Bengals knock off 49ers, clinch playoff berth

“I was pleased for him”, Dalton stated.

Dunlap returned the ball to the 49ers 11, where the Bengals needed five plays to punch the ball into the end zone on Hill’s first 1-yard plunge. The Broncos will need to play a full 60 minutes against Cincinnati because the Bengals are going to bring every weapon they have as they fight to improve their playoff standing. They did score two rushing touchdowns, and as good as that should make fans feel, it doesn’t, at least for me.

McCarron is hoping to have all his weapons available for the mile-high showdown. From there, the floodgates opened for the Bengals, who added two more touchdowns before the end of the half. McCarron will face a much tougher test in Week 16 against the Broncos’ defense. “We have to make those plays”. It’s a great opportunity.

A number of individual player performances stood out in the Bengals’ win over the 49ers.

Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins was a force to be reckoned with, sacking Gabbert twice.

This season’s Pro Bowl will be played January 31 at 7 p.m. ET at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. “They are both thrilled and honored to be recognized”.

This time, he didn’t turn the ball over. The Bengals were up 24-0 for most of the third quarter before San Francisco could even put points up on the board – a one yard touchdown dive by Bruce Miller. “I’m not in their meetings, so I just try to give them encouragement”.

AJ McCarron was delighted after recording a win on his first career start as the Cincinnati Bengals beat a poor San Francisco 49ers outfit 24-14 on Sunday. “This is definitely not a regular-season game”. “It’s never effortless to win on the road”. The Bengals are already playoff-bound, having clinched at least a berth in Week 15 and can take the AFC North crown this week.

“It’s a championship trip”, Lewis said. They are, however, 2-0 against the Broncos on Mondays.

CHIEFS 34, RAVENS 14: In Baltimore, Kansas City (9-5) capitalized on a variety of miscues by Baltimore to extended its winning streak to eight games and remain in the thick of the playoff picture. That’s the first time I’ve had one of those in a long time. – Bengals QB AJ McCarron when asked about the frigid conditions expected Monday night in Denver.

TE Tyler Kroft: The rookie tight end has taken his lumps this year, but with Tyler Eifert out again with a concussion, Kroft was pressed into starting action. Safety George Iloka was sidelined with a lingering groin injury. He did not practice Wednesday and his status for Monday’s game in Denver is undetermined.

Sunday’s 24-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals was the 49ers’ 10th defeat this season, matching their 2010 total from their last losing season. “Keeping him in one spot has helped him excel”, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. “But we should have been able to get that stopped”.

McCarron became the first Alabama quarterback to win an National Football League start since Jeff Rutledge in 1987. If Dawson had made the field goal, perhaps the game could have been a little tighter down the stretch for the Bengals.

McCarron finished 15-for-21 without throwing an interception. The group sacked McCarron four times in the process.

Osweiler isn’t Peyton Manning in his prime. Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson said the next step is to avoid the sacks and get rid of the ball rather than lose yards.