A look at Bengals whose stock rose and fell in this past weekend's scrimmage/mock game.
The Bengals search for their first playoff victory in 21 years in a rematch of last year's wild-card matchup at Houston.
Cincinnati played at Houston in the first game of the opening round of the playoffs last year and drew the exact same assignment this season. The thought process is the experience of the 31-10 loss
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis is the second-most tenured coach left in the NFL but has never won a playoff game. He can't deny the pressure builds as the latest opportunity approaches.
The Bengals are hot. The Texans are not. Does that mean anything entering Saturday's playoff game? Apparently not.
Bengals running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis came to Cincinnati this season with a history of playoff success in New England. He hopes to pass off what he learned to his teammates this weekend.
With the NFC North and AFC East on the schedule, the Bengals' 2013 opponents make for a challenging run against some of the game's top quarterbacks.
Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden saw his name mentioned by some media as a candidate for a number of head coaching positions, but he said he hasn't been contacted.
The Bengals finished the regular season with the lowest-ranked offense among the 12 playoff teams and need to create more explosive plays down the field.
Kevin Zeitler and J.J. Watt have known each other since high school, living about a mile away from one other. Their reunion will go a long way toward deciding whose team wins on Saturday.
The Bengals didn't have anything to play for but came away healthy, with a win and momentum entering their first-round playoff game against Houston.
Neither team played their stars in the second half, and both exited mostly unscathed with playoff berths already in hand as the the Bengals defense made enough plays to earn the win over the Ravens.
CB Terence Newman and DT Devon Still are among Cincinnati's inactives for its game against the Ravens.
Ravens inactives for Sunday's game against the Bengals include WR Tandon Doss and S Bernard Pollard.
The Bengals can't change their playoff seed but still plan on playing their starters against Baltimore in an effort to keep positive momentum heading toward the postseason.