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PBS Return Improbably Pits Paulie G. Vs. Marv
Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, known as “Paulie G.,” around Paul Brown Stadium for the 13 seasons he did every job imaginable, figured he’d come back one day to call plays against the Bengals and that one day came quickly enough Sunday (1 p.m.-Cincinnati’s Channel 12) for the home finale.
Game Preview: Oakland Raiders at Cincinnati Bengals
Setting the scene: The Cincinnati Bengals this week host the Oakland Raiders on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium. Standing at 5-8 with three games left, the Bengals have a challenging trek ahead of them in a bid to avoid a losing season. Lugging the weight of a five-game losing streak and looking to stabilize the imbalance caused by a series of significant injuries to key players, Cincinnati hopes to find its footing against Oakland this week in their climb to close the 2018 season on higher ground.
William Jackson had best day of season when Bengals went back to man
Those who have slogged through a Cincinnati Bengals game this season have noticed something odd — William Jackson struggling in coverage.
Cincinnati Bengals: First look at the Oakland Raiders
Oakland recovered a botched last-second field goal to seal a 24-21 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, giving the Raiders their third victory of the season after dropping seven of the last eight and two straight. They now have wins over two teams the Bengals lost to – the Steelers and Browns – in University of Dayton alumnus Jon Gruden’s second stint as Oakland head coach.
Bold decisions end badly for Bengals
They haven't had one of those since October, leaving Cincinnati (5-8) in a freefall that's taken it from the top of the AFC North all the way to the bottom.
Bengals' A.J. Green: Goes under knife
Though the club didn't officially announce Green would opt for surgery on the nagging right foot injury, that was always the expected outcome after the Bengals placed him on injured reserve last week. He's estimated to need 3-to-4 months to recover from the procedure, putting him at risk of missing OTAs. Green should be back to full strength for training camp and well before the start of the season to reclaim his post as the Bengals' undisputed top pass-catcher.
Bengals film review: Christian Westerman gets playing time and shines
I made the case last week for the Bengals to finish this season with an eye toward the future. Part of that plan asked them to play the younger prospects that many believed could help the team one day.
Random news
NFL Power Rankings: B/R's Expert Consensus Rank for Every Team Entering Week 15
On the West Coast, one of the league's bottom feeders upset a team many consider a Super Bowl contender. In the Midwest, two marquee matchups between high-flying offenses and smash-mouth defenses were split down the middle. And in Florida, an AFC heavyweight was stunned on a final play straight out of a Hollywood movie.
Oakland Sues Raiders, NFL for 'Illegal Move to Las Vegas' in Federal Court
Per Kimberly Veklerov of the San Francisco Chronicle, the city said in its lawsuit all 32 NFL teams colluded in an "illegal cartel" that demands cities publicly finance new stadiums or be at risk of losing a franchise to relocation.
John DeFilippo Fired by Vikings, Kevin Stefanski to Take Over as OC
Minnesota could only muster 276 total yards of offense against Seattle on Monday and did not get on the board until 70 seconds remained in the fourth quarter. At that point, the game was all but over at 21-7. The loss marked the second consecutive game in which the Vikings scored 10 points or fewer, both losses.
NFL Salary Cap Projected to Rise from $187M to $191.1M in 2019
Kevin Clark of The Ringer wrote about the steadily rising salary cap in a January 2018 piece, noting that teams need to be ahead of curves to compete and stay relevant in an evolving league. That includes sharp teams adapting to a pass-happy, offense-friendly league, but it also involves dishing out money to free agents during the offseason.