Bengals coach Marvin Lewis states AJ McCarron will start Saturday vs

Andy Dalton’s passing hand was finally free on Tuesday, liberated from the black cast that has covered his right forearm and his spirits for the past three weeks.

Bengals staff in demand: Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson and defensive coordinator Paul Guenther are fielding requests for interviews with other teams in search of a head coach.

Call it one for the thumb.

In four games with McCarron, the Bengals averaged 22 points per game and have never scored more than 24 points in a single game.

His right thumb will likely prevent it. Then he resumed his conditioning work on the sideline as if getting ready to play.

If Andy Dalton is ruled eligible to play this week or next, if they make it, who do the Bengals go with as their starting quarterback? But will a quarterback with just three full games on his résumé have what it takes to earn the Bengals’ first playoff win in over three decades? He’d been doing conditioning drills for the past week and got his cast off on Monday.

Almost $150,000 in fines were issued by the National Football League stemming from the last meeting, more than half levied against Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict.

Cincinnati’s defense can get pressure on Roethlisberger from up the middle or around the corners. Receiver Mohamed Sanu has taken snaps in wildcat formations and could be an emergency quarterback.

McCarron thinks his bowl experience while winning two national titles at Alabama will help him in the playoffs. “I’m excited, but now it’s time for the playoffs…”

Not at all. In the past three games, McCarron has attempted a total of 83 passes and has not thrown a single interception.

Thrown into the game on such short notice, McCarron felt like a teenager again.

“He started dying laughing”, McCarron said. It seems to happen all too often, recently and back into their history.

The Steelers’ 48 sacks trailed only Denver and New England and their 17 interceptions were tied for sixth, up from 33 and 11 last season and the club’s most in each category since 2010.

“Offensively Alex Smith’s had a good year, receivers, (Jeremy) Maclin”.

In the team’s last four games, A.J.

“We want to make the most out of any opportunity we get no matter if it’s us or whoever”. There is a high possibility that the Bengals offense won’t be able to stay on the field for as long as they had hoped for because every time AJ throws an incompletion the clock stops.

The Bengals gave up a lot of yards and big plays this season, but were tough near the end zone.

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter also reported on Twitter that the Lions and Titans requested permission to interview Bengals personnel chief Duke Tobin for general manager, but his sources say Tobin is staying in Cincinnati long term. I’m going to watch the film I need to watch and prepare the way I need to prepare. Can the Bengals win this game if they lose the turnover battle?

During an interview this week, McCarron shared the details behind his first meeting with Roethlisberger, which came after Big Ben’s Miami Redhawks won the GMAC Bowl over Louisville in December 2003.

“I think the whole team, the whole offense, is going to step up for this challenge and really prepare hard this week”, McCarron said Sunday.