Welcome to the Jungle: Cincinnati Bengals

[p2xgamers]

Re: Welcome to the Jungle: Cincinnati Bengals

You started just like the real bengals. Great read so far, are you going to try and make a move for an offensive lineman?

[MidnightPyro]

Re: Welcome to the Jungle: Cincinnati Bengals

Yeah, we definatly started like the real Bengals, but we've broken stride this week. As for the offensive line, they aren't "rated" that bad, it just seems like Carson is getting run around in the pocket and getting dropped an awful lot. Changing up the centers didn't work real well, but I think Steve Scuillio has been a good signing and has performed well at RG. As for offensive linemen, I don't think we have a big enough need for FA offensive linemen - I'd look for more of a youth movement at the offensive line in the offseason though

-- NFL Week 5: Bengals @ Jaguars --
WIN:30-20

It was wet, wild, and extremely ugly - and it wasn't a low-quality X-rated movie. On Sunday night in the rain, the Jags and Bengals faced off in what could potentially be the wildest game in the history of the franchise. The Jaguars threw for a combined 8 interceptions. That's not a typo, either. 8 interceptions were thrown to the Bengals defensive backs. Byron Leftwich looked awkard in the pocket all game long, and the banged up offensive line didn't help.
"We just put the pressure on him," said Rookie MLB Odell Thurman, "and he forced the ball trying to avoid the sack. It didn't work real well, and our secondary was there. Their offensive line and blocking just seemed off."

No one expected the Bengals Defense to be one of the best in the NFL, but they're closing in on that title, especially with the performance at the Jaguars. Deltha O'Neal caught 3 interceptions and made 7 tackles, earning the title of NFL Defensive Player of the Week. Veteran LB Brian Simmons had 9 tackles on the day with 3 for a loss.
"Our defense was playing extraordinarily well", commented Marvin Lewis. "The Jags have had a few problems, especially with starting a rookie HB instead of Fred Taylor. Our defense was solid and made quite a few big plays."

The Bengals Offense and the Jaguars Offense played on about the same level outside of the turnover factor. Carson Palmer was 13/28 for 124 yards, 2 TD's, and 4 INTs.
Byron Leftwich was 7/26 for 157 yards and 6 INTs. Not a good day for the Jaguars signal caller.
While the Jags only picked up 42 yards on the ground, Rudi Johnson rushed for 125 yards.
"Rudi is the core of this team this season," said Carson Palmer. "I know people would disagree that HB's aren't the most important players on the team, but Rudi is. Rudi's the real deal." Rudi Johnson is 2nd in the NFL, behind LaDanian Thomlinson who's having an outstanding year also.

The ugly game came at a cost though. Justin Smith and Chad Johnson were both banged up before the 2nd half and were taken out of the game. In the 2nd half, Kelley Washington, Tory James, and David Pollack all left the game early due to injuries. Kelley Washington will not play in Week 6 and Kevin Walter will take over as 4th WR.
"It was a physical game. Players get banged up, and that's just what happened. Nobody was hurt too bad, and we'll be fine."

In an all-around ugly game with 2 offenses trying to get everything together, and 2 high-powered defenses, the Bengals came out on top, managing to exploit the Jaguars run defense and put a considerable ammount of pressure on QB Bryon Leftwich, and hold the Jaguars RB to just 42 yards. The Bengals are 5-0. The only 3 teams left undefeated are the Bengals, Seahawks, and Patriots. Only time will tell what Week 6 will hold.


Cincinnati Rumor Mill
Kim Herring, although not 100%, is listed as Probable for Week 6. Sources close to the team indicate that he'll join Madieu Williams in the game against the Titans.
Rich Braham, who was relieved of center duty in Week 5 due to poor offensive pass protection, has been reinstated as the starter in Week 6.

AFC North Standings
Bengals (5-0)
Steelers (2-2)
Browns (2-2)
Ravens (1-3)

Game Notes
- HB Rudi Johnson is 2nd in the NFL in rushing yards, behind leader LaDanian Tomlinson.
- CB Deltha O'Neal picks up 3 INTs. The duo of Tory James and Deltha O'Neal lead the league in interceptions with 4 on the season
- Cincinnati Bengals have picked off the most passes in the NFL
- Cincinnati leads the league in turnover ratio (+3)

Bengals Sick Bay
SS Kim Herring (shoulder) - Probable
WR Kelley Washington (chest) - Out


Next Week -- NFL Week 6
(5-0) Cincinnati Bengals @ (1-4) Tennesse Titans

Despite the Titans record, they aren't that bad of a team on paper - the ball just hasn't bounced their way this season. The injury bug has overlooked both Tennesse and Cincinnati. The Titans, led by QB Steve McNair, hope to get their season back on the right track with an upset win over the Bengals.

[MidnightPyro]

Re: Welcome to the Jungle: Cincinnati Bengals

-- NFL Week 6: Bengals @ Titans --
LOSS:20-24

The mighty Bengals have fallen, and the AFC North doesn't look quite as secure within Cincinnati's grasp. Everything fell apart against the Titans, except good old reliable Rudi, picking up 162 yards on the ground. The rest was grim. The entire Bengals team exploded. Even Rudi's accomplishment was eclipsed by NFL Player of the Week Chris Brown, who picked up 203 yards rushing on the ground, including a 90 yard run for a TD.
"The defensive line didn't get him, the linebackers didn't get him, the defensive backs didn't get him. There's no one individual to blame. Our defense just didn't play well." said Marvin Lewis at the team's post game press conference.

Steve McNair and the passing offense completed 7/20 for 91 yards and threw 2 interceptions, but who needs a passing offense when you pick up 200 yards on the ground? Carson Palmer was the big story of the game. Carson Palmer injured his elbow early on in the game, but continued playing. He completed 3/14 for 52 yards and 2 INTs before being taken out at the end of the first quarter due to the injury.
Marvin Lewis was quick to dispel conspiracy theories about QB change. "Carson was struggling out there with the injury, so we put in Jon. There's no QB controversy - we're sticking with Palmer." Even if Palmer was to be benched, Jon Kitna didn't show superstar status this Sunday. Kitna was 19/40 for 229 yards, for 2 TD's and 3 INT's. The Bengals QB position has seemed to be plagued. Carson Palmer, the first overall draft pick 2 years ago, has put up a QB rating of just 49.7 this season, along with 7 TD's and 13 INT's. WR Chad Johnson is quick to defend his QB. "Carson forces the ball sometimes, but he can get the job done. When you're open, he'll find you. There's no other QB we'd like better than him."

In Tennesse, the Bengals fell apart, there's no question. The Bengals did not play well. A few things stand out that need to be improved. The Bengals are ranked 29th in the league in 3rd down conversions at 34%. The Bengals are last in the league in sacks, allowing an average of 5 a game. Although with the issues in the passing game, the Bengals passing offense has still been somewhat succesful - but the passing game is still a major source of turnovers in the form of interceptions.

The under-rated and struggling Titans turned their season around with an upset victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. The Titans came into the struggling, but the Bengals struggled in Week 6. Bengals fans around Cincinnati hold their breath.

Cincinnati Rumor Mill
The trade deadline went by with no activity. With no trades excecuted by the Bengals, some players are thinking about their future. Veterans Willie Anderson (RT) and Brian Simmons (OLB), two major contributors to the Cincinnati Bengals, both have contracts due at the end of the year. No word has been issued from the team.

The Bengals Offensive Line has been under much scrutiny because of the sacks they have allowed. Rich Braham, the aging Bengals center, was replaced by the rookie center Eric Ghuichec, but put back in this week against the Titans. Rumors circulating around Who-Deyville state that the team may be looking for a long-term solution in Eric Ghuichec, although no change in starters has been stated for Week 7.

AFC North Standings
Bengals (5-1)
Ravens (3-2)
Steelers (2-3)
Browns (2-3)


Game Notes
- HB Rudi Johnson picked up 162 yards, but is still eclipsed by LaDanian Tomlinson by about 125 yards
- Cincinnati Bengals are 1st in the league in interceptions on defense, but 31st in interceptions on offense.
- The Cincinnati Bengals have one of the lowest 3rd down conversion rates in the league.
- Madieu Williams led the defense with 6 tackles
- Injured SS Kim Herring was placed in the game early in the 1st quarter. Herring posted 5 tackles in what was his first game in the 2005 season.

Bengals Sick Bay
- No Injuries Reported -


Next Week -- NFL Week 7
Pittsburgh Steelers (2-3) @ (5-1) Cincinnati Bengals

The Pittsburgh Steelers have lost 2 of their starting HB's in Jerrome Bettis and Willie Parker. Pittsburgh is expected to start HB Deuce Staley, who poses a threat to a Cincinnati Bengals defense that allowed over 225 yards on the ground last week and has quickly fallen from the top to the bottom. The Bengals look to secure the top of the AFC North and rebound from the loss, while the Steelers hope to catch up to the Ravens and Bengals and get back in the playoff hunt.

[WTF]

Re: Welcome to the Jungle: Cincinnati Bengals

Wow, a 90 yard TD? That's insane, lol. Seems like the injury bug has bitten, and bitten hard. Hopefully you can get back on track against the Steelers.

[MidnightPyro]

Re: Welcome to the Jungle: Cincinnati Bengals

Thanks for the comment WTF. Unfouranatly, the Steeler game didn't go very well. The injury bug has definatly hit the league with a few key players, some season ending injuries, and "Cadillac" Williams actually got a career ending injury, the first one I've seen in my entire Madden Career. Thankfully, we've been pretty lucky...knock on wood...

-- NFL Week 7: Steelers @ Bengals --
LOSS:38-10

When it rains, it pours. When the Bengals wanted to rebound from their loss against the Titans, being crushed by the Steelers wasn't quite what they had in mind. The Bengals played an even uglier game thatn Week 7, and Bengals fans have even more to question, including the performance of Bengals starting QB Carson Palmer. Carson threw another 5 interceptions before being removed late in the 4th quarter, when he was replaced by 3rd String QB Craig Krenzel who continued on to throw 2 interceptions, giving Cincinnati the most turnovers via interceptions in the National Football League, and Carson Palmer the second lowest QB rating among starting QB's in the NFL. Carson is in good company, with Byron Leftwich and even Steve McNair being all below the 50 in QB rating. Even Rudi wasn't his usual self, rushing for a mere 47 yards on 14 attempts. It was a dismal offensive game.

Rudi was a great addition to the passing game. Out of the backfield, Rudi Johnson led the game with 8 receptions for 128 yards, which was more than the Pittsburgh Steelers entire team. Pittsburgh's leading reciever, Hines Ward caught 4 for 28 yards. Pittsburgh relied mainly on the Bengals and Deuce Staley, their 3rd string RB, who tore up the Bengals defense for 137 yards.

"We didn't do a very good job at all," said a disappointed Marvin Lewis after the game. "We couldn't stop the run, the offense couldn't get it done, we couldn't make any holes for Rudi. Everyone just needs to go out their and do their job and we didn't do that at all." Marvin Lewis was on to something. The Bengals defense is ranked 17th in the league in yardage allowed, 28th in rushing and 7th in passing. The Bengals defense was one of the most talked about in the beginning of the season, but is quickly losing it's luster.

And the Bengals offense? Rudi Johnson carries the offense on his shoulders. When Rudi doesn't do well, the Bengals don't do well.
"We need to establish the passing game," said QB Carson Palmer. "We've all been struggling on offense, and we shouldn't have to solely rely on our rushing game to get the job done." Marvin Lewis has indicated that the passing game will be a priority for improvement. There isn't one part of the Bengals that couldn't improve if the Bengals hope to make the playoffs.


Cincinnati Rumor Mill
Sources indicate that Bryan Robinson will not start in Week 8 versus the Packers. Bryan Robinson has not performed as well as the Bengals hoped, picking up 10 tackles and 2 sacks through 7 games. Rookie Shaun Smith is the likely canidate for replacement, who played for Robinson in the 4th quarter this week, and picked up 2 sacks in just the final 5 minutes.


AFC North Standings
Bengals (5-2)
Ravens (3-3)
Steelers (3-3)
Browns (3-3)


Game Notes
- HB Rudi Johnson is now in 5th on the yardage for running backs, but still boasts the most yards after first contact int he NFL
- QB Carson Palmer leads the NFL in....interceptions.
- CB Deltha O'Neal and Tory James are tied for the lead in NFL interceptions and may get a trip to Hawaii this year
- MLB Brian Simmons, the seasoned veteran, lead the game in tackles with 9
- Chad Johnson was the top reciever (besides Rudi Johnson) this week, catching only 2 passes for 28 yards.

Bengals Sick Bay
TE Matt Schoebel - Doubtful

Next Week -- NFL Week 8
Green Bay Packets (1-5) @ (5-2) Cincinnati Bengals

Green Bay comes to Cincinnati take on the Bengals, who are coming off 2 big losses by teams who's records haven't been spectaculer. Green Bay is a struggling team, and their playoff hopes are dwindling along with their record. Green Bay hopes to pick up a much-needed win over the Bengals who have lost 2 games in a row after a 5-2 start. Another Bengals loss could create an itneresting situation in the crazy AFC North.

[p2xgamers]

Re: Welcome to the Jungle: Cincinnati Bengals

Ouch, very tough loss. Are you going to put Kitna in and give him a shot or just stick with Palmer for now? Good luck.

[MidnightPyro]

Re: Welcome to the Jungle: Cincinnati Bengals

Well, I would've probably put Kitna in there for a bit to see how he did, but being a real-life Bengals fan, last night's playoff game kind of stirred up pro-Carson sympathy. Carson'll stay in just so I feel better every time I turn on Madden But honestly, I don't think the poor play is really Palmer's fault. For some reason, it looks like my offensive line can't handle the blitz well...but they're all up for probowl nominations. Go figure

-- NFL Week 8: Packers @ Bengals --
WIN:58-38

The Bengals offense overachieved, and the game quickly turned into an offensive shoot out with a bit of defense. A 50 yard pass from Palmer to Johnson started off the game, and was quickly followed up by a 75 yard pass from Brett Favre to Donald Driver. The game also featured a 62, 82, and 69 yard pass for TD's. Who said defense wins championships? With over 1100 total offensive yards in the game, both teams paid little mind to the other's defense - until the 4th quarter, that is. The game was tied 17-17 at the half. In the 3rd quarter, the Packers jumped ahead to a 31-24 lead over the Cincinnati Bengals. In the 4th quarter the momentum turned towards the Bengals. Green Bay tacked on another TD, but Cincinnati tacked on 30 points in the 4th quarter, including a 93 yard fumble return by Kim Herring and a 97 yard interception return by Greg Brooks, the Bengals Rookie dimeback who got some playing time when Tory James was knocked out of the game.

So how about the offense? What was a struggling offense turned into the NFL's top offense in one game. The Bengals are 1st in the NFL in total yardage and passing yardage, 4th in the NFL in rushing yardage. Carson Palmer got slightly more comfortable in the pocket, compiling and 83.3 QB Rating, completing 20/47 passes for 396 yards, 4 Touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Carson still leads the league in interceptions, but has found a spot in #4 in yardage.
"I don't really look at the standings," said Carson Palmer. "I want to help this team win, I want to lead this team to the playoffs. If I can do that, than I've done my job. Maybe I haven't been playing as well as I could lately, but QB rating means little if you can't win games."
Such an attitude has caused Carson Palmer to gain support from fans as the playoff-Caliber Cincinnati attempts to find it's footing.

Rudi Johnson has had a magnificant season, and adding 26 carries and 134 yards onto his total, picking up 979 rushing yards in the first 8 games and putting himself in the running for a Pro-Bowl nomination. Pro-Bowl voting has started, and the Bengals look for a presence in the Pro-Bowl, and deep intot he playoffs. With Rudi Johnson leading the team's way, and Carson starting to find his groove, the Bengals hope to be a credible playoff threat.
incinnati Rumor Mill[/B]
Sources indicate that Bryan Robinson will not start in Week 8 versus the Packers. Bryan Robinson has not performed as well as the Bengals hoped, picking up 10 tackles and 2 sacks through 7 games. Rookie Shaun Smith is the likely canidate for replacement, who played for Robinson in the 4th quarter this week, and picked up 2 sacks in just the final 5 minutes.


Game Notes
- Cincinnati Bengals have the highest ranked defense in the NFL as of Week 8
- Rudi Johnson is in 4th in the league in total rushing yards, and recent reports indicate he may get a Pro Bowl nomination
- The entire Bengals' offensive line have jumped ahead in Pro Bowl voting
- In the game against the Packers, MLB Odell Thurman picked up 7 tackles and a forced fumble. The star rookie leads the teams in tackles on the season
- Chad Johnson recieved 8 receptions for 98 yards, and ranks 5th out of all recievers in yardage. Chris Henry caught 6 receptions, but for 103 yards.


Bengals Sick Bay
- No Injuries Reported -

AFC North Standings
Bengals (6-2)
Ravens (4-3)
Browns (4-3)
Steelers (3-4)


Bengals Rumor Mill
Jon Kitna is reportedly unhappy aobut his playing time, stating that he feels he's a starting caliber QB and wishes to move somwhere he could be given that opportunity. The Bengals have locked into Palmer as their future. Cincinnati has been put in an interesting position, and the team has not commented on the.

Next Week -- NFL Week 9
(6-2) Cincinnati Bengals @ (4-3) Baltimore Ravens

Who thought the Ravens would've been the Bengals biggest threat at this point in the season? This game is important, there's no doubt in everyone's mind. With the Bengals Bye week falling in Week 10, the Ravens would take the AFC North lead with a win this week and a win next week. The Bengals need to win this important division game. With the Bengals coming off a nice win at Green Bay, the Ravens star LB Ray Lewis out until Week 13, the Bengals need to beat back the Ravens and hold onto the division.

[MidnightPyro]

Re: Welcome to the Jungle: Cincinnati Bengals

-- NFL Week 9: Bengals @ Raven --
WIN:40-10

The Ravens got their wings torn off, and the Bengals played a good game on both sides of the ball, but all eyes were on Carson Palmer. The game started out well enough, with the Bengals being forced to punt and the Ravens starting on their own twenty. Then Anthony Wright threw a pass right to Odell Thurman, which promptly went the other way for a Bengals TD. At that point, the Baltimore Ravens came to their senses and all but gave Cincinnati the AFC North. In the 30 point victory by the Bengals, Carson Palmer had his best day yet all season, completing 13/25 passes for 194 yards, 3 TD's, and 1 INT and compiling a 101.7 QB rating. The Bengals youth has finally stepped up with the Bengals Veterans.

The Bengals defense has had a rough year, but they lead the NFL in Defensive Interceptions. In fact, #1, #2, and #3 in interceptions all wear the orange and black - Tory James, Madieu Williams, and Odell Thurman. The Bengals defense managed to pick off Anthony Wright, the struggling Ravens QB, 5 times. Rudi didn't fear the Ravens defense either, rushing 32 times for 124 yards. The Ravens didn't play on the same level of the Bengals in any way. The Bengals ran over, ate, and spit out Baltimore, their closest competition in the AFC North. And how about Justin Smith? The former 1st round pick had 4 sacks and 7 tackles on the day, leading the Bengals defense. Apparantly the man comes alive during Pro Bowl Voting.

All was not well in Who-DeyVille though. Early in the 3rd quarter, Justin Smith's partner, DE Duane Clemons was knocked over and on the bottom of the pile. Clemons remained down for several minutes before being carted off the field on a stretcher. The defender suffered a broken collarbone, and will not be returning this season. The starting job falls upon Rookie Robert Geathers, who thus far has had an unimpressive season and struggled in the game against Baltimore. This has raised some concern about the possible effects a change will have on the defense. Marvin Lewis was quick on the draw, dispelling doubt at the Bengals post-game press conference.
"The switch from Duane Clemons to Robert Geathers really isn't that extreme," reassured a calm Marvin Lewis. "They both have similar styles of play, and I'm sure Robert will be much more ready starting on a full-time basis."

196 yards and 3 TD's through the air, 124 yards on the ground, 5 interceptions, 5 sacks, and Carson Palmer finding his groove. Things are looking up for the Bengals for the first time in 15 years.

Bengals Sick Bay
Duane Clemons - Season

Next Week -- NFL Week 11 (After Bye)
(7-2) Cincinnati Bengals @ (6-2) Indianapolis Colts

The Bengals have a Bye in Week 10, but in Week 11, The Bengals will come back and play none other than the Indianapolis Colts with QB Peyton Manning, one of the best and arguably the best QB in the National Football League. The Colts haven't been up with the elite this season (Patriots 8-0, Giants 7-1), but the Colts have held their own. Both teams lead their divisions and both teams have something to prove.

[MidnightPyro]

Re: Welcome to the Jungle: Cincinnati Bengals

-- NFL Week 10: Bengals Bye Week --

The Bengals have a Bye in Week 10. Here's a bit of information about the season thus far.

Bengals Rankings
Total Offense - 1st
Passing Offense - 5th
Rushing Offense - 7th
Total Defense -14th
Passing Defense - 13th
Rushing Defense - 15th
Turnover Difference - 4th (Tied)

Bengals Leaders
(Top Players Listed)

Passing
QB Carson Palmer - 128/284, 14 TD's, 21 INTs, 1914 yards, 54.4 QB rating

Recieving
WR Chad Johnson - 43 receptions for 692 yards, 10 TD's. First in league in TD's, currently leads pro-bowl voting

Rushing
HB Rudi Johnson - 1103 yards on 245 attempts, 6 TD's (5th in league in yards rushing)
HB Chris Perry - 43 attempts for 101 yards

Defensive
-- Tackles --
MLB Odell Thurman - 50 tackles
OLB Brian Simmons - 45 tackles
SS Madieu Williams - 35 tackles
-- Interceptions --
CB Tory James - 9 interceptions, Leads NFL
FS Madieu Williams - 7 interceptions, 2nd in NFL
CB Deltha O'Neal - 6 interceptions, tied for 3rd in NFL
-- Sacks --
LE Justin Smith - 11 sacks
DE Duane Clemons - 5 sacks, Injured (Out for season)

AFC North Standings
Bengals (7-2)
Ravens (5-4)
Browns (5-4)
Steelers (4-5)

[p2xgamers]

Re: Welcome to the Jungle: Cincinnati Bengals

Dang clemons out of the year, that sucks. Is that the only long-term injury you have?

[ghm125]

Re: Welcome to the Jungle: Cincinnati Bengals

very nice.....

[MidnightPyro]

Re: Welcome to the Jungle: Cincinnati Bengals

Thanks for the comment, ghm125. I try my best

Yeah, Duane is the only player out for the year, but it hurts. Our defensive line was already kind of struggling with Clemons, but without Clemons...Geathers just doesn't do much out there besides take up space. Not too much along the lines of talent in the free agent market. Looks like the defensive line improvements will have to wait until the offseason.

-- NFL Week 11: Colts @ Bengals --
LOSS:56-16

The Colts came into Cincinnati ready to win, and they had no trouble, accumulating enough points to spread over 3 games and still win all of them. The Colts didn't just beat the Bengals, they destroyed them, aceing them on every part of the game.

Rudi Johnson was the spotlight of the game for the Bengals, rolling for another 136 yards, and 3...not touchdowns, but 3 costly fumbles for the Bengals. The Cincinnati Bengals also added 4 more interceptions to their tally, 2 by Carson Palmer and 2 by Craig Krenzel. Carson Palmer left the game late in the 2nd quarter after hurting his shoulder on a sack. Carson would not return, and 3rd string QB Craig Krenzel was given the the reigns and the opportunity to come back from a 25 point deficit. Clearly Krenzel failed, along with the rest of the team.

2 out of the 3 Bengals loses this season have been games were Carson Palmer has been injured for one half or more. Coincidence? Maybe, but the team still has a lot of confidence in their quarterback, and each other.

Despite the poor play, Tory James picked off Colts signal-caller Peyton Manning twice. Tory James has had a record breaking year along with partner Deltha O'Neal. The two lead the league in individual interceptions and are favorites on the pro-bowl ballets thus far. Despite their luck with interceptions, the Bengals allowed 381 passing yards in the game.
"The interceptions thing is great," said Tory James. "Quarterbacks think twice whenever they see us out there, but sometimes you just gotta bat it down instead of going for the pick.

Carson Palmer was 9/21 with 2 Ints before being relieved by Craig Krenzel, who threw 7/20 for 1 TD (the only Bengals touchdown of the game) and 2 INTs. Both of the interceptions were in the endzone. The Bengals defense missed a few easy tackles, allowing Reggie Wayne to pick up, individually, 126 yards through the air. Chad Johnson was taken out of the game late in the 3rd quarter with a chest injury, and Guard Eric Steinbach was taken out with a back injury, adding even more confusion to the huddle. It just all added up.

"We weren't making tackles, we weren't holding onto and protecting the ball. We weren't passing the ball effectively and we were relying to much on our running game. We didn't make a few big plays, and we weren't getting as much pressure on Peyton as we should've been. Peyton is a great QB, and he knew how to exploit our offense." said a unhappy Marvin Lewis after the game.

When Lewis was asked what he would've changed for a better outcome, Marvin Lewis was quick to answer. "Nothing. We just need to play better football and go back to the fundamentals. We go back, try it again next week, and not dwell on this game."

The Bengals will try to do precisely that - not dwell on the game. Cincinnati is 7-3 and on top of the AFC North, and with the Bengals on the brink of the first winning season in years, fans can't complain.

Bengals Notebook
- WR Chad Johnson caught 9 passes for 97 yards
- HB Rudi Johnson fumbled the ball 3 times en route to a 137 yard game
- SS Kim Herring led the game in tackles, recording 4
- The Colts combined for 7 sacks on QB Carson Palmer and Craig Krenzel
- DT Shawn Smith (Rookie) recorded the only sack of the game


Bengals Sick Bay
DE Duane Clemons - Out for the Season
WR Chad Johnson - Probable
QB Carson Palmer - Probable

AFC North Standings
Cincinnati Bengals (7-3)
Baltimore Ravens (5-5)
Pittsburgh Steelers (5-5)
Cleveland Browns (5-5)

Next Week -- NFL Week 12
(5-5) Baltimore Ravens @ (7-3) Cincinnati Bengals

In one of the strangest divisions this season, Cincinnati takes on league rival the Baltimore ravens. Cincinnati is 1-0 in the series with Baltimore this year, and fights to stay in the AFC North, with every other team in the division only 2 games behind. A loss here would put the Bengals only one game behind the Bengals. The Ravens would like nothing better than the Bengals to struggle again as they did against the Colts.

[The GIGGAS]

Re: Welcome to the Jungle: Cincinnati Bengals

Ouch.

Good luck with Baltimore!