Cincinnati Bengals
Preview: Bengals (8-3) vs. Lions (2-9)
By Scott Priestle, CNATI.com Posted December 4, 2009 2:31 PM ET
Where: Paul Brown Stadium
When: 1 p.m. Sunday
TV: FOX (ch.19)
Radio: AM-700, AM-1530, FM-102.7
Storyline: The Bengals are closing in on their second division title in 19 years. They have a two-game lead over Pittsburgh and Baltimore, and they own the tiebreaker, which essentially makes it a three-game lead with five games to play. A home game against the lowly Lions should be a relatively easy step toward clinching.
Spotlight on ... Michael Johnson
The rookie defensive end will face Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford for the fourth straight season, and he could have plenty of chances to chase his frequent rival.
The Lions have allowed 33 sacks, tied for fourth-most in the league. If the Bengals are able to open an early lead, expect to see Johnson and the rest of the nickel defense on the field often, and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer likely will blitz frequently, in an attempt to rattle the rookie Stafford.
Johnson had 19 sacks and batted down 10 passes in his career at Georgia Tech, but he had only one sack and batted down one pass in three games against Stafford and Georgia. He has one sack this season, with three passes batted down.
The Bengals rank 10th in the league with 26 sacks, but nine of those came in the first two weeks, with Antwan Odom in the lineup. They have averaged fewer than two sacks per game since shredding Green Bay in week two, and they managed only one in the past two games against struggling Oakland and Cleveland.
Bengals injury report: doubtful -- DT Domata Peko (knee), RB Bernard Scott (toe), C Jonathan Luigs (back); probable -- RB Cedric Benson (hip), WR Laveranues Coles (chest), LB Keith Rivers (calf), LB Rey Maualuga (foot), DT Tank Johnson (knee), CB Morgan Trent (knee), S Kyries Hebert (hip), S Tom Nelson (foot), DE Frostee Rucker (neck)
Lions injury report: out -- WR Eric Fowler (knee), S Kelvin Pearson (hamstring); questionable -- S Louis Delmas (ankle), T Daniel Loper (back), LB Ernie Sims (hamstring), DE Dewayne White (toe); probable -- WR Calvin Johnson (knee), QB Matthew Stafford (left shoulder), DT Grady Jackson (knee), DT Andre Fluellen (toe), LB Zack Follett (neck)
Notable: With a win, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis will tie Paul Brown for the second-most wins in franchise history with 55. Sam Wyche has the club record with 64 wins. Lewis is the only one of the three with a winning record for his Cincinnati career (54-53-1). ... The Lions are allowing an average of 30.5 points per game, most in the NFL. The Bengals are allowing 15.8, fewest in the league. ... Cedric Benson returns to the starting lineup after missing 2 1/2 games because of a hip injury. He is 141 yards shy of 1,000. ... Chad Ochocinco has been lobbying since last Sunday for the Bengals to throw more passes this week, and with good reason. The Lions have allowed the most passing yards in the league, an average of 281.4 per week. ... The Lions started six rookies in their most recent game and list three as starters on the current depth chart. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew, one of Detroit's two first-round picks in the April draft, suffered a season-ending knee injury last week.
Quotable: "They have worked so hard since March to put themselves in this situation they're in now. Enjoy it, have fun with it and let's go." -- coach Marvin Lewis on the Bengals controlling their postseason destiny
Scott's prediction: Bengals, 27-10
C. Trent's prediction: Bengals, 28-7
Categories: Cincinnati Bengals, Featured Stories, Features
Tags: Bengals, Lions, Marvin Lewis, Michael Johnson
Comments (0)