Cedric Benson Complains of Alleged Bears Smear Campaign Against Him

The Bengals host the Bears in one of the more consequential games on this week's NFL slate, which most people probably wouldn't have guessed when they first looked over this season's schedule. A good share of Cincinnati's resurgence this season is owed to the improved play of Cedric Benson, who is presently third in the NFL in rushing yards. Just last year, that would have seemed as inconceivable as the Bengals posting a winning record through six games. In his first stop in the league with the Bears, Benson was a washout. The fourth overall pick in the 2005 Draft, Benson never eclipsed more than 675 yards in a season with the Bears and averaged only 3.4 yards per carry in 2007, his last season with the team. Add in a host of off-field arrests that involved alcohol, and few Chicago fans mourned his departure in the spring of 2008. Benson wasn't without a team for long, signing with the Bengals at the end of last September. Though he claims that nearly didn'...