PLAYER NOTES
–DE Carlos Dunlap did not practice Wednesday due to a hip injury.
–WR A.J. Green was limited in practice Wednesday but said he expects to play Sunday. Green missed the last three games with a toe injury.
–T Jake Fisher did not practice Wednesday with a back injury and could sit out Sunday.
–T Cordy Glenn did not practice Wednesday with a back injury and may miss his second straight game.
–CB Tony McRae sat out practice Wednesday with a concussion he sustained on special teams in Sunday’s loss to Cleveland.
–LB Nick Vigil was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and may play Sunday. Vigil has missed the last five games with a knee injury sustained in the Pittsburgh game in Week 6.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: QB Jeff Driskel will be thrust into the spotlight this week starting for Andy Dalton for the rest of the season. He will join AJ McCarron as quarterbacks who replaced Dalton due to a thumb injury for the 2016 playoff game against Pittsburgh. Driskel appeared in mop-up duty during the blowout losses to Kansas City and New Orleans. In his first real action after Dalton was injured, Driskel completed 17 of 29 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown and a TD run. He also nearly allowed an interception to get returned for a score.
GAME PLAN: The absence of quarterback Andy Dalton may lead to a more conservative strategy focusing on running the ball, especially after Joe Mixon rushed for 89 yards last week and especially since Denver owns the league’s 24th-ranked run defense. In the Baltimore loss, the Bengals had Mixon and Giovani Bernard on the field at the same time for five snaps but last week it was only two. Mixon also thrived in the two-minute offense by gaining 53 yards on a 75-yard scoring drive after the Bengals were down 28-0.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Bengals OL vs. Broncos OLBs Bradley Chubb and Von Miller. Chubb is a Rookie of the Year candidate with nine sacks. He was responsible for at least one sack in five straight games before last week against Pittsburgh. Miller has 10.5 sacks and is always dangerous and this week the Bengals offensive line could be depleted if back injuries keep Ts Cordy Glenn and Jake Fisher from playing.
–Bengals WR A.J. Green vs. Broncos secondary. Green is expected to return and will face a defense ranked 24th in passing yards. Green did not seem to be bothered by the toe injury that kept him out the previous three games when he practiced Wednesday.
