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Law, Love and Chocolate
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Decisions Decisions: Credit Cards or Your Mortgage?
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Loucile is looking for a Lake Erie getaway in June for three kids, ages 1, 3, and 5.
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Talk of the Town – Top entertainment picks for the weekend
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Akron Gamer:
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See Jane Style:
Do IT this week: Layering
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 06:04 p.m. EST, Nov 28, 2009
1. Carson Palmer.
The Cincinnati Bengals' two-time Pro Bowl quarterback is 7-2 against the Browns and in one of those losses (51-45 at Cleveland Browns Stadium in 2007), he threw a team-record six touchdown passes. Coming off an elbow injury that limited him to four games in 2008, Palmer has thrown 14 touchdown passes against eight interceptions and his quarterback rating is 87.2. But the Bengals haven't stretched the field as in years past; only twice have they totaled more than 250 passing yards and only four passes have gone for 40-plus yards.
''I don't think the opportunities have been there as much,'' Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said of the deep ball. ''The things defenses are doing are part of the reason we've been able to run the football pretty well. I think that's a credit to our quarterback, not letting the ball go when the situation doesn't develop the way it should, and getting the ball to where it belongs. I think the key to playing productive offense is, 'Let's attack the coverage and the weakness of the coverage, and not put it into the teeth of the coverage.' ''
In a 23-20 overtime victory over the Browns on Oct. 4, Palmer tied the game with a 2-yard pass to Chad Ochocinco with 1:55 remaining, then led a 67-yard drive in overtime to the game-winning field goal with just four seconds left. Four times in the Bengals' 4-1 start, Palmer drove the Bengals 70 yards or more to at least tie the game in the final two minutes of regulation.
''We have a great leader at quarterback and the numbers don't really concern me,'' Lewis said. ''He is so poised, so calm under duress. When things start to break down and get chaotic, he's lights out in the way he stays under control.''
2. Turnovers.
The Bengals are tied for 10th in the league with a takeaway/giveaway ratio of plus-2 and their 18 takeaways are tied for eighth. In the two teams' first meeting this season, defensive end Robert Geathers returned running back Jerome Harrison's fumble 75 yards for a touchdown.
In Lewis' seven-year tenure, the Bengals are plus-42 in takeaways/giveaways, tied for third in the NFL in that span. (The Indianapolis Colts lead with plus-81, and the New England Patriots are second with plus-57). Before Lewis arrived in 2003, the Bengals had been on the negative side for five consecutive seasons. Under Lewis, the Bengals are 36-5-1 (.869) when posting a plus in turnover differential, but 6-34 when they lose that battle. In falling 20-17 last week to the Raiders in Oakland, the Bengals lost four turnovers and were minus-1.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Bengals are third in points off turnovers since 2003 with 639, trailing the Baltimore Ravens (689) and Colts (641).
The Browns are coming off their first no-turnover game of the season, a 38-37 loss to the Lions in Detroit.
3. Tale of two running games.
The Bengals hope to get running back Cedric Benson back after he missed the past six quarters with a hip flexor strain. Listed as questionable, Benson has 859 yards on the ground, nearly as much as the top three on the Browns' rushing list (894). Benson turned in a career-high 189 yards on Oct. 25 against the Chicago Bears, the team that made him the fourth overall pick in 2005.
Benson has posted seven 100-yard rushing games in 19 starts for the Bengals, which is one for every 2.7 starts, better than Corey Dillon (3.4) or Rudi Johnson (3.1). Benson turned in his breakout game as a Bengal last December against the Browns, carrying 38 times for 171 yards. Benson would be a tough assignment for the Browns' defense, ranked 29th against the rush, even if they had starting inside linebackers D'Qwell Jackson and Eric Barton, both on injured reserve.
Against the Raiders, the Bengals' running attack did not falter without Benson. Rookie Bernard Scott carried 21 times for 119 yards after getting just 29 carries in the first nine games.
For the Browns, Harrison posted career highs in carries (29) and rushing yards (121) against the Bengals in October. But he hasn't touched the ball in the past two games, listed as inactive against the Lions. The Bengals' defense ranks 10th in the league, second against the run, allowing 84.3 yards per game. That's nearly 10 yards better than the franchise record of 93.7 in 1983.
Jamal Lewis, bound for retirement in his 10th season, will also have motivation playing his last game against the Bengals. In 15 games against the Bengals, Lewis has rushed for 1,707 yards on 325 carries (5.2 average) with 11 touchdowns and has added 25 receptions for 287 yards. He's reached 100 yards rushing nine times, including a 216-yard effort for the Browns in 2007.
4. Mohamed Massaquoi.
The Browns' rookie receiver turned in his second 100-yard game last week against the Lions with five catches for 115 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown. His first came against the Bengals, with eight receptions for 148 yards.
Bengals cornerbacks Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall have combined for nine interceptions, with Joseph tied for third in the league with five.
5. Division race.
The Bengals are trying to go 6-0 in the AFC North for the first time in franchise history. The only other years the Bengals have gone 5-1 are 1984, 1989 and 1990. They own the tiebreakers against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ravens, but going perfect in the North does not assure the division title.
''It's something that we talk about all year long, about winning and dominating our division,'' Palmer said. ''It means a lot to everyone in our locker room. It's not going to be easy. This is a team that plays well against us. They play up for us.
''But it's a game we've been ready to play since we barely beat them last time. That was a frustrating game; we didn't play very well on any side of the ball. We're excited about this opportunity to play against them again.''
Sunday night's game between the Steelers and Ravens might also have playoff implications. The Bengals' and Steelers' remaining opponents have almost the same aggregate records (the Bengals' are 26-34; the Steelers, 25-35).
''We're going to worry about the Cleveland Browns, and if we don't, we'll get beat,'' Palmer said. ''If anything showed us that, it's last week going into Oakland and a team that's 2-7. [This is] a division game, it's a home game, it's a rivalry game, it's a chance to go 6-0 in the division. There's a lot riding on this game. It's a must-win for us.''
Prediction: Bengals 34-17. Ridenour's record: 10-0.
1. Carson Palmer.
The Cincinnati Bengals' two-time Pro Bowl quarterback is 7-2 against the Browns and in one of those losses (51-45 at Cleveland Browns Stadium in 2007), he threw a team-record six touchdown passes. Coming off an elbow injury that limited him to four games in 2008, Palmer has thrown 14 touchdown passes against eight interceptions and his quarterback rating is 87.2. But the Bengals haven't stretched the field as in years past; only twice have they totaled more than 250 passing yards and only four passes have gone for 40-plus yards.
''I don't think the opportunities have been there as much,'' Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said of the deep ball. ''The things defenses are doing are part of the reason we've been able to run the football pretty well. I think that's a credit to our quarterback, not letting the ball go when the situation doesn't develop the way it should, and getting the ball to where it belongs. I think the key to playing productive offense is, 'Let's attack the coverage and the weakness of the coverage, and not put it into the teeth of the coverage.' ''
In a 23-20 overtime victory over the Browns on Oct. 4, Palmer tied the game with a 2-yard pass to Chad Ochocinco with 1:55 remaining, then led a 67-yard drive in overtime to the game-winning field goal with just four seconds left. Four times in the Bengals' 4-1 start, Palmer drove the Bengals 70 yards or more to at least tie the game in the final two minutes of regulation.
''We have a great leader at quarterback and the numbers don't really concern me,'' Lewis said. ''He is so poised, so calm under duress. When things start to break down and get chaotic, he's lights out in the way he stays under control.''
2. Turnovers.
The Bengals are tied for 10th in the league with a takeaway/giveaway ratio of plus-2 and their 18 takeaways are tied for eighth. In the two teams' first meeting this season, defensive end Robert Geathers returned running back Jerome Harrison's fumble 75 yards for a touchdown.
In Lewis' seven-year tenure, the Bengals are plus-42 in takeaways/giveaways, tied for third in the NFL in that span. (The Indianapolis Colts lead with plus-81, and the New England Patriots are second with plus-57). Before Lewis arrived in 2003, the Bengals had been on the negative side for five consecutive seasons. Under Lewis, the Bengals are 36-5-1 (.869) when posting a plus in turnover differential, but 6-34 when they lose that battle. In falling 20-17 last week to the Raiders in Oakland, the Bengals lost four turnovers and were minus-1.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Bengals are third in points off turnovers since 2003 with 639, trailing the Baltimore Ravens (689) and Colts (641).
The Browns are coming off their first no-turnover game of the season, a 38-37 loss to the Lions in Detroit.
3. Tale of two running games.
The Bengals hope to get running back Cedric Benson back after he missed the past six quarters with a hip flexor strain. Listed as questionable, Benson has 859 yards on the ground, nearly as much as the top three on the Browns' rushing list (894). Benson turned in a career-high 189 yards on Oct. 25 against the Chicago Bears, the team that made him the fourth overall pick in 2005.
Benson has posted seven 100-yard rushing games in 19 starts for the Bengals, which is one for every 2.7 starts, better than Corey Dillon (3.4) or Rudi Johnson (3.1). Benson turned in his breakout game as a Bengal last December against the Browns, carrying 38 times for 171 yards. Benson would be a tough assignment for the Browns' defense, ranked 29th against the rush, even if they had starting inside linebackers D'Qwell Jackson and Eric Barton, both on injured reserve.
Against the Raiders, the Bengals' running attack did not falter without Benson. Rookie Bernard Scott carried 21 times for 119 yards after getting just 29 carries in the first nine games.
For the Browns, Harrison posted career highs in carries (29) and rushing yards (121) against the Bengals in October. But he hasn't touched the ball in the past two games, listed as inactive against the Lions. The Bengals' defense ranks 10th in the league, second against the run, allowing 84.3 yards per game. That's nearly 10 yards better than the franchise record of 93.7 in 1983.
Jamal Lewis, bound for retirement in his 10th season, will also have motivation playing his last game against the Bengals. In 15 games against the Bengals, Lewis has rushed for 1,707 yards on 325 carries (5.2 average) with 11 touchdowns and has added 25 receptions for 287 yards. He's reached 100 yards rushing nine times, including a 216-yard effort for the Browns in 2007.
4. Mohamed Massaquoi.
The Browns' rookie receiver turned in his second 100-yard game last week against the Lions with five catches for 115 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown. His first came against the Bengals, with eight receptions for 148 yards.
Bengals cornerbacks Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall have combined for nine interceptions, with Joseph tied for third in the league with five.
5. Division race.
The Bengals are trying to go 6-0 in the AFC North for the first time in franchise history. The only other years the Bengals have gone 5-1 are 1984, 1989 and 1990. They own the tiebreakers against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ravens, but going perfect in the North does not assure the division title.
''It's something that we talk about all year long, about winning and dominating our division,'' Palmer said. ''It means a lot to everyone in our locker room. It's not going to be easy. This is a team that plays well against us. They play up for us.
''But it's a game we've been ready to play since we barely beat them last time. That was a frustrating game; we didn't play very well on any side of the ball. We're excited about this opportunity to play against them again.''
Sunday night's game between the Steelers and Ravens might also have playoff implications. The Bengals' and Steelers' remaining opponents have almost the same aggregate records (the Bengals' are 26-34; the Steelers, 25-35).
''We're going to worry about the Cleveland Browns, and if we don't, we'll get beat,'' Palmer said. ''If anything showed us that, it's last week going into Oakland and a team that's 2-7. [This is] a division game, it's a home game, it's a rivalry game, it's a chance to go 6-0 in the division. There's a lot riding on this game. It's a must-win for us.''
Prediction: Bengals 34-17. Ridenour's record: 10-0.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Canton, OH
Posted 06:52 PM, 11/28/2009
Slovensko's 5 things to watch :
1). How many times Quinn gets sacked. .
2). How many times Ocho Cinco scores a TD. . .
3). How many references Doug Dieken makes about Skyline Chili. . .
4). How many times Andre Knott references the weather & the Ben Gals . .
5). How many people will have left early in a Bengal rout. .
Posted 11:39 PM, 11/28/2009
Go Bengals!
Posted 03:34 AM, 11/29/2009
Who-Dey! Marie!
Lefty Lemmingville, Oh
Posted 06:48 AM, 11/29/2009
Five things to watch? The 1st Bengal touchdown, the 2nd Bengal touchdown, the 3rd Bengal touchdown, etc.....
Jefferson, Oh
Posted 08:18 AM, 11/29/2009
Thunder - Let me add the last 2 things to watch in your list...dropped passes by Brown's receivers ... and... the number of times the Browns punt the ball.
Port Saint Lucie, Fl
Posted 08:34 AM, 11/29/2009
Time to become to Bengal fans,sorry Cleveland but enough is enough.
Akronicity, OH
Posted 10:13 AM, 11/29/2009
Is Tiger on?
Akron, Oh
Posted 10:38 AM, 11/29/2009
after bein' a Dawg Pound Fan..not sure I can just
do the cat fan thing..
But I do like to chase Kitty's though..
For Christmas this yr.All I'd like is a Winning
Football Team..That and to catch me some Kitty's..
I'm not askin' for much,here..
Akron, Oh
Posted 10:40 AM, 11/29/2009
Ooh ya..Gooo Browns..
Akron, Ohio
Posted 11:05 AM, 11/29/2009
I thought this article was going to list 5 other things on TV during the game.
Akronicity, OH
Posted 11:55 AM, 11/29/2009
1. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (Spike TV)
2. History of the Joke (History Channel)*
3. Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (BBC)
4. Intervention (A&E)
5. Gilmore Girls (Soap TV)
* Also can be seen watching the Browns Game.
Mogadore, Oh
Posted 12:25 PM, 11/29/2009
The only thing to watch is the Browns getting their butts kicked.........Again.......
They even sucked in the 80's. Anyone remember The Drive, The Fumble or the Colts AFC game?
Go Browns....And take the Indians with you...Please.
medina, oh
Posted 03:51 PM, 11/29/2009
Has anyone ever seen a WORSE performance than that which Brady Quinn produced today? PLEASE BROWNS, I BEG YOU... PALEEEASE LEAVE CLEVELAND, AND THIS TIME FOR GOOD. PLEASE, FANS, QUIT GOING TO THESE "GAMES". QUIT WATCHING ON TV. MAKE THEM HAVE TO LEAVE CLEVELAND. BANKRUPT THEM! GET OUT OF TOWN BROWNS, PLEASE!!!!!!
Canton, OH
Posted 05:00 PM, 11/29/2009
Jimmie Donovan musta called Chad Johnson: " OchoCinco " a hundred times today. . . "Pasame el pan y la mantequilla". . .
. . . .sheesh. . .
Memory Alpha, OH
Posted 06:58 PM, 11/29/2009
Glad I took my Sunday nap during the game. Go Bengalszzzzzz........
Akron, OH
Posted 08:15 PM, 11/29/2009
Solvensko,
Ocho Cinco is his legal name. Weird, I know, but Donovan is supposed to call him by his name, not what is name used to be.
