TODAY’S GAME
Giants at Bengals, 1 p.m., 102.7, 104.7, 700
Series stats
— The Bengals lead the all-time series 5-3
— The home team has won all eight games
— The series is tied for third in franchise history for fewest meetings, with only Carolina (four) and Houston (seven) facing the Bengals fewer times
— The longest kickoff return in Bengals history was recorded against the Giants whe Eric Bienemy had a 102-yard touchdown in a 29-27 loss on Oct. 26, 1997
— Former Giants quarterback Phil Simms owns the record for most passing yards (513) and completions (40) against the Bengals, numbers he set in a 35-30 Cincinnati win Oct. 13, 1995
— The largest margin of victory by the Giants against the Bengals has been just seven (27-20 on Dec. 11, 1994)
The Cincinnati Bengals have reached the midpoint of their season, and they remain hopeful it can be the turning point as well.
A victory today at Paul Brown Stadium against the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants would enable the Bengals to snap a four-game losing streak and give them a jolt of confidence and momentum heading into winnable games the next two weeks against a pair of struggling teams in Kansas City and Oakland.
Such a run could take the Bengals (3-5) back over the .500 mark and put them in the middle of a jumbled AFC playoff picture.
A loss, on the other hand, would continue the downward spiral and all but eliminate any hope the team is clinging to of making back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since 1981-82.
“We just need to win the next game,” Bengals middle linebacker Rey Maualuga said. “Everybody needs to come together and say, ‘This is not who we are.’ ”
Offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth said the key is forgetting the past, whether it be the last game, the last series or the last play.
“You’ve got to have that right kind of attitude,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to just throw it away and say all right, this play ended up how it ended up, let’s go make the next play and win a football game.
“That’s what the Giants have been able to do, is push away the critics and win Super Bowls,” Whitworth continued. “Maybe they are not the best rushing team, maybe they are not the most effective team, but when it is time to make a big play, they make it. That is how you play winning football.”
Like Whitworth, Bengals cornerback Terence Newman pointed to today’s opponent as inspiration, citing the Giants’ title runs in 2007 and 2011 despite 9-7 regular-season records.
“If I’m not mistaken, the Giants have won two Super Bowls with starts that nobody thinks you’re going to be a Super Bowl champion,” Newman said, referring specifically to the 2011 season when the Giants started 6-6.
“You never know what can happen,” Newman added. “With that being said, we know we still have a chance to do what we want to do.”
And it starts today against a Giants team that leads the NFC East Division at 6-3 but has struggled the last two times out, losing 24-21 to Pittsburgh last Sunday and surviving a sluggish contest against Dallas the week before.
Just as October has been a month of horrors for the Bengals, November has been a problem for the Giants. They are 0-4 in their last four November games and 4-9 in their last 13.
Quarterback Eli Manning has thrown just one touchdown pass in the last 14 quarters, and the team is averaging just 3.4 yards per rush over the last three games.
But the Giants’ defensive line remains as formidable as ever with three Pro Bowlers in Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul and third-down specialist Osi Umenyiora. They are capable of putting a lot of pressure on Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, who has thrown at least one interception in each of the first eight games this season, a franchise record.
Still, as good as the Giants are, or are capable of being, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said it matters little. What is important in his mind is the team playing against the Giants.
“Our focus really has to stay on us,” he said. “We’re playing a good opponent, a good football team. Obviously they’re a very disciplined team that makes few mistakes – few penalties, few turnovers. So we’re going to have to play our best to date this season. The guys are excited about it.
“Our guys are where they need to be (psychologically), doing what they need to do,” Lewis continued. “We’ve just got to do it repetitively. We are seeing it on Sunday, but just not repetitive enough and in critical moments. We got to make critical plays at critical moments and finish these games out.”
Defensive dichotomy
The New York Giants will come to Cincinnati on Sunday with a defense that ranks in the bottom 10 of NFL teams in yardage allowed but in the top 10 in fewest points.
The Giants rank 26th in yardage, giving up 382.3 per game, but 10th with 20.6 points surrendered per contest.
The reason for the dichotomy, according to Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, is turnovers.
“They do a great job with takeaways,” Lewis said. “They have 17 interceptions. That’s been big. They’ve also had some leads in games, so you give up a few more yards a lot of times in those situations. But taking the ball away as well as they are doing it, that’s huge.
“At the end of the day, it’s the points you give up that really matter and give you the opportunity to win,” he added.
Salute to Service
The NFL will commemorate Veterans Day and continue its annual Salute to Service campaign at stadiums across the country day. Throughout the month of November, teams designate one home game to honor the military.
The Bengals will do so today against the New York Giants.
It’s great to recognize our military and their service to our country,” Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said. “Last week Brandon Ghee had the Wounded Warriors out and we had the USO event here in Cincinnati with the fallen heroes.
“The sacrifice these men and women make for our country is amazing,” Lewis continued. “It’s great for us to have these people around and show our players how fortunate they are each and every day to do what they do. It’s great that the league is recognizing it.”
For every point scored during the NFL's 32 designated Salute to Service games, the league will donate $100 to each of its three military non-profit partners – the Pat Tillman Foundation, the USO and the Wounded Warrior Project.
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