The Cincinnati Bengals have high expectations on their shoulders this season, after a promising 2012 campaign and being featured on HBO's Hard Knocks series this preseason. Today at 1:00 p.m. they will take on the Chicago Bears, a team that began last season on fire only to be extinguished by midseason. Live stream the game here; the Bengals broadcast can be caught on WCKY 1530 AM, while the Bears' broadcast can be heard on 105.9 FM.
One Bengal who understands the expectations placed on the Bengals this year, after spending most of his career as a Dallas Cowboy is cornerback Terrence Newman. "One of the hardest things to overcome is expectations," Newman said. "I think it's easy when you're the underdog because you have to work, people are discrediting you. Once you get so much expectation and people pat you on the back, some people start to believe it. It's just the worst thing possible."
The Bengals' season will ride on the continued connection between quarterback Andy Dalton and star wide receiver A.J. Green, as well as the thunder and lightning combo in the backfield of touchdown maven BenJarvus Green-Ellis and rookie scatback Giovani Bernard.
The Bengals also boast the best defensive lineman in the game not named J.J. Watt in nose tackle Geno Atkins.
On the Bears' side, all eyes will be on quarterback Jay Cutler in a contract year and how he meshes with new head coach Marc Trestman. Trestman has been brought in to save the Bears from their chronically underachieving offenses, and he's coming off back-to-back Canadian Football League championships.
"I think the best thing about him is he's feeling it out himself and looking for changes that he can make that makes him a better coach," tight end Martellus Bennett said. "He's always trying to do the things he can do to become better."
The Bengals lists Brandon Ghee (CB) and Mike Pollak (G) as out, Andrew Whitworth (T) as doubtful, and Tyler Eifert (TE), Carlos Dunlap (DE), Dre Kirkpatrick (CB), Andre Smith (T) and Devon Still (CB) as probable.
The Bears have no significant injuries to report.
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