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Chick Ludwig covers the Cincinnati Bengals. He also writes about his other passions: college football, basketball and golf.Home > Blogs > Chick Ludwig At Large > Archives > 2008 > December > 20 > Entry
‘Battle of Ohio’ or Buckeye ‘Toilet Bowl?’
BENGALS ARE THE HEALTHIEST
THEY’VE BEEN IN A LONG TIME
===The Chickster hits the road for Cleveland at 2 p.m. on Saturday. I’m spending the night in the Lake County hamlet of Willoughby, my old stomping grounds from 1977-79.===
There’s no pot of playoff gold at the end of the 2008 rainbow for the Bengals.
What’s at stake against the Browns in the 71st “Battle of Ohio” is bragging rights, plus the series lead because it’s deadlocked at 35-35.
The Bengals are the healthiest they’ve been in a long time, and it’s a positive sign as they look to avoid being swept in the season series.
As expected, QB Carson Palmer (right elbow) and LT Levi Jones (hamstring) will miss their 10th and fifth straight games. Backup TB Kenny Watson (hamstring) is questionable.
Everyone else is healthy as the Bengals seek back-to-back victories for the first time since the final two games of 2007 when they knocked off Cleveland and Miami.
Backup LT Anthony Collins, who rested a sore knee on Wednesday, bounced back with solid practices and will start his fifth straight game in place of Jones.
It’s vital for Collins to protect QB Ryan Fitzpatrick’s blind side. Cincinnati is winless on the road. It hasn’t gone 0-8 on the road since 1993.
That alone serves as motivational fuel.
“We’re both playing for pride,” Bengals RG Bobbie Williams said. “We’re going to see who wants it more.”
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: Bengals
Comments
By photoman
December 20, 2008 5:30 PM | Link to this
This game could be the continuation of one of the biggest comebacks in modern histoty. Given the Bengals start this year and the Browns potential early on; if Cincinnati wins these last two games and Cleveland would probably lose two, then Bengaldom would celebrate a third place division finish. Who would have ever considered this a possibility even a few weeks ago?By bill
December 20, 2008 8:06 PM | Link to this
photoman. third place in the division? so what? duh!By photoman
December 21, 2008 3:45 AM | Link to this
Well, third place does not mean anything, unless a person thinks it does. With the way Cincinnati started this year, even with the BN of CP in preseason, I would not think at this point in time (with two games to play) anything but last place would be available to our Bengals. They may finish last after these next two weeks, but they still have an opportunity right now to finish above the last place team.By jkj
December 21, 2008 2:37 PM | Link to this
Why didn’t WHIO show a real NFL game? The Steelers and the Titans were playing for something real…the top spot in the AFC! Instead they show two loser teams???