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The Cincinnati Bengals released their schedule for the 2011 season on Tuesday. The schedule the team's first four-game stretch against AFC North Division rivals since 2002.

PRESEASON (All times are EST)
Fri., Aug. 12, at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 21, at N.Y. Jets, 7 p.m.
Thurs., Aug. 25, CAROLINA, 7 p.m.
Thurs., Sept. 1, INDIANAPOLIS, 7 p.m.

REGULAR SEASON (All times are EST)
Sun., Sept. 11, at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Sun., Sept. 18, at Denver, 4:15 p.m.
Sun., Sept. 25, SAN FRANCISCO, 1 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 2, BUFFALO, 1 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 9, at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 16, INDIANAPOLIS, 1 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 23, — BYE —
Sun., Oct. 30, at Seattle, 4:15 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 6, at Tennessee, 4:05 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 13, PITTSBURGH*, 1 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 20, at Baltimore*, 1 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 27, CLEVELAND*, 1 p.m.
Sun., Dec. 4, at Pittsburgh*, 1 p.m.
Sun., Dec. 11, HOUSTON*, 1 p.m.
Sun., Dec. 18, at St. Louis*, 1 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 24, ARIZONA, 1 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 1, BALTIMORE*, 1 p.m.

COMPLETE NFL SCHEDULE (NFL.com)

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The Cincinnati Bengals losing streak reached five games in Monday’s 27-21 loss. At 2-6, the team now trails the Steelers and Ravens by four games.

There season is over and the biggest reason why is inconsistency as Lance McAlister pointed out on his blog, putting four quarters together has been a problem:

vs. Browns
Down 10-0, rallied to tie 10-10, then outscored 13-0...lost 23-10

vs. Bucs
Up 21-14 with 2:28 remaining, with the ball.......then outscored 10-0 in final 1:26...lost 24-21

vs. Falcons
Down 24-3.....they outscored Atlanta 22-0...then outscored 14-0.....lost 39-32

vs. Dolphins
Up 14-6.....outscored 16-0....lost 22-14

vs. Steelers
Down 10-0 and then 27-7.....they outscored Pittsburgh 14-0....lost 27-21

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Bengals.com's Geoff Hobson reports that the Bengals have began to talk extension with Marvin Lewis. Why wouldn't they? They are coming off a year in which they swept the division and with Lewis' contract set expire following 2010 it would help remove any speculation that his job is jeopardy and likely go a long way towards Lewis maintaining control of the locker room.

While the team did finish 4-11-1 in 2008, you have to account for the fact that quarterback Carson Palmer missed most of the year due to injury.

He has now won two division titles in five years and just missed out on the playoffs during the other two seasons.

Lewis is just one of 10 coaches hired during the free-agency era of the NFL to spend at least eight years with the same team:

Jeff Fisher (Titans) - 17 seasons/3 division titles
Mike Shanahan (Broncos) - 14 seasons/3 division titles
Andy Reid (Eagles) - 12 seasons/5 division titles
Bill Belichick (Patriots) - 11 seasons/7 division titles
Mike Holmgren (Seahawks) - 10 seasons/5 division titles
John Fox (Panthers) - 9 seasons/2 division titles
Brian Billick (Ravens) - 9 seasons/2 division titles
Marvin Lewis (Bengals) - 8 seasons/2 division titles
Tom Coughlin (Jaguars) - 8 seasons/2 division titles                
Jack Del Rio (Jaguars) - 8 seasons/0 division titles

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The Cincinnati Bengals moved to 8-3 and took a firm grip on the AFC North by defeating the Cleveland Browns 16-7 on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium. The win puts them at 6-0 inside the division, marking the first time in franchise history that the team finished divisional play with a perfect record.

THE GOOD
Running Attack – Playing without their top rusher, Cedric Benson, for the second straight week, the Bengals got solid efforts from their backup running backs. Newcomer Larry Johnson led all rushers with 107 yards on 22 carries. Rookie Bernard Scott added 87 yards on 18 attempts.

Rush Defense – For the game, the Bengals outgained Cleveland on the ground 210 yards to 58 yards. It marked the seventh straight game (franchise best) that the team ceded less than 100 rushing yards.

Special Teams – The Bengals took Cleveland’s best weapon, return man Joshua Cribbs, out of the game. Rookie punter Kevin Huber did a good job keeping the ball away from him. How about the crushing blow delivered by Maurice Purify. Kicker Shayne Graham hit three field goals, including a huge 53-yarder with no time left on the clock at the end of the first half.

Steelers Lose – With Pittsburgh losing to Baltimore on Sunday night, the Bengals now have a two-game lead over both of their division foes and have a tiebreaker advantage over both teams.

THE BAD
Pass Protection – The offensive line struggled to keep Cleveland’s pass rushers off of quarterback Carson Palmer all day long.  The Browns’ no-name defense provided consistent pressure and had Palmer out of whack all day long.

Penalties – If the Bengals are going to make some noise during the playoffs they’ll need to clean up their penalties. The yellow flags came out early and often as the team was penalized 10 times for 75 yards. Against good teams, that’s enough to beat you.

THE UGLY
Scoring Offense – The team is still struggling to put opponents away.  If you allow teams to stick around late in games, anything can happen. Since scoring 45 points against Chicago on October 25, the offense has fizzled. They have scored less than 20 points in six of their last seven games and eight times this season.

QUOTE TO NOTE
“Well, I wish it would give us something, but it doesn’t give us anything. It’s one of our goals, to always win the games in the division, and this football team has a great understanding of that. It’s a good accomplishment. I thank you, and we should take the praise because it is an accomplishment, but it just moves us on to another opportunity next week. We’ve got to move on and get ready for the Detroit Lions.” – head coach Marvin Lewis on sweeping the division

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The Cincinnati Bengals (7-3) let a 14-0 lead slip away and fell to the Oakland Raiders 20-17 on the road on Sunday.

THE GOOD
BERNARD SCOTT – The rookie runner shined in his career start while showing great promise for the future. He carried the ball 21 times for 119 yards. Scott reminds me of a Chris Johnson-type and a perfect complement to the team’s power backs. 

THE BAD
TURNOVERS – Four freakin’ turnovers. You are not going to win football games when you give the ball to the other team that many teams, even bad teams. I still can’t figure out what Andre Caldwell was even trying to do on that kickoff, but I can live with it in the end. It’s the Jeremi Johnson red zone fumble that still irks me. Why his number even called at that point?

SHAYNE GRAHAM – Overrated. Graham is not worth the price tag that accompanies him. He has little chance to hit a kick pass 50 yards and fails to deliver once again. His Bengals’ career is nearing its end.

0-10 IN OAKLAND – Those that do not learn from their history are doomed to repeat it. The Bengals have come up short in all 10 trips they’ve made to Oakland in franchise history.

SCORING OFFENSE – Since the offense scored 45 vs the Bears they've scored 45 in the last three games combined and have now scored less than 20 points in six of their in 10 games, including five of the last six.

THE UGLY
BLOWN OPPORTUNITY – The Bengals started their game on Sunday knowing that all other three teams in the division lost. Had they won they would’ve been up two games on the Steelers and three on the Ravens after having swept both teams. Moreover, the loss slipped them out of a one-game lead for a playoff bye and into a tie with both San Diego and New England.

QUOTE TO NOTE
“I don't blame the play calling because it's the same play calling that got the team to 7-2. It was the execution,” former Bengal John Thornton, AllProBlogger.com

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The Cincinnati Bengals took control of the AFC North as they moved to 4-0 inside the divsion by sweeping the Ravens with a 17-7 home victory on Sunday.

THE GOOD
Third Downs - The Bengals converted 8 of their 18 third down conversion offensively while limiting the Ravens to just 1 for 10 on third downs.

Cedric Benson - For the second time this season Benson eclipsed the 100-yard mark rushing vs. the highly touted Ravens' defense.

Secondary - Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall each had an interception. The duo came up with picks in each game this season against Baltimore.

THE BAD
Chad Ochcocinco - Let's not take anything away from the season Chad is having. Still, he needs to hold on to the ball when he's trying to make plays. He had one fumble yesterday and would've had two had a penalty not negated the first one.

THE UGLY
Chris Henry - After all he's been through it was tough to see Henry, who's in a contract year, go down with a gruesome are injury. He may not have played as much this season, but he was getting more involved each week. He is likely lost for the season and the Bengals have nobody on the team that is a better deap threat. It is a bad break for Henry, who is in a contract year.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"Yes, they are in the same division with the reigning Super Bowl champion Steelers, but how can you argue with their 4-0 record against Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Baltimore? Their sweep of the Ravens puts them in control going forward, considering Pittsburgh and Baltimore have yet to play each other. It's hard to find a hole in the Cincinnati roster." - Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News

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WIRE TO WIRE -  The Reds have battled injuries and inconsistency all season, yet they find themselves within striking distance in the NL Central. They are getting set to dig in for Interleague play. We look at what lies ahead for the boys in red, some of the latest trends/stats, and much more.

FANTASY PLAYBOOK - Carson Palmer is looking to be nearing 100% following an injury-riddled 2008 campaign. Where will he fall in the quarterback rankings in 2008? Which Steelers' RB is worth grabbing? Are the Ravens for real? We answer all of your fantasy questions stemming from the AFC North.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: NKY 6A PREVIEW -   The Simon Kenton Pioneers made an improbable run to the Kentucky 6A state title game last season. However, Class 6A is stacked with good teams inside the district with Conner, Boone County and Ryle all more than capable of making a run.

Check out more in POD CENTRAL at GetSportsRadio.com. 

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Also posted on BleacherReport.com:

They say football is a game of inches. In the salary-cap era of the NFL, the difference between 6-10 teams and 10-6 teams is minimal.

Coming off a 4-11-1 season in 2008, it sounds a bit far fetched to look at the Cincinnati Bengals as a playoff contender. Still, there is plenty of reason for optimism.

The Bengals share the AFC North with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, two teams that met in the AFC Championship game a year ago. Getting out of the division will be a great challenge, but will also serve as a solid measuring stick.

The Steelers, the defending Super Bowl champs, are a clear favorite to repeat in the division. Yet if they slip up, the Bengals could be in a position to take advantage.

COMPLETE ARTICLE

NFL bengals, afc north

Super Bowl XLIII is set and the Steelers and Cardinals are headed for Tampa. Before we get to breaking down the big game let's look back to some final takes from Championship Weekend...

*Kurt Warner probably was already headed to Canton, but the two-time NFL MVP locked it up his four-touchdown effort against the Eagles to send the Cards to their first Super Bowl appearence.

*The Eagles live by the blitz, and they die by the blitz. The Cards set the tone for the game on their first drive and rolled on to one of the more impressive halfs of the season.

*When you start breaking Jerry Rice's records you know that you are having a good day. Larry Fitzgerald broked the Hall of Famer's mark for single-game receiving yards as he caught 9 balls for 152 yards and 3 TD's. I said it two weeks ago and will say it again...Fitzgerald is the best receiver in the NFL.

*Where did Brian Westbrook go? Once again he was not a factor in the game as he managed just 45 yards on 12 carries. He only caught two balls for 26 yards and was once again held out of the end zone. You have to find a way to get that guy invovled.

*The Cardinals' defense continues to go overllooked, but it is there play that has been the difference for the Cards in this improbable run. Arizona has a +9 turnover ratio in this post-season and that is the reason they are headed to Tampa.

*How about former LaSalle Lancer and Cincinnati Bearcat Brent Celek. The Eagles' tight end emerged in the playoffs as a key part of the Eagles' offense and topped off a great post-season by catching 10 balls for 83 yards and 2 TD's.

*Will Andy Reid ever win the big game?

*Who said you can't beat a team three times in one year? Kudos to the Ravens for a great year, but the Steelers are just a better and more polished team.

*Man I was stuck taking Joe Flacco in my fantasy game this week (had to save Big Ben for Super Bowl and already used NFC QB's). I would have better off putting my self in the line-up. Three picks nearly put him with negative points.

*The play made on the Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes scoring strike was unbelievable. Roethlisberer somehow avoided the sack and then Holmes became the human juke-box, making defenders miss. For his size it's hard to find a more agile QB than Big Ben.

*Willis McGahee got JACKED UP!  That hit he took was tenacious, but clean. Not a bad game for McGahee though. He did score both of the Ravens' touchdowns.

*Pittsburgh has the best homefield advantage in football.

*Props out the AFC North, they represented the division well.

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