Bengals-Packers Preview

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• Countdown Daily Recap: Bengals-Packers

SCOUTING REPORT

Bengals-Packers: 10 observations After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Bengals-Packers matchup. 1. Cincinnati needs to run the ball between the tackles: The Bengals will try to control the tempo of the game by establishing featured back Cedric Benson between the tackles. The new 3-4 Packers defensive scheme looked good in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears, but could be exploited some by power zone-blocking schemes with isolation plays between the tackles.

· Full Scouting Report

Matchup
	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF
CIN	7-3	215	167	3-2	4-1	5-0	5-3
GNB	6-4	262	203	4-2	2-2	2-2	5-3
· Complete Standings

Individual Leaders

Cincinnati Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Palmer 61.5 2217 14 8

Green Bay Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Rodger... 64.8 2788 19 5 Flynn 66.7 15 0 0

Cincinnati Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Benson 205 859 4.2 6 Scott 50 214 4.3 0

Green Bay Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Grant 189 829 4.4 5 Rodger... 44 242 5.5 3

Cincinnati Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Ochoci... 50 735 14.7 5 Coles 29 355 12.2 3

Green Bay Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Driver 46 703 15.3 4 Jennin... 43 669 15.6 3

Full Player Stats: Cincinnati | Green Bay

TEAM AVERAGES & NFL RANKS
TEAM OFFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Total Yards	CIN	336.0
	GNB	378.0
Yards Passing	CIN	207.8
	GNB	254.9
Yards Rushing	CIN	127.8
	GNB	123.1
TEAM DEFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Yards Allowed	CIN	310.5
	GNB	282.5
Pass Yds Allowed	CIN	226.2
	GNB	191.8
Rush Yds Allowed	CIN	84.3
	GNB	90.7

HEAD TO HEAD MATCHUPS (SINCE 2001)
Cincinnati leads 2-0
Oct 30, 2005	CIN 21, @GNB 14

The Green Bay Packers were not sharp offensively in their opener, but Aaron Rodgers was able to lead his team on a winning drive in the final minutes.

The Cincinnati Bengals, meanwhile, have had a week to dwell on a stunning last-minute defeat.

Rodgers and the Packers try to open 2-0 for the third straight season Sunday at Lambeau Field, where they will take on a Bengals club that has lost four straight on the road to NFC foes.

After Robbie Gould's field goal gave Chicago a 15-13 lead with 2:35 remaining Sunday night, Rodgers took the Packers on a 72-yard drive, throwing a 50-yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings with 1:11 left. Jennings caught six passes for 106 yards and a two-point conversion following his touchdown in Green Bay's 21-15 victory.

"I was thinking, 'We're due. We're due for one good drive," Rodgers said. "I told the guys, just give me one drive."

Rodgers completed 17 of 28 passes for 184 yards and was sacked four times. In his first season as the starter in 2008, he endured 34 sacks as the Packers went 6-10.

"He had a rough night," coach Mike McCarthy said. "He was hit a bunch. Our pass protection was not what we were looking for."

Right tackle Allen Barbre allowed two of the sacks Sunday in his first NFL start. McCarthy, though, told the Packers' official Web site that he is not ready to replace Barbre or any of the starting offensive lineman yet.

"I'll say this about Allen -- he wasn't the only one who didn't play very well up front," McCarthy said. "Our protection unit did not play well, and that was a major cause for our frustration and our inability to move the football."

Cincinnati was held scoreless in its opener versus Denver until Cedric Benson's one-yard run with 38 seconds left gave the Bengals a 7-6 lead.

The Bengals has the Broncos pinned on their 13-yard line on the ensuing possession, but on second-and-10, a ball intended for wide receiver Brandon Marshall was deflected by Bengals cornerback Leon Hall. Denver's Brandon Stokley caught it and raced to the end zone with 11 seconds remaining.

According to the NFL, it was the longest winning play from scrimmage in the final minute of the fourth quarter in league history.

"I've never seen anything like that," Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer said following the 12-7 loss. "I've played football since I was 7 or 8, and I've not seen that."

Palmer, who missed 12 games in 2008 after partially tearing a ligament in his right elbow, went 21 of 33 for 247 yards and two interceptions. He will try to lead Cincinnati to its first road win versus an NFC club since a 31-16 victory over New Orleans on Nov. 19, 2006.

Palmer and the Bengals will be facing Green Bay's newly installed 3-4 defense. The scheme worked well last week, as the Packers held Chicago to 2.8 yards per carry and forced Jay Cutler into a career-high four interceptions.

Johnny Jolly, a 320-pound defensive end, had one of the picks on a screen pass in the second quarter after Cutler led the Bears to the Packers' 8-yard line.

Green Bay last had four interceptions in a 37-31 win at Detroit on Sept. 22, 2002.

Packers safety Atari Bigby, who had three tackles Sunday, may be unavailable against the Bengals after suffering a knee sprain in Week 1. Aaron Rouse or Derrick Martin could replace Bigby.

Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco caught five passes for 89 yards in Sunday's loss. He has not caught a touchdown in his last five games, but during a conference call Wednesday, said he'd do the "Lambeau Leap" into the stands if he scores Sunday.

Ochocinco has not recorded a 100-yard receiving game since he had 131 with two touchdowns against Miami on Dec. 30, 2007.

Green Bay won 24-10 on Dec. 3, 1995, in the teams' last meeting at Lambeau Field.

Outsiders: Week 12 previews

Football Outsiders analyzes Week 12 in the NFL. Ideas: Oakland isn't THAT bad; Reggie Bush is poised for a big game vs. New England; Pittsburgh needs to play better in the second half; David Garrard gets knocked around too much and a plan for Houston.

Bengals might have Benson on field vs. Browns

Bengals running back Cedric Benson is expected to practice this week and might play Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, a team he ran over last year.

Granderson: Take the roar out of Thanksgiving!

Breaking up is so very hard to do, but even this die-hard Lions fan knows his favorite team has outlived its usefulness on Thanksgiving Day.

Clayton: Pressure falls on Pats in Monday night showdown

The Saints have the burden of protecting a perfect record, but the Patriots will be feeling the most pressure on Monday night, writes John Clayton.

Chad Ochocinco: I will be at Bengals minicamp

Besides warmer weather, what is another sure sign that Bengals minicamp is drawing closer? Talk about a wide receiver not at the team?s OTAs starts to dominate the conversation.

Palmer: We still need Chad

Carson Palmer has always been about loyalty, which is why during the past two weeks he has talked about the progress of the receivers who are participating in the Bengals offseason program.

Bengals' Hall pleads guilty to reduced charge in DUI case

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Leon Hall pleaded guilty to a reduced charge in his drunken-driving case Monday, allowing him to avoid jail time.

Odom: I know I have to play better

You would expect when someone adds 28 pounds, that it would slow a player. Not in the case of Antwan Odom.

Bengals counting heavily on Henry

This time last year, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry was entering a dark period of his NFL career.

S Atari Bigby isn't back yet, but he's ready to go

Atari Bigby says he feels great, and that's saying something, considering how the Green Bay Packers' strong safety limped through the 2008 season.

Packers Daily Briefing 06.01.09

Jun. 1, 2009 6:00 a.m. Good morning. Here is your PDB for Monday, June 1, 2009. It contains all the links, info, analysis and occasional humor you'll need to start your day.

Tauscher's replacement will be green

The Green Bay Packers won't anoint a new starting right tackle until August, but they'll go to training camp with a pretty good idea about the identity of Mark Tauscher's successor.

Rodgers looks to expand leadership

Aaron Rodgers' strong 2008 season has him operating the 2009 Packers offense with confidence - much more so than last year at this time.