More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

16 days ago: Cincinnati Bengals safety Chris Crocker (42) returns an interception against the Chicago Bears in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009, in Cincinnati. Chinedum Ndukwe (41) follows. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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How does one celebrate a win over the Baltimore Ravens and gets amped up to play the Pittsburgh Steelers for the division lead? Well, if you're Chinedum Ndukwe, you're in the limousine that crashes into a utility pole.

Defensive back Chinedum Ndukwe was not injured in the crash, which happened around 11:15 a.m. at McMillan Street and Highland Avenue.

A student at Ockerman Elementary School, in Florence, had won a visit from Ndukwe as part of the player's campaign, Fuel Up to Play 60, which encourages students to eat healthy and stay fit.

The child was given a ride in the limo but was not in the car at the time of the crash.

Police said a second vehicle might have been involved in the crash, and that car's driver was taken to University Hospital with a possibly broken arm.

Ndukwe was part of Take A Player to School, where kids meet NFL players who encourage them about school and "a commitment to physical fitness."

When the Bengals put Chris Henry on Injured Reserve, there was some speculation on what the team could do, which largely depended on what they wanted to do at wide receiver. Do they find a replacement? Do they restock the position after Andre Caldwell? Instead, they re-signed utility offensive lineman Scott Kooistra, giving the Bengals a full 53-man roster. Kooistra is expected to earn $620,000 in 2009.

However, with Henry out for the year, the Bengals felt there was enough of a shortage at the position that they signed former seventh round draft pick Freddie Brown to the practice squad. To make room, they released rookie tackle Gerald Cadogan. Here's a listing of the team's wide receivers under contract and not on IR (like Henry and Antonio Chatman):

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

2 days ago: Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson (32) heads upfield against Baltimore Ravens linebacker Jarret Johnson (95) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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For the second time in the last two games the Bengals have played, Cedric Benson is nominated for the FedEx Ground Player of the game. He won it after the Bengals beat the Bears. In his last game, Benson recorded 117 yards rushing and a touchdown on 34 carries, becoming the first running back to record back-to-back 100-yard rushing games against the Baltimore Ravens defense since Ricky Williams did it in 2002-2003. Benson is also the first running back to record two 100-yard rushing efforts against the Ravens in the same season since Jerome Bettis did it in 1997. Note on the Bettis number: We're not 100% confident on that number. We ran through the history of Baltimore Ravens and could have easily missed something.

As a result, Benson is nominated with Titans running back Chris Johnson and Falcons running back Michael Turner for FedEx Ground Player of the Week.

Benson has won the award twice already this season. The first against the Baltimore Ravens the first time (27-120-1) and the second against the Chicago Bears (37-189-1).

Remember, it's a fan vote. So put get Benson the votes to win it again! Vote, vote, vote.

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

about 1 month ago: Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson (32) runs past Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Evander Hood (96) and linebacker James Harrison (92) in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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Pittsburgh's win over the Denver Broncos tightened things in the AFC North. A dreamer's dream -- or is it a dreamer's fool, a foolish dream -- was concocted on the basis that the Steelers would lose to a rebounding Broncos who were annihilated by the Baltimore Ravens. What a let down that was. That's what we get when cheering for another team to take out the Steelers -- not that Pittsburgh would be so easily tempted to fall into a one-game disadvantage in the division heading into a critical divisional meeting.

So the showdown begins. The Bengals travel to Heinz field this Sunday. Two teams enter, one team leaves (or whatever corny catchphrase you want to use here). The division is at stake. Cincinnati is looking to capture the season sweep against another divisional powerhouse that could later serve them in tie-breaking scenarios (head-to-head record is the first tie-breaker). Even if the Bengals lose, the Steelers play Baltimore twice. The second tie-breaker is record in the division. If the Bengals beat the Browns, they'll finish at 5-1 in the division. Baltimore beats Pittsburgh, and the Bengals already win that tie-breaker.

Oddly enough, Cincinnati is in a good position right now. If they falter against the Steelers, they could still regroup. There's still eight games this season. There's also two notable things that the Bengals have to deal with this week that they didn't the last time both teams met.

• Troy Polamalu didn't play during the Bengals 23-20 win on September 27.
• Rashard Mendenhall didn't carry the football the last time the two teams met. Since then, he's recorded performances of 165 yards rushing against the Chargers and 155 yards rushing against Denver.

Are you ready for, what could be, the game of the year?

Sometimes it's nice to stand back for some perspective. Let's take a moment and reflect for a moment. This time last year, Cincinnati's bye week came in the tenth week of the season. They had just beaten the Jacksonville Jaguars 21-19, thanks to Johnathan Joseph pass deflection on a two-point conversion with just over one minute left in the game. Since that point, the Bengals won nine of their next 15 games, including the 13-13 tie against the Philadelphia Eagles.

This time last year, we're supporting a team that's 1-8. This year, we're supporting a team that's 6-2, heading to Pittsburgh to challenge last year's Super Bowl champion. My, how quickly things change.

Mike Zimmer is never satisfied. C Trent Rosencrans writes about Mike Zimmer's "tough love" for his defense. The story takes an angle that's both interesting and exciting for Bengals fans.

Coming out of the bye week with a 5-2 record and on the heels of a dominating performance over the Bears, the Bengals felt pretty good about themselves. Their defensive coordinator wasn't going to let them feel like they'd accomplished much of anything.

From the first guy in the front row, to the last man in the back - which just happened to be Peko - Zimmer let everyone know just exactly what they needed to work on to be a better player. No player was immune; every single one got their moment under the heat lamp that the Bengals' second-year defensive coordinator.

Most of the players C Trent got ahold of had never gone through something like that. And every one of them respects the hell out of Zimmer. Domata Peko says “Zim’s up there right now in his laboratory getting it done. He’s still doing his thing.”

Time to man up boys. Marvin Lewis on the Division:

"It's one of our goals to win the division and in order to win the division you need to beat the division teams," Lewis said. "We take pride in this division. It didn't surprise me that Baltimore beat Denver. It wouldn't surprise me if Pittsburgh beats Denver. I expect them to be 6-2 when we go to Pittsburgh on Sunday.

"We expect the teams in this division to play well when they go outside the division. You have to man up when you come over here and that's the way it's going to be."

This might satisfy many (if not most... if not all). PFT writes that the league proposed a rookie wage scale. Do you mean there's a chance that first-round holdouts could have seen its last days? There's still another year left in the CBA, but I think the league and players union will do everything they can to prevent the CBA from hitting the final year. We'll see.

We don't typically do open threads for other games. Then again, other games haven't exactly affected the Cincinnati Bengals. Here's the scenario. If the Steelers lose to the Broncos, then lose to the Bengals, Cincinnati is 7-2 while Pittsburgh falls to 5-4. The Bengals would essentially have a three-game lead on the division with seven games remaining in the season.

Just as importantly, the Bengals need the Broncos to beat the Steelers so it helps the other tie-breakers -- record against common opponents and record in the conference.

Now, that's the fluffy feel-good scenario. But that's why we're having an open thread for Monday's game between Pittsburgh and the Broncos.

Here's a question for you. How do you know that you've become absolutely comfortable with Chad Ochocinco? How do know when you've reached a point in which Chad does something and you either laugh, or shrug it off, whereas the rest of their world loses their mind? How do you know when you've reached a point that you've accepted Chad through the ups and downs of an eight-year marriage?

I'll tell you when.

When Chad holds onto a dollar bill to bribe the ref, after catching a 15-yard pass that was challenged and overturned, and you're actually disappointed that he didn't stuff the dollar bill in the ref's pocket. That's when.

(h/t to Shutdown Corner for screen cap)

Instead, he handed it back to someone and went about his business. And business is good. After catching five passes for 66 yards receiving, Ochocinco is on pace for 88 receptions, 1,278 yards receiving and a career-tying 10 touchdowns.

People will have a problem with this. Mostly those national media types that play off the Old School Football Religion where you have to sit boringly like a rock in the desert. Then again, I have to admit something to you, my friends, my support group. Chad has actually changed me. I was a believer of the old ways. I was a believer of someone throwing the football to the refs and jogging to the sidelines (ala Barry Sanders). And maybe that part of me will never die.

There are still things I hate. I hate it when a receiver acts tough and badass after picking up a first down. I hate it when anyone celebrates for any reason when they're losing by more than two touchdowns late in the game. I love it when an offensive lineman goes until the whistle, but hate it when the defensive player gets bent out of shape. Actually, I kind of like that too. I hate it when a defensive player makes a big tackle five yards after the offensive player gets the first down, then shouts, struts and clobbers his chest. I hate Ray Rice. Not really hatred, just glad he's out of our lives for a year.

But I've changed. I accept this Chad. He likes to have fun. Why not? The Bengals swept the Baltimore Ravens and my guess is that everyone in that lockerroom will see that tape and laugh about it. That's good team chemistry. That's Chad in 2009. Business is damn good.

Chris Henry, playing the final season of a two-year deal, caught a 20-yard pass early in the second quarter. He broke his forearm while falling to the turf. In one respect, it was sad to see Henry suffer a season-ending injury (likely) during a year in which he worked so hard to recast his image. Henry finished the season with 12 receptions (tied for fifth on the team) for 236 yards receiving (third) and two touchdowns. His 19.7 yard-per-reception average led the team.

With Chris Henry likely out for the year, the Bengals will likely look for someone to step up into that role. But what role? A fourth receiver? A deep threat? The Bengals have Chad Ochocinco, Laveranues Coles and Andre Caldwell as their first three receivers, so there's no real desperation after Henry's injury. Furthermore the Bengals are a run-first offense, rushing the football on 47% of their offensive plays; their 245 attempts is seventh in the league and Cedric Benson leads the NFL with 198 rush attempts -- by 23 carries.

So is there really an urgency to implement a fourth receiver that's integrated into a game plan that requires more than ten snaps? Not likely. But the question remains. When the Bengals go four-wide, or need someone to replace one of the top three receivers either injured or needing a rest (I refuse to say "blow"), who do you go with?

While saying that Jerome Simpson is close, Carson Palmer says that the "guy who’s closer is Maurice Purify." Purify is on the team's practice squad. And if the Bengals elect to put Chris Henry on Injured Reserve (and there's no reason why they wouldn't), that opens a spot on the team's 53-man roster for Purify. Another alternative, especially if they want to use the open roster spot for another position, is Quan Cosby. But who knows how he's coming along as a wide receiver. This brings us back to Jerome Simpson, who is taking up room on the 53-man roster.

On August 1, I wrote a piece about Simpson asking if his time was already running out. Simply based on numbers and the talent ahead of him, I questioned if he'd even get any playing time. And if he's not ready to become the team's fourth receiver by now, with a Roy Williams destroying Maurice Purify waiting, one has to wonder if he'll ever make his own luck and become a contributor for this offense. The problem for Simpson is that he's lost every opportunity to improve his standing on the team's depth chart. It might even make more sense if the team makes a move to take Simpson off the 53-man roster if he's not the guy that replaces Henry in the lineup.

But he's young and needs time. How much time? And when will opportunity suddenly appear? I would expect the Bengals to bring Chris Henry back next season if they can. Chad Ochocinco, Laveranues Coles, Andre Caldwell are all signed. Where exactly would Simpson fit? He might still have an impressive NFL career. But with the Bengals? Where does he fit?

I even made the suggestion on Sunday that Chase Coffman could be an option, a hybrid tight end/wide receiver in the shape of Dallas Clark. Lines up outside on four wide receiver formations and becomes the second tight end in double tight end formations. Just a thought.

Who do you guys think should take the number four wide receiver spot?

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

2 days ago: Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson runs against the Baltimore Ravens in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Cincinnati. Benson ran for 117 yards and one touchdown as the Bengals won 17-7. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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It takes muscle and endurance to beat the Baltimore Ravens defense; along with a few missed Ed Reed tackle (have you ever seen him miss so many tackles against the Bengals?). Cedric Benson's rushing performance against the Ravens is in large part why the Bengals were able to beat a team that was favored in both games. The first time around, Benson rushed for 120 yards on 27 carries, which was the first time in 40 games that anyone rushed for 100 yards or more against the Ravens. Adrian Peterson would accomplish the same feat, rushing for 143 yards the following week.

So what does Benson do? He follows it up with another 100-yard performance. Dave Lapham asked the question. Who was the last running back to rush for 100 yards in consecutive meetings against the Ravens? Rudi Johnson actually came three yards short in 2005, rushing for 97 yards on November 6 and 114 yards on November 27. Both wins. Corey Dillon did do it in two seasons, rushing for 102 yards on November 10, 2002 and 127 yards on December 23, 2001. Pragmatic writes (through a Joe Reedy spirit or Twitter account) that it was Ricky Williams that last rushed for 100 yards against the Ravens in back-to-back games between 2002 and 2003. This Baltimore Sun article confirms it, writing that the Ravens defense "haven't allowed 100 yards to a running back in consecutive meetings since Miami's Ricky Williams in 2002-2003."

And more specific to our division's history, which running back has rushed for 100 yards against the Baltimore Ravens defense twice in one season? We looked. We scanned. The best we came up with was Jerome Bettis in 1997 -- rushed for 137 yards on October 5 and 114 yards on November 9 (if someone else, let us know).

As for the league, Chris Johnson put together another fine performance against the San Francisco 49ers rushing for 135 yards on 25 carries. He leads the league with 959 yards. Steven Jackson and Adrian Peterson were both off this week, allowing Benson to jump into second with 837 yards rushing.

One last impressive stat. Benson has recorded a rushing touchdown in four straight games, and six of the eight games this year.

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

2 days ago: Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry (15) grimaces after injuring his left forearm in the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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You'll have your bumps and bruises in most NFL games. In fact, many people say that when teams avoid major injuries, they're simply luck. And the avoidance of major injury is often credited for a team's season long success.

While beating the favored Baltimore Ravens 17-7 to complete a season sweep, the Bengals suffered their share of injuries that won't be cured with a pack of ice and rubbing dirt on the wound.

Chris Henry suffered a broken forearm on a 20-yard reception with 14:13 left in the second quarter. When asked if the injury is season-ending, head coach Marvin Lewis said “I don’t know that.” On the Bengals second possession, with 6:49 left in the first quarter, Evan Mathis injured an ankle and gingerly walked to the lockerroom. He didn't return. Johnathan Joseph and Robert Geathers were injured and missed a few snaps, but later returned. In Geathers case, he recorded a late fourth quarter sack that forced the Ravens to go for it on third-and-19 with 2:16 left in the game.

Keith Rivers left the game early in the third quarter after a Kevin Huber punt. Listed as out with a calf injury, Rivers didn't return. The Bengals tweet that Rivers left Paul Brown stadium on crutches, but an MRI says that it's not a season-ending injury. A more optimistic view is that he returns next week. But why? Brandon Johnson filled in for Rivers, recorded 1.5 sacks and finished with five tackles. If it takes time, then take it. The win over Baltimore actually gives the Bengals breathing room for at least a wild card spot. Then again, Johnson isn't much of a downgrade from Rivers.

Luckily this team has enough depth at most positions to supplement injuries. For example, when Mathis left, the Bengals were able to insert Nate Livings. Did you notice the change? As things go, if you don't notice the offensive line, then they're doing great. When Rivers left, Johnson only had a frickin' awesome second half.

We should learn more about Mathis and Rivers later this week.

Game: Baltimore Ravens (4-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (5-2)
Series Leader: Baltimore, 15-12
Streak: Bengals have won four of the past six meetings
Coaches vs. Opponent: Lewis: 8-5. Harbaugh: 2-1.
Broadcast: CBS (1:00 PM ET): Dick Enberg, Dan Fouts. Westwood One Radio: Kevin Kugler, Mark Malone. SIRIUS: 129 (Bal.), 123 (Cin.).  XM: 105 (Cin.). 
SB Nation: Baltimore Beatdown
NFL.com: Game Center
Weather: Partly cloudy with a high of 64 degrees and light winds. [Weather.com]
Uniform: Black
Television Coverage: Ohio, West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, most of Virginia, Pennsylvania and Colorado [506]

CINCINNATI BENGALS

INACTIVE	QUESTIONABLE
Jordan Palmer	T Andre Smith (foot)
Andre Smith	S Roy Williams (forearm)
Roy Williams
Fui Vakapuna	PROBABLE
Chase Coffman	RB Jeremi Johnson (knee)
Jerome Simpson	DT Tank Johnson (foot)
Dan Skuta	S Tom Nelson (shoulder)
Orien Harris	RB Bernard Scott (knee)

BALTIMORE RAVENS

INACTIVE	QUESTIONABLE	PROBABLE
DT Haloti Ngata	S Haruki Nakamura (chest)	LB Prescott Burgess (illness)
QB John Beck	DT Haloti Ngata (ankle)	TE Todd Heap (ankle)
RB Jalen Parmele	S Tom Zbikowski (illness)	LB Jarret Johnson (shoulder)
CB Frank Walker		LS Matt Katula (elbow)
LB Antwan Barnes		RB Le'Ron McClain (shoulder)
T Oniel Cousins		CB Frank Walker (illness)
G Tony Moll
LB Paul Kruger