CINCINNATI BENGALS One Paul Brown Stadium Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513) 621-3550 administrative offices (513) 621-3570 administrative fax (513) 621-TDTD (8383) ticket office www.bengals.com WEEKLY NEWS RELEASE DEC. 4, 2018 WEEK 14, GAME 13 CINCINNATI BENGALS (5-7) SUNDAY, DEC. 9 AT STUBHUB CENTER AT NEXT WEEK: WEEK 15, GAME 14 L.A. CHARGERS (9-3) DEC. 16 VS. OAKLAND RAIDERS GAME NOTES Kickoff: 4:05 p.m. Eastern. reinjured a toe that had caused him to miss Games 9-11, and Glenn missed a second straight game with a back injury. The availability of Green and Glenn Television: The game will air on CBS-TV. In the Bengals’ home region, against the Chargers will not be known until later this week. it will be carried by WKRC-TV (Ch. 12) in Cincinnati, WHIO-TV (Ch. 7) in Dayton As much as the wave of injuries has contributed to negating the team’s early and on WKYT-TV (Ch. 27) in Lexington. Broadcasters are Greg Gumbel (play- 4-1 start this season, and as much as losing four straight games and six of the by-play), Trent Green (analyst), Bruce Arians (analyst) and Melanie Collins last seven has put it at a disadvantage in the standings, Lewis remains steadfast (sideline reporter). in his belief that the Bengals still could sneak into the playoffs. He says it’s the responsibility of the coaching staff to help the remaining players overcome the Radio: The game will air on the Bengals Radio Network, led by Cincinnati team’s setbacks and lead them there. flagship stations WLW-AM (700), WCKY-AM (ESPN 1530; all sports) and “We have to do a great job of preparing these guys, lifting them up, WEBN-FM (102.7). Broadcasters are Dan Hoard (play-by-play) and Dave accentuating the positive, correcting the (mistakes), and trying to figure out a Lapham (analyst). way to rid us of any negative,” Lewis said. “We have to dig deep to do it. The game also will air nationally on Sports USA Radio. Broadcasters are “There still are a lot of guys playing their tails off, and we have to continue to Larry Kahn (play-by-play), John Robinson (analyst) and Troy West (sideline ride that. Hopefully, we can lift some others to make some plays around those reporter). guys as well, and get this pointed back in the correct direction.” Setting the scene: The Cincinnati Bengals this week travel to Los The series: The Chargers lead 20-15, including 10-8 as the home Angeles to play the Chargers on Sunday at StubHub Center. team. The Bengals have won four of the last five meetings, as well as three of Carrying the burden of a four-game losing streak, the 5-7 Bengals look to the last four as the visiting team. The most recent meeting was a 24-19 Bengals rebound from last week’s 24-10 home loss to the Denver Broncos in a bid to stay win in Cincinnati in 2015. within possible striking distance of a large group of contenders for the second of The series includes two postseason games. Most recently, the Chargers two AFC Wild Card spots. That group currently is led by the 7-5 Baltimore won a 2013 season Wild Card Playoff 27-10 at Paul Brown Stadium. After the Ravens and followed closely by four 6-6 teams — the Indianapolis Colts, the 1981 season, the Bengals beat the Chargers 27-7 in the “Freezer Bowl,” the Miami Dolphins, the Tennessee Titans and the Broncos. With just four games AFC Championship game played in an NFL-record minus-59 degree wind chill at left, the odds of catching and leapfrogging those teams are slim at best, but Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium (see “Remembering ‘The Freezer Bowl’ item certainly any possible advance must start no later than Sunday’s matchup with below for more information). the Chargers. The Bengals played the franchise’s inaugural regular-season game in San That mission will not be easy. The 9-3 Chargers have won two straight Diego, on Friday night, Sept. 6, 1968. The Chargers won, 29-13. games and eight of their last nine, and they’re fresh off a 33-30 come-from- behind victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Team bests from the series: “They (the players) are still fighting, and they have things to fight for,” head Bengals — MOST POINTS: 47, in a 47-17 victory at Riverfront Stadium coach Marvin Lewis said, when asked about keeping the players together in 1975. The win completed an 11-3 season for Cincinnati, the best season through a losing streak. “Last I looked, we’re not out of it. We’ve dug a huge hole winning percentage (.786) in franchise history. LARGEST VICTORY MARGIN: and need a lot of things to (happen to) work our way out of it, but maybe with 31, in a 31-0 victory at Riverfront in 1971. FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED: 0, in everything else that’s gone against us, we can get some things to break our way. the 31-0 victory in ’71. We just have to keep handling our business. Chargers — MOST POINTS: 50, in a 50-34 victory at San Diego in “Our job is to win football games, and that’s what they have to do. It’s their 1982. LARGEST VICTORY MARGIN: 28, in a 34-6 win at Cincinnati in 2002. (the players’) professions, and they have to work hard at it. We (the coaches) will FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED: 3, in a 24-3 victory at San Diego in 1977. continue to work hard to put them in position to make game-winning plays, and hopefully then they’ll come up with them.” The last meetings: A summary of the last two Bengals-Chargers As it has been for most of the 2018 season thus far, one of the main meetings — a Wild Card Playoff in Cincinnati after the 2013 season, and in the storylines for the Bengals this week again will be the team’s attempt to overcome ’15 regular season at Cincinnati — are on page 14. a series of injuries to key players. The Bengals started this week with 14 players on the Reserve/Injured list. That included four players who were starters at the Remembering “The Freezer Bowl:” The early weather beginning of the season — QB Andy Dalton, TE Tyler Eifert, TE Tyler Kroft and forecast for this week’s Bengals-Chargers game in Los Angeles calls for a LB Preston Brown — as well as other players whose roles included significant pleasant high temperature of 68 degrees. But 36 years ago, the Chargers and playing time, such as DE Carl Lawson and DT Ryan Glasgow. In addition, a long Bengals met in Cincinnati for the 1981 season AFC Championship game, a 27-7 list of regular starters currently on the 53-player roster have missed multiple Bengals win that stands as one of the coldest game days in NFL history. games this season due to injuries, including HB Joe Mixon, HB Giovani Bernard, The mercury reading for the “Freezer Bowl” was minus-nine degrees, WR A.J. Green, OT Cordy Glenn, C Billy Price, LB Vontaze Burfict, LB Nick Vigil second-coldest in NFL history behind minus-13 for the 1967 NFL Championship and CB Darqueze Dennard. game of Dallas at Green Bay (that game became known as “The Ice Bowl”). But Last week, backup Jeff Driskel started at quarterback against the Broncos in the Freezer Bowl was played in winds gusting from 20-35 miles per hour, and the place of Andy Dalton, whose season ended when he suffered a thumb injury on wind chill of minus-59 was the coldest in NFL history, topping (or was it his throwing hand in Game 11 vs. Cleveland. Also against the Broncos, Green bottoming?) minus-48 for the Ice Bowl. — 1 — (Remembering the “Freezer Bowl,” continued) ● TE Tyler Eifert (Reserve/Injured): Two games; Five receptions for 58 yards (11.6) and one TD. Better acclimated than their California visitors to the brutal conditions, the ● OT Jake Fisher (Reserve/Injured): One game; One reception for 31 yards. Bengals struck an early psychological blow when every Cincinnati offensive and defensive lineman, along with FB Pete Johnson, elected to openly defy the elements by playing in short sleeves. The teams wound up close to even in net BENGALS-CHARGERS NFL RANKINGS yards gained — 318 to 301 in favor of Cincinnati — but the Bengals posted a BENGALS CHARGERS massive plus-four edge in turnover differential, with four takeaways (two INT, two SCORING (AVERAGE POINTS): FR) and no giveaways. Bengals QB Ken Anderson outdueled future Hall of Points scored................................................ 15th (23.8) 6th (28.3) Famer Dan Fouts of the Chargers, posting a 115.9 passer rating on 14-of-22 for Points allowed ............................................. 32nd (30.9) 7th (20.8) 161 yards, two TDs and no INTs. Anderson’s TD passes went to TE M.L. Harris NET OFFENSE (AVERAGE YARDS): and WR Don Bass, and FB Johnson scored a rushing TD. Total ........................................................... 26th (331.3) 5th (399.4) Only one player was reported to have suffered a weather-related injury — Rushing ........................................................ 28th (95.0) 10th (125.2) Bengals DE Eddie Edwards with a frostbitten right ear. Official attendance at Passing ....................................................... 18th (236.3) 8th (274.3) Riverfront Stadium was 46,302, with more than 13,000 ticket holders staying NET DEFENSE (AVERAGE YARDS): home, but fans who braved the cold have been joined over the years by legions Total .......................................................... 32nd (433.1) 8th (334.9) of impostors.