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. 18, 2014 CINCINNATI BENGALS (0-2) AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (1-1) Kickoff: 8 p.m. Eastern. Television: National coverage on NBC s Sunday Night Football, with Al Michaels (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst) and Michele Tafoya (sideline reporter). The game will be aired in the Bengals home market on WLWT-TV (Channel 5) in Cincinnati, WDTN-TV (Channel 2) in Dayton and on WLEX-TV (Channel 18) in Lexington, Ky. Radio: Coverage on the Bengals Radio Network, led by Cincinnati flagship stations 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 Bengals take their preseason act to the national stage this week, visiting Arizona on NBC s Sunday Night Football, and head coach Marvin Lewis is challenging his entire 86-player roster to produce a 60-minute quality effort. Cincinnati fell to 0-2 on the August schedule last week, losing 25-17 to the visiting N.Y. Jets. The game was of an often-seen preseason stripe one team prevailing in the brief battle of starters and the other team controlling roughly three quarters of reserve skirmishes to claim victory. The Bengals first units played crisply for the second straight week and mounted a 17-3 lead. But Lewis termed that effort tarnished by the Jets closing with a 22-0 run. In the game overall, the Bengals were flagged for 11 penalties for 92 yards and lost the turnover battle at minus-2. And the minus-2 does not include a Jets blocked punt for a safety, a continuation of early preseason big-play woes for Cincinnati s normally quite capable special teams. We ve got a week of work before Arizona and we ve got to understand the urgency of it in every way, Lewis said after the game. We ve got to nip these errors and sloppy play in the bud. Our theme (for the Jets) was to get winning habits, and we surely did not have them. A year ago, this team suffered injuries and some other setbacks and kept on track (to win the AFC North title). We developed depth, we did it right, and we did not beat ourselves. The Jets game marked the second straight week for the Bengals to play well with their ones and not so well when depth is supposed to show. At Kansas City on Aug. 7, an early 10-0 lead was swallowed in an eventual 41-39 loss. We ve got to go to work hard to become the football team we need to be, Lewis said. The veterans on this team know what it takes to go where we want to go. Yes, it s just preseason and yes, our first groups have done well on both sides of the ball. But every time, you come out to win the game. There s too much involved, too much work invested, to do it any other way. Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson wasn t smiling much, either. We lost, Jackson said. We lost. I m disappointed because I think we can play better than the way we re playing, just as a unit. There s no question the number ones are ready to play, and they came out there and played, and rightfully so they re supposed to do that. Andy (Dalton) has done well, and I ve said that since training camp started. He s really taken over the offense and done a great job. But we keep turning the ball over (with second units in the game) and putting the defense in tough situations. For two weeks, we ve turned the ball over and really hurt our defense. So I ve got to get this solved. This turnover thing is not what we should be doing. That s my responsibility and I ve got to get it fixed. Even so, there was that first-unit success. The offense, in particular, was as dazzling as that of any preseason game in recent years. The Bengals piled up an eye-popping 172 offensive yards in the first quarter. In three series, QB Andy GAME NOTES 1 PRESEASON GAME 3 SUNDAY, AUG. 24 AT UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX STADIUM NEXT WEEK: PRESEASON FINALE AUG. 28 VS. INDIANAPOLIS Dalton led two TD drives. Dalton finished his night with the highest possible passer rating on the NFL s computer 158.3. He completed all eight of his passes, for 144 yards, including a 43-yard TD strike to WR Mohamed Sanu, and his passer rating for the preseason is a gaudy 144.4. WR A.J. Green had a second straight good game, catching three passes for a team-high 69 yards. You want to win, and it s disappointing we didn t, but for the ones, that s about as good as it gets in the preseason, I guess, Dalton said. It just felt good out there. We were all in sync, moving the ball. We got some big chunk plays and scored points. That s what you want. This week s game should be a good matchup for NBC. The Bengals are one of five teams to make the playoffs each of the last three seasons. The Cardinals, 10-6 in 2013, were widely regarded as one one of the better teams in recent memory to be left out of the postseason derby. They won seven of their last nine under head coach Bruce Arians, now in his second season. And their quarterback is Carson Palmer, former No. 1 overall NFL draft choice of the Bengals. Like Dalton, Palmer has been sharp in preseason, with a passer rating of 137.5. The Cardinals rolled 32-0 over Houston in their preseason opener. But like the Bengals last week, they led early before losing, 30-28 at Minnesota. The series: The preseason series is tied 2-2, and the Bengals lead 6-4 in regular-season play. The last preseason meeting was in 1996 at Arizona, the Cardinals winning 13-10. The first three preseason games between the teams took place when the Cardinals were based in St. Louis. The last regular-season meeting was a 23-16 Bengals win at Cincinnati in 2011. The Bengals were 2-1 against the St. Louis Cardinals and lead 4-3 since the Cardinals move to Arizona. This week marks the first Bengals visit to University of Phoenix Stadium. Previous Cincinnati at Arizona games were played at Sun Devil Stadium. Bengals vs. Carson: This week s game marks the first time in preseason and the second time overall that the Bengals have opposed QB Carson Palmer, their starter from 2004-10 and still the holder of a handful of Cincinnati passing records. The only previous Bengals-Palmer meeting was on Nov. 25, 2012 at Paul Brown Stadium, when Cincinnati defeated the Palmer-led Oakland Raiders 34-10. Palmer passed 19-for-34 for 146 yards, with one TD and one INT. Bengals on big stage in preseason: This week s game is the Bengals ninth nationally televised preseason contest under head coach Marvin Lewis. The Bengals are 5-3 for the previous eight, including 1-1 on NBC. All nine games have been against NFC foes. A recap: DATE OPPONENT RESULT NETWORK 8-13-06 WASHINGTON... Bengals, 19-3 NBC 8-28-06 GREEN BAY... Bengals, 48-17 ESPN 8-27-07 @Atlanta...Falcons, 24-19 ESPN 8-11-08 @Green Bay... Bengals, 20-17 ESPN 8-8-10 Dallas*... Cowboys, 16-7 NBC 8-20-10 PHILADELPHIA... Bengals, 22-9 FOX 8-16-12 @Atlanta... Bengals, 24-19 FOX 8-8-13 @Atlanta... Bengals, 34-10 ESPN * Pro Football Hall of Fame Game (Canton, Ohio).
(Game notes, continued) BENGALS-CARDINALS FINAL 2013 NFL RANKINGS BENGALS CARDINALS SCORING (AVERAGE POINTS): Points scored... T-6th (26.9) T-16th (23.7) Points allowed... T-5th (19.1) 7th (20.3) NET OFFENSE (AVERAGE YARDS): Total...10th (368.4) 12th (346.4) Rushing...18th (109.7) 23rd (96.3) Passing...8th (258.7) 13th (250.1) NET DEFENSE (AVERAGE YARDS): Total... 3rd (305.5) 6th (317.4) Rushing...5th (96.5) 1st (84.4) Passing...5th (209.0) 4th (233.0) TURNOVERS: Differential... 13th (plus-1) 17th (minus-1) Bengals-Cardinals connections: Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict and G Mike Pollak both played at Arizona State; Pollak is from Chandler, Ariz.... Cardinals QB Carson Palmer was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft by the Bengals and he was with the Bengals through 2010... Cardinals DE Frostee Rucker was drafted by the Bengals in 2006 and played for Cincinnati from 2006-11... Bengals QB Matt Scott and LB Marquis Flowers played at the University of Arizona; Flowers is from Phoenix... Bengals DE Dontay Moch played for the Cardinals in 2013 and is from Phoenix... Cardinals WR Ted Ginn Jr. and S Orhian Johnson played at Ohio State... Bengals K Mike Nugent played for the Cardinals in 2009... Cardinals P Dave Zastudil played at Ohio University... Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson coached at Arizona State from 1992-95... Cardinals special teams coordinator Amos Jones coached at the University of Cincinnati from 1999-2002... Bengals quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese Marvin Lewis in 2014 extends his Bengals record for head coaching tenure to 12 seasons. He has led the team to the postseason in four of the last five years, including three straight. The Bengals are one of only five NFL teams to be in the playoffs every year since 2011, and they are one of only six clubs to qualify as many as four times in the last five years. In total, Lewis has coached five Bengals playoff teams, also a franchise record. Paul Brown is second in the category, with three. Lewis will open the 2014 regular season with 90 career victories, most in Bengals history by a margin of 26 over Sam Wyche (64). Lewis record is 90-85- 1 in the regular season and 90-90-1 including postseason. Lewis record in preseason games is 23-24-0. The Bengals went 11-5 in the regular season in 2013, winning the AFC North Division championship by three games over both Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Cincinnati lost in the first round of the playoffs, however, falling 27-10 to San Diego at Paul Brown Stadium. Last year s division title was Cincinnati s third under Lewis. In a 2009 title season in which the Bengals swept all six division games, Lewis was the consensus choice as NFL Coach of the Year. Lewis also led Cincinnati to an AFC North title in 2005. Lewis ranks second in the NFL in longest current tenure with one team, trailing only Bill Belichick, who is in his 15th straight season with New England. In the category of most seasons as an NFL head coach with one or more teams, Lewis in 2014 ranks sixth among active coaches, behind Belichick (20th season in 2014), Jeff Fisher (20), Tom Coughlin (19), the Chiefs Andy Reid (16) and John Fox (13). 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 16-158.3: It s an odd but magic number in sports lore, the expression of perfection as defined by the NFL s passer rating computer. One can t score higher, based on a weighted analysis of completions, attempts, yards, touchdowns and interceptions. Bengals QB Andy Dalton hit 158.3 early in last week s game against the THE HEAD COACHES BENGALS NOTES 2 coached at Northern Arizona University from 1992-95... Cardinals defensive line coach Brentson Buckner played for the Bengals in 1997...Bengals defensive backs coach Mark Carrier coached at Brophy College Prep in Phoenix in 2003 and coached at Arizona State from 2004-05... Cardinals TEs coach Rick Christophel coached at the University of Cincinnati in 1983... Cardinals WRs coach coach Darryl Drake played (1975-78) and coached ( 83-91) at Western Kentucky; Drake is from Louisville, Ky. and was with the Bengals in training camp in 83... Cardinals assistant offensive line coach Larry Zierlein coached at the University of Cincinnati from 1997-2000. Red zone reports: The Bengals ranked second in the NFL last season in offensive red-zone TD percentage (34-of-46, 73.9 percent), and the Jets ranked fourth on defense (22-of-41, 44.9 percent). BENGALS 2013 RED-ZONE REPORT OFFENSE DEFENSE Inside-20 poss.: 46 Inside-20 poss.: 36 Total scores: 39 (84.8%) Total scores: 30 (83.3%) TDs: 34 (73.9%) TDs: 18 (50.0%) FGs: 5 (10.9%) FGs: 12 (33.3%) TD% rank: 2nd TD% rank: T-8th No scores: 7 (15.2%) No scores: 6 (16.7%) CARDINALS 2013 RED-ZONE REPORT OFFENSE DEFENSE Inside-20 poss.: 50 Inside-20 poss.: 48 Total scores: 42 (84.0%) Total scores: 40 (83.3%) TDs: 26 (52.0%) TDs: 26 (54.2%) FGs: 16 (32.0%) FGs: 14 (29.2%) TD% rank: T-20th TD% rank: 14th No scores: 8 (11.9%) No scores: 8 (16.7%) 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, guiding the careers of Pro Bowl selections Kevin Greene, Chad Brown, Levon Kirkland and Greg Lloyd. Born Sept. 23, 1958, in McDonald, Pa., near Pittsburgh, Lewis played linebacker at Idaho State and earned All-Big Sky Conference honors in each of his three seasons ( 78-80). He began his coaching career as an assistant at Idaho State University in 1981. Bruce Arians is in his second season as Cardinals head coach. Last season he led the team to a 7-2 finish for a 10-6 record, behind San Francisco (12-4) and New Orleans (11-5) in a tough NFC Wild Card race. The Cardinals doubled their win total from 2012. Arians came to Arizona after working as offensive coordinator in 2012 for Indianapolis, while also serving 12 games as interim head coach during Chuck Pagano s absence while being treated for leukemia. The Colts finished 9-3 in Arians 12 games in the interim role, tying the NFL record for most wins in a season by an interim coach. Arians previously held offensive coordinator positions for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. He entered NFL coaching as running backs coach for Kansas City in 1989. In the college ranks, he was head coach at Temple (1983-88) while also serving at Virginia Tech, Mississippi State and Alabama. A native of Paterson, N.J., Arians played QB at Virginia Tech and was voted the team s MVP as a senior. Lewis vs. Cardinals: No previous preseason meetings; Cardinals lead 2-1 in regular season. Lewis vs. Arians: No previous meetings. Arians vs. Bengals: No previous meetings. Jets, and he held it through his exit early in the second quarter. He finished the game passing eight-for-eight for 144 yards with a TD and no INTs. He finished the first series with a 43-yard TD pass to WR Mohamed Sanu, and he connected with WR A.J. Green for a 35-yarder on a second series that ended with a rushing TD. The Bengals didn t pass on Dalton s final series, rushing three times
(158.3, continued) following a takeaway before cashing out with a 42-yard field goal. To say Dalton looked sharp overall would be an understatement. Andy was dropping it on a dime all over the place, said Sanu. On mine, (the TD reception), all I had to do was stick my hands out and not blow it. Dalton s passer rating over two preseason games is 144.4. He is 11-for-13 (84.6 percent) for 215 yards with one TD and no picks. To Dalton s coaches, the performance has been gratifying but not surprising. They have viewed 20-odd practices live and on tape, and were practice performance expressed numerically, Dalton s wouldn t be far from 158.3-ish. I know he s better, says quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese. I can see it in his decisiveness, his details, the ball placement, the confidence. What strikes me is the consistency. Something may not be right, but we bounce back quickly. Nothing lingers from one bad play to causing another bad one. If there was any kind of a transition period with Dalton moving into new coordinator Hue Jackson s offensive scheme, it s over now. I think we have a bond, which is important, Jackson says. Andy s getting to know me and I m getting to know him. I like everything about him. What I m most proud of is, he has allowed me to coach him. I ve seen some guys bristle when change happens. He hasn t blinked, and none of the guys on offense have, and that s been good to see. Says Dalton: It s been a really easy transition. Hue and I started this with a good relationship, him being on the staff (in other roles) the last two years. Hue has made it clear that I m his guy, that I m going to be running everything, and that s great. Everything with Hue is about the quarterback position, that he s the leader of this team. Dalton signed up through 2020: Two weeks into preseason, the Bengals signed QB Andy Dalton to a contract extension running through the 2020 season. His original contract had run through 2014. A second-round Bengals draft choice in 2011, Dalton has led the Bengals to the playoffs in each of his three previous seasons, including an AFC North Division championship in 13. In 13, he set franchise season records for passing yards (4293) and TD passes (33). Andy is being rewarded for his accomplishments with a significant contract, said Katie Blackburn, Bengals executive vice-president, and we are pleased to have a deal in place that will make him a key part of our team for a number of years. Dalton in 2013 won two AFC Offensive Player of the Week awards and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for October. He joined S David Fulcher as the only Bengals to win three AFC weekly or monthly awards in a season. It s stating the obvious that this is a key move for the ongoing success of our team, said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, I congratulate our front office, and Andy and his representatives, for coming together to make this happen in a constructive way for the football team. Andy is still a young player (26), he has led us to the playoffs three straight years, and by far we have not seen the best of him yet. It s great that the Bengals have shown this confidence in me, Dalton said. This is only a beginning. We have higher goals than just making the playoffs, and it s my job to lead us there. The Bengals and Dalton have received praise for structuring a contract that preserves the team s ability to retain other key players under the salary cap while still rewarding the quarterback handsomely. That s important to Andy, said OT Andrew Whitworth. He understands the game. He understands what makes it go. He won in college at a place (TCU) where not many people won as much as he did. He understands that he needs other guys that help him win. He came in as a rookie and played on a team when it lost its franchise quarterback and was supposed to go 0-16. Whitworth s reference was to 2011, when the Bengals opened the season with QB Carson Palmer holding out. The team was widely forecast as a lastplace finisher, but Dalton, a second-round draft choice, led a 9-7 playoff season and earned a Pro Bowl berth. A parallel for Dalton? Bengals QB Andy Dalton hasn t yet won a playoff game, but he has led the team to three berths in three seasons, and that s a far better start than most including one Peyton Manning. Denver s Hall-of-Fame lock of a QB needed his first five seasons (1998-2002) to lead the Indianapolis Colts to three playoff berths, and the Colts were eliminated in the first round all three times (1999, 2000, 2002). Manning led his first playoff wins (two) in 2003, his sixth season as a Colt. 3 Dalton s playoff passer rating is not a point of pride at 56.2, but head coach Marvin Lewis points out that Cincinnati s highly rated defenses allowed opposing QBs to post an aggregate 94.9 rating in the three postseason contests. So obviously it s not all on Andy, Lewis says. We all know the way it works, how the pressure falls on the quarterback, but that doesn t mean it s always valid. The pressure is on us as an entire team to improve. Dalton has had no bigger backer than Bengals president Mike Brown. Prior to the Aug. 4 completion of Dalton s new contract, Brown said: I like him on the field; he s steady Eddie, Brown said. He competes. He doesn t do stupid things. He keeps us focused. He makes us a winning team. He s won nine games, then 10, then 11. That s pretty good. Everybody knows we didn t win in the playoffs, and we have to get over that hump. And we are counting on Andy to get us to that point. Dalton has a history of earning statistical comparisons with the biggest names among NFL QBs. For example, he has thrown more TD passes (80) over his three seasons than anyone except Manning and Drew Brees. But Brown takes the comparison with the best to off-field matters as well. I think he is an exceptional person, Brown said. Nobody has more respect in our building than he. I would tell you that of all the quarterbacks we have had, he is respected by his teammates as much as any of them. Apprised of Brown s remarks, Dalton said: It means a lot to hear him say that. To know I have support from the top down, that is exactly what you want. And saying how everyone in the organization respects me... not that I doubted that, but it s really good to hear. Andy by the numbers: More of the reasons why QB Andy Dalton draws such high praise from his bosses: His 30-18 W-L record as a starter gives him a.625 winning percentage, best in Bengals history for a QB with 10 or more starts. He is one of only five starting QBs in NFL history to lead a team to the playoffs his first three seasons. His 18.7-to-1 ratio of TD passes to INTs in the red zone (56-3) ranks third among active NFL passers. His 80 TD passes are third-most in NFL history for a player in his first three seasons, trailing only Dan Marino (98) and Peyton Manning (85). He has been on the throwing end for the vast majority of A.J. Green s 260 receptions, most in NFL history for a player in his first three seasons. Last season: He joined Peyton Manning and Cam Newton as the only QBs in league history to pass for 3000 yards in their first three seasons. He broke Bengals season records set by Carson Palmer for touchdown passes (33) and passing yards (4293). He finished the season with a passer rating of 88.8, improving that mark for the third straight season. He ranked fifth in the AFC. He joined S David Fulcher as the only Bengals to win three of the NFL s weekly or monthly AFC offensive player awards in a season. He became the first Bengals passer to throw for 300 or more yards in four consecutive games. All s good with Whit: Bengals No. 1 LOT Andrew Whitworth returned to game action last week against the Jets. He was held out of early training camp practices and until the week before the preseason opener and did not play in the opener. Whitworth has been confident all along that his situation is not the same as in early 2013, when he missed all four preseason games and the regular-season opener while rehabbing from offseason knee surgery. Last year in the offseason, I couldn t train, Whitworth says. All I was able to do was rehab up until training camp. Then when I got to camp, I re-injured it and I couldn t do anything at all. This year In the offseason, I trained great. So, physically, I feel wonderful. I m in fantastic shape, best shape I ve ever been in, and I just have to be smart. I have to make sure the calf is OK and 100 percent before I get going at full tilt for an extended period. It s no different than pulling a hamstring. If you rush it, it can end up being a six-month injury, but if you take your time, it ll be fine. Hue J. pushes A.J.: Entering his fourth NFL season, Bengals WR A.J. Green has the most catches (260) and second-most yards (3833) of any receiver in NFL history for his first three seasons. But when his name came up No. 2 in the NFL Network s rating of WRs from 2013, behind Calvin Johnson of Detroit, Green received a text message from new offensive coordinator Hue Jackson that was more of a prod than a pat on the back.. He said, Now, let s go be (number) one, Green recalls. One thing about Hue J., he s never satisfied with where I am.
(Hue J. pushes A.J., continued) Which is more than fine with Green. I knew that text was coming, Green says. He s pushing me to be better. I want that. No matter what I do or how much I ve accomplished these first three years, there s always more I can do, and it s a coach s job to push you to that. I feel like I haven t reached my peak yet. When you get to the point when you feel like you have done everything, it s time for you to hang it up. Last season, Green set Bengals records for 100-yard receiving games in a campaign (six) and for most consecutive 100-yard games (five). He joined Hall of Famer Tom Fears for fewest games played (38) to hit the triple benchmark of 200 receptions 3000 yards and 20 receiving TDs. In 2012, he became only the second NFL player in what is now a 49-year span to catch a TD pass in nine straight games, joining Hall of Famer Jerry Rice. But for motivation purposes, Green chooses to take a painful look at his totals from Cincinnati s 0-3 postseason record of the last three years. He has averaged only 53.9 yards with no TDs. If I play well, the team plays well, Green says. I ve got to give them that spark in the playoffs, and I haven t done that the whole three years. I ve got a lot of regrets about my play in those games, but you can t live in the past. Green has turned in two brief-but-impressive performances over the first two preseason games, with five receptions for 131 yards (26.2 average). Best for first four? As noted in the previous item, Bengals WR A.J. Green is first in NFL history for receptions in a player s first three seasons and second for that span in receiving yards. So what numbers does Green need to reach in 2014 to end the year with the top totals for a receiver s first four seasons? In receptions, he ll need 83. That would move him from 260 to 343, ahead of Anquan Boldin, the current four-year leader at 342. Certainly that appears within range. Green has had 97 and 98 catches the past two seasons, after grabbing 65 as a rookie. In receiving yards, Green will need 1564 to overtake Randy Moss, the only player Green has not topped for seasons 1-3. Moss had 5396 yards over his first four seasons, and Green enters his fourth at 3833. A total of 1564 would be a Bengals record, easily topping Chad Johnson s mark of 1440, but that s not to say Green couldn t do it. To stay behind Moss in second place when the fouryear total is in, Green would need 1256. That would push him to 5089, ahead of second-place Torry Holt (5088). Green has had more than 1256 receiving yards each of the last two seasons, logging 1350 in 2012 and 1426 last season. Way to work: To understate things, Paul Alexander has seen a few players come and go over 20 seasons as Bengals offensive line coach. And Alexander insists he isn t overstating when he says of G Kevin Zeitler: Hardest-working guy I ever coached. Zeitler, a first-round Bengals draft choice in 2012, has been the starter at RG since day one of his career. He isn t letting it go to his head. He s physically trimmer entering 2014 and says, I see things on every play that I that tell me I could be that much better. I just want to make more of an impact, make the right corrections, and be more of an impact guard. Says Alexander: He s a machine. He s the Energizer Bunny. He s always in the weight room early; he s always hustling and finishing in practice. He s in range to have a top, top season. The third season is huge for NFL offensive linemen. Alexander s advice for Zeitler going forward? It might be that sometimes, you can chill out just a little. He s very demanding of himself, Alexander says. He has to overcome that sometimes. At some point you have to accept there s a margin of error you won t always be perfect and be realistic. Who s up for more WR time? The Bengals offense has taken a temporary hit with WR Marvin Jones down. He suffered a foot fracture in practice Aug. 9 and his status is pending for the early regular season. Jones had 10 TD catches last season, including a club-record four against the N.Y. Jets. He was second on the team in receiving yards (712). His reception total (51) ranked third on the team and second among the WRs. But Jones is expected back for plenty of regular-season action, and in the meantime... I m not losing any sleep about it, says offensive coordinator Hue Jackson. I d love to have him back as soon as we can, obviously. But we ve got to keep moving. We ll do whatever it takes to keep our passing game going. We talked about it in our room when Marv got hurt, says WRs coach James Urban. I said, Look, Marv, we re supporting you, we love you, we want 4 you to get healthy, but for the next guy up, this is a great opportunity. They re going to get more reps, more reps with the ones, and more opportunity to show what they can do. With Jones out, third-year pro Mohamed Sanu has a firm claim on the other starting WR spot alongside flagship A.J. Green. Sanu caught a 43-yard TD pass last week, adding a downfield-speed highlight to his general repertoire of toughness and great hands. Sanu and Jones have flip-flopped in the 2-3 spots for much of their previous two Cincinnati seasons. But the Bengals will run plenty of formations with three wide receivers, so September could bloom with opportunity for other players, including: Dane Sanzenbacher: The fourth-year pro from Ohio State was tabbed by head coach Marvin Lewis during the offseason as a player who deserved more opportunities in 2013. He s not physically impressive at 5-11 and 184 pounds, but he has inspired widespread confidence that game day is not too big for him and that he finds a way to beat defenders and contribute. He had an impressive 26-yard TD catch in the preseason opener. Brandon Tate: A sixth-year player, Tate has contributed mostly as a kick returner in three previous seasons with the Bengals. But he has had a nice TD catch this preseason, a tough hands grab at Kansas City. Tate caught 24-for-432 with three TDs with New England in 2010, and he has one regular-season TD catch for the Bengals. Cobi Hamilton: The sixth-round 2013 draft choice rewrote much of the Arkansas receiving record book over four seasons. He s a lanky (6-2, 197) and athletic target. He spent his rookie season on the Bengals practice squad. He s two-for-11 in preseason play. Ryan Whalen: The fourth-year pro from Stanford has been limited to 11 catches over three previous Bengals seasons but continues to press for a bigger chance. He s a strong route-runner with excellent hands. He led the team in receptions (four, for 31 yards) against the Jets last week. Also in the WR mix are seventh-round draft choice James Wright, first-year pro Jasper Collins and college free agent Colin Lockett. Year(s) of the tight end: The 2013 season was a historically productive one for the tight end position in the Bengals offense, and 2014 promises more of the same. Two-time Pro Bowler Jermaine Gresham was cleared to practice on Aug. 4, after opening training camp with a back strain, and second-year pro Tyler Eifert has been impressive in preseason work after a successful rookie season. Both players were Bengals first-round draft choices (Gresham in 2010, Eifert in 13), and both were listed as starters last season the first time in Bengals history for the depth chart to feature two first-team TEs. Together they caught 85 passes (Gresham 46, Eifert 39), and that was the most by tight ends in Bengals history, topping a total of 84 in 1981. With three catches in 13 by veteran TE Alex Smith, the position total was 88. The TEs receiving yards total was 915 (Gresham 458, Eifert 445, Smith 12), and that ranked third in club annals. Gresham last season just missed joining Hall of Famer Mike Ditka as the only NFL tight ends to catch 50 or more passes in each of their first four seasons. Needing four receptions to hit 50, he was held out of the regularseason finale to rehab a hamstring strain in preparation for the playoffs. Gresham stands as the only Bengals TE to catch 50 or more passes in three consecutive seasons. Gresham returned to action in the Jets game after missing the Chiefs game with a back strain. He had two receptions for 11 yards. Eifert, meanwhile, is looking to have a great second NFL season after posting a very good first one. He came out of Notre Dame with a reputation for matching even elite wide receivers in the area of timing jumps and coming down with contested balls. Eifert has been a standout in early training camp work, and he started (one catch for three yards) in the preseason opener at Kansas City. Eifert missed the Jets game with a shoulder strain. We feel like we get looks and matchups with Tyler, and he makes big plays, said QB Andy Dalton. That s what he did in college (at Notre Dame). It s what we expect of him now. He s been in the right spots, and we re getting the looks that we want and we re hitting them. He s so talented with the ball in the air. He s got great ball skills, runs really good routes. Said Eifert: Just another year in the pros, another year of seeing defenses, another year of understanding our offense. Just knowing the offense. Not just what routes are run, but the nuances that go with it. How to get open and the little things that go with the route. Who said T-New was old? Bengals CB Terence Newman will turn 36 three days before the Sept. 7 season opener. He missed the last three games of last season, plus the Wild Card playoff, due to a knee injury. His
(Who said T-New was old?, continued) competition among Cincinnati s CB corps includes four first-round NFL draft picks (Adam Jones 2005, Leon Hall 2007, Dre Kirkpatrick 2011 and Darqueze Dennard 2013). But Newman himself was a No. 1, selected by Dallas in 2003, and he is showing no signs that anyone can budge him from the starting lineup for that Sept. 7 opener at Baltimore. Last week against the Jets, Newman s brief action amounted to a condensed tutorial on how to play the position. He stymied the Jets first possession when he dropped running back Chris Johnson for a five-yard loss on a flare pass. He stopped the Jets second try with an interception, and it wasn t as if Jets No. 1 QB Geno Smith dropped a lollipop in his lap. Smith instead tried to drill a hard liner through the secondary, and Newman caught a ball many others would have only deflected. He had only a split second to react, standing only a bit more than 10 yards from where Smith unleashed his missile. But he corralled it, and after that play, Newman held his ground but didn t react illegally when two Jets offensive linemen saw fit to take post-whistle shots at him. Both Jets players drew personal fouls, and the 15 yards the Bengals gained put them in range to cash a 42-yard field goal. Newman s veteran reaction stood out on a night when the Bengals overall drew 11 penalties for 92 yards. He s damn good, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said of Newman after the game. He s a great pro. He takes care of his body, He asks good questions. He s a leader in our room. And he told me he was going to get a pick tonight. And in yet one more veteran pro move, Newman gave the credit for the interception to his first-year defensive coordinator. I was in the right place, and it was the perfect defense, Newman said. I didn t do anything. All credit goes to Paulie G. Newman is in his third Bengals season, following a nine-year Cowboys career in which he was selected for two Pro Bowls. 5 Two ways to build a defense: The Bengals were the thirdranked defense in the NFL last season. They had strong play at linebacker and in the secondary. But the pre-nfl pedigrees of the LB and DB units were strikingly different, and they remain so in 2014. The LB corps is dominated by players who entered the NFL undrafted, as college free agents, and the secondary is laden not only with draft choices, but first-round draft choices. Pro Bowler Vontaze Burfict of course heads the LB group. His story is now widely known. Early in his college career at Arizona State, he was touted as a possible NFL first-round draft choice. But he later acquired the tags of being undisciplined and out of shape, and he was bypassed in the draft. He has disproven those raps with the Bengals, however, and the WLB now stands among the most productive college free agent signees of any NFL team in any year. Emmanuel Lamur, opening the preseason as the No. 1 SLB, and Vincent Rey a strong contender for playing time at MLB or OLB, also were originally college free agent signees with the Bengals. Third-year pro Lamur, big and athletic at 6-4 and 240 pounds, had been tabbed for a significant role last season but was lost for the year to a preseason shoulder injury. Not only was Lamur a college free agent in 2012, he had to earn that by starting rookie minicamp as an unsigned tryout player. Rey, a fourth-year pro, broke out last season with 54 tackles, 4.0 sacks, and two INTs (one for a TD). He started three games as an injury replacement at MLB and saw considerable action otherwise in the defensive rotation. College free agent LB Jayson DiManche found a significant role as a rookie last season, finishing second in special teams tackles (12) and blocking a punt that the Bengals returned for a TD. LB J.K. Schaffer, originally a CFA signee with Jacksonville, played in nine games last season. Coaches are anxious to see what they have in LB Brandon Joiner, an original Bengals CFA signee who missed all of last season with a knee injury. And also vying for a roster spot is 2014 CFA James Davidson of Texas-El Paso. Among 10 LBs presently on the roster, the only drafted players are No. 1 MLB Rey Maualuga (second round, 2009), OLB Sean Porter (fourth round, 13) and WLB Marquis Flowers (sixth round, 14). Among 15 DBs on the roster, 11 were drafted, and six of those were firstround choices. Among the six are five CBs and one safety. The CBs are Leon Hall (Bengals, 2007), Terence Newman (Dallas, 03), Adam Jones (Tennessee, 05), Dre Kirkpatrick (Bengals, 12) and Darqueze Dennard (Bengals, 14). The safety is Reggie Nelson (Jacksonville, 07). Two more DBs, safeties Danieal Manning and Taylor Mays, were secondround NFL draft picks. The Cincinnati defensive line is more balanced between drafted players and college free agents. Of 15 players currently on the roster, 11 were drafted and four have been CFAs. None were drafted in the first round, but seven were in Rounds 2 or 3. The only original CFA with a high spot on the current depth chart is No. 1 RDE Wallace Gilberry, who entered the NFL undrafted with the N.Y. Giants in 2008. Gilberry tied for the team lead in sacks (7.5) last season. Aggressiveness calls for a fine line: The Bengals aren t out to beat each other up during practice, but neither will they risk getting beaten up on Sundays for having prepared in too soft a manner. So when contact occurs in practice that goes a bit beyond the design of the work, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther looks the other way to some extent. We re not playing against the Bengals, they re not on our schedule, and we never want our guys doing stupid things, Guenther says. But some things happen in practice. You can t tell a dog not to eat red meat. Tough but smart is the defense s goal. There s one time when it s OK to be a bully when you re out to establish your physical dominance during a game, and that concept is one of the ones driving the defense to not rest on its laurels after finishing third in the NFL s 2013 yardage rankings. Until we re No. 1, there s always room for improvement, says starting strong safety George Iloka, and this year we want to be smart bullies. Our mentality is to play aggressive and physical, but we ve got to be smart. We ve got to know when to take chances. We ve got to know if it s third-and-1, we ve got to know if it s fourth-and-1, we ve got to know if we re backed up that they re going to try to give you a hard count. Little things like that. You don t want to be too aggressive where you re hurting yourself. Last year the Bengals were a bit on the high side in defensive penalties, ranking 11th with 41 infractions. You want to cut down on penalties, Iloka says. You want to cut down on mistakes. But it s not even those things. There are other aspects to playing smart. Let s say it s third-and-4, and all week we ve practiced that this team in this formation is going to run a seam route. Why are you going to be overaggressive and jump the out route? Just be a smart bully. You re smart, and when the time comes to make the hit... you bully them and you make the play. Adds Guenther: I like how passionate these guys are, how smart they are and how flexible they can be. I m just really hammering home being a smart football team. Call him Unsinkable : Leon Hall has made such progress in his rehab from a right Achilles tear suffered in Game 7 last season, he looks like a lock to reclaim the starting RCB position he has held since 2007. Thus, he is a viable candidate for an unofficial NFL first first player to return to a prominent lineup position with two Achilles tears in his history. He has started both preseason games. Hall suffered a left Achilles tear in Game 9 of 2011 and returned for the 12 season opener. And when head coach Marvin Lewis was asked whether he could recall another player putting two such injuries behind him, Lewis said he could not. I don t know that there s been history of that, Lewis said. All I can say is that Leon again has been very, very diligent and worked very, very hard. His goal was to make it back to practice Day 1 of training camp, and he did it. Hall could log his 100th Bengals game and 100th Bengals start in 2014. He enters the season at 92 and 86. He has 23 career INTs, fifth in Bengals history. He s two short of fourth-place Lemar Parrish and eight short of third-place David Fulcher (31). I m not really nervous, Hall said about his return to game action. I m confident my Achilles is where I want it to be, where it should be at this point. Really, there was never really a doubt in my mind. It was just trying to be patient enough to go through that long process again. The long days of (repetitive) calf raises, every day of coming in and seeing Nick (trainer Nick Cosgray) in the morning, being with him for hours day after day, not letting it get to me and mentally staying into it. I knew the physical part of it as far as my strength and running would come in time. Return of Geno: The Bengals have added one of the NFL s premier defensive linemen back into their mix. DT Geno Atkins, a two-time first-team All- Pro selection (2013 by Sports Illustrated and 2012 by Associated Press), is looking for a full season of action after missing the last seven games of last season with a knee injury (ACL tear) suffered Oct. 31 at Miami. Atkins had 6.0 sacks in his limited action last season, and in 2012 he led NFL interior linemen by a wide margin with 12.5 sacks. In 2011, he tied for the sacks lead by NFL interior linemen with 7.5.
(Return of Geno, continued) Geno has developed into one of the better pass rushers in the interior line in the game, said head coach Marvin Lewis. He creates an issue for one-on-one matchups, and he s done a real good job of growing and really playing well in the run game. His coming back adds a strength to the interior of the defensive line. Hopefully we continue to create issues in the middle of the line, which makes it better for your outside rushers. Atkins has not played in the first two preseason games, but he has been practicing since early training camp and is forecast to be available for the regular-season opener, if not before. Geno is one of the best defensive tackles in the game, said his first-team interior line mate, NT Domata Peko. It s going to uplift everybody. We re excited to have him back, back. I m sure the entire city is glad he s back. Not only is he a hell of a pass rusher, one of the best inside pass rushers in the game, but he s a hell of a run stopper, too. Especially in our zone scheme. He can blow a guard back and destroy plays. Teams are always going to have to respect him because he can change the whole game. A lot of teams game plan just for (No.) 97. Defensive line coach Jay Hayes said: We are always trying to get Geno in one-on-one situations. Sometimes on a double team they have trouble with him, and if you can get him in one-on-one situations, people are going to have a long day. Whoever that guy is, he s going to have a bad day. Turnover tables are turned: During the tenure of head coach Marvin Lewis (2003-present), the Bengals rank fifth in the NFL in turnover differential, at plus-37. Prior to Lewis tenure, the Bengals had posted a minus turnover differential for five straight years (1998-2002). Since 2003, NFL teams with just a plus-one differential have won 69.3 percent of their games. At plus-two the percentage has been 83.8. Teams with any plus from one to five have won 79.9 percent of the time. Here are the top five teams in differential since 2003: TEAM TAKEAWAYS GIVEAWAYS DIFFERENTIAL New England... 353... 223... +130 Indianapolis... 292... 230... +62 Baltimore... 332... 292... +40 Atlanta... 304... 264... +40 Cincinnati... 328... 291... +37 Since 2003, the Bengals rank fourth in the NFL in most takeaways (328) and third in points off turnovers (1025). A stat that matters: For the Bengals term of coach Marvin Lewis (2003-present), a plus-differential in turnovers reflects a big plus in the win column. And the reverse has gone for a minus. The Bengals are 55-13-1 in the regular season under Lewis with a plus, for an.804 winning percentage. But the Bengals are 12-54 under Lewis when Head coach Marvin Lewis, on the pressure to win a playoff game: Well, we can t take any steps toward that until we have a successful regular season. And you lay the foundation for a successful regular season in the preseason. So I don t have to worry about that now. There s pressure enough in the regular season for us to do well. The postseason doesn t matter right now. It s the season that matters. Lewis, on QB Andy Dalton s growing maturity as a player: Andy continues to grow as the leader of this team. One part of that we continue to develop in practice is just simply throwing the ball away when that s your best decision. Andy has not had a problem with that, and we don t ever want that to creep in, where you try to do too much with the football. You ve got to maintain the ball and live to play another down as much as possible. WR A.J. Green, on QB Andy Dalton: Andy s our guy. We have a lot of confidence in Andy as a player and a leader. In tough times, he s unflappable. He s going to take us to that next level. OT Marshall Newhouse, Andy Dalton s former college teammate, on Dalton heading forward with a lucrative new contract: Any guy with pride wants to live up to that kind of deal. I can only see him getting better from here. BENGALS QUOTES posting a minus differential. It makes a huge difference, Lewis says. You see it game after game in the NFL. You ve got to possess the football. If you possess the football, good things can happen. If you turn the ball over to them, you ve got a harder night. The Bengals experience with turnovers under Lewis is backed up by league numbers. Since the start of the 2003 season, here are the records of teams with varying turnover differentials (NOTE: Minus differentials are not included because they are the exact reverse of the plus figure for the same numbers): DIFFERENTIAL W-L-T PCT. Plus-1... 689-304-2.693 Plus-2... 548-106-0.838 Plus-3... 305-32-1.904 Plus-4... 172-5-0.972 Plus-5 or more... 85-3-0.966 Since 2003, teams with any plus have a combined winning percentage of.799. The combined record is 1797-450-3. And when it s even? The Bengals are 23-18 in head coach Marvin Lewis full tenure in games when the turnover differential has been even, for a winning percentage of.561. The Bengals have won six of their last eight with even differential, dating back to 2012. Bengal bites: The NFL s two-game preseason test of snapping the ball from the 15-yard line on PATs had no noticeable effect on the Bengals. Ks Mike Nugent and Quinn Sharp combined to go six-for-six in the first two contests, and Cincinnati s foes went seven-for-seven. PAT snaps return to the two-yard line this week, and for the regular season... The Bengals next preseason win will be the 100th in franchise history. Cincinnati enters the Cardinals game with an all-time preseason mark of 99-107-2... The Bengals 41-39 loss in the preseason opener at Kansas City produced the most total points (80) of any game in Cincinnati s preseason history. The previous high was 75, set in a 44-31 win at Buffalo in 2006... The Bengals are 11-2 under coach Marvin Lewis in regular-season games that were tied at halftime, including three games last season which they won after halftime deadlocks (vs. Pittsburgh, vs. New England, at San Diego). The Bengals are 61-22-1 under Lewis when leading at halftime but stand only 18-60-0 when trailing... The Bengals are 14-10 on the road over the last three regular seasons, the fifth-best winning percentage (.583) among NFL teams... The Bengals last season mounted an NFL-high 12 TD drives when starting inside their 20-yard line (drives of 81 or more yards)... The NFL last season had 25.4 percent of its games decided by three or fewer points (65 of 256), and the Bengals were at 31.3 percent (five of 16)... The Bengals had the second-most fourth-down-and-one attempts in the NFL last season (12). They converted eight, a 66.7 percent success rate. Jacksonville had the most attempts (14)... A.J. Green was the third-most targeted receiver in the NFL last season, at 178. Washington s Pierre Garcon and Houston s Andre Johnson shared the lead at 181. Lewis, on new defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, who was promoted this year from linebackers coach: Paul has been in that defensive room (as linebackers coach) and has been a big part of the success we ve had. It s good when you elevate from within. We know the plusses and minuses where we ve been as a defensive team. Paul s been there from day one. He understands that. He coached with me in 2002 in Washington and came over here in 2004 with us. I m excited for his opportunity. He s going to have to grow and develop as a play caller, that s something he hasn t done. But I like where we are right now. They will work their tails off and they ll win games and play hard for Paul. More importantly, you want to develop the feeling they re playing hard for each other. HB Jeremy Hill, on ball security: It s common knowledge. You just can t fumble. I had one in practice before the Chiefs game. The coaches didn t really come down hard on me, but it s the kind of thing you really don t need to say anything about. I m a guy who prides myself on not fumbling. I had one my whole career in college, and we were able to recover it. I know that BenJarvus Green-Ellis has had this great reputation for not fumbling. We ve become closer since OTAs and we ve grown to have a good friendship. I can definitely talk to him and get advice. Those things happen, but it s a very serious matter. I just want to make sure that I don t make the same mistake twice. 6