Bengals-Broncos Preview

[redlegsfan21]

By AMY JO WALKER
The Cincinnati Bengals' playoff hopes took a hit when their month-long winning streak ended last week. The Denver Broncos stopped a very different streak that was threatening to sink their postseason chances.

Both teams try to gain ground in the wild-card race when they meet Sunday at Invesco Field in their first matchup in Denver since 1997.

The Bengals and Broncos are among four AFC teams at 8-6 vying for the two wild-card spots. They could each clinch a playoff berth this week with a win and help from two other teams, or they could make the postseason by winning their final two games.

Cincinnati had a chance to be the front-runner for one of those spots, but lost 34-16 to Indianapolis on Monday night to end a season-high four-game winning streak. The Bengals, seeking a second straight trip to the playoffs, struggled to gain 278 total yards and allowed one more point than they did during their entire winning streak.

"We had a bad one," Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson said, "but that doesn't change the fact that we've been very successful the past month. We've got the ability, and the opportunity is still before us. It all depends on how we regroup."

Johnson will need to regroup as well after catching just three passes for 37 yards Monday, well below his 91.7-yard average. Despite that showing, he leads the NFL with 1,284 receiving yards and is in position to become the first player since 1970 to lead his conference in that category for four straight seasons.

Johnson earned his fourth consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl as a starter, and Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer will join his top receiver in Hawaii. Palmer, though, will also be trying to bounce back from a sub-par performance - one of his worst of the season.

Palmer completed 50.0 percent (14-of-28) of his passes for 176 yards, both his second-worst marks of the season, and didn't throw a touchdown for the first time in 10 games.

"I played terrible, I missed too many balls," Palmer said. "I didn't think it was dropped passes; it was bad passes, bad throws."

The Bengals quarterback hasn't had many of those bad throws this season, as he leads the AFC in yards per attempt (8.09) and ranks second in touchdowns (24), passing yards (3,575) and completions (283). Palmer is on pace on pace to break Boomer Esiason's single-season team record of 3,959 yards in 1986.

Palmer's job may have become more difficult Monday when right tackle Willie Anderson, who will make his fourth straight Pro Bowl appearance in February, hurt his right foot in the second quarter and didn't return. Anderson told the team's official website Wednesday that he'll be on the field against the Broncos, but it remains to be seen if he's limited by the injury.

The Bengals have lost their last seven trips to Denver, getting outscored 186-109 in that span. The Broncos won the last meeting in Denver 38-20 on Sept. 21, 1997, boosting their record in the series to 10-2 at home and 15-8 overall.

The Bengals took the last matchup between the teams 23-10 at Cincinnati on Oct. 25, 2004.

Although the Broncos have had success at home against the Bengals, they have struggled at Invesco Field recently and will be trying to avoid a fourth straight home defeat for the first time since 1990.

Denver enters Sunday's matchup with some momentum, though, after snapping a season-high four-game skid with a 37-20 victory over Arizona on Sunday. The Broncos jumped out to a 13-0 lead early in the second quarter en route to their highest point total of the season.

"To get your swagger back you have to win, and we won," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "To keep that swagger, you have to keep on winning. Our players know this is a week-by-week proposition. There is a lot of work to be done."

Rookie quarterback Jay Cutler has been getting it done since taking over for Jake Plummer three weeks ago. He went 21-for-31 for 261 yards, two TDs and one interception last week to earn his first career win.

Cutler became the third rookie in league history to throw multiple touchdown passes in each of his first three starts. On Sunday, he'll be facing the NFL's worst pass defense, as Cincinnati is allowing 241.6 yards per game.

"You can watch him in preseason, but when the games are live, how does he handle himself?" Shanahan said. "He's very calm, cool, collected."

Shanahan has seen the same attributes in another rookie, running back Mike Bell, this season. Bell has rushed for 542 yards to become the fifth undrafted rookie to run for at least 500 yards since the inception of the common draft in 1967. He had 16 carries for 61 yards and two touchdowns Sunday.

Another Bell, Tatum, is 73 rushing yards shy of his first 1,000-yard season, and can give the Broncos a fourth different 1,000-yard rusher in the last four seasons - a feat no team has accomplished.

Denver cornerback Champ Bailey, who will start for the AFC in the Pro Bowl, grabbed two interceptions Sunday to tie his career high with eight this season.

http://sports.myway.com/news/12202006/v6902.html

[redlegsfan21]

By ARNIE STAPLETON
DENVER (AP) -The playoffs are slipping right through the Cincinnati Bengals' fingers.

The Bengals lost to Denver 24-23 on a snowy Sunday when Brad St. Louis' long snap on an extra point in the final minute sailed wide of holder Kyle Larson, preventing Shayne Graham from even attempting his 159th straight conversion.

"That only happens on PlayStation games," Broncos lineman Kenard Lang said. "I'm sitting there amazed."

The Bengals were offside on the ensuing onside kick, and then Quincy Morgan fielded the short second kickoff, sealing the win for Denver (9-6), which can clinch a playoff spot with a win next week against San Francisco.

Needing only to beat the Broncos to get into the postseason party themselves, the Bengals (8-7), who were in control of the wild-card race before losing at Indy last week, drove 90 yards in 12 plays, with Carson Palmer tossing a 10-yard touchdown strike to T.J. Houshmandzadeh with 46 seconds left.

Then came the wide and wobbly snap that doomed the Bengals, who now must beat Pittsburgh at home next week and get some help to get into the playoffs.

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis was kicking himself afterward.

"I thought about going for two," he said. "But that doesn't matter now, does it?"

The Broncos, some of whom were snowed in at their practice facility during the week when a blizzard dumped three feet of snow on the city, felt like the weather did them a favor for a change.

"The snow came along at the right time, I guess," Broncos receiver Rod Smith said.

"When the ball is a little slick like that, there is always an opportunity for that to happen, especially when the pressure is on," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said.

The Bengals didn't blame rattled nerves or bad weather.

"I didn't put the ball in Kyle's hands," St. Louis said.

"We've done it a thousand times," said Larson. "We didn't execute. It had nothing to do with a wet ball or conditions. We work on this every day in practice. I reached for it. The bottom line is we need to work together as a unit."

The Broncos got four takeaways, two from Champ Bailey, who recorded his NFL-high ninth interception and also recovered Chad Johnson's first career fumble in an especially hard-hitting game between two wild-card wannabes.

The Bengals lost for the eighth straight time in Denver despite big games from Houshmandzadeh (nine catches, 94 yards) and Rudi Johnson (30 carries, 129 yards and a touchdown).

After the game, Domonique Foxworth hyperventilated at his locker but said he was fine.

"Kid played his heart out," safety John Lynch said. "Sure was a scary moment in here."

Jay Cutler, the kid from Santa Claus, Ind., delivered for Denver on Christmas Eve, becoming the first NFL quarterback to throw for multiple touchdowns in each of his first four games.

He hit fellow rookie Tony Scheffler for a 1-yard score and threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Javon Walker in the first half.

His signature drive was a 99-yarder that was capped by fellow rookie Mike Bell's 2-yard run, giving the Broncos a 21-17 lead in the third quarter. It was the eighth touchdown for the undrafted rookie who took over the bulk of the rushing load in the second half after Tatum Bell's costly fumble led to a Cincinnati touchdown just before halftime.

Palmer hit Chris Henry with an 11-yard scoring strike for a 17-14 halftime lead, but their 75-yard touchdown connection in the second half was nullified by an illegal shift.

After Jason Elam's 24-yard field goal gave the Broncos a 24-17 lead in the third quarter, Lynch sliced through the line on a quick snap and forced Rudi Johnson's fumble. Elvis Dumervil recovered.

Bailey, who has an NFL-high 17 interceptions in the last two seasons, set up Denver's first two touchdowns with his takeaways.

Palmer, who played with a sore passing shoulder, completed 21 of 40 passes for 209 yards.

"My shoulder was fine. I felt fine. I felt great," Palmer said. "I just didn't play great."

Neither did Chad Johnson, who got the better of Bailey in a game in 2004 when he caught seven passes for 149 yards and one score. This time, "Ocho Cinco" had three catches for 32 yards.

"The first half might have been my worst first half ever," he said. "I dropped a ball, I lose a ball on the fumble. It didn't play out the way it should have played out."

For Cincinnati, neither did the point-after. ^

Notes:

Mike Bell is one TD shy of the NFL mark for an undrafted rookie. Dominic Rhodes had nine for Indianapolis in 2001. ... The teams combined for 27 possessions, 17 of them in the first half.

http://sports.myway.com/news/12242006/v2724.html

OK, my story. I was performing Christmas songs and I had my radio with me. When I got a break, quickly turned on my radio. Well, I knew the score was 24-17 when I turned on the radio to hear TOUCHDOWN T.J. with 46 seconds left. I quickly told the other Bengal fans I was with and then I just fell down in shock. I was speechless. How could this happen. My friends kept asking, what happened, tell us what happened. For some reason, it feels like a year ago, the same thing happened. To the exact date, the missed extra point in overtime for UCF. Then I felt like this had already happenend this year (see H.S. Football thread).