--The game Sunday against the Chiefs will be the fourth year in a row the teams have played, somewhat of a scheduling oddity. Three of the four games (2005, 2007, 2008) were late additions to the teams' schedules as they were among the two AFC foes each year that are assigned based on order of finish from the previous season. The 2006 Bengals-Chiefs meeting had been scheduled well in advance by the NFL's pre-announced rotation of 14 games for each club.
--The last time the Chiefs visited Paul Brown Stadium, on Nov. 16, 2003, they entered the game with a 9-0 record. It was, by basic definition, the toughest challenge in Bengals history, the opponent with the best-ever mark. The game stands today as the only time the Bengals have faced an opponent with a record better than 7-0.
The Bengals won, 24-19, before a then-record home crowd of 64,923. Quarterback Jon Kitna led the offense to 422 net yards, and the Bengals played turnover-free against an opponent that came in tied for the NFL lead in takeaways. Peter Warrick scored Cincinnati touchdowns on a 68-yard punt return and a 77-yard pass, and Rudi Johnson rushed for 165 yards on 22 carries.
The win was a highlight of Marvin Lewis' first season as Bengals head coach. The team went on to finish with an 8-8 record, just missing the playoffs after having been a franchise worst 2-14 in 2002. The Bengals' six-win improvement was the NFL's biggest from 2002-03.
"Definitely it's among the most memorable wins to me," Lewis said. "That win gave us legitimacy for everything we had done to that point, the hard work by everyone. It showed that we could play with the best."
--Bengals tight ends coach Jonathan Hayes is a prominent former Chiefs player, while Chiefs defensive line coach Tim Krumrie is one of the legendary defenders in Bengals history. Hayes played nine years (1985-93) as a Chiefs tight end, seeing action in 136 games with 96 starts and catching 135 passes for 1,541 yards (11.4) with 12 touchdowns. He finished his NFL career with three years at Pittsburgh.
Krumrie played only for the Bengals (1983-94), as a nose tackle in the 3-4 defense. He was a 10th-round Cincinnati draft choice (276th overall) who went on to make two Pro Bowls. He returned from a severe leg fracture he suffered in Super Bowl XXIII (1988 season). He was also a Bengals assistant coach from 1995-2002.
--Last week's 14-0 Bengals victory at Cleveland was the ninth shutout in Cincinnati franchise history, and the last three of those nine have come on the road against the Browns. Coach Sam Wyche's Bengals posted a 21-0 win at the old Cleveland Stadium on Dec. 3, 1989, and Marvin Lewis directed his first shutout in the Nov. 26, 2006 game at Cleveland. The 30-0 score in 2006 produced the largest winning margin for a Lewis-coached Bengals team.
--The 182 yards allowed to the Browns were the fewest allowed in eight seasons by a Bengals team.
--The Cincinnati chapter of the Pro Football Writers Association of America (PFWA) presented its annual awards. Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh won his second team MVP award, and right guard Bobbie Williams was presented with the Good Guy Award. Both players received plaques. The Cincinnati PFWA consists of beat reporters from the Cincinnati Enquirer, Dayton Daily News, the Associated Press, the Columbus Dispatch, Scout.com and Clear Channel Radio.
BY THE NUMBERS: 44 -- Consecutive sellouts for Bengals at home, including the Kansas City game Sunday. It will be a franchise record.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Hopefully it will help them think differently. When I came in here they thought they were kind of the worst defense in the history of football. Now I think they think they're OK. A shutout is a shutout, and they're hard to come by in the NFL." -- Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.
