GAME: Cincinnati Bengals (7-5) vs. Oakland Raiders (2-10)
WHEN: Sunday, December 10th, 1 p.m.
LOCATION: Cincinnati
BROADCAST: CBS with Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker. Sirius: 155 (Oakland), 144 (Cincinnati)
SB NATION: Silver and Black Pride
PERSONNEL: Eric Ghiaciuc will start but Deltha O'Neal went on the inactive list likely as a response to his DUI Friday night. Also Inactive is Kelley Washington, A.J. Nicholson, Jonathan Fanene, Rich Braham and Levi Jones. Caleb Miller will start at middle linebacker for the not-so-healthy, but active, Brian Simmons.
[Bengals.com]
[Curnutte's Blog]
Keep coming back for updates... make sure you hit the ying-yang button on your internet browser for the latest and greatest updates.
Comment here for your game thoughts (i.e. open thread)
3:50: BENGALS win. They beat the Oakland Raiders, 27-10. Next, Monday Night Football at Indianapolis. I'm sure they'll be wanting to erase an embarrassing game against the Jags.
3:49: The Bengals are now knelling down to end the game.
3:47: AFC WILD CARD UPDATE. The Jags, with 347 yards rushing, are SMOKING the Colts, 43-17. Baltimore is leading 20-3 over the offensive powerhouse Chiefs.
3:45: First time in Cincinnati history the offense has ever had two 100-yard receivers and a 100-yard rusher in the same game... source, CBS. And CBS is very trustworthy with their reporting... right?
3:44: Tony Stewart, Scott Kooistra, Ben Wilkerson, Stacy Andrews, Kenny Watson, Anthony Wright, Reggie McNeal, Kenny Watson and Glenn Holt are your replacements at this point.
3:42: Fourth-and-16, Brooks drops back and nearly is blown up by Justin Smith. Brooks just threw a rainbox jump-ball pass that falls harmlessly to the ground. Like many passes before it. The Bengals second-team offense is in -- including Reggie McNeal.
3:39: After picking up an automatic first down from a Brian Simmons illegal contact foul, Aaron Brooks was dropped by Dexter Jackson for the Bengals' third sack of the day. Then after a five-yard pass to Curry, Kevin Kaesviharn sacks Brooks for the fourth sack of the day. Nice.
3:37: AFC WILD CARD UPDATE. Colts finally score after a 46-yard Josh Scobee field goal. Jags are leading 37-17. I don't want to write the Colts off just yet. I keep remembering that Monday Night game when Peyton brought the Colts back against Tampa Bay after a 20+ point lead (I think). The Ravens are close to scoring against at the seven yard line. If they do, then the Ravens will likely win. Which is good for the Bengals. Now if the Broncos lose to the Chargers during the 4 p.m. game (which I'll be watching), then we're in good position.
3:35: Wow. Stupid. Bengals offense calls a pass play. Palmer drops back and never finds anyone. He tried to squeeze it into T.J. and it was picked off -- the third interception he's thrown today.
3:33: Rudi gets the handoff and runs to the left for 10 yards dragging defenders behind and being dropped at the one yard line. Then on first down, Rudi was inches short of the touchdown. That was Rudi's 30th carry of the game.
3:32: Palmer drops back on first down and throws an 11 yard pass to Chad Johnson. That was Chad's fifth catch for 101 yards. That's two receivers with 100 yards receiving.
3:31: Palmer pitches left to Rudi Johnson picking up 11 yards. That was Rudi's 28th carry picking up his 107th yard.
3:31: After Rudi ran twice for 3 yards (four and a one yard loss), Palmer dropped back on third-and-seven, and dumped off to Kenny Watson who picked up the first down.
3:30: See what the Raiders fans are saying at Silver and Black Pride
3:27: After Chad's 22-yard pass (just happened), T.J. and Ocho have caught a combined 12 passes for 208 yards.
3:25: AFC WILD CARD UPDATE. The Colts are still being owned by the Jags, 34-10. But with 1:46 left in the third quarter, the Jags have racked up 316 yards rushing.
3:24: I'm liking what I see with Glenn Holt on kickoff return. He's finding small holes and getting through that first line of cover guys. Although, no one can hold a candle to Tab Perry.
3:22: AFC WILD CARD UPDATE. Chiefs scored a field goal on a 10-play, 47 yard drive. The Ravens still lead 13-3.
3:20: On first-and-goal at the seven, Brooks looks around and then tries to run up the middle but Peko trips up Brooks for a small two-yard gain. Then on second-and-five, Brooks throws to the right to Curry for a five-yard touchdown. Bengals now lead 27-10.
3:18: After a long 35 yard gain by Curry, Brooks goes incomplete, four-yard pass to Curry and a nice six-yard pass back to Curry for a first down. Raiders threaten with a first-and-ten at the Bengals 21.
3:13: Sweet play, Kevin Kaesviharn. Second-and-ten with 12 seconds left in the third, the Raiders called a screen play to the left. Brooks dropped off the pass to Fargas with two offensive linemen leading the way. Kaesviharn split both linemen and knocked Fargas into the ground one yard before the line of scrimmage. Sweet play. End of the third.
3:12: Do you know what I hate about Sunday Night football? It's that John Mellencamp song, This is Our Country, that's played nearly 40 times per broadcast. Don't get me wrong, I like the song. But if you're in Cincinnati and listen to WEBN in the late 90s, then you'll know what I'm talking about when I say "overplayed".
3:09: T.J. TOUCHDOWN! On second-and-11 (Rudi lost a yard), T.J. lined up to the right and caused two defenders to fall down like pee-wee defenders on Saturday morning. PWNED. Then Shayne Graham missed the PAT. His second of the season... Bengals lead, 27-3.
3:07: T.J. now has 7 receptions for 98 yards.
3:06: After Chad Johnson was called for a false start, Palmer dropped back and hit T.J. in full stride picking up 21 yards. T.J. just ran an in-route.
3:02: Fourth-and-one. Brooks hands off to Reshard Lee AND SAM ADAMS HIT HIM IN THE BACKFIELD. He blew up the lineman over him (#67) Lee had no chance. See, this is why the Raiders offense sucks. You're "go to" call for a critical fourth-and-one, and you call Lee's number. I'm not sure, but it also looked like the running play went more to the outside rather than behind the center. Either way, Raiders fail to convert the fourth down and the Bengals have the ball back.
3:01: After converting the first down, Brooks threw two incompletes setting up a third-and-ten. A weakness today is the Bengals defense inability to put the Raiders offense back to the sidelines on third down. Brooks, then fumbled the shotgun snap again, and took off to the left picking up nine yards. Fourth-and-one.
2:58: Let's see what the Raiders offense can do. On first down, Brooks throws a rainbow to the left falling harmlessly to the ground -- like many of his passes today. Second-and-ten. On a pump-fake draw, Fargas is hit in the backfield by Geathers and Brian Simmons. I have to say, Simmons has had an old-Simmons-like game. Injury looks to be over with. Jeanty has had a good game too. Raiders convert third-and-nine after Brooks fumbled the shotgun snap and passed a laser to Curry for 12 yards to the left.
2:56: AFC WILD CARD UPDATE. Josh Scobee kicked a 34-yard field goal to put the Jags up 34-10.
2:55: AFC WILD CARD UPDATE. Steve McNair hooked up with Mark Clayton on a 87-yard pass extending the Ravens lead, 13-0.
2:54: Rudi Johnson has carried the ball 24 times for 94 yards scoring two touchdowns. He's my early player of the game.
2:52: TOUCHDOWN BENGALS! Handoff to the right inside the tackles, then bounces out and no one threatens to tackle him. Bengals lead, 21-3. This drive went 13 plays for 88 yards -- much better than the Raiders 13-play 39 yard drive before the half.
2:51: After a five-yard pass to T.J., Rudi ran to the left for no gain. Then on third-and-five, Palmer drops back and throws to T.J. who ran a five yard in. Hit on stride, T.J. picked up 36 yards on the play. Bengals are at the Oakland 12-yard line.
2:49: Bengals stuck with a third-and-16, Palmer drops back and call a screen play to Kenny Watson and... they picked it up! Eric Steinbach and Eric G. led the way picking up the first down. GREAT PLAY CALL BOB!
2:48: Rudi Johnson is starting to run down-field. Coming out of the half, Rudi ran four straight times for 18 yards. Then after a third-and-three converted after a 7-yard pass to T.J., Rudi picked up another 17 yards on the ground. The play was nullified after a Jeremi Johnson holding. But the key here is that Rudi Johnson is starting to make things happen on the ground. Th