason Allen played for the Texans for the last seven games of 2010 and all of 2011... Texans WR Kevin Walter played for the Bengals from 2003-05... Bengals LS Clark Harris played for the Texans in 2008 and briefly in 2009... Bengals S George Iloka is from Houston (Kempner HS)... Bengals LB Thomas Howard (Reserve/Injured) is from Lubbock, Texas, and played at Texas-El Paso... Bengals HB Bernard Scott (Reserve/Injured) is from Vernon, Texas, and played at Abilene Christian... Texans G Brandon Brooks played at Miami (Ohio)... Texans G Cody White is from Columbus, Ohio... Texans assistant head coach/defensive line coach Bill Kollar played defensive tackle for the Bengals from 1974-76... Bengals offensive quality control/assistant offensive line coach Kyle Caskey is from Daingerfield, Texas, and played tight end at Texas A&M from 1997-98... Texans defensive backs coach Vance Joseph coached at Bowling Green State University in 2004... Texans wide receivers coach Larry Kirksey played wide receiver at Eastern Kentucky University from 1970-73, and coached at Miami (Ohio) from 1974-75, the University of Kentucky from 1977-81 and Kentucky State in 1983. Red zone reports: The Bengals have won seven of their last eight contests, thanks at least partly to a spike in red zone efficiency on both sides of the ball. Over the eight-game span, the Bengals offense has scored touchdowns on 18 of its 31 trips to the red zone (58.1 percent). Last week vs. Baltimore, the Bengals scored one TD in two trips to the red zone. Conversely, the Bengals defense has allowed just 17 trips to the red zone over that span, and opponents have converted TDs on only five of those trips (29.4 percent). One of those TDs came with 2:50 remaining and the Bengals protecting a 25-point lead in on Nov. 11 vs. the Giants. Last week vs. Baltimore, the Bengals allowed TDs on both defensive trips to the red zone. Going back a week further, the Bengals rose from 47.8 to 54.4 in red zone TD percentage since the bye (Week 8), while the defense s TD percentage dropped from 65.0 to 51.2. The defense s ranking in that span improved 19 spots, going from 29th to tied for 10th. BENGALS RED ZONE REPORT (2012 REGULAR SEASON) OFFENSE Inside-20 poss.: 57 Inside-20 poss.: 41 Total scores: 50 (87.7%) Total scores: 35 (85.4%) TDs: 31 (54.4%) TDs: 21 (51.2%) FGs: 19 (33.3%) FGs: 14 (34.1%) TD% rank: 16th TD% rank: T-10th No scores: 7 (12.3%) No scores: 6 (14.6%) TEXANS RED ZONE REPORT (2012 REGULAR SEASON) OFFENSE Inside-20 poss.: 57 Inside-20 poss.: 40 Total scores: 54 (94.7) Total scores: 32 (80.0%) TDs: 32 (56.1%) TDs: 20 (50.0%) FGs: 22 (38.6%) FGs: 12 (30.0%) TD% rank: 12th TD% rank: 7th No scores: 3 (5.3%) No scores: 8 (20.0%) Lewis is also the Bengals leader in all-time head coaching tenure. The second-longest tenure is eight seasons, shared by Paul Brown (1968-75) and Wyche (1984-91). Lewis has risen to third in the NFL for longest current head coaching tenure with one team, trailing only Philadelphia s Andy Reid (14th season in 2012) and New England s Bill Belichick (13th). Lewis was named the ninth head coach in Bengals history on Jan. 14, 2003. In 2002, he directed the NFL s fifth-ranked defense with Washington, serving as assistant head coach in addition to his role as defensive coordinator. Prior to his year with the Redskins, he was a record-setting defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. His six seasons (1996-2001) with the Ravens included a Super Bowl victory following the 2000 season. In the 2000 regular season, Lewis Baltimore defense set the NFL record for fewest points allowed in a 16-
(The head coaches, continued) game campaign (165), and the 2000 Ravens are always included in discussions of the best single-season NFL defenses of all time. Lewis entered the NFL as linebackers coach with Pittsburgh from 1993-95. 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 1981. Gary Kubiak is in his seventh season as Texans head coach, with a 60-54 record (including 1-1 in postseason) that makes him the all-time franchise leader in wins. Last season and this season, he has led the 11-year-old franchise to its first two playoff berths. Last season, the Texans won their inaugural playoff game, defeating the Bengals, and they lost in the next round at Baltimore. Prior to joining the Texans, Kubiak spent 11 years (1995-2005) as Denver s offensive coordinator, helping guide the Broncos to back-to-back world Third time as Wild Card: The Bengals are in the playoffs as a Wild Card team for the third time in franchise history. It s the second year in a row, and the first time was 1975 Paul Brown s final season as head coach. That team finished with the best winning percentage in franchise history (.786), posting an 11-3 record, but it was a game short of a 12-2 Pittsburgh team that went on to win Super Bowl X. The 75 Bengals opened postseason at 11-3 Oakland, and the Raiders won a memorable 31-28 contest. The only other Bengals playoff appearance that came without a division championship was 1982, when divisions were dissolved into overall conference standings due to a players strike. The top eight teams in each conference qualified, and the 7-2 Bengals were the No. 3 team in the AFC. This year s Wild Card berth sees the Bengals in search of the franchise s first playoff win away from home. The Bengals are 5-3 all-time as a playoff home team, but are 0-5 as a visitor and 0-2 at neutral sites. 36 of 53 have been there, done that: Thirty-six Bengals just over two-thirds of the 53-player roster enter the Houston game with NFL playoff experience. That s nine more than entered last year s Wild Card game with a skin on the wall. Among the 36 players with playoff experience, the Bengal with the most games played is K Josh Brown, who saw action in nine contests with Seattle from 2003-07. Second is CB Terence Newman, who played in five games (all starts) with Dallas from 2003-11. HB BenJarvus Green-Ellis is third, with four games (two starts) for New England from 2008-11. Only one player, DE Robert Geathers, has played in all three previous playoff games under head coach Marvin Lewis. The list of 17 players who have no playoff experience includes five veterans who have been on a playoff roster Bengals or another team but have not seen action (G Clint Boling, OT Anthony Collins, QB Bruce Gradkowski and S Taylor Mays), two veterans who have not previously been with a playoff team (TE Richard Quinn and WR Dane Sanzenbacher) and 12 rookies. BENGALS NOTES championships in Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII and three AFC West Division titles. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, Texas A&M, as quarterbacks coach from 1992-93. A Houston native, Kubiak played QB at Texas A&M from 1979-82, earning All-Southwest Conference honors as a senior. He played for the Broncos from 1983-91 as John Elway s backup, throwing 14 career TD passes. As a player he was part of three teams that reached the Super Bowl. Lewis vs. Texans: Texans lead 4-2, including 3-2 in regular season and 1-0 in postseason. Lewis vs. Kubiak: Kubiak leads 4-0, including 3-0 in regular season and 1-0 in postseason. Kubiak vs. Bengals: Same as Kubiak vs. Lewis. Only one other time in the last 28 seasons have the Bengals finished the year with a defensive ranking as high as No. 6. That was also under current defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. The year was 2009, and Cincinnati was fourth at 309.1. The Bengals gave up a season-high 206 rushing yards in the non-crucial season finale and dipped from eighth in rushing defense to 12th (107.2). In pass defense, the Bengals allowed Baltimore only 146 yards and improved from 10th to seventh (212.5). Bengals miss sacks crown but get franchise-best rank: Looking for the franchise s first NFL sacks title, the Bengals led the league for Weeks 13-15. But though they logged four sacks in each of the last two games, they finished in third place with 51, just one behind co-leaders Denver and St. Louis. Entering Week 17, Denver led the NFL by one over Cincinnati and by two over St. Louis. The Broncos matched the Bengals total in Week 17, getting four vs. Kansas City, while St. Louis jumped Cincinnati and gained a tie with Denver by getting six sacks at Seattle. Cincinnati s No. 3 finish was still the best in franchise history, topping No. 4 ranks achieved in 1973 and 2001. The Bengals tied a No. 2 AFC ranking previously achieved in 1973, 2001 and last season. This week s Cincinnati opponent, Houston, finished tied for seventh in fewest sacks allowed, with 28. The Bengals first rose to prominence in the 2012 league race with consecutive six-sack efforts at Washington and on Sept. 30 at Jacksonville. It was the first team instance of six or more sacks in consecutive games since Games 11-12 of 2001, when Cincinnati had of six vs. Tampa Bay and eight vs. Jacksonville. Boosted by the two six-sack games, the Bengals also held the league lead through Weeks 4 and 5. But they were out of the lead from Weeks 6-12 before regaining it for Weeks 13-15. Road warriors: Though the Bengals cannot host a game in the 2012 playoffs, they have won four straight on the road and are 6-2 overall away from home, as compared to 4-4 at Paul Brown Stadium. The 6-2 road mark ties the club record set previously in 1981 and 2005. In the regular seasons of the two playoff years 2011 and 12, the Bengals are 11-5 on the road and 8-8 at home. Their road winning percentage over the last two seasons is.688, second-best in franchise history for a two-season span. The best two-season road win percentage was.692 by the 1981-82 clubs, which combined for a 9-4 mark. This year marks the third instance in club history of consecutive seasons with winning records on the road. The Bengals were 5-3 on the road last year. Previous instances were 1975-76 (5-2 and 4-3) and 1981-82 (6-2 and 3-2). Bengals hold at sixth in net defense: Over the last eight games, the Bengals rose from 20th to sixth in the NFL in fewest yards allowed per game. Cincinnati actually moved into sixth place through Week 14, and the Bengals held sixth place through the season s final three weeks. The Bengals average in yards allowed was 357.4 entering the Nov. 11 Giants game, and they finished at 319.7. Though Baltimore posted 352 yards in the season finale, that game was not crucial to Cincinnati s playoff seeding and featured some rest for the defensive starters. Over the seven games prior to the finale, Bengals foes averaged only 272.3 yards. Team record for sacks: The Bengals had four sacks for the second straight game in the Baltimore contest, and their season total of 51 is a club record, topping the mark of 48 set by the 2001 team. However, one Bengals team from the era of 14-game schedules posted a higher season average than the current Bengals for sacks per game. The 1976 team still claims the per-game record at 3.29 (46 total sacks). The 2012 team averaged 3.19 sacks per game and needed 53 to also claim the per-game record, which would have been at 3.31. DT Geno Atkins led the Bengals individually this season with 12.5 sacks, and DE Michael Johnson was second at 11.5. DE Wallace Gilberry was third at 6.5 and DE Carlos Dunlap was fourth at 6.0. 7-1 finish ties club record: The Bengals 7-1 finish to the regular season, after a 3-5 start, ties the 1981 Super Bowl team for the franchise s best record in the second half of a 16-game season. The 81 team finished with a 12-4 overall record. One other Bengals club, the 1970 edition, finished 7-1 in its last eight games, but the season was only 14 games at that point. The 70 team finished 8-6 and earned the franchise s first playoff berth. The Bengals have had seven seasons of finishing 6-2 in the final eight games. Head coach Marvin Lewis previous best finish over the last eight games was 5-3, accomplished four times 2003, 04, 05 and 07. 3
(Bengals notes, continued) Dalton wins games, if not all stats battles: Bengals QB Andy Dalton had some great statistical games in the season s second half, and also some not-so-great ones. But Dalton was been a big winner in the second half, leading the Bengals to a 7-1 record, tying the 1981 Super Bowl team for the franchise s best record in the second half of a 16-game season. And those are the only numbers that seem to matter to his mates. No matter what s going on with Andy, you always have confidence he s going to make that next big play, says WR A.J. Green. He s going to have some ups and downs like all of us, but he never gets rattled. He s our leader. Dalton posted a 100-plus passer rating four times in the last eight games, including last week at Baltimore, when he played only the first half and posted a 101.5. His other three triple-digit games in the second half came in Games 9-11. Dalton topped 100 in passer rating each time out, and his 117.2 rating over that span was second-best in the NFL. In Games 9-11, he became the first Bengal with nine TDs and no INTs over three games since 2003, when Jon Kitna threw nine TDs and no INTs over Games 10-12. And though Dalton was well under a 100 rating in Games 12-15, the Bengals won three of the four: In the playoff clincher on Dec. 23 at Pittsburgh, against the NFL s topranked defense, Dalton posted only a 58.8 passer rating, his second-lowest of the season. But when an interception by S Reggie Nelson presented a chance to win with just 0:14 to play, Dalton seized it. With the score tied 10-10 and the Bengals at the Pittsburgh 46 about 10-12 yards short of gaining a decent field-goal chance Dalton found Green open down the right sideline and produced a 21-yard gain to the 25. Josh Brown followed with a game-winning 43- yard field goal. Dalton was at 74.2 for a Dec. 13 win at Philadelphia, with a season-low completion percentage (48.1) and a yards total (127) that was his second-lowest. But he avoided an interception at Philadelphia, threw for one TD, and scrambled 11 yards for a go-ahead TD on what head coach Marvin Lewis termed a great play. Dalton was at 65.2 on Dec. 2 at San Diego, but he engineered a fourthquarter comeback. He led a 14-play drive to turn a 13-10 deficit into a 17-13 lead, getting the TD on a six-yard run. The Bengals went on to win 20-13. Dalton had six 100-plus passer ratings for the season. He had 27 TD passes, seven more than the 20 from his rookie season. He finished seven points ahead of 2011 in passer rating (87.4 to 80.4). He also improved over 11 in completion percentage (62.3 to 58.1), yards-per-attempt (6.9 to 6.6) and passing yards per game (229.3 to 212.3). Dalton second in total TDs : QB Andy Dalton combined in 2012 for 31 TDs in the category of TDs passed-for and scored. He threw for 27 and scored four himself. The high in this category was set in 2005 by Carson Palmer, who accounted for 33 TDs (32 passes and one rush). Dalton s four TDs scored are the most by a Bengals QB since 2002, when Jon Kitna had four, and one short of the club-record of five set in 1979 by Jack Thompson. Dalton s 329 completions 20.6 per game rank fourth in Bengals history. The top three totals belong to Palmer, including a record 373 in 2007. Dalton s 3669 passing yards do not rank in the top five season totals in Bengals history, but total passing yards is not a strong indicator of wins and losses in today s NFL. The Bengals have lost Dalton s three highest career games for passing yards, and leaguewide this season, teams had only a 61-65 record in games with a 300-yard passer. Marino, Manning and Dalton: Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton has thrown 47 touchdown passes in 32 career games, 20 as a rookie last season and 27 this season. The only quarterbacks who have passed for more in their first two seasons in the NFL are Hall of Famer Dan Marino (68) and future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (52). Dalton also has joined Marino and Manning as the only players to hit 20 or higher in TD passes in each of their first two seasons. Carolina s Cam Newton had a chance to join the dual-20 group last week, but he was held without a TD pass in the Panthers season finale and finished the year with just 19. Last season, Dalton became the first rookie QB in NFL history to throw as many as 20 TD passes and start as many as eight wins. Dalton dips a bit in passer rankings: Andy Dalton posted a 101.5 passer rating in his one half of action in the season finale vs. Baltimore. The performance raised his season-end passer rating by fourth-tenths of a point, 4 from 87.0 to 87.4, but he dropped from sixth to seventh place in the final AFC rankings. In the NFL rankings, he went up one spot from 14th to 13th. Green Bay s Aaron Rodgers finished as the league leader at 108.0, and Denver s Peyton Manning led the AFC (second overall) at 105.8. Three times this season Dalton topped 125.0 for a game, including a careerbest 132.9 on Sept. 23 at Washington, 128.2 on Sept. 16 vs. Cleveland and 127.6 on Nov. 11 vs. the N.Y. Giants. Dalton s season numbers were 329-for-528 (62.3 percent) for 3669 yards with 27 TDs and 16 INTs. More on Dalton s rankings: Dalton had one TD pass vs. Baltimore and finished third in the AFC for the season with 27. He was in the No. 3 spot for the last seven weeks. He finished tied for seventh in the NFL. Manning led the AFC with 37 TD throws, and New Orleans Drew Brees led the NFL with 43. Dalton didn t play in the fourth quarter vs. Baltimore and so held his fourth-quarter passer rating at 95.1. He also held his rankings entering the game, fourth in the AFC and 11th in the NFL. His fourth-quarter numbers for the season were 80-for-125 (64.0) for 971 yards with nine TDs and five INTs. Chicago s Jay Cutler led the league in fourth-quarter rating at 114.7, and Manning led the AFC (third overall) at 103.9. Dalton grows as leader: QB Andy Dalton earned instant respect as an NFL rookie, leading the Bengals to the playoffs while engineering four comeback wins in the fourth quarter. He wound up in the Pro Bowl. But in 2012, he took his status as team leader up a notch. We know Andy is unflappable, says head coach Marvin Lewis. He continues to show that week in and week out. He really settles and plays. He may have a play that he d want back, but he lets it go. He moves on to the next one, and that s it. He understands it s one play at a time. He has great personality and makeup that way. He has confidence now. He knows he can do this. There is nothing that happens out there that he can t handle. He s a great leader. He did everything that was asked of him a year ago, and now he s better. Says WR A.J. Green: Andy doesn t let anything get to him. He s got ice in his veins. We don t say anything to him when something goes bad, because we know he s going from there and making the next play. Praise from a respected source: Among those singing QB Andy Dalton s praises is former Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian, who helped lead Indy to eight division titles and a Super Bowl championship. In an interview with the Bengals Radio Network, Polian said: I ve told this to Marvin (Lewis) and Mike (Brown) so it s no state secret one of my biggest regrets was not taking him in the first round of the 2011 draft and leaving him for (Cincinnati). But if anybody got him, I m glad that my friends at the Bengals did. He is a terrific leader, he s very, very bright, he s got more than adequate arm strength, and he s a fighter. He looks like an altar boy or a choir boy, but plays with a crowbar in his hands. He s got a lot of killer in him. That s what you want in a quarterback. I ve heard people compare him to Bernie Kosar, but I think he s much more athletic than Bernie, and I think that he has a better arm than Bernie. He s a tough character, and he s a winner. Dalton, Maualuga wear the C : Bengals coach Marvin Lewis caused a bit of a stir on Oct. 31 when he said at a news conference that QB Andy Dalton and MLB Rey Maualuga needed to act more like (jerks) with teammates in leading the offensive and defensive units. The Bengals were 3-4 at the time and on a three-game losing streak. The story rumbled on for a few days. Dalton and Maualuga were probed for reaction and expressed mild surprise. Lewis conceded he could have used better language, and that his comment had come from the gut, without an advance advisory to the players. But Lewis never swayed from the idea that his real message was to empower those two guys to lead the team forward. And after Oct. 31, the Bengals went 7-2 and into the playoffs. Lewis had not named permanent team captains going into this season, instead choosing to rotate game captains weekly, based on a variety of factors. But he made Dalton and Maualuga captains each week in the two games after Oct. 31, and on the morning of the third game Nov. 25 vs. Oakland, Dalton and Maualuga found C emblem for captain affixed to their jerseys. During the bye week, when I evaluated our team, those two guys I wanted to lead the team, Lewis says. And they ve taken it and run with it. I just told them, You have the ability to be great, and they re doing good things. Their play of late is hopefully a byproduct of the reinforcement of their abilities that I gave
(Dalton, Maualuga wear the C, continued) them, the atta boys to move forward but take it all in control, take control of it all. And It just came to me one morning, running, that I should go ahead and put the Cs on their jerseys and make it known that way. Regarding the move, Dalton said: I ve been a captain everywhere I ve been, so to earn that and get the respect of the coaches and Marvin, it s definitely a cool thing. Ever since he kind of said everything to you all (media), he challenged us then, and I think we ve responded well. Asked what being a captain meant, Maualuga said: Leadership. Making sure we have all the guys in this locker room counting on us. I think Andy and myself got the respect of guys as far as making sure everyone s on the same page, making sure we re all here to work, to get one thing done, win. So as captain, I hold it very dear. A.J. offers season-ending cameo: Bengals WR A.J. Green played much of the first half vs. Baltimore, but the offense didn t seem terribly interested in having him practice his signature acrobatics against prowling defensive backs. He was not targeted until the final possession of the second quarter. But the two times he was targeted, he produced gains of 17 and 9 yards that moved the ball from the Ravens 37 to the 11, setting up a TD pass to Marvin Jones on the next play that tied the score 7-7. Green s numbers for the final four games were reflective of an offense that produced enough plays to support a 3-1 record but did not dazzle anyone statistically. Green had 21 catches for 243 yards and one TD over the last four contests, dipping a bit in several league rankings where he had been near the top earlier in the season (more detail in item below). But Green had five 100-yard games on the season, tying the club record, and the bottom line is, coaches, teammates and fans all have seen too many extraordinary efforts by him not to continue expecting huge contributions during the playoffs. His consistent production of remarkable plays has had media covering the team with their creative drive on high as they try to describe what they re seeing. The second-year pro has been called a Martian, in tribute to his otherworldly ability to snag balls in mid-air. He has been dubbed A.J. WhoCatchesEverything, because coverage (even double) often seems to just not matter. It has been stated that plays which would lead a yearly highlight film for most players are simply Routine for Green. His ability to extend himself full-length and hand-catch the ball has evoked visions of a cartoon frog shooting out its tongue to catch a fly. Green continues to draw big attention from opposing defenses, and head coach Marvin Lewis gave his presence big credit in the team effort that propelled HB BenJarvus Green-Ellis to 108.6-yard rushing average over Games 10-14. Defenses have allotted extra personnel in Green s direction, and it has largely been on straight-line bursts up the middle that Green-Ellis had gains of 48, 39, 41, 38 and 29 yards over the five-game stretch of Games 10-14. When teams decide they re not going to let 18 (Green) beat them anymore, we say, OK, let s just run the football, says Lewis. So BenJarvus has had some times running up through there with nobody home (on defense) because everyone was standing by 18. Green s 97 catches in 2012 ranks tied for third in Bengals history, and his 1350 receiving yards ranks fifth. The A.J. stat roundup: With 11 TDs on the season, all on receptions, Bengals WR A.J. Green finished tied for second in the AFC in receiving scores. He entered Week 17 tied with Denver s Eric Decker for the AFC lead, but he had no TDs in limited action vs. Baltimore, while Decker caught two vs. Kansas City to take the AFC crown at 13. Also last week, New England TE Rob Gronkowski had one TD catch and tied Green for second place. Green Bay s James Jones led the NFL at 14, and Green tied for fourth in the league in receiving TDs. Also: Though Green had only two receptions vs. Baltimore, he held fourth place in the AFC for the season at 97. Wes Welker of New England took the AFC title at 118. Green finished seventh in the NFL in receptions. The league leader was Detroit s Johnson at 122. With just 26 receiving yards for his short day vs. Baltimore, Green finished with 1350 for the year and dropped from second to fifth in the AFC. Houston s Andre Johnson was the leader at 1598. Green dropped from fifth to 10th in the NFL, where the runaway leader, by 366 yards over the closest contender, was Detroit s Calvin Johnson at 1964. 5 Green second all-time for sophomore catch total: A.J. Green s 162 career receptions are second-most in NFL history for a player s first two seasons. The only receiver ahead of him has been Marques Colston of New Orleans at 168. Green s 2407 receiving yards are sixth-most among players in their first two seasons. Wrapping up the streak: A.J. Green s streak of nine straight games with a TD (in Games 2-10) was historically notable: Nine games is a Bengals record for within one season. Green surpassed a streak of eight set by T.J. Houshmandzadeh in 2007. Green fell one short of the overall Bengals record for consecutive games with a TD, set at 10 when WR Carl Pickens scored in the last five games of 1994 and the first five of 95. When his streak reached nine, it was the longest active run in the NFL. In the receiving-tds category, Green became only the second NFL player in 48 years to record a single-season streak of nine games. The only other instance since 1964 was an NFL-record 12-gamer by Jerry Rice in 1987. Green s streak of nine is tied for third-longest in NFL history, equaling a run by Lance Alworth in 1963. The second-longest streak has been 10 games by Elroy Crazylegs Hirsch in 1951. Let s hear it for A.J.: When a team has one of the most gifted players to come down the NFL pike in a long time, people like to talk about him. Comments from the Bengals on WR A.J. Green include: QB Andy Dalton: You think you ve seen about everything A.J. can do, and you ve seen so much you don t think twice about his ability. And then he ll show you something new, something you didn t imagine. You throw him up balls that you wouldn t throw to another receiver, because he s going to beat his man and come down with it. CB Leon Hall: Even if you re covered on him, you have to learn as a DB that you have to go get the ball. That s one of the things he does best; judge the ball in the air. He s able to go get it and come down with it before you even realize it. That s a big help for the DBs here. You would hope that it happens enough in practice that it becomes second nature and you get the ball out during the game. Head coach Marvin Lewis: A.J. was a cut above most players in the league from the start. He was the most impressive rookie I ve ever been around. Nothing A.J. does surprises the people who watch him every day, and we fully expected he would be even better this year. This is not a guy you worried about having a sophomore slump. Irvin on A.J.: Former Dallas Cowboy Michael Irvin, a Hall of Fame wide receiver, has this to say on Cincinnati s A.J. Green: When I look at what he s done and what he possibly can become, he s already one of the top receivers in this league. There is no way he fully understands all he can be. A.J. has an opportunity to be the best in the league. How s this for hot starts? None have denied that since joining the Bengals as the No. 4 overall NFL draft pick in 2011, WR A.J. Green has been exceptionally impressive. But the Elias Sports Bureau put those impressions in concrete form after Week 5 play of 2012, confirming that Green had become the only player in NFL history to top 100 receptions, 1500 yards and 10 receiving TDs in his first 20 games. Green s totals after 20 games were 101 catches, 1550 yards and 11 TDs. Through last week, now covering 31 career games, Green is at 162 catches, 2407 yards and 18 scores. Other NFL players have topped Green s 20-game totals in one or two of the three categories, but Green is the only one to have hit the benchmark trifecta of 100-1500-10. Anquan Boldin had higher totals in receptions and yards, but he fell short of 10 TDs, held to eight. Randy Moss had more yards and TDs, but he fell well short of 100 receptions, with 82. Atkins, Green are starters for Pro Bowl: Bengals DT Geno Atkins and WR A.J. Green have been voted to the AFC team for this season s Pro Bowl game. Both were voted in as starters. The game will be played on Sunday, January 27, televised on NBC beginning at 7 p.m. EST. We re happy for both guys; it s a great honor from fellow players and coaches and the voting fans, said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. They ll represent us well if they re in the game, but I have to add that it s our goal to make them both unavailable (by the team advancing to the Super Bowl). Green, a second-year NFL player from Georgia, was named to the team from the initial vote last year as well, though last year he was not voted to a
(Atkins, Green are starters for Pro Bowl, continued) starting position. Last year he became the first rookie WR voted to the game since Anquan Boldin of Arizona in 2003. This season, Green tied for second in the AFC in TD receptions (11), ranked fourth in receptions (97) and ranked fifth in receiving yards (1350). Green had at least one TD catch in nine consecutive games this season (Games 2-10), becoming only the second NFL player in 48 years to record a single-season receiving-tds streak of that length. The only other instance since 1964 was an NFL-record 12-gamer by Jerry Rice in 1987. Atkins, a third-year pro and also from Georgia, made a runaway of the NFL race for most sacks by an interior lineman. His 12.5 total was 4.5 ahead of the next-highest total, 8.0 by Ndamukong Suh of Detroit. Atkins sack total ranks third in Bengals history, trailing only DE Coy Bacon (22.0 in the 14-game season of 1976) and DE Eddie Edwards (13.0 in 1983). Atkins, who also had four forced fumbles, tied for the Bengals lead, was voted directly to the Pro Bowl team for the first time. Last season, he was a first alternate in the initial voting and was added to the squad when New England advanced to the Super Bowl, taking DT Vince Wilfork out of the Pro Bowl lineup. Four Bengals players were voted as alternates. TE Jermaine Gresham and OT Andrew Whitworth are first alternates, and QB Andy Dalton and CB Leon Hall are third alternates. Alternates are selected for the Pro Bowl when roster replacements are needed due to injuries or other reasons. This year s Pro Bowl will again be played a week in advance of the Super Bowl, so Pro Bowl selections on the two Super Bowl teams will be replaced from the alternates ranks. Pro Bowl spots are determined based on voting by players, coaches and fans, with each group s vote having equal weight. Some Bengals Pro Bowl history: The last Bengals WR to make the Pro Bowl before A.J. Green was Chad Johnson, who earned his sixth trip in the 2009 season. Other Bengals WRs in the Pro Bowl, with their total number of selections, have been Green (two), Isaac Curtis (four), Carl Pickens (two), Eddie Brown (one), T.J. Houshmandzadeh (one) and Chip Myers (one). Geno Atkins has tied the Bengals record for most Pro Bowl selections by a defensive lineman (two). The last Bengals defensive lineman to make the Pro Bowl before Atkins was NT Tim Krumrie, who earned his second trip in 1988. Other Bengals defensive linemen in the Pro Bowl, with their total number of selections, have been DE Coy Bacon (two) and DT Mike Reid (two). Green-Ellis found rare triple-digit territory: Though Bengals HB BenJarvus Green-Ellis totaled only 14 rushing yards in the last two games he was held to 14 on Dec. 23 at Pittsburgh and was held out of action last week due to a hamstring strain his story for the previous five weeks was starkly different. He had 100-plus rushing yards in four of five games from Games 10-14, a Bengals accomplishment not previously turned in since the inaugural season of 1968. Paul Robinson did it in a club-record four straight in 68, ringing the bell in Games 8-11, so he also qualifies as having done it four times in five games. In 1980, FB Pete Johnson had four 100-yarders in a span of five games in which he played, but due to some injury-related deactivations, he did not accomplish it in a span of five team games. Green-Ellis had no 100-yarders in Games 1-9. But in Games 10-12 he went 25-for-101 at Kansas City, 19-for-129 at Oakland and 25-for-118 at San Diego. He had only 12 carries in Game 13 vs. Dallas, and though he averaged 7.4 yards per carry, he fell short of 100 with 89. He did however, top 100 yards from scrimmage vs. Dallas, as 13 receiving yards put him at 102. In Game 14 at Philadelphia, he rejoined the 100-yard rushing club with a 25-for-106 effort. His rushing average for the five games (10-14) was 108.6 yards. Green-Ellis had just four 100-yard rushing games in four seasons (2008-11) with New England. With 1094 yards this season, he topped his previous seasonhigh, which was 1008 for New England in 2010. Green-Ellis was held to a 59.7-yard rushing average over Games 1-9, but he never complained about lack of running room, holding true to his reputation as a blue-collar player who pays little attention to individual statistics. I said when things weren t looking so good for us that we had new guys in the interior line, and it was my first year in the offense, Green-Ellis said. The more and more we take plays and get more repetitions, you always get better. All I can say about BenJarvus is that he s the epitome of a pro, head coach Marvin Lewis said. I m pleased for him, for the success he s having. He s a team guy and totally deserves it. During Games 10-14, Green-Ellis had individual gains of 48, 39, 41, 38 and 29 yards. His career-long entering this season was 33 yards. 6 100 yards good, 25 carries better: The Bengals are 35-2 under head coach Marvin Lewis when a rusher records 25 or more carries. That is a.946 winning percentage. BenJarvus Green-Ellis has had four games of 25 or more carries this season, all in Bengals wins. The most recent was Dec. 13 at Philadelphia, when he rushed 25-for-106. Previously, Green-Ellis was 26-for-82 on Sept. 30 at Jacksonville, 25-for-101 on Nov. 18 at Kansas City and 25-for-118 on Dec. 2 at San Diego. Games under Lewis with a 25-carry rusher have been less frequent and slightly more successful than games with a 100-yard rusher. In the Lewis era (2003-present), the Bengals are 36-7 with a 100-yard rusher (.837 winning percentage). In Green-Ellis case, however, the record in his 100-yard games matches the 4-0 in his 25-carry games. Lewis, however, notes that the overall numbers still favor the 25 carries over the more iconic 100 yards. It s not always the yardage total that s most important, says Lewis. When your back is carrying 25 times, it means that even though the yardage will vary, you re controlling the ball, controlling the clock, and keeping your defense off the field. As it shows for us that is very likely going to be a winning combination. By player, the Bengals won-lost totals under Lewis with a 25-carry rusher have been 18-1 with Rudi Johnson, 11-1 with Cedric Benson, 2-0 with Kenny Watson and 4-0 with Green-Ellis. By player, Lewis totals with a 100-yard rusher have been 15-4 with Rudi Johnson, 2-0 with Kenny Watson, 13-2 with Cedric Benson, 1-0 with Corey Dillon, 0-1 with Bernard Scott, 1-0 with Larry Johnson, and 4-0 with Green-Ellis. Historic streak rests at 589: Through his 10th offensive touch in the Sept. 23 Washington game, Bengals HB BenJarvus Green-Ellis reached 589 career combined rushes and receptions without a fumble. Elias Sports Bureau reports the 589 as the longest such streak to start a career since individual fumbles became a statistic in 1945. Green-Ellis finally did cough one up on his 11th touch in the Washington game, ending the streak and setting a benchmark for future ball handlers. Green-Ellis also has 52 career rushes/receptions without a fumble in postseason play, covering four games for New England. Geno claims a team crown... : DT Geno Atkins established a Bengals season record for sacks by an interior lineman on Nov. 25 vs. Oakland, logging his ninth of the season to better the 8.0 mark he had shared with Dan Wilkinson from the 1995 season. He added 3.5 more in the season s final five games to finish at 12.5. The Bengals record for sacks by any player is 22.0 by DE Coy Bacon in 1976, in a 14-game season. The only other Bengal with more sacks than Atkins had in 2012 was another DE, Eddie Edwards with 13.0 in 1983. Atkins also led the Bengals in coaches compilation of QB pressures (35) and tackles-for-loss (15).... and his league crown was a lock: Think Secretariat at the 1973 Belmont. That s what Bengals DT Geno Atkins did with the 2012 NFL race for most sacks by an interior lineman. Atkins had 12.5, a margin of 4.5 over second-place Ndamukong Suh of Detroit (8.0). Atkins held the undisputed league lead for the season s last 14 weeks, since the completion of Week 4. He dropped opposing QBs for 90 yards in losses. Atkins shared the NFL sacks lead among interior linemen last season, tying with Oakland DT Tommy Kelly at 7.5. Atkins finished tied for sixth in sacks among all NFL defenders, the highest finish ever by a Bengal. The previous high rank was ninth by DE Eddie Edwards in 1983, when he had 13.0. Atkins ranked fourth among all AFC sackers. The AFC and NFL leader was Houston DE J.J. Watt at 20.5. Whit on Geno: Bengals LOT Andrew Whitworth knows a good defensive tackle when he sees one, and he sees one every day in teammate Geno Atkins: Geno s quick, like most small D-tackles, Whitworth says. He s a quicker athletic guy. But the thing that separates him from all others is he has insane exceptional strength. He s a really, really strong guy for a smaller player. That s what takes him to a whole other level. It is hard to deal with a guy who s below you and under you. It s hard to get your hands down there to control him. And of course there s the way he works. When I go in the weight room on Mondays, he s fresh off a two-sack game or seven tackles, he s got 500 pounds on his back, and he s squatting under the rack. He s one of those type of guys. He s on a mission to be a really good player and to push himself. There s no day off to him. That s what makes him good. That s what makes him who he is. As long as he keeps that part of himself, he ll continue to dominate.