Bengals News (12/12): Giovani Bernard winning off the field

Giovani Bernard is the Bengals’ nominee for the 2019 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide.
Giovani Bernard is the Bengals’ nominee for the 2019 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide. Considered one of the league's most prestigious honors, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award recognizes an NFL player for outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field.

Bengals center Trey Hopkins’ versatility looks to cause mismatches with the Patriots defense.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick knows brains when he sees them so it should be no surprise as he prepares for Sunday’s game (1 p.m.-Cincinnati’s Channel 12) against the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium that quarterback Andy Dalton and center Trey Hopkins have caught his eye.

Zac Taylor and Andy Dalton spoke with the media previewing the December 15, 2019 game against the New England Patriots
“It’s very easy for us to focus on what’s important, because this is a great football team we’re playing. We understand how detailed we all need to be with our game plan and how on top of everything we have to be. It is in no way, shape or form a distraction for us because, as you see, we’re just down here in this dungeon. We get our work done, we get out on the field and do our work. It’s very easy to isolate ourselves from any outside distractions.”

Quick Hits: DE Sam Hubbard returns to practice while WR A.J. Green continues to rehab
After missing the first game of his two-year NFL career last Sunday in Cleveland, right end Sam Hubbard (knee) was back on the practice Field Wednesday as the Bengals began preparations for this Sunday’s game (1 p.m.-Cincinnati’s Local 12) against the Super Bowl champion Patriots at Paul Brown Stadium.

Quick Hits: DE Sam Hubbard returns to practice while WR A.J. Green continues to rehab
After missing the first game of his two-year NFL career last Sunday in Cleveland, right end Sam Hubbard (knee) was back on the practice Field Wednesday as the Bengals began preparations for this Sunday’s game (1 p.m.-Cincinnati’s Local 12) against the Super Bowl champion Patriots at Paul Brown Stadium.

Bengals and U.S. Marine Corps Team Up for Toys for Tots Collection
The Bengals have hosted this event for more than 30 years and Bengals fans are always very generous. More than 54,000 children in the eight county Tri-State area will benefit from the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots collection this year. Every contribution makes a huge difference in filling this need.

Taylor Made Takes: Head coach Zac Taylor discusses a variety of topics ahead of the Week 15 game against the Patriots.
Bengals.com senior writer Geoff Hobson sat down with head coach Zac Taylor to discuss discipline, the red zone misfires in last Sunday’s game in Cleveland and facing Patriots head coach Bill Belichick’s No. 1 defense this Sunday after matching up against him as a member of the Rams offensive staff in the last Super Bowl.

'I'm representing her': Why Joe Mixon's 19th career TD is his favorite
Of his 19 NFL touchdowns and numerous others in high school and college, this one was his favorite. On Sunday, during the NFL's "My Cleats, My Cause" initiative, he donned pink Nikes in memory of Peyton Jones, the sister of a former teammate who was 17 when she died of cancer earlier this year.

Roger Goodell -- Won't rush judgment until Patriots probe complete
Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday at the league meetings in Irving, Texas, that the NFL will not make any judgments until the completion of an investigation into the New England Patriots inappropriately filming the Cincinnati Bengals sideline during Sunday's game in Cleveland.

Roger Goodell, Mike Brown comment on Patriots taping investigation
With league meetings Wednesday, the subject of the New England Patriots taping the Cincinnati Bengals sideline was bound to come up with some big names.

NFL Week 15 odds, picks: Bears flirt with upset over Packers, Patriots hammer Bengals after controversial week
I'm not a mathematician, but I do know that it is now mathematically impossible for me to beat my best bets record from last year. A year ago, I posted a 49-35-1 record with my five weekly best bets. This year, even if I were to go 15-0 over the next three weeks, I can't finish any better than 48-36-1 -- thanks mostly to my 1-9 start to the season in Week 1 and 2, which yeah, actually happened.

Report: Bengals are said to be ‘livid’ over Patriots’ illegal videotaping
“They’re not getting out of this one,” said one league source with close ties to the Bengals. “They got caught red-handed. I mean, dead to rights. Too much of this stuff is on tape.”

Cincinnati Bengals: Being realistic with the next franchise quarterback
At 1-12, Bengals fans and media are rightly looking to the 2020 draft to inject life into the franchise. Cincinnati is on the verge of locking down the number one overall pick. A fresh faced quarterback of the future is almost certainly in the cards.

Around the league

NFL announces 32 nominees for Walter Payton Man of Year
As is customary, one of the final accolades of the night will be one of the most prestigious as the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award is announced and bestowed upon a player who has shown exceptional character and work off the football field as well as on.

Mahomes (hand) able to grip and rip the football
The hand issue for Patrick Mahomes could have been especially troubling for the Super Bowl hopeful Kansas City Chiefs. The K.C. offense didn't resemble anything we're used to seeing from Andy Reid's team after the QB hurt his hand in Sunday's win over the New England Patriots. The coach admitted earlier this week that he adjusted play-calling due to Mahomes' injury.

Vic Fangio wants to see NFL drop divisions format
The year is particularly noteworthy with the TV-magnet NFC East, once the league's crown jewel, cratering like a lump of coal tossed into a pit of sadness. The gloomy division has a current combined record of 17-35. Dallas and Philadelphia sit at 6-7 atop the division. The best either could do is 9-7.

David Johnson unhappy with role in Cardinals' offense
Johnson has appeared in 11 of Arizona's 13 games this season, but has only played 48.3 percent of the team's offensive downs. New arrival Kenyan Drake has ascended to the top of the running back group, which has seen its fair share of faces (Chase Edmonds, for example) this season, receiving 65 carries since his first game as a Cardinal in Week 9. Johnson, meanwhile, has carried the ball a combined 12 times in his last four games played.