Bengals

Today at 1 p.m., at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati TV: Fox29 Radio: WYSP-FM (94.1), WIP-AM (660) Line: Eagles by 9 THE MATCHUP ASANTE SAMUEL, CB VS. CHAD JOHNSON, WR Bio The Eagles spent a reported $57 million, including $20 million guaranteed, on Samuel in the off-season because they needed a defensive back who could create turnovers. The 27-year-old Samuel entered the season leading the league with 19 interceptions since 2006, and with three this season he is tied for ninth in the NFL. Samuel has 25 interceptions since 2003.

Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason says he is OK to play against the Houston Oilers despite the bruised lung he sustained while playing against the Los Angeles Raiders last Sunday. "It's my right lung that's injured," Esiason said, laughing. "I'm left- lunged. " Actually, Esiason probably isn't as fit as he lets on. But if he didn't laugh, he probably would cry. The Bengals, who made it to the Super Bowl before losing to the 49ers last season, are struggling. Their offense is without star running back Ickey Woods, who was injured in September and is out for the season.

The Cincinnati Bengals, locked in a continuing battle with their city over seating at Riverfront Stadium, escalated the dispute yesterday by announcing that they would withhold all rent payments to the city. The Bengals, who lease the city-operated stadium along with the baseball Cincinnati Reds, say the city has failed to comply with a two-year-old court order to remove auxiliary scoreboards that block the view of Bengals' season- ticket holders. The scoreboards were still in place Sunday night for the Bengals' exhibition game against the Buffalo Bills, said Mike Brown, the Bengals' legal counsel and assistant general manager.

The Cincinnati Bengals woke up yesterday morning and discovered that San Francisco cornerback Tim McKyer had said some not-so-friendly things about them in one of the local newspapers. And, no, they were not exactly ready to invite him to tea after they read what he had to say. McKyer ripped the Bengals' secondary, maligned Pro Bowl receiver Eddie Brown and basically dared the entire team to tell him to shut up. "I guess the game is already over according to some players on their team," Bengals strong safety David Fulcher said.

Now Donovan McNabb knows how it feels to be a reporter. Akili Smith won't talk to him, either. The Eagles' quarterback said he called Smith a couple of times this season and left messages. The calls have not been returned. McNabb feels no bitterness over Smith's silence. Smith has not talked with the media since Nov. 12, the day before he was benched, but McNabb empathizes with the Bengals' young quarterback. "That's an organization that a lot of guys are not happy about going to," McNabb said, referring to the legendary mismanagement that has plagued the Bengals over the last decade.

Eric Thomas watched the Eagles' Mike Quick line up across from him and he knew. The next pass was coming his way. He was sure. You might call it a cornerback's instinct. Or a cornerback's nightmare. The Eagles had first down at the Cincinnati 19-yard line, trailing 28-24 with less than a minute to go yesterday. The Bengals were blitzing Randall Cunningham and that meant Thomas was left alone to guard Quick, a truly scary prospect. "Quick is their big-play guy," the second-year cornerback said.

Devon Still is a Cincinnati Bengal. The Bengals drafted the Penn State defensive tackle with the 53d overall pick in the second round of the NFL Draft on Friday night. The all-American had 55 tackles, 17 for a loss and 4 1/2 sacks as a senior and was named the Big Ten defensive player of the year. Born in Camden and a cousin of former Camden High and NFL star Art Still, Still was raised in Wilmington, Del. He missed his first two college seasons with a torn anterior cruciate ligament followed by a broken fibula.

The Cincinnati Bengals' regulars returned from a 24-day strike to discover that nothing had changed. Time still isn't on their side. The Bengals, who mismanaged the clock in their 27-26 prestrike loss to the San Francisco 49ers, fell a few yards and a few seconds short yesterday in falling to the host Pittsburgh Steelers, 23-20, on Gary Anderson's 20-yard field goal with 1:47 remaining. The Bengals, 2-4 after wasting an 11-point lead, drove to the Steelers' 18 in the closing seconds but couldn't get their field-goal team set in time for a potential game-tying Jim Breech kick.

I may be the only guy in Philadelphia who can sympathize with Eagles coach Andy Reid. My last weekend went about as well as his. The opening bell of the NFL season saw the seven picks in this space go 2-5, and that included sharing some of Reid's pain as the selection of the Eagles as home underdogs against the Green Bay Packers flamed out. However, it's a long season. Baltimore at Cincinnati (plus-2). It was difficult to tell Monday night against the Jets, but the Ravens do have an improved offense to go along with one of the stoutest defenses in the NFL. To eliminate any suspense, this is a Ravens pick, but not without reservation.

MUCH TALK this week in the Eagles' locker room about how the Bengals aren't really a 1-8 team, blah, blah blah, they took the Giants to overtime, etc. But they are, in fact, a 1-8 team; you can look it up. Also, it doesn't really matter. Whatever the Bengals are or could be, this game is not about them. It's about the Eagles, and their fading dreams of playoff contention. If they really are the team they think they are, they will step up, and it won't much matter how the Bengals play.

Devon Still is a Cincinnati Bengal. The Bengals drafted the Penn State defensive tackle with the 53d overall pick in the second round of the NFL Draft on Friday night. The all-American had 55 tackles, 17 for a loss and 4 1/2 sacks as a senior and was named the Big Ten defensive player of the year. Born in Camden and a cousin of former Camden High and NFL star Art Still, Still was raised in Wilmington, Del. He missed his first two college seasons with a torn anterior cruciate ligament followed by a broken fibula.

FORMER CINCINNATI linebacker Nate Webster was convicted Wednesday of sex-related charges involving the teenage daughter of a former Bengals assistant coach. A jury in Cincinnati found Webster, 34, guilty of four counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. Jurors found him not guilty of three other charges: gross sexual imposition, sexual battery and a fifth count of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. The jury deliberated for about 6 hours before reaching the verdict. Prosecutors say Webster had sexual contact with the girl in 2009 when she was 15 and threatened to harm her if she told anyone.

CINCINNATI Bengals receiver Jerome Simpson, best known for his Dec. 24 touchdown when he vaulted over a linebacker and landed on his feet in the end zone like a gymnast, was indicted yesterday for marijuana trafficking in Covington, Ky. A Kenton County grand jury indicted the 4-year veteran on one count of marijuana trafficking in excess of 8 ounces, a felony count that carries up to 5 years in jail. He's scheduled for arraignment on Jan. 30. A Bengals spokesman said the team was aware of Simpson's indictment but had no comment.

SAINTS (-10) over Lions: Can anyone stop Drew Brees and New Orleans? Can anyone even hope to contain him? Short answer: No! Brees and the Saints never, ever let up. Last Sunday, they could have rested some people, but no, it was another brilliant offensive show. This season, Brees and his worker bees have blown away a plethora of records, including Dan Marino's all-time single-season passing yards (5,084). He finished with 5,476, his offense compiled a ridonkulous 7,474 yards, beating the 2002 Rams by 299 yards.

CINCINNATI - The Ravens clinched a title and headed home, which is the only place they want to be at this time of the season. Ray Rice had a pair of long TD runs on Sunday, leading Baltimore to a 24-16 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals that gave the Ravens their third AFC North title and the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. Baltimore (12-4) will get a first-round bye followed by a playoff game at home, where the Ravens are 8-0 this season. Despite the loss, the Bengals (9-7)

AS THE NHL gears up for its most important regular-season game of the year - and no, we're not talking about tonight's Los Angeles at Winnipeg battle - concern and tension is growing in Pittsburgh. Penguins coach Dan Bylsma says Sidney Crosby is still "having [concussion] symptoms" and there is no timetable for his return. Pittsburgh hosts the Flyers tonight. Crosby was initially injured in last year's Winter Classic game against the Capitals. He tried to play through it and hasn't been the same since.

EAGLES FANS FEEL betrayed, disappointed, angry (just empty the thesaurus) about this 7-8 season. Fans want payback. Some fans want the hide of Andy Reid. But all fans want a better draft, smarter playcalling, better clock management. They, too, want the players actually put in the right position, rather than someone just talking about it. Through the discontent of having a final home game that means nothing, Eagles fans still will show up on Sunday and be seen and heard.

Rookie receiver A.J. Green made a leaping catch for a 51-yard gain in the final minute Sunday, setting up a field goal that rallied the Cincinnati Bengals to a 23-20 victory over self-destructive Cleveland. The surprising Bengals (7-4) stayed right behind Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the AFC North with another comeback forged by their rookie big-play combination. Andy Dalton threw a high down-the-middle pass that Green went way above the defenders to grab. Green was run out of bounds at the 2, and the Browns (4-7)

BALTIMORE - An uncharacteristic performance by the Baltimore defense was offset by an uncommonly effective outing by Joe Flacco and the Ravens' oft-criticized offense. Flacco threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns, rookie Torrey Smith had six catches for 165 yards, and Baltimore moved into first place in the AFC North with a nerve-racking 31-24 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Playing without middle linebacker Ray Lewis for the first time in 58 games, the Ravens (7-3)

CINCINNATI - Rashard Mendenhall ran for a pair of touchdowns on Sunday, and Pittsburgh intercepted Andy Dalton twice in the fourth quarter, holding on for a 24-17 victory over the upstart Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers (7-3) ended the Bengals' five-game winning streak with a little vintage defense, something missing so far this season. The Steelers had only two interceptions and two fumble recoveries heading into the game, a stunningly small statistic for players who pride themselves on getting the ball.