National Football League
Cincinnati 20, St. Louis 13
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 18, 2011
Where: Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
Temperature: Dome
Head Official: Jerome Boger
Attendance: 56431

Cedric Benson rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown and Bernard Scott added a rushing score as the Cincinnati Bengals kept their playoff hopes alive with a 20-13 victory over the host St. Louis Rams.

Andy Dalton passed for 179 yards and A.J. Green caught six passes for 115 yards for the Bengals (8-6), who moved into a tie with the New York Jets (8-6) for the final wild card spot in the AFC.

The Rams (2-12) have dropped five straight and have been inept on offense, averaging just over 11 points.

It was Cincinnati struggling on offense in the first half, having two straight drives end in three-and-outs after an interception. The Bengals went into the half trailing 6-3.

But Dalton directed a field goal drive out of the locker room and Cincinnati got great field position on its first touchdown after Brandon Tate returned a kick 56 yards. The Bengals needed just three plays from there, with Scott punching it in for a 1-yard score.

Cincinnati put it away on the next drive, capped by Benson’s 4-yard scoring run that made it 20-6.

Sam Bradford was ruled out due to an ankle injury, leaving Kellen Clemens to start at quarterback for St. Louis. Clemens finished with 229 yards and threw a touchdown pass to Danario Alexander with 1:03 left.
Top Game Performances
Rushing
Cincinnati   St. Louis
Cedric Benson Player Steven Jackson
22 Attempts 18
76 Yards 71
3.4 Avg Yards 3.9
1 Touchdowns 0
15 Long 18
Receiving
Cincinnati   St. Louis
A.J. Green Player Steven Jackson
6 Receptions 9
115 Yards 72
19.2 Avg Yards 8.0
0 Touchdowns 0
55 Long 12
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Cincinnati 283 110 173 2 2 0 3.0 1
St. Louis 305 95 210 1 2 1 1.0 3
Upcoming Games
  • St. Louis will play their next game on the road against Pittsburgh. The Rams have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.
  • Cincinnati will play their next game at home against Arizona. The Bengals have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.