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20 1 3 B e n g a l s Te a m G u i d e

SPECIAL EDITION

The Magazine for Business Professionals

James Harrison Brings His Strut To the Bengals Why Blitz When You Have Geno Atkins?

Training Camp Comes Home International Rookie Class Schedule, Tickets & More

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3/28/13 11:04 AM

2013-14 season DEAR BENGALS FANS,

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t’s my pleasure to welcome Bengals fans to the franchise’s 45th season. Bengals fans are always among the strongest in the NFL, and the team and fans are looking forward to building on last year’s successful season.

Our team this year is exceptional. Excitement for our upcoming season has continued to build from our productive off-season. We invested to retain the winning core of players from our playoff roster and made key additions through free agency and the NFL Draft.

We have made the playoffs in three of the last four seasons. But it is time to take the next step, which is playoff success culminating in our franchise’s third trip to the Super Bowl.

Our journey to a 3rd consecutive playoff birth begins July 26 as we proudly invite you back to training camp, once again conveniently located in downtown Cincinnati. This year we will host HBO and NFL Films in our beautiful city for another season on the Emmy-Award winning show Hard Knocks. The broadcast of Hard Knocks gives us a unique opportunity to showcase our community and team. After camp, we are looking forward to having our regular season home opener in the national spotlight, Sept. 16, versus our divisional rival Pittsburgh Steelers.

The NFL is the most popular sport in the nation with great teams, amazing players and loyal fans. We are lucky to have one of only 32 franchises in Cincinnati. Each year everyone within the Bengals organization aspires toward the same goal as our fans – winning the Super Bowl. Please join us at Paul Brown Stadium this year.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely, Mike Brown

WHO-DEY BENGALS FANS,

O

n behalf of our coaches and players, I extend greetings and appreciation to all our fans as we once again make our push to return to the playoffs. Our 2013 schedule is a tough one, and as always, I want to stress the importance of your enthusiastic support and loud home field advantage.

This season presents us with the opportunity to reach the playoffs for the 4th time in five seasons. However, we will not be satisfied with a mere playoff birth. Our goal is not only to make the playoffs, but also to ultimately hoist the Lombardi Trophy at the first-ever Super Bowl in New York.

We welcome back a core of strong veterans with talented additions acquired through free agency and the NFL Draft. Our skilled rookie class will add power to our already strong roster. Once again training camp will be hosted downtown at Paul Brown Stadium and our adjacent practice fields. NFL Films will have their accomplished crew here filming HBO’s Emmy-Award winning program, Hard Knocks.

Our home schedule welcomes challenging teams and promises exciting games. We host our AFC North divisional rival Browns, Steelers and Ravens, as well as the Packers, Patriots, Jets, Colts and Vikings.

I invite you to come down to the stadium this year and help give us the home field advantage. Let’s get the stadium sold out for each and every home game. Then be loud, be proud and let’s make the Jungle roar. WHO-DEY! Sincerely, Marvin Lewis

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A MAN APART

GENO ATKINS IS A FORCE TO RECKON WITH AS THE NFC’S BEST DEFENSIVE LINEMAN

By Bill Thompson

T

he NFL has done a masterful job of marketing its annual college draft.

The chatter starts before the regular season is finished, builds throughout the playoffs, and then becomes very loud after the Super Bowl.

The draft is a key ingredient as teams search for those missing pieces that separate contenders from pretenders. Most of the attention is focused on the top picks, first or sometimes second-round choices that can help lift a team into the playoffs.

There are millions of words written about whose stock is rising or falling, 40-yard dash times, vertical leap, long arms vs. short arms and any number of other arcane topics. And that’s before every expert in

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the country posts his or her mock drafts.

But when a player like Geno Atkins is available in the fourth round, maybe it’s time to rethink the effort spent fretting about the draft.

When the Bengals chose a tackle from the University of Georgia in 2010, it’s unlikely the team thought it added the league’s best interior defensive lineman.

But according to Pro Football Focus, an analytics website, that’s exactly what Atkins became in his third season when he had 12.5 quarterback sacks (third most in Bengals history) en route to his second straight Pro Bowl appearance.

“I’m trying to set myself apart,” says Atkins, whose father Gene was a safety with the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins. “I try to maximize my potential of strength and speed. I just have a focus out there. I want to say that 50 percent of the game is mental, so you have to have the right mindset to go out there and do what you have to do to be at the top of your game. You don’t want any distractions on your mind.”

Atkins does create distractions for opponents, however.

“He’s really different in the way that he can rush,” defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer told Sports Illustrated before last season’s playoff game against the Houston Texans. “He can go to one side or the other, or come

underneath. If he feels like a blocker’s sitting back too much, he’s got such great strength that he can overpower a bigger guy because he has such great leverage.”

Zimmer’s praise is couched in coachspeak; others make the point more directly.

Bengals.com editor Geoff Hobson named Atkins the team’s MVP, a somewhat surprising choice if only because of the breakout season of wide receiver A.J. Green. Hobson says Atkins is “a living, breathing, walking double-team (for opponents),” who does “MVP things in MVP moments.”

Defensive end Michael Johnson, who had a great season himself with 11.5 sacks, is even more succinct. “Why blitz when you have Geno Atkins?”

Sports Illustrated’s Ben Reiter says Atkins “has become not just the most dominating defensive tackle in the NFL, but of his generation.”

It’s said that great players see the game in slow motion, or at least see things before everyone else. “Great” is the last word Atkins would use to describe himself, but he certainly strives to be.

“You have to come in there with a focus, a mindset,” he says. “You’re not going to overpower everybody so you have to trust your fundamentals so you have an advantage with the first step because that could mean the difference between winning that play or losing a play.

“If you take a wrong step, then he’s going to have the upper hand. If you take the right step, if you practice that everyday, it’s going to be natural.”

Sounds simple, especially compared to the work put in to predict the draft. There’s a lesson there for Texas A&M linebacker Sean Porter, the Bengals’ fourth-round pick this year: Pay more attention to what Atkins says and less to the words of Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN’s alleged draft expert. ■

Geno Atkins running drills during spring practice

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A.J. Green

HOMETOWN ADVANTAGE

By Bill Thompson

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year ago, the Bengals stayed home for training camp for the first time in their 44-year history. No equipment was packed and hauled to Georgetown College or Wilmington College.

Although the location changed to the team’s practice facilities at Paul Brown Stadium, the object remained the same: prepare as efficiently as possible for the upcoming season.

The Bengals finished with a 10-6 record to earn their second straight trip to the NFL playoffs. And the team learned lessons about hosting a three-week event in a very different environment. Bob Bedinghaus, the Bengals director of business development, believes it went well on both counts.

“We really weren’t sure of what to expect by bringing (camp) here to Cincinnati, but we were very happy with how things worked out,” he says. “We had lots of fans that came down, and we were able to give people a real close-up view of what training camp is all about without them having to drive an hour and a half away.”

Starting quarterback Andy Dalton practices throwing at training camp.

From a competitive standpoint, success on the field proved the move wasn’t a distraction.

“The players are still sequestered in a hotels. They are not heading home at night,” Bedinghaus says. “It is a very intensive onfield and off-field opportunity to get ready for the season. For every hour they spend on the field, there are many more hours that are spent in the weight room or the classroom going over (things) with their position coach, things like that.”

It’s unlikely that fans would flock to watch the players in the weight room and classroom (although the NFL might be studying the marketing possibilities), but the chance to see practice from the sidelines or the temporary bleachers is very attractive.

“Being on the practice field as opposed to being in the stadium, you really are up close and personal,” Bedinghaus says. “You can hear the sound of cleats on the field; if A.J. Green is running a sideline pattern, you can hear that. You can hear the grunts and groans and some of the flavor that comes from being up close at these practices. I think kids – of all ages – enjoy that.”

Denyse Ferguson, senior vice president for economic development at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, is a big fan of the Bengals’ move.

“The evidence is anecdotal, but it’s important to look at it (training camp) in the context of all the new developments that have been finished just since last year,” she says. “There are more things at the Banks, Washington Park is complete, and the casino is open. Each one of these things on their own is important, but collectively it shows the resurgence that’s going on downtown.”

Although there are no official promotions, the Bengals are aware they can lure people who might not routinely visit downtown. To that end, they try to make that trip special.

“We worked with the Reds to make sure we were complementing each other,” Bedinghaus says. “So if the Reds had a day

IF YOU GO When: July 25-Aug. 15, daily practice times to be announced Where: Bengals practice fields, Mehring Way and Central Avenue, downtown.

Annual scrimmage (Aug. 1) and Aug. 11 practice will be held in Paul Brown Stadium.

Admission: Free. Capacity is about 2,000. Concessions are available; fans can bring soft coolers with unopened food and bottled water.

Autographs: Groups of players will be available for 15 minutes after practice.

No autographs are permitted as players enter or leave the facility.

game, we would practice in the evening; if the Reds had a night game, we would practice in the afternoon. And we worked with some restaurants at the Banks to copromote some of our players along with some Reds.

“The folks at the Banks appreciate the activity. So if we can stretch that activity over many hours instead of just three or four hours, all the better for them. It created a great opportunity for people to come down, catch a little bit of our practice, then go over to a Reds game or just the opposite.

That worked out pretty well.”

What makes all of this work well is the perception that the Bengals are a team on the rise. And it doesn’t hurt that the Reds are having another good season.

“With both teams playing well, it creates a buzz, especially for the fall as the Reds are moving toward the playoffs and we’re kicking off our season,” Bedinghaus says.

“Once you get to late July, early August, it’s a just a fun sports theme around the whole community.” ■

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POSITIVE IMPACT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT OFF THE GRIDIRON IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF BEING A BENGAL

By Julie Bethlenfalvy

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ans witness the blood, sweat and tears from their favorite players on the field every season, but the play-

ers work just as hard off the field serving the community that supports them.

In the past five years, the Bengals do-

Defensive end Michael Johnson helps out with Hometown Huddle B-8

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nated more than $2.5 million to charity.

They also generate more than $1 million each year for groups in the community.

“It’s good for our guys to get in the community. They build relationships, and everybody is walking away feeling good,” says Eric Ball, director of player relations for the Bengals. “And having a player involved in an event brings more awareness and availability of some resources that may not have been available to that organization.”

A former Bengals running back, full back, and special teams player, Ball coordinates with people in the community and charities to involve the team in philanthropies like the Marvin Lewis Community Fund – launched by Coach Marvin Lewis to empower, educate and inspire Greater Cincinnati residents.

Since 2003, the MLCF has donated more than $7.5 million to various causes and impacted roughly 425,000 people in the area.

Ball was an active volunteer when he played for the Bengals and understands the importance of a professional athlete’s direct involvement in the community.

“When I was in college, former players from the NFL who played at that school came back and told us what it was like and things we needed to do. I had done that while I was a player, and there was one (student) going through a tough family time. Whatever I said at the time, it did help him. When you get a response like that, that tells you you’re doing something right,” says Ball.

On days off from games or running drills at practice, you’ll find players

BenJarvus Green-Ellis participates in “Shop with a Bengal“

volunteering at any one of the 100 charities that the Bengals support each year.

And Ball is right there with the players, owners, coaches and staff getting their hands dirty. This is literally true with the Hometown Huddle, an NFL/United Way program, renovating parks and playground equipment, refurbishing benches, improving paths and gardening.

The “Taste of the NFL” program in partnership with the Freestore Foodbank has raised more than $100,000 annually and provided over 400,000 meals in the area last year. And during the holidays, you’ll find Ball and players packing food for

families in need.

For more than 15 years , the Bengals also host a canned food drive to benefit the Freestore Foodbank before a home game near Thanksgiving. In 2012, generous fans donated over 7,800 pounds of food and $16,600 in cash donations.

During the holidays, players spend the day with children shopping at Toys R’ Us with the “Shop with a Bengal” program in partnership with Toys for Tots.

“Sometimes families may have had a significant catastrophe, their house may have burned, they may have lost their jobs and without this, they wouldn’t have had

a Christmas. It becomes overwhelming when you see a mother breaking down in tears of overwhelming joy,” says Ball. “(When) these big guys all of a sudden get choked up, you know it’s well worth it.”

In addition, the Bengals designate one home game prior to the holidays to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves Toys for Tots collection. In 2012, the Toys for Tots collection resulted in 3,500 new toys and nearly $30,000 in cash donations.■ To help the Bengals and their volunteer efforts, you can start by visiting bengals.com/ community and marvinlewis.org.

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ADDING TO THE ARSENAL G

oing into the 2013 NFL draft, the Bengals knew they would have to get better if they were going to compete with the Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North this year.

Coach Marvin Lewis says that’s exactly what the team was able to accomplish with this year’s draft picks led by Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert.

“We had an opportunity to pick guys around the time we felt that we wanted to pick them at the positions that we felt we needed to fill in and add some depth,” said Lewis in a post-draft assessment. “Getting Tyler (Eifert) at the top of the draft kind of kicked things off for us in the right way and made it a very successful weekend.”

The signing of free agent offensive tackle Andre Smith to a three-year $18 million deal in the midst of the draft fueled that success. It was an unusual signing in the middle of the draft, but it kept the entire starting offense intact, eliminating the need to draft a starting tackle and allowing the team to focus on other needs such as additional weapons for quarterback Andy Dalton.

Eifert, the 21st overall pick, is one of those offensive weapons. The 6-foot-6-inch 250-pound native of Fort Wayne, Ind., has great hands and leaping ability. At Notre Dame he caught 140 passes, a school record for tight ends and fourth best overall for the Fighting Irish. His 11 touchdowns rank second for tight ends at Notre Dame.

Along with Pro Bowl tight end Jermaine Gresham, Eifert gives the Bengals the opportunity to implement the two tight end offense used so effectively by the New England Patriots. Eifert is also capable of playing wide out, creating mismatches with defensive backs in the red zone.

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By Mike Boyer

Giovani Bernard

“Making the contested catch is probably his strength when you come to all of the intangibles at the tight end position,” Notre Dame Coach Brian Kelly told Bengals.com. “He will take the ball away from you when the ball is in the air. He turns field goals into touchdowns in the red zone.”

Kelly added: “He’s physically and mentally tough. And he’s the best pass catcher

that I’ve coached – whether it be a wide receiver or a tight end.”

Another new weapon for Dalton is North Carolina tailback Giovani Bernard, the first of two second round picks and the 37th overall. Bernard, at 5 feet 9 inches and 202 pounds, isn’t seen as an every-down runner, but he has open field quickness that could serve as a nice complement to BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

Tyler Eifert

Margus Hunt

At Chapel Hill, Bernard led the ACC and finished fourth nationally with a 198.1 all-purpose yards per game average. He scored 31 touchdowns in two seasons at Chapel Hill while posting a school record 5.9 yards per rush while racking up 2,481 rushing yards and 852 as a receiver.

“The guy knows how to score touchdowns and he’s a threat any time he touches it, whether he’s running with the ball or catching it,” says Hue Jackson, running backs coach.

The son of Haitian immigrants, he grew up in Boca Raton, Fla. Bernard’s mother, Jossette, died of cancer in 1999 when Bernard was 7 years old. He grew up following in the footsteps of his older brother, Yvenson, who was an All-Pac 10 Conference tailback at Oregon State.

The Bengals moved to defense with their other second round pick, adding Southern Methodist defensive end Margus Hunt, a native of Estonia. Hunt has only been playing football since 2009, but he is an

imposing presence at 6 feet 8 inches and 277 pounds. He has an 82 ¼-inch wingspan and 34 ½-inch vertical leap.

Hunt is a world junior record holder in the discus and a junior gold medal winner throwing the shot put. He switched to football at Southern Methodist when the men’s track program was dropped.

Hunt, who recorded 112 tackles (60 solos) in 53 games for Mustangs, is expected to add depth to the Bengals’ defensive line.

But he could have an immediate impact as kick-blocker. He had a record 17 blocked PATs and field goal attempts in college.

Third round pick Shawn Williams, 84th overall, is a 6-foot, 213-pound safety from Georgia where he was captain of last year’s 12-2 team. Among the rookies, Williams may have the best opportunity to start at safety opposite Reggie Nelson if he can demonstrate pass coverage ability. At Georgia he showed plenty of tackling ability, recording 180 in his final two seasons. ■

Shawn Williams

WHAT OTHERS SAID NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. on Tyler Eifert

“He was one of the top 15 players in this draft class, and he fell into their lap. Eifert immediately adds firepower to the Bengals’ offense.”

Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer:

“Gives Bengals draft an A-minus.

(Tyler) Eifert and (Giovanni) Bernard are great options for Dalton to further break out of his (A.J.) Green dependency. They also made their defensive strength stronger, as SMU’s 6-foot-8-inch Estonian defensive end Margus Hunt fits right in with their pass rush. Georgia’s Shawn Williams fills free safety.”

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2013 Draft Class #85 • Tyler Eifert • Tight End

Round 1 6-6 • 251 lbs.

Notre Dame

Round 2 6-8 • 277 lbs.

Southern Methodist

Round 4 6-1 • 229 lbs Texas A&M

Round 6 5-10 • 214 lbs.

Nebraska

Round 7 6-8 • 308 lbs.

Ohio State

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• 2012 Mackey Award recipient as the best tight end in college football.

• Received All-American first-team honors from The NFL Draft Report, Phil Steele and Pro Football Weekly.

• Caught 140 passes for 1,840 yards (13.14 ypc) and 11 touchdowns scoring 68 points.

• Set a school record for tight ends with 140 catches.

• As a freshman at Bishop Dwenger High School (Fort Wayne, Ind.), he was only 5’10' and 176 lbs.

#25 • Giovani Bernard • Running Back • Third-best rushing performance in school history with 1,253 yards in 2011.

• Ranks first in rushing yards (107.87 ypg) and second in all-purpose yards (156.35 ypg) among active NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision performers.

• Earned first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors.

Round 2 5-8 • 202 lbs. • Led the league and finished second in the FBS with North Carolina a 16.44-yard punt return average.

• Produced consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

#99 • Margus Hunt • Defensive End

#40 • Shawn Williams • Safety

• Started playing football in 2009.

• In 2012, named to The NFL Draft Report’s All-American first-team special teams unit, All-Conference first-team, MVP of the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.

• Participated in the 2013 Senior Bowl.

• Ran 4.60 in the 40-yard dash, 1.61 in the 10-yard dash and has 82 ¼-inch wingspan.

• The first athlete to win the gold medal in both shot and discus at the World Junior Championships in 2006.

• Hometown Karksi-Nuia, Estonia.

• Two-time team captain at UGA. • Led the team with 72 tackles (48 solos) in 2011.

• Named All-American second-team and All-Southeastern Conference first-team by The NFL Draft Report in 2012.

• Rivals.com regarded him as having the “best ball skills” of any safety in the country as a high school senior at Early County High (Fort Wayne, Ind.).

Round 3 6-0 • 213 lbs.

Georgia

#56 • Sean Porter • Linebacker

#72 • Tanner Hawkinson • Guard

• 178 of his 261 career tackles came from taking down ball carriers out of the backfield.

• One of seven freshmen who played in 2009, appearing in all 13 games.

• Two-time first-team All-District (26-4A) selection during his final two seasons at Clemens High School (Schertz, Tex.).

• Recorded 261 tackles (148 solos) with 14.5 sacks for minus 112 yards, 34.5 stops for losses of 164 yards and 10 quarterback pressures during his college career.

• Grew up a Kansas fan.

• Started all 12 games at left tackle in 2009 and received first-team Freshman All-American honors from the Football Writers Association of America.

• Finished college as an All-Big 12 second-team selection.

• Holds Kansas records with his 48 career starts and 48 straight starts.

• Possesses foot quickness to lead off-tackle runs, effectiveness on zone blocks and picks up twists adeptly.

Round 5 6-5 • 298 lbs.

Kansas

#33 • Rex Burkhead • Running Back

#87 • Cobi Hamilton • Wide Receiver

• Finished his career among the top five all-time rushers in Huskers history.

• His 3,329 career-rushing yards placed him fifth on the NU career-rushing list.

• Three-time member of the Brook Berringer Citizenship Team.

• Selected as one of Nebraska’s Student-Athlete HERO Leadership Award winners in 2012.

• Led the conference with averages of 111.25 receiving yards and 7.50 receptions per game.

• Established new school season-records with 90 receptions for 1,335 yards in 2012 (four of his five touchdowns were for 30 yards or longer).

• Rewrote the school career-record with 175 receptions.

• Also ran track finishing fourth in the 200 meters at the AAU National Junior Olympics (21.41).

• His mom, Deborah, played on Arkansas’ 1976-77 inaugural basketball team.

Round 6 6-2 • 212 lbs.

Arkansas

#79 • Reid Fragel • Tackle

#60 • T.J. Johnson • Center

• Started all twelve games at right tackle for the Buckeyes in 2012.

• All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention.

• Bulked up from a 260 lb. tight end to a 310 lb. right tackle in his switch from defense to offense.

• Helped the Buckeyes average 423.75 yards per game to finish second in the league and tenth in the nation with an average of 242.25 yards per game on the ground.

• Set the University of South Carolina’s record for starts over a career.

• Named to the coaches All-SEC second-team.

• Shows good awareness on blitzes and stunts, recognizes when his teammates need help and provides it.

• Earned first-team all-state honors by the Associated Press during his senior year at Aynor High School (Aynor, S.C.).

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Round 7 6-4 • 310 lbs.

South Carolina

SWAGGER

By Bill Thompson

James Harrison brings his strut to the Bengals’ gridiron after a less than easy breakup with the Steelers

S

wagger isn’t a new word, but it has become the go-to description these days when people try to describe why a player or a team has an advantage.

So be it. James Harrison has swagger, and he’s bringing it to the Bengals this season. This should be a good thing for the team, which has never been among the names quickly associated with the term over the years.

But after two straight playoff appearances, they appear to be ready for a makeover. And Harrison, the former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker who joined the team as a free agent in April, is likely to be the cover boy for the new image, even if he won’t say it out loud.

“I don’t feel like all eyes are on me,” Harrison says. “I get a lot of questions about how I go about things, but I don’t think I have to come in here and be a vocal leader. I can lead by example, by how I go about my business.”

Harrison isn’t being disingenuous. He is simply stating facts. Doing business his way has earned him more rewards than everyone else in the Bengals locker room combined: two Super Bowl titles, 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and six trips to the Pro Bowl. He had plenty of help when he was on the Steelers, of course, but the fact that he chose to sign with the Bengals after refusing to take a pay cut to stay in Pittsburgh says something about the perception of his new team outside of the city: It’s now a contender.

Harrison is 35 years old. He didn’t come to Cincinnati for a paycheck. If he’s going to put his body through the rigors of an NFL season, he’s focused on one thing and that’s winning a championship. Well, maybe two things. He knows the path to a title from the AFC North goes through Pittsburgh.

“I understand it’s a business,” Harrison says of his less than amicable departure from the Steelers, “so it’s not like I can really take it personally. But to say that it doesn’t motivate me in some sense would be a lie.”

There’s no upside to questioning Harrison’s veracity – he’s back in tip-top shape after struggling with injuries over the past two seasons and looks like he can run down and crush quarterbacks and running backs. But when he says he doesn’t take the split from the Steelers personally, it sounds like a … let’s call it a fib.

Both of this season’s games between the teams are scheduled for primetime TV: Sept. 16 on ESPN and Dec. 15 on NBC. One knowledgeable observer believes that might not be accidental.

Sports Illustrated’s Peter King says this about the matchups: “I think the Cincinnati-Pittsburgh games next season all of a sudden got more network-attractive … Harrison trying to sack Ben Roethlisberger (and Harrison will be revved up in a big way for those games, having been cap-purged by the Steelers) will be eight must-see quarters.”

In addition, Harrison had to put up with this tweet from linebacker Larry Foote, his longtime Steelers teammate: “James Harrison look whack in front of that Black & Orange.” Sounds like everyone’s not convinced Harrison isn’t taking the breakup personally.

But as Harrison says himself, talk doesn’t win football games.

“You can talk and you can make it sound good, but you probably can’t play the game,” he says. “You can talk, you can make it sound good, but you’re probably not going to be in there grinding, working out for two hours a day at 6 o’clock in the morning. Anybody can talk.”

That’s a fact. But you have to do more than flap your lips to earn the right to have swagger. ■

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D. A . FLEISCHER

FANS SAVE WITH A BENGALS BUNDLE

By Bill Thompson

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he Bengals hope that two straight trips to the playoffs, a schedule that features five opponents that played in the postseason last year and lower prices for season tickets in 20 sections of Paul Brown Stadium will translate to even bigger crowds this season.

Andrew Brown, the team’s ticket sales manager, says many factors drive demand, and somewhat surprisingly, believes potential might trump recent results.

“Maybe, even more than the success of the team, is the direction of the team,” says Brown, who isn’t related to the founding family. “By that I mean fans who perceive that we’re heading in the right direction are more apt to join in and be excited about the upcoming season. “(This year’s team) is young, a great group of guys that are just getting better.

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Coming off two playoff seasons, it would be hard to argue that the direction of the team is not favorable right now. I think that fans are excited about the upcoming season and that would translate into increased sales.”

The Bengals, who sold out six of their eight regular-season home games last season, reduced the price of some season tickets in the upper deck for the second straight year as they attempt to fill the stadium for each game.

The team will get some help on that front with an attractive schedule that features the five playoff teams (Packers, Patriots, Colts, Vikings and Ravens), plus a Monday night game against the Steelers. For fans that aren’t ready to make a season-ticket commitment, there are two four-game packages and four two-game packages available.

“The two- and four-pack tickets are already trending much higher than they did last year,” Brown says. “(The strong schedule) is why we created some of the packs the way we did to leverage those big, high-profile games like the Monday night game against Pittsburgh, and the Packers, which only come once every eight years.

“The big national teams with a huge following, like the Patriots with all the success they’ve had, will be a big game as well. Aside from Pittsburgh, those are teams that don’t come here each season.”

If the Bengals have another successful season, people who buy those packages might become future season-ticket buyers. The marketing plan is sound, but as Brown says, the key is for the team to keep showing improvement. Winning is the best promotion. ■

Schedule SEE RIVALS WITH TICKET PACKS Want to see the Bengals bash the Steelers and the Browns? You can watch the AFC North rivals up close and personal with twoand four-game ticket packs. Benefits of a ticket pack include: reduced pricing, preferred seating options and playoff ticket priority over single-game ticket buyers.

PRESEASON Date

Opponent

2012 Record

Time

TV

Aug. 8

at Atlanta

13-3

8 p.m.

ESPN

Aug. 17

TENNESSEE

6-10

7 p.m.

Ch. 12

Aug. 24

at Dallas

8-8

8 p.m.

Ch. 12

Aug. 29

INDIANAPOLIS

11-5

7 p.m.

Ch. 12

REGULAR SEASON

Ticket Pack Benefits:

Sept. 8

at Chicago

10-6

1 p.m.

R e d u c e d p r i c i n g c o m p a r e d t o s i n g l e - g a m e t i c k e t s Preferred seating options available over single-game tickets The same great seats for each game of your Ticket Pack Priority before the public for purchase of tickets to any home playoff games in 2013 season

Sept. 16

PITTSBURGH

8-8

8:40 p.m.

ESPN

Sept. 22

GREEN BAY

11-5

1 p.m.

FOX

Sept. 29

at Cleveland

5-11

1 p.m.

CBS

Oct. 6

NEW ENGLAND

12-4

1 p.m.

CBS

Four-game packs (available on all levels of Paul Brown Stadium):

Oct. 13

at Buffalo

6-10

1 p.m.

CBS

Oct. 20

at Detroit

4-12

1 p.m.

CBS

Oct. 27

N.Y. JETS

6-10

4:05 p.m.

CBS

Oct. 31

at Miami

7-9

8:25 p.m.

NFL

Two-game packs (available only in club and canopy levels):

Nov. 10

at Baltimore

10-6

1 p.m.

CBS

Power Pack A: Cleveland, Pittsburgh Power Pack B: Baltimore, New England Power Pack C: Green Bay, New York Jets Power Pack D: Indianapolis, Minnesota

Nov. 17

CLEVELAND

5-11

1 p.m.

CBS

Nov. 24

BYE

Orange Pack: Green Bay, Indianapolis, Minnesota, New York Jets Black Pack: Baltimore, Cleveland, New England, Pittsburgh

Season Tickets Season tickets ensure the best possible seats for every home game, discounted pricing off the single-game price and first right to purchase home playoff tickets.

Dec. 1

at San Diego

7-9

4:25

CBS

Dec. 8

INDIANAPOLIS

11-5

1 p.m.

CBS

Dec. 15

at Pittsburgh

8-8

8:25

NBC

Dec. 22

MINNESOTA

10-6

1 p.m.

FOX

Dec. 29

BALTIMORE

10-6

1 p.m.

CBS

Single-game tickets Prices for single-game tickets will range from $44 to $88.

Bengals South Ticket Office Open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Bengals South Ticket Office is located on the Paul Brown Stadium Plaza Level, near Gate E. At the ticket office, fans may complete an order form and purchase tickets that will be mailed in August, in time for all games.

Ticket Office One Paul Brown Stadium Cincinnati, OH 45202 Call the ticket hotline at (866) 621-TDTD (8383) or visit www.Bengals.com.

2013 BENGALS TEAM GUIDE,

July 2013, is sponsored by Medical Mutual and published by Cincy Magazine. Copyright 2013 by Cincy Magazine. All rights reserved.

Reproduction or use, without written permission, of editorial or pictorial content, in any manner is prohibited. Editorial, advertising, and business offices: 30 Garfield Place, Suite 440, Cincinnati, OH 45202.

Eric Harmon, Publisher & President Julie Bethlenfalvy, Customs Editor Guy Kelly, Design/Photography

C I N C I N N AT I B E N G A L S T E A M G U I D E

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Š 2013 Medical Mutual of Ohio

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