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DECEMBER 18, 2011
TIME: 1 p.m., Sunday
PLACE: Edward Jones Dome (FieldTurf)
RADIO: Play-by-play Dan Hoard and analyst Dave Lapham on "Triple Cast" flagships 700-AM WLW, 1530-AM ESPN and 102.7-FM WEBN on the 25-station Bengals radio network.
TV: CBS broadcast team of Greg Gumbel play-by-play and Dan Dierdorf analyst. Channel 12 in Cincinnati, Channel 7 in Dayton, Ohio, Channel 27 in Lexington, Ky.
INJURIES
CIN: RT Andre Smith (ankle) is looking at missing his second straight game after not practicing Thursday and Friday and is questionable. LE Carlos Dunlap (hamstring) went limited all week in his first on-field work in three weeks and is probable. RB Brian Leonard (knee) didn't work all week and it doesn't look like he'll play after sitting last game and is doubtful. FB Chris Pressley worked on the side Friday, but he didn't practice all week and is questionable. Everyone else went limited Friday and is probable, as is OLB Manny Lawson (ankle), who went full go.
STL: OUT: QB A.J. Feeley (thumb); DOUBTFUL: QB Sam Bradford (ankle) didn't work this week. He didn't last week and played, but now he's been downgraded and has been walking around in a boot. LE Chris Long (ankle) didn't practice the first couple of days, went limited Friday, but that hasn't stopped him from not playing and he's questionable. LT Mark LeVoir (groin) also hasn't practiced and he's doubtful on a line already decimated. RE James Hall (chest) didn't practice this week and is questionable. CB Justin King (shoulder) surfaced Thursday and didn't go Friday either and he's questionable. King not going would make it a perfect five-for-five for the Rams missing their top cornerbacks.
» Complete Injury Report
THE SERIES
Bengals lead, 6-5; Rams lead, 3-2 at home; 2-0 in St. Louis
NOTEWORTHY
» The game is played three days shy of the eighth anniversary of Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis's first game against the Rams, a 27-10 loss that dropped the 8-7 Bengals a game behind the Ravens in the AFC North with a game to play as the last vestige of the Greatest Show on Turf converts 10 of 16 third downs.
» The Rams are honoring Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk on Sunday. In that '03 game, Faulk played the Bengals for the last time and had his best day in the seven games he went against them with 121 yards on 22 carries. His Colts and Rams teams went 4-3 against the Bengals while he averaged 3.8 yards per carry. In three of the games Faulk had 28 yards or less and had three 100-yarders.
» The Rams are wearing their throwback jerseys from the 1999 Super Bowl championship season. That season they came into Riverfront Stadium in the fourth week of the season and went 3-0 while dropping the Bengals to 0-4 in a 38-10 win highlighted by wide receiver Az Hakim's four touchdowns (one on a punt return) and quarterback Kurt Warner's surgical 310 yards on 17-of-21 passing.
» The Rams opened up against Baltimore and Ravens defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis that season. Warner announced his MVP season with a 309-yard effort in which Faulk had more yards receiving (72) than rushing (54).
» For the fifth time in Lewis's nine seasons the Bengals head into their 14th game at .500 or better.
» Dan Dierdorf is a Hall of Fame tackle that played with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1971-83 and went to six Pro Bowls.
NFL RANKINGS
CIN: 18th in scoring, 20th in offense (19th rushing, 19th passing); Seventh in defense (seventh rushing, 11th passing), tied for 13th in turnover margin at plus-1.
STL: 32nd in scoring, 30th in offense (26th rushing, 28th passing), 25th in defense (32nd rushing, eighth passing), T22 in turnover margin at minus-5.
COACHES
CIN: Marvin Lewis 67-73-1 regular season, 0-2 postseason in his ninth season, 1-1 vs. Rams.
STL: Steve Spagnuolo 10-35 in his third season, 0-0 vs. Bengals and Lewis.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
» 2-11 - Rams record heading into Game 14
» 2-11 - Bengals record heading into Game 14 last year
» 19-17 - Bengals victory over Browns in Game 14 last year
» 7-9 - Rams QB Sam Bradford's record as a starting rookie QB last season
» 7-6 - Bengals QB Andy Dalton's record as a starting QB this season
» 18 - TD passes by Bradford as a rookie
» 22 - Dalton's pace for TD passes as a rookie
» 3,512 - Bradford's passing yards as a rookie
» 3,487 - Dalton's pace for passing yards as a rookie
» 8,843 - RB Steven Jackson's all-time rushing yards, a Rams franchise record
» 8,061 - RB Corey Dillon's all-time Bengals rushing yards, a franchise record
» 232 - Combined rushes and catches by Jackson this season
» 260 - Combined rushes and catches in his career from 2004-2008 by injury-plagued Bengals RB Chris Perry, drafted two slots behind Jackson
» 18-216 - Catches and yards by former Rams rookie and current Bengals WR Andrew Hawkins
» 23-218 - Catches and yards by Rams third-round pick Austin Pettis
» .402 - Bengals winning percentage in domes
» .333 - Bengals winning percentage in all road games
» 2-7 - Bengals record in domes under Lewis
» 18-23 - Bengals record in December and January under Lewis
