WIN AND YOU'RE IN:
The Bengals need no help. They need to do no scoreboard watching and couldn't have an easier formula to earn a spot in the playoffs for the third time in the Marvin Lewis era and the first under Lewis as a wildcard. Beat Baltimore Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium, and Cincinnati will slide into the last playoff spot in the AFC (the #6 seed) and earn a trip to Houston for a rematch with the Texans.
Interestingly, Mike McCarthy, Lewis's buddy in Green Bay (both worked together on the staff at the University of Pittsburgh in the early 90s) landed the last seed in the NFC playoffs in 2010 and led the Packers to the Super Bowl Trophy.
As Andrew Whitworth pointed out this week, it's not about who has the best record but who gets hot at the right time.
While the formula's simple, the Ravens have everything to play for and won't be playing third-string players just to make sure everyone's nice and rested for the playoffs.
On the line for Baltimore is an AFC North championship, a perfect 6-0 record against the division, a first round bye in the postseason and the right to host a playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium, known in Ravens Country as "The Big Crabcake". But history shows the Ravens have struggled in recent years in their trips to the Queen City, with 5 losses in 6 years. And check out Joe Flacco's last two games at PBS against the Bengals:
2010-18/32, 195 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT (A 15-10 Bengals victory)
2009-17/39, 154 yards, 1 TD, 4 INT (A 17-7 Bengals victory).
Our friends in Southern Nevada have favored Baltimore by up to a field goal in the season finale. It's just the second sellout of the season at Paul Brown Stadium and you can watch all the action on Local 12 at 4:15.
NATE WATCH:
Sunday's matchup with Baltimore will mark the 165th time that Bengals CB Nate Clements has put on the shoulder pads in the NFL. And after the regular season finale in each of his 10 previous seasons in the league (with Buffalo and San Francisco), Clements has had to turn those same shoulder pads in and go about his offseason business. No playoffs. Ever. This is a guy who has never tasted the postseason but has not been deterred from preparing and practicing like a true professional, an "example to the younger players", according to his teammate Frostee Rucker. Maybe Game #165 will be the one for Nate Clements.
MORE THAN A PRAYER IN MEMPHIS:
The Cincinnati Bearcats put their first football team on the field in the 1880s. And only three times in program history has a UC team put together a 10-win season. Interestingly, Brian Kelly coached two of those teams and the seniors under Butch Jones can make it 3 10-win seasons in 4 years in Clifton.
One of those seniors is UC Quarterback Zach Collaros, the starter in the Liberty Bowl for the Bearcats.
While taking a breather from one of his rehabilitation sessions, Collaros said he didn't "want the last play of his career to be that play"---when the West Virginia pass rush collapsed on his right leg, broke his ankle and tore three ligaments on November 12th.
Amazingly, Collaros has recovered in 5 weeks to get back on the field for his last college game.
"He worked himself back into being game ready. And it was kind of a culmination of a couple weeks," said UC Coach Butch Jones. "We wanted to see how he would manage the game-like situations. And he's 100%. We're excited. He's been battling more the flu symptoms than the ankle the last couple days."
Check out the Liberty Bowl with Vanderbilt on Saturday at 3:30.
Please leave a comment or follow me on Twitter. @WellsZach. Have a great weekend!
