Cincinnati Bengals at Seattle Seahawks
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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 SEPT. 3, 2019 REGULAR-SEASON OPENER CINCINNATI BENGALS SUNDAY, SEPT. 8 AT CENTURYLINK FIELD AT NEXT WEEK: WEEK 2, GAME 2 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS SEPT. 15 VS. SAN FRANCISCO GAME NOTES Kickoff: 4:05 p.m. Eastern. Sunday, the argument can be made that the Bengals, despite finishing in last place of the AFC North last season with a 6-10 record, are a team which Television: The game will air on CBS-TV. In the Bengals’ home region, possesses the overall talent to warrant more attention than they have received it will be carried by WKRC-TV (Ch. 12) in Cincinnati, WHIO-TV (Ch. 7) in Dayton from national media in preseason predictions. and on WKYT-TV (Ch. 27) in Lexington. Broadcasters are Spero Dedes (play-by- Even with star WR A.J. Green expected to be sidelined against the play) and Adam Archuleta (analyst). Seahawks, the Bengals’ offense still will feature an established three-time Pro Bowl QB in Dalton, the reigning AFC rushing yards leader in HB Joe Mixon, a Radio: The game will air on the Bengals Radio Network, led by Cincinnati returning 1000+-yard WR in Tyler Boyd, a world-class speedster in WR John flagship stations WCKY-AM (ESPN 1530; all sports) and WEBN-FM (102.7). Ross III, and a revamped line with three new starters on the interior. Plus, the Broadcasters are Dan Hoard (play-by-play) and Dave Lapham (analyst). offense enters the season having been upgraded simply by welcoming back WLW-AM (700) will join the flagship stations in broadcasting the Bengals game game-changing TE Tyler Eifert, a former Pro Bowler who missed the majority of once its broadcast of the Cincinnati Reds game concludes (the Reds game the 2018 season after suffering a severe ankle injury in Game 4. begins at 1:10 p.m. Eastern). On defense, the Bengals boast what looks to be one of the team’s deepest The game also will air nationally on ESPN Radio, with broadcasters Adam line units in years, led by seven-time Pro Bowler Geno Atkins and two-time Pro Admin (play-by-play) and Tom Ramsey (analyst). Bowler Carlos Dunlap, and upgraded by the return of DE Carl Lawson, a sack specialist who missed the second half of the 2018 season after suffering a knee Setting the scene: The Cincinnati Bengals open their 2019 regular injury in Game 8. The linebackers are boosted by the return of Preston Brown, season with a 2000-mile trip across the country to Seattle, where they will face who recorded an NFL-best 504 tackles from 2014-17, but played in just seven the Seahawks on Sunday at CenturyLink Field. The game will be the much- games last season due to injuries. And the defensive backfield will field two anticipated, regular-season debut of Zac Taylor, who was named the 10th head former first-round draft picks at CB in Dre Kirkpatrick and William Jackson III, as coach in Bengals history on Feb. 4. well as a former second-rounder in Jessie Bates III, who led the team with 111 In the seven months since his hiring, Taylor has created a new work tackles last year as a rookie. environment for Bengals players at Paul Brown Stadium. He has introduced a “We feel we’re a talented team overall,” Dalton said, “and I think that’s one of significant number of tangible alterations, including an expanded coaching staff, the reasons this job was enticing to Zac. We may not be getting much credit right new decor in the players’ facilities, improved room configurations in the coaches’ now (from media), but it’s what we do when it counts that matters most.” office areas, and a new approach to team practices and meetings. Seattle figures to present Cincinnati with a challenging test for the regular- “From the day he stepped in here, we felt the change,” said QB Andy Dalton. season opener. The Seahawks were a 10-6 NFC Wild Card team last season “Obviously he had a plan, and the organization has done everything he has and ranked No. 1 in the NFL in rushing yards per game (160.0), No. 1 in turnover wanted. They’ve made changes in the building and hired the biggest coaching ratio (plus-15), tied for No. 6 in points scored per game (26.8) and No. 11 in staff (22 assistants) this franchise has ever had. They’re doing the things he points allowed per game (21.7). feels are needed for us to win.” Seattle also enjoys a notable home-field advantage at CenturyLink Field, But intangibly, and more importantly, the first-time NFL head coach has having earned a 95-41 regular-season record and a 10-1 postseason record at concentrated first and foremost on being a teacher and establishing a new work the stadium since it opened in 2002. In addition, the venue itself has twice held culture for the players. the Guinness World Record for loudest crowd roar at an outdoor stadium (136.6 “We are working every single day to set a sky-high standard,” said Taylor, decibels in 2013, and 137.6 in ’14). who last season served as QBs coach of the L.A. Rams, a team that reached Super Bowl LIII. “And we expect everyone in the building to meet the The series: The Bengals lead 11-9, including 1-0 in postseason. The expectations. It’s not just getting out (on the practice field) and thinking we’ve got series is tied 4-4 in games at Seattle overall, and the two teams are tied 1-1 in good players and good Xs and Os. It’s about holding each other accountable and matchups at CenturyLink Field. everybody living up to those same expectations. The teams have met only four times since 2003, with the Bengals winning “Our guys have to have the right stuff. We need (our players to have) a high three of those contests, including two straight. Cincinnati won the last meeting, football IQ and show that the ‘team’ concept is important to them.” 27-24 in overtime at Paul Brown Stadium in 2015. Seattle’s last win in the series With the hiring of Taylor, the Bengals’ coaching staff has undergone the was in 2007, 24-21 at Seattle. largest overhaul in team history — 16 of the 23 coaches are new to Cincinnati The only postseason meeting, during the Seahawks’ time as an AFC team, this season. And since NFL teams disclose so little of their playbooks in was a 1988 Divisional round game at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium, won 21-13 preseason, there are very few concrete clues available to provide insight about by a Bengals team en route to Super Bowl XXIII. the team’s plans. No one outside Paul Brown Stadium knows exactly what to Complete Bengals-Seahawks results are on page 208 of the Bengals’ 2019 expect to see when the Bengals take the field against the Seahawks. media guide. Will the Bengals’ offense feature mainly a three WR/one TE/one RB formation, or a two WR/two TE/two RB formation? On defense, will the team line Team bests from the series: up mainly as a four DL/three LB/four DB unit, or four DL/two LB/five DB unit? Bengals — MOST POINTS: 42, in a 42-20 victory at Riverfront Stadium What new wrinkles will Taylor bring to the offensive game plan? What new twists in 1977, the inaugural game of the series. LARGEST VICTORY MARGIN: 27, will be highlighted on defense? from a 34-7 win at Riverfront on Nov. 16, 1986. FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED: Regardless of what Taylor and his staff eventually unveil in the game on 3, from a 21-3 victory at Seattle in 1992. — 1 — (Team bests from the series, continued) fifth place all-time. Tate (1411) is the Bengals’ all-time leader. ● Erickson has 107 career kickoff returns, eight shy of FB Eric Ball (115) for Seahawks — MOST POINTS: 37, in a 37-20 victory at the Kingdome in fifth place all-time. S/CB Tremain Mack (146) is the Bengals’ all-time leader. 1999. LARGEST VICTORY MARGIN: 20, from a 26-6 victory at Riverfront ● Erickson has 2522 career kickoff return yards, 230 behind RB Stanford Stadium in 1984. FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED: 6, from the 1984 win at Jennings (2752) for fourth place all-time. Mack (3583) is the Bengals’ all-time Riverfront. leader. ● DE Carlos Dunlap has 72.5 career sacks, 11 short of DE Eddie Edwards* The last meetings: Summaries of the last two Bengals-Seahawks (83.5) for the Bengals’ all-time lead. meetings — at Seattle in 2011, and at Cincinnati in ’15 — are on page 15 of this ● DT Geno Atkins has 71 career sacks, 1.5 short of Dunlap (72.5) for news release. second place all-time. Edwards* (83.5) is the Bengals’ all-time leader ● WR A.J. Green has 63 career receiving TDs, three behind WR Chad Remembering the 2015 OT thriller: On Oct. 11, 2015, the Johnson (66) for the Bengals’ all-time lead. defending NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks stormed into Paul Brown Stadium ● Green has 63 total TDs, one short of WR Carl Pickens and RB James and looked poised to hand the 4-0 Bengals their first loss of the season, after Brooks (both with 64) for third place all-time.