
--The Bengals' 2009 home opponents will be Baltimore, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Denver, Kansas City, Chicago, Detroit and Houston. Cincinnati will travel to play at Baltimore, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Oakland, San Diego, Green Bay, Minnesota and the New York Jets.
--The Bengals are set to pick sixth in the first round of the 2009 draft. No tiebreakers were needed to determine their draft order, since no other team tied their winning percentage. The Bengals will select sixth in each of the draft rounds. Last season, the New York Jets had the No. 6 selection and used it on linebacker Vernon Gholston of Ohio State. Detroit has the first pick in the draft, followed by St. Louis, Kansas City, Seattle, Cleveland and the Bengals.
--Marvin Lewis in 2008 completed his sixth season as Cincinnati's head coach. Only Paul Brown and Sam Wyche have had longer tenures (eight seasons each), or more career victories. Lewis' record is 46-49-1 in the regular season, 0-1 in postseason.
--Coordinator Mike Zimmer led the defense to a No. 12 ranking in 2008.
"I've coached some really good defenses, but none that I respect more than these guys," Zimmer said. "I told them that the night before the Kansas City game. They came to work every single day, they listened to me, and they didn't complain. I was on them pretty good, so I respect all of those guys."
--The Bengals are 22-1 in their last 23 games when a rusher carries the ball 25 or more times. TB Cedric Benson added to the list the last two weeks, rushing 38 times for 171 yards in a 14-0 win at Cleveland and 25 times for 111 yards in a 16-6 victory over Kansas City. The Bengals, however, have had only four games in the last two seasons with a 25-carry rusher.
Cincinnati's only loss in the last 23 with a 25-carry rusher was Dec. 24, 2006, at Denver, when the Broncos overcame a 30-129 day by Rudi Johnson in a 24-23 victory.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Guys kept believing in Marvin (Lewis). He stayed on us. He got us to finish the season on a positive note. If there's one thing to look at and be excited about going into next year, it's we got some young guys developed." -- Bengals QB Carson Palmer.