Chinedum Ndukwe News

Rashard Mendenhall has 528 yards and four touchdowns in five starts this season.

A limousine crashed into a Mount Auburn utility pole Tuesday morning after picking up a Cincinnati Bengal from a classroom appearance.

FLORENCE - Seven-year-old John Wharton found a way to make 800 friends without joining a social networking Web site: just go to school in a stretch limousine with a Cincinnati Bengals player.

He's still the fiery and determined defensive coordinator, but the last month has been difficult for Mike Zimmer.

The 2009 Cincinnati Bengals are no longer the same old Bengals, as evidenced by their 17-7 win over the Ravens on Sunday .

Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata is missing a game for the first time this season because of a sprained left ankle.

It doesn't seem like we've seen a game like Sunday's for years, maybe decades. 45-10 was the final, and it wasn't that close.

Sixth-year pro has started Games 1-5 at RDE and is tied for NFL lead with 8.0 sacks ... Has 23 total tackles and two passes defensed ... Named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 2, when he sacked Green Baya s Aaron Rodgers five times in Sept.

It's not often that you'll see a Cincinnati Bengal making friends with a Cleveland Brown, particularly during football season.

Bengals running back Brian Leonard and defensive tackle Frostee Rucker missed a third straight day of practice and are listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Houston Texans at Paul Brown Stadium.

Carson Palmer wore a glove during Wednesday's practice but fully participated in all sessions despite a sprained left thumb.

Texans defensive tackle Shaun Cody was inactive for a game against the Bengals after missing practice during the week with an illness.

The Bengals have shut down a veritable who's who of top receivers this season. Packers WR Greg Jennings , ex-Browns WR Braylon Edwards and Ravens WR Derrick Mason were all held without a catch by the Cincinnati secondary.

But if the Bengals are to get a fifth win Sunday against the Texans, theya ve got to rely as much on rookie cornerback Morgan Trent and the guy that Trent calls a oeOld Man Crocker,a safety Chris Crocker .

The roll call is impressive: Greg Jennings , Braylon Edwards , Derrick Mason . All of them faced the Cincinnati Bengals ' secondary this season.

If Limas Sweed holds onto the ball in the end zone or Joe Flacco hits his wide-open receiver down the sideline, nobody is talking about the Cincinnati Bengals as a surprise team.

Mark Clayton just let go of the ball as he went down near the Ravens 20-yard line.

Also down were backup SAM linebacker and big special teams contributor Rashad Jeanty with a fractured finger.

Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco did the unthinkable, which is standard operating procedure for the flamboyant five-time Pro Bowler.

Defensive tackle Tank Johnson, who says he has plantar fasciitis in his foot, and wide receiver Andre Caldwell, who missed the last part of last Sundaya s game with an injured shoulder, worked Wednesday.