Bengals News (12/9) Germaine Pratt prepared for opportunity

Germaine Pratt's preparation has Bengals defense forcing turnovers
It's no accident linebacker Germaine Pratt has become the first Bengals linebacker to come up with multiple forced fumbles and recoveries in the same season in the 18 years since fellow North Carolina native Brian Simmons conjured them up for Marvin Lewis' first Bengals team.

Quick Hits: Vonn Bell's playoff experience leads Bengals in stretch run
Vonn Bell, the Bengals strong safety on and off the field, is one of 15 players his team has quietly stockpiled with playoff experience. Cornerback Trae Waynes (hamstring), poised to come off injured reserve if all goes well in practice this week, stands to be the 16th when the Bengals line up Sunday (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Local 12) against the 49ers at Paul Brown Stadium.

Joe Burrow to rest pinky finger Wednesday, good to go vs. 49ers
Burrow reported a little swelling ("but not too much") and says he'll be able to do such little but key things as taking a snap under center and handing it off with his right hand. After he injured the pinky on the fifth play of last Sunday's against the Chargers on sack-strip, Burrow had a few awkward moments handing off.

Cincinnati Bengals depth chart: How defense can guard tight ends
When the Cincinnati Bengals drafted linebacker Logan Wilson in 2020, the coaching staff saw a former defensive back who had 10 interceptions in college. The Bengals viewed him as a player who could cover athletic tight ends in the middle of the field and tackle powerful running backs up the middle.

Hue Jackson Reportedly Close to Landing Grambling State Head Coaching Job
Prior to Tennessee State, Jackson hadn't coached since 2018. The Browns fired him after a 2-5-1 start in Cleveland. Later that season he joined the Bengals' staff as Marvin Lewis' special assistant.

49ers news: How the Niners can exploit the Bengals porous pass defense
Coming off of a tough loss to the Seahawks in Seattle, the 49ers now turn their attention towards their week 14 matchup with a very talented Cincinnati Bengals team. At 7-5, Cincinnati is firmly in the AFC playoff race, driven by an explosive offense powered by a second-year quarterback in Joe Burrow and an incredibly talented group of skill position players headlined by rookie wideout Ja’Marr Chase.

Around the league

'Thursday Night Football' preview: What to watch for in Steelers-Vikings
The mood in the building for this week’s Thursday night combatants comes from two very different places. Following an embarrassing 41-10 loss in Week 12 and coach Mike Tomlin’s fiery declaration that it was look-in-the-mirror time for his team, the Steelers delivered an inspiring divisional win against the AFC North-leading Ravens. The outcome couldn’t have been more impactful for a 6-5-1 Steelers team embroiled in an AFC wild-card chase that’s looking ultra-competitive.

Assessing playoff chances of every .500 team going into Week 14 of 2021 NFL season
Of course, the Giants -- as the only 6-6 team in history to win it all -- were an anomaly. Of the 40 teams to have started 6-6 in the nine seasons since, just nine went on to reach the playoffs, with the 2018 Colts being the last squad to do it, per Pro Football Reference.

NFL QB Index, Week 14: Patrick Mahomes exits top 10; Tua Tagovailoa earns his highest ranking of 2021
Chargers-Bengals was one of the most fun quarterback games all year, and I'd score the QB battle as a split decision for Burrow, despite the scoreboard. The Bengals' second-year passer is so good on third down, and his accuracy is better every week. He was playing lights out at one point and was down 24-6, partly because of Ja'Marr Chase dropping yet another potential touchdown. (That's 3-4 dropped Chase scores in the last five weeks.) Burrow delivered under pressure all day and somehow didn't fall off throwing to the outside, even after his finger was so hurt he had to hand off with his left hand.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has no regrets for saying 'I own you' to Bears fan
Rodgers' highly publicized, off-the-cuff utterance will be put to the test again Sunday night as the Packers host the Bears for the second of their twice-annual meetings. His confidence remains unshaken.

Vikings RB Dalvin Cook (shoulder) trending toward playing vs. Steelers on 'Thursday Night Football'
Cook wasn't expected to return to action until the Minnesota Vikings played the Chicago Bears on Dec. 20, but after going through intense rehab in the last week and a half, he's now trending toward playing Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported.