Bengals' Benson looks to burn his former team

CINCINNATI—Let's not go all Chicken Little here. The sky won't fall on whoever loses Sunday's interconference game between the Bears and Bengals. But a victory would be a timely pick-me-up for both teams. The Bears, coming off a loss to Atlanta, are 3-2 and trail NFC North leader Minnesota by 2.5 games. The Bengals, also trying to bounce back from a defeat, are 4-2 and tied with Pittsburgh for first place in the AFC North. After a bye next week, they face challenging, back-to-back tests against Baltimore and Pittsburgh. "To go into the bye at 5-2 and be in the position we could be if we get a win is huge," Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer said. "We've got to win this game." Cedric Benson is out for revenge against the team that drafted and then released him Here are five factors that will help shape Sunday's outcome: 1. The Benson burner. Running back Cedric Benson told reporters this week he believes the Bears blackballed him aft...