Bengals News (12/13): Jessie Bates hosted single mothers initiative

Bengals Notes Joe Burrow Meets Tom Brady For First Time
With the 9-4 Bengals headed to 6-7 Tampa Bay Sunday (4:25 p.m.-Cincinnati's Local 12) off Sunday's 23-10 win over Cleveland that put them on the threshold of a second straight playoff berth, they meet for the ninth time in Brady's first game as a Buccaneer. And for third time the Bengals come in with a better record than the GOAT and riding a winning streak.

Jessie Bates Hosted Single Mothers Initiative Ahead of Bengals' Win Over Browns
Assisting single-parent families is a cause that Bates is passionate about. He grew up in a single mother household with his older sister, younger brother, and step siblings in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He saw the sacrifices his mother, Theresa, made, such as working two jobs, to support his family.

Bengals AFC North standings outlook and current playoff matchup
They don’t, of course, but as the current fifth seed in the AFC, the Bengals would play the fourth-seeded Tennessee Titans if the playoffs started now.

Playoff Picture: Bengals And Ravens Swap Tiebreakers With AFC North Race Winding Down
They now hold a one-game lead on the other AFC Wild Card teams and will cement a playoff spot with two wins in the final four games. The Steelers disappointed fans in Cincinnati by losing 16-14 to a third-string Ravens quarterback on Sunday.

Tom Brady takes subtle dig at Bengals' 'fairly tough' defense ahead of Buccaneers' Week 15 matchup
"Fairly tough" may not be giving the Bengals' defense enough credit. Led by pass rushers Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson (who will miss Sunday's game after injuring his wrist this past Sunday), linebackers Germaine Pratt and Logan Wilson, defensive tackle D.J. Reader and safety Jessie Bates III, the unit is currently 11th in the NFL in scoring, and sixth in red zone efficiency.

Bengals get good news on Hendrickson, Higgins and Boyd injuries
On the broken wrist suffered by Trey Hendrickson, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said they will take it on a day-to-day basis and wasn’t willing to rule him out for next weekend’s game against Tampa Bay, per the team’s Marisa Contipelli.

Around the league

NFL Power Rankings, Week 15: Brock Purdy-led 49ers vault to No. 2; surging Lions crack top 10!
Joe Burrow's greatness can be explained in part by how the Bengals can stay afloat so long as he is at the center of their world. Cincinnati lost wide receivers Tyler Boyd (finger) and Tee Higgins (hamstring) on their first possession on Sunday, but Burrow -- with a helping hand from fellow superstar Ja'Marr Chase -- was able to lift all boats in a 23-10 win over the Browns. The win allowed the Bengals to keep pace with the Ravens atop the AFC North while putting to bed the notion that Burrow couldn't beat Kevin Stefanski's Browns (the QB is now 1-4 lifetime against the coach). After the game, Burrow was quick to point out how well the Bengals are playing in all facets: "We're just a complete team right now."

Mississippi State coach Mike Leach dies at age of 61
"Mike was a giving and attentive husband, father and grandfather. He was able to participate in organ donation at UMMC as a final act of charity," the family said in a statement issued by Mississippi State. "We are supported and uplifted by the outpouring of love and prayers from family, friends, Mississippi State University, the hospital staff, and football fans around the world. Thank you for sharing in the joy of our beloved husband and father's life.''

NFL panic meter: Are you serious, Raiders? Can Giants, Seahawks, Dolphins escape tailspin?
How does this happen? How does this keep happening? It's just the latest staggering setback in a disastrous debut season for Josh McDaniels in Vegas, but there's no coming back from this one. The Raiders are cooked, done in by their most devastating debacle yet. This was worse than blowing three-score leads against the Cardinals, Chiefs and Jaguars. This was worse than not scoring a single point vs. the Saints. And yes, this was worse than losing to the Colts in Jeff Saturday's coaching debut.

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray carted off field vs. Patriots with knee injury
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported the fear is Murray suffered a serious injury, and an MRI and other tests are forthcoming. Following the Cardinals' 27-13 loss to the New England Patriots, head coach Kliff Kingsbury said it "doesn't look good," but the team would know more in the morning.