TIME: 1 p.m. Sunday
PLACE: First Energy Stadium (Grass)
LOCAL RADIO: Dan Hoard (play-by-play) and Dave Lapham (analyst) led by "triple cast," on Cincinnati flagship stations WLW-AM (700), WCKY-AM (ESPN 1530) and WEBN-FM (102.7) on the 25-station Bengals radio network.
TV: Fox broadcast team of Kevin Burkhardt (play-by-play), John Lynch (analyst), Pam Oliver (sideline reporter) on Channel 19 in Cincinnati, Channel 45 in Dayton, Ohio, and Channel 56 in Lexington, KY.
INJURIES
CIN:
DOUBTFUL: backup RE Margus Hunt (ankle) has yet to practice after getting hurt on last play of first quarter Nov. 16 in New Orleans. Backup WR and gunner James Wright (knee) didn't practice at all this week and last week after getting hurt Nov. 30 in Tampa.
QUESTIONABLE: starting CB Terence Newman (ankle) and third CB Adam Jones (chest) after they left last Sunday's game at various points. But they came back and should play after Newman went limited all week and Jones went limited Friday in his first practice of the week. Starting TE Jermaine Gresham (toe) didn't work Thursday and Friday but head coach Marvin Lewis indicated he could play.
PROBABLE: backup CB and starting gunner Dre Kirkpatrick (ribs) and backup S and core special teamer Shawn Williams (chest) went full Friday after going limited earlier in the week. K Mike Nugent missed all three practices in the wake of his father's sudden death Monday night.
*CLE: *
OUT: starting FS Tashaun Gipson (knee), Third CB K'Waun Williams (hamstring); backup TE Gary Barnidge (rib), backup CB Robert Nelson (hamstring)
QUESTIONABLE: K Billy Cundiff (kicking knee) surfaced on the injury report Friday when he didn't practice and his status is day-to-day. even though the Browns didn't sign a kicker this week. MLB Karlos Dansby (knee) went limited all week and may go after missing the last four games. Last Sunday he was a game-time decision. OLB Jabaal Sheard (foot) practiced for the first time this week Friday.
PROBABLE: RB Isaiah Crowell (hip) went full all week.
THE SERIES
8-4-1 Bengals lead 7-6 Browns at 43-39; Browns lead in Cleveland, 24-16; Bengals lead at FirstEnergy, 8-7
NOTEWORTHY
»» With three games left, the AFC North still has a chance to have a division with all winning records for the first time since the 1935 Western Division .
»» The Bengals still have the toughest finishing kick, with games in Cleveland (7-6) and Pittsburgh (8-5) and a home game against Denver (10-3) for a combined winning percentage of .641. Cleveland is .538, Pittsburgh .526 and Baltimore .410.
»» Browns rookie QB Johnny Manziel makes first NFL start on the field where Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis and Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton secured their first NFL victories eight years apart.
»» While Lewis was coaching that 21-14 victory quarterbacked by Jon Kitna on Sept. 28, 2003, current Browns head coach Mike Pettine was in his first year in the NFL as the Ravens' assistant defensive line and quality control coach.
»» Three of the NFL's five leading rookie rushers are on display, led by Bengals RB Jeremy Hill with 729 yards. The Browns' Terrance West (556) is third and Isaiah Crowell (529) is fifth.
»» The last time the Bengals played a Browns team with a winning record in December, the 5-9 Bengals knocked off the 9-5 Browns on Dec. 23, 2007 at Paul Brown Stadium, 19-14, to cripple Cleveland's playoff hopes behind running back Kenny Watson's 130-yard day.
»» After he was sidelined last game, Browns WR Andrew Hawkins makes his debut against his old team. Bengals WR Greg Little played for the first time in three games last week after he had one catch for eight yards against his old Cleveland team Nov. 6.
»» Bengals P Kevin Huber is first in the NFL in net punting average at 44.0 yards per punt.
»» Bengals CB Adam Jones is second in NFL kick returns with 31.4 yards per return and third in punt returns with 12 yards per return.
NFL RANKINGS
CIN: T-18th in scoring, 17th in offense (10th rushing, 20th passing); 15th in scoring defense, T-28th in defense (27th rushing, 21st passing), 20th in turnover margin at minus-3.
CLE: 21st in scoring, 13th in offense (15th rushing, 16th passing); 11th in scoring defense, 20th in defense (26th rushing, 9th passing), 7th in turnover margin at plus-8.
COACHES
CIN: Marvin Lewis 98-94-2 in 12th season, 15-8 vs. Browns.
CLE: Mike Pettine 7-6 in first season, 1-0 vs. Bengals and Lewis
WEATHER
The National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio, is calling for mostly cloudy skies with temperatures hanging at 41-42 degrees throughout the day and southwest winds of five to 10 miles per hour.
NUMBERS GAME
42-52 - Bengals record on the road under head coach Marvin Lewis
28-25 - Bengals record in December under Lewis
10-13 - Bengals record on road in December under Lewis
6-5 - Lewis' record in Cleveland
13-10 - Bengals record vs. rookie QBs under Lewis
2-2 - Bengals record vs. QBs in first starts under Lewis
10-5 - Bengals QB Andy Dalton's record in December
5-2 - Dalton's record on road in December
529 - Bengals WR A.J. Green's yards in last four games
664 - Chad Johnson's Bengals' record for most yards in last four games
4,743 - Green's career receiving yards in 57 games
4,001 - Johnson's career receiving yards in first 57 games
35 - Green's career TDs
23 - Johnson's TDs in first 57 games
90 - Yards RB Jeremy Hill needs to average in last three games to become first Bengals rookie since Corey Dillon in 1997 to rush for 1,000 yards
5 - Dillon's career 100-yard rushing games vs. Browns
17-252 - Catches and yards for Browns WR Andrew Hawkins after he didn't play at PBS last month
12-199 - Catches and yards for Hawkins last season as a Bengal after he missed the first half of the season with a foot injury.
331 - Combined NFL starts for Bengals top three CBs: Terence Newman (171), Leon Hall (98), Adam Jones (62)
45 - Combined NFL starts for Browns QB Johnny Manziel (0) and his top three WRs: Hawkins (14), Josh Gordon (30), Taylor Gabriel (1)
19 - Interceptions generated by Browns
12 - Interceptions generated by Bengals
27 - Sacks by Browns
15 - Sacks by Bengals
4 - TDs Browns offense has scored in last three games
5 - TDs Bengals allowed last Sunday
16 - Rushing TDs for Browns, tied for second in NFL
15 - Rushing TDs vs. Bengals tied for second in NFL
