Bengals at Rams
THE STORY: The Cincinnati Bengals have watched their playoff hopes grow dimmer and dimmer over the past few weeks as they have battled through the toughest part of their schedule. With two straight games against sub-.500 teams, this may be the Bengals’ last chance to jump back into that final slot in the AFC. Cincinnati dropped a heartbreaker in the final seconds last week to the Houston Texans, falling one game behind the New York Jets (8-5) in the AFC and eliminating it from the race in the AFC North. The Bengals have to hit the road on Sunday, but it is the lowly St. Louis Rams that await them in Week 15. The Rams have averaged 10 points in four straight losses and rank last in the league in scoring offense.
TV: CBS, 1 p.m. ET. LINE: Bengals -6, O/U 40.
ABOUT THE BENGALS (7-6): Cincinnati had a chance to prove itself over the last five weeks with games against the Texans, Steelers (twice) and Ravens. It did not pass any of those tests. Should the Bengals beat St. Louis and the Arizona Cardinals, they will get one more crack at Baltimore at home in Week 17 with possible playoff implications. Meanwhile, they have to fix a defense that allowed rookie T.J. Yates to drive 80 yards in the final two minutes last week. It did not help that the offense tended to stall in the red zone, settling for four field goals in the 20-19 setback.
ABOUT THE RAMS (2-11): Quarterback Sam Bradford is unlikely to play Sunday due to an ankle injury that has hampered him for weeks. The second-year player had his worst game at Seattle on Monday, completing 12 of 29 passes with an interception and no touchdowns in a 30-13 loss. Backup A.J. Feeley is dealing with a thumb injury, meaning newly signed Kellen Clemens could get the call. The defense, which allows an average of 25.1 points, is not in a position to bail out the struggling offense.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. Cincinnati RB Cedric Benson needs eight yards for 4,000 in his career.
2. St. Louis DE Chris Long has nine sacks in the last seven contests.
3. The Bengals have never won in two trips to St. Louis.