We'll beat Minnesota

[BengalByTheBay]

Furthermore, if you somehow find yourself wearing a Ray Lewis jersey....it's only fitting if everything you say is repeated three times.

Don't forget to dance the gay chicken (not that there's anything wrong with that).

[COB]

Don't forget to dance the gay chicken (not that there's anything wrong with that).

Also, talk about the lord a lot, even though you're a murderer.

[Pidge]

Ray Lewis, last week:

"We touch each other before the game and give each other energy..."

"...I get in his head, he gets in my head..."

[kingwilly]

Don't forget to dance the gay chicken (not that there's anything wrong with that).

Also, talk about the lord a lot, even though you're a murderer.

Also wear a skull cap at all times, on and off the field, to hide the effects of copious anabolic/hgh use...

[TJJackson]

I actually see it as a pretty even game, with the team who makes the least mistakes (penalties and turnovers) coming out as the winner

Winnable game. 50-50.

Getting out to an early lead will be HUGE for the Bengals, if they can manage it, because then crowd noise is reduced, and this will (or should?) in turn reduce Bengal mistakes

[Ickey44]

I actually see it as a pretty even game, with the team who makes the least mistakes (penalties and turnovers) coming out as the winner

Winnable game. 50-50.

Getting out to an early lead will be HUGE for the Bengals, if they can manage it, because then crowd noise is reduced, and this will (or should?) in turn reduce Bengal mistakes

Agreed. If the Bengals have any hope of winning this game they've GOT to quit getting flags thrown on them. It's killing me how they've been shooting themselves in the foot recently with all the pre-snap penalties.

[HairOnFire]

Also, talk about the lord a lot, even though you're a double murderer.

Fixed it for you.

[volcom69]

This game will be won up front, if the Bengals o-line can run block, and pass block that will at least give Palmer time to find his guys. The d-line will need to have a big game to stop AP, but they also need to get Farve on the ground. If they dont sack him pressure him, and get there hands up for tipped passes. I wonder how much Zim will blitz?

[HoosierCat]

Puttering about the web today, I see few people giving Cincy a chance. Fine by me. Let the pundits, virtually all of whom had us finishing 3rd or worse, suckle at Favre's groin. I'll stick with Walter's take.

Cincinnati Bengals (9-3) at Minnesota Vikings (10-2)

Line: Vikings by 6.5. Total: 43.

Walt's Projected Line (Before Week 13): Vikings -7.

Walt's Projected Line (After Week 13): Vikings -6.

Sunday, 1:00 ET

The Game. Edge: Bengals.

NFL Injuries: AFC Injuries | NFC Injuries

It's time for the Video of the Week segment. This is an interesting video called Hey Ya! Charlie Brown Style.

Not only is this one of the most entertaining videos I've ever seen, I've also learned two new awesome dance moves from it. The guy in the orange moving his head from side to side is cool, but check out the guy in the green at the top of the screen. I never knew dancing was so easy!

MINNESOTA OFFENSE: The Vikings' loss to Arizona was just their second defeat of the season, but quite a few issues arose. First and foremost was shoddy pass protection. Brett Favre constantly had defenders in his face and consequently reverted to the guy we saw in December 2008 - the quarterback who always threw off his back foot and hurled balls into heavy coverage without even looking at his receiver.

The Bengals don't exactly have the best pass rush in the league, but they do tend to get solid pressure on the quarterback. So, with that in mind, the Vikings will need to establish a potent ground attack with Adrian Peterson. Unfortunately, Peterson has to go up against a very stout Cincinnati defense that hasn't allowed more than 92 rushing yards since Oct. 4.

With Favre stuck in third-and-long situations, he'll once again have to move the chains on his own amid a solid Bengals pass rush. That could be pretty difficult; Cincinnati has two outstanding corners who will be up to the task of covering Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin.

CINCINNATI OFFENSE: Another issue for the Vikings is linebacker E.J. Henderson's injury. Henderson provided an enormous presence in the middle of the field, but now Minnesota will have to survive without him.

The Vikings surprisingly struggled against the run last week, allowing 113 rushing yards on 4.5 yards per carry to Arizona of all teams. The Bengals love to pound the rock with Cedric Benson, so without Henderson, Minnesota once again could have problems containing the opposing running back.

With Benson projected to help move the chains, Carson Palmer should have tons of short-yardage situations to work with. It'll be interesting to see if Minnesota's pass-rushing woes that surfaced in Arizona continue to persist.

RECAP: This is pretty much a meaningless game for the Vikings. They're stuck in limbo; they won't be able to catch the Saints, yet they're not in danger of losing the No. 2 seed. Throw in the fact that this is a battle against a non-conference foe, and I'll be surprised if Minnesota even shows up.

The Bengals, meanwhile, have everything to play for. First of all, they're competing with the Chargers for a first-round bye. And second, they're playing for respect. When any ESPN analyst mentions the AFC Super Bowl contenders, no one brings up Cincinnati. With a win against the great Brett Favre and the Vikings, the Bengals will finally be in the discussion as one of the elite teams in the league.

I really like Cincinnati here; this is a great spot for them and they always play well as big underdogs.

The Psychology. Edge: Bengals.

The Vikings are in limbo, so they have nothing to really play for, especially against a non-conference foe. The Bengals do - a first-round bye. Cincy loves playing in the role of an underdog.

The Vegas. Edge: Bengals.

About two-thirds of the public likes Minnesota to rebound.

Percentage of money on Minnesota: 65% (17,000 bets)

The Trends. Edge: Bengals.

Losing Coach: Brad Childress is 1-4 ATS after losing as a favorite.

Bengals are 6-0 ATS as underdogs in 2009.

Vikings are 5-9 ATS vs. AFC foes under Brad Childress.

Opening Line: Vikings -6.5.

Opening Total: 44.5.

Weather: Dome.

For more trends, check out the Gaming Matchups or the Expanded NFL Analysis.

Week 14 NFL Pick: Bengals 20, Vikings 17

Bengals +7 (5 Units)

Under 43 (0 Units)

[Stripes]

I'm feeling better as the week progresses. If the Bengals can stop Adrian Peterson without Peko, their chances at victory skyrocket. Minnesota hasn't run the ball well over the last three weeks.

An interesting note I stumpled upon on a Vikings message board is that tackle Bryant McKinnie might have been tipping the Vikings' hand offensively in recent games. Apparently he'd shift one leg back ever so slightly on passing downs to give himself better leverage to drop a step and hold his position. I'll look for a link.

Here. http://sports.yahoo....?urn=nfl,207750

If this was truly an issue I'd expect it to be resolved this week.

[HairOnFire]

After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Bengals-Vikings matchup.

1. The Bengals need to stay balanced offensively: Cincinnati offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski has done a nice job of mixing early-down passes with a variety of runs. The Bengals may add more perimeter runs with reverses or a Wildcat look to stretch the Minnesota defense and keep it guessing.

2. Spread this talented Vikings defense out by formation: The Cardinals found a way to spread out Minnesota and exploit a banged-up secondary. The Bengals need to take a similar approach and utilize more three- and four-wide receiver sets to soften up the middle for the running game as well as stretch coverage defenders.

3. Cincinnati needs to stop the run: Minnesota's running game was stymied in its Week 13 loss. Expect the Vikings to make a concerted effort to pound the ball against the Bengals. Cincinnati has been excellent at defending the run (yielding only 82 yards per game) but will have its hands full slowing down Adrian Peterson and a physical Vikings offensive line.

4. Flush Brett Favre out of the pocket: Favre was a bit out of sorts against the Cardinals as tight coverage and a steady pass rush forced him into several errant throws. Look for Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer to use a variety of pressure packages to force Favre out of the pocket. Under Zimmer's more aggressive philosophy, the Bengals already have 12 more sacks in 2009 than all of last year.

5. Matchup to watch: Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco versus the Vikings' cornerbacks: Cincinnati's most explosive offensive threat is Ochocinco, who probably will see lots of passes come his way in this matchup. Ochocinco had a huge game in Week 13 and will be a tough matchup for a banged-up Vikings secondary. Minnesota has been missing its best perimeter defender (Antoine Winfield). Even if he returns, Ochocinco could swing the advantage in the Bengals' favor.

6. Minnesota must establish the run: The Vikings don't want to become one-dimensional down the stretch, therefore coach Brad Childress probably will try to pound the Bengals with a power running attack. Minnesota needs to force-feed the ground game and impose its will in the trenches with arguably the most physical ball carrier (Peterson) and offensive line in the league.

7. Favre needs to take more shots downfield: Favre tossed very few balls deep in last week's loss and probably will make an effort to give his explosive weapons a chance to pick up chunks of yards against the Bengals. Look for WRs Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin to run more deep crossing, fade and post patterns to change field position quickly.

8. Minnesota needs to get physical on the perimeter: The Vikings' front seven probably will bounce back from an average performance in Week 13, but Minnesota should be concerned with how it will defend the Bengals' wide receivers. Playing press man and tight alignments in zone schemes to jam and reroute Ochocinco and Laveranues Coles off the line of scrimmage will be important to derail Carson Palmer and the Cincinnati passing game.

9. The Vikings need to get their mojo back: Minnesota was one of the most complete teams in the league -- until last week's loss to the Cardinals. It's a good thing the Vikings have to come right back against an impressive Cincinnati club so they can prove they are still a force to be reckoned with. Look for more energy on both sides of the ball, and that starts with a great effort in the trenches.

10. Matchup to watch: Vikings DE Jared Allen versus Bengals LT Andrew Whitworth: This will not only be an excellent matchup to watch but likely the most important in this contest. The Minnesota defense feeds off the play of Allen, and with him being shut out (only two hurries, no tackles and no sacks) last week, he will be playing with an extra gear this week. Whitworth has been playing at a high level but will be facing his toughest challenge to date.

Prediction

Cincinnati 20

Minnesota 26

[HairOnFire]

Game of the Week: Bengals-Vikings

by Adam Duerson

Breaking down Sunday's Cincinnati Bengals at Minnesota Vikings game (1 p.m., CBS)...

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Five Things You Should Care About

1. The blueprint for beating Minnesota -- did Arizona unveil it? Such has been the chatter all week long, the suggestion being that the Cardinals' win last Sunday night exposed some serious chinks in the Vikings' armor. Whether that's the case is debatable. To say so would suggest that other teams could match Arizona's spread-out, multi-weapon offensive attack, for one. I'm not so sure Cincy can do that. Nonetheless, Arizona was incredibly successful, racking up nearly 400 total yards of offense and hanging 30 points on the league's 8th-ranked defense, so the game is worth revisiting.

How'd they do it? They passed (against a secondary that was missing Antoine Winfield). They passed some more. And then they passed again. In the end, the pass-rush tally looked like this: 27-25; but that includes nine run-out-the-clock rushes with under 10 minutes left and the outcome sealed. It's been suggested for years, but few teams actually execute it: a relentless passing attack is the way to go against Minnesota.

Defensively, the Beating Minnesota Blueprint would go something like this:

Step 1. Play tight pass defense.

Step 2. Take both of the Vikings' offensive tackles out of the game.

Only one of those seems like something Cincinnati (or any other team, for that matter) can realistically hope for. And in the case of the Cardinals matchup, Step 2 pretty much led to Step 1. With Minnesota's run game suffering in the absence of tackles Bryant McKinnie and Phil Loadholt, Arizona was able to sit back in pass coverage and shut down the Vikings' receivers.

2. The Benson Factor. Here's one reason Cincinnati could have a tough time sticking to the Cardinals' successful pass-pass-pass plan: Cedric Benson. The Bengals use Benson to set up their passing game, and they use him to the tune of 24-plus carries per game, the highest average in the NFL. In fact, he has the four highest single-game workloads of the past two seasons: games of 38, 37, 36 and 34 carries. He's their bread and butter, and there's a difference between abandoning a Beanie Wells-led rushing game and one spearheaded by Benson. At the same time, there's something to be said about the idea of preserving Benson, who'd never averaged more than 18 carries a game coming into this season, and who has a perfectly serviceable backup in Larry Johnson.

If Cincinnati gets even modest successes against a Minnesota rush defense that's proven penetrable lately (4.0 yards per carry and 117 yards per game after Nov. 15), it'll be tough to abandon the running game. Simply put, Cincy's not built to come out throwing every down.

That isn't to say they can't do it. Take for example the Chicago Bears, whom the Bengals and Cardinals share as a common opponent. Carson Palmer had his best game of the year against the Bears' relatively weak secondary, passing for a remarkably efficient 233 yards and five touchdowns on just 24 attempts. He doesn't need that kind of day against Minnesota, but it'd sure help.

3. Breaking the blueprint with Adrian Peterson. Getting Peterson back on track is the easiest way for the Vikings to blow up this supposed blueprint, so I have one suggestion for Brad Childress: get your workhorse out around the edges, specifically the left side, where Cincinnati is vulnerable. (Opponents have rushed for 6 yards per carry off left tackle). That starts with getting left tackle Bryant McKinnie, who was limited in practice Thursday, back on the field. And it ends with a dedication to the running game that Childress seemingly couldn't afford as Arizona pulled away last week. When the Vikings did run (they hit a season low with just 20 rushes), many of those went straight up the middle for no gain. Against Cincy, it's time to kick it outside.

4. The inevitable return of "Bad Brett Favre." The guy turned 40 two months ago, so it's not beyond all reason to suggest that 16-game seasons might actually take some sort of toll on Favre, explaining his recent end-of-year drop-offs. Whatever the reason, the numbers are there. Over the past three Decembers, Favre has tossed 10 touchdowns versus 15 interceptions and his passer rating hovers just under 70, nearly points 40 below his November rating in that period. He may not be Tony Romo, but he's been close lately.

Last week was just the latest example: one legit touchdown, a garbage score, and two interceptions -- after having thrown just three in the past 11 games. (OK, that last point may not be fair; his streak entering the game was just plain silly.) I'll give you one play to demonstrate that Favre may still have a reckless streak in him, and that his decision-making is at a low for the season.

After opening the second half against Arizona last week with an interception, Favre was tossed to the ground by defensive end Calais Campbell. Clearly Favre wasn't happy about it; he thought the body slam came after the whistle. And did he let it go? Hell no. First he tried to get in Campbell's face, but he got danced out of the way by Darnell Dockett. Favre gritted his teeth and stared down Campbell. Then, in classic Favre form, he raged into the next play, determined to avenge the wrongdoing. What resulted was an unnecessary interception aimed at Sidney Rice but forced into a group of four Cardinals defenders.

Afterward, Favre explained, "I let my temper get the best of me. I was kind of thinking outside the box and not thinking, period. It wasn't like I was surprised by the coverage... I just didn't make good decisions, from my end."

Welcome back, Bad Favre? We'll see...

5. Infirmary Report: Advantage Cincinnati. The Bengals will undoubtedly be without run-stopping defensive tackle Domato Peko, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last week. His absence last week against Detroit no doubt played a part in Kevin Smith's 104-yard game.

But Cincy has nothing on Minnesota's injury report. As mentioned, both offensive tackles are iffy. Neither has participated in a full practice this week yet. The Vikings are also dealing with a trio of head-related injuries -- safety Tyrell Johnson, guard Anthony Herrera and cornerback Cedric Griffin -- at the absolute worst time ever for head-related injuries. All three could be forced to sit out. Additionally, Percy Harvin hasn't practiced all week due to migraines. Meanwhile, linebacker E.J. Henderson is done for the year after breaking his right thigh bone, and cornerback Antoine Winfield still might not be ready to return from a foot issue.

Fantasy Focus

Every week, I lend my thoughts on a few particularly startable or sit-worthy players. Here's who's I like in this Week 14 matchup:

START

Adrian Peterson -- Lest you take last week's 19-yard rushing effort too seriously, let me remind you that we're talking about A.P., and that he still had 12.5 points in standard-scoring PPR leagues. It was the second-worst rushing day of his career; it won't happen again. If you're in the playoffs, it's safe to assume you rode Peterson's coattails to get here. Keep ridin'.

Carson Palmer -- Here's a good one: Who would you start, given the choice of Palmer or Favre? Palmer would seem to make less sense with just three TDs in his past five games. (Favre has 14 in that span.) But let this game stand on its own. Only two quarterbacks have managed multi-TD games against the Bengals all year, and only one has topped 300 yards. Meanwhile, Palmer faces what could turn out to be a seriously depleted secondary.

Bernard Berrian -- Sidney Rice should get the blanket treatment from Leon Hall, who's turning in a Pro Bowl year. At the same time, Berrian the Burner gets healthier every week after a hamstring injury. His 11 grabs over the past two Sundays mark his best two-game stretch of the year.

SIT

Cedric Benson -- One has to imagine Marvin Lewis knows better than to wear out his workhorse, especially with his preferred backup, Bernard Scott, nursing a turf toe injury. Also keep in mind that Benson's per carry average has tumbled every month this year. In November and December combined he's going just 3.2 yards at a time.

Bengals defense -- The league's stingiest scoring defense (15.6 points per game) faces the second-highest scoring offense (29.9). Call that a draw. But Minnesota also runs the second-safest offense in the league, with just 13 giveaways, and that's a fantasy bummer.

The Pick

I just can't get that one play out of my head: Favre forcing one into Rice downfield in a fit of rage. That sure leaves a bad taste. Compounded with all of those Minnesota injuries and Cincinnati's record against good teams, it should be enough for the Bengals to overcome the Vikings' serious home field advantage at the Metro..., er, Mall of America Field. (Never gonna get used to that one.) Peterson stays bottled up with his line dinged, and Chad Ochocinco makes mincemeat of a patchwork secondary. The latter could lose his head if he really tries to take the Minnesota mascot's Viking helmet, as he suggested Thursday, but Chad will come away a winner on the scoreboard. Bengals, 27-23.

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[semiotter]

A P is a premier back in the NFC. He really scares me in this game. If he gets on a roll, Oh Boy!! That could be trouble. Go Bengals.

[walzav29]

especially with no Peko.

[derekshank]

Yeah... Peterson is good. Be he's only had one 100 yard game in his last 6 (against Detroit) and in those 6 games, he has 4 fumbles.

He's a very good RB... but the Bengals are the #1 rush defense in the NFL right now. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see them put the ball in Favre's hands early and often, and attempt to set up the run with the pass.

[volcom69]

I hope Crocker plays this week and is not slowed down. Without him could be a problem also, i like Nelson but not against the Vikings. Peko out will hurt they need another bigger body out there, and my take is that Smith wont be playing in this game. The defense needs to hold them to field goals, and the offense needs to take advantage of that. It going to be a tough game, lets hope they come out on fire, and want to win the division tomorrow how awsome would that be!