DENVER - It has been nearly two seasons since Bengals running back Cedric Benson has rushed for 100 yards in back-to-back games.
If last Sunday's game is any indication, that drought could end this Sunday.
After having a league-high 25 attempts for 121 yards and a touchdown in the Bengals' win at Cleveland, Benson today faces a Broncos defense that allowed 4.9 yards per carry in a loss to Oakland on Monday.
With quarterback Andy Dalton nursing an injured right wrist, the Bengals could need a steady dose of Benson to improve to 2-0 for the first time in five years.
In 41 starts with Cincinnati, Benson has had back-to-back 100-yard games twice - the final two games of the 2008 season, against Cleveland and Kansas City, and midway through the 2009 season, against Chicago and Baltimore.
"It would be a great step in the right direction," Benson said of achieving the feat again. "I haven't thought about that in particular, but I always want to capitalize with 100 yards and a touchdown every week."
The key for the Bengals is returning to the formula of the first three drives of the Cleveland game - a steady diet of run plays to open up the passing game. In those drives, which led to 13 points, the Bengals controlled the ball for 13 of the first 19 minutes and 14 of the 23 plays were runs.
The ground-and-pound style might not win style points, but no one is complaining.
"We have a young football team. The more success we can have being physical, that style is easy," offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth said. "If we can run the football and be physical and be fast, the rest of the game can come later on and they can learn the ins and outs, how to learn differently and how to execute plays a little bit better."
When Benson has run the ball for more than 100 yards, the Bengals have had good results - they are 11-3 in such games. In all but two of those games, Benson has carried the ball 25 times or more.
Also, a happy Benson usually means happy Bengals. The seventh-year running back and first-year offensive coordinator Jay Gruden agree on Benson's football role, and they also have gotten along very well on a personal front.
"He's a jokester. Great sense of humor," Benson said of Gruden. "I can't remember the last time I had that type of a relationship with an offensive coordinator. When you're a focal point or a big factor in an offense or on a team, you always want to have a relationship with your coordinator because he's the one calling the plays and coordinating the plays and you always want to be on the same page."
It will take more than a good game from Benson for the Bengals to get their first win in Denver since 1975 and break an eight-game losing streak there. They also must limit errors as they did against the Browns last Sunday, when they didn't commit a turnover and had only one pre-snap penalty.
The Broncos' defense misfired in the loss to Oakland Monday, when the Raiders ran for 190 yards.
The Denver run game also stalled, as Knowshon Moreno and Willis McGahee combined for 12 rushes and 25 yards. Moreno, who has a hamstring injury, is one of four Broncos starters expected to miss today's game.
That's not good news for Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton, who is under increasing fire from fans. Orton threw for 304 yards against the Raiders but was sacked five times and had a fumble. Fans have taken out billboards in the Denver area imploring first-year coach John Fox to start Tim Tebow.
"Right now we feel like Kyle Orton gives us our best chance," Fox said. "Even the staff before us felt that way. With his play in Monday night's game, he did a lot of good things as well. So I think he'll improve this week, and I expect him to. Right now, he's our starting quarterback. There's no question about that. Like our whole team, we've got some room for improvement this week."
The injury toll is worse on Denver's defense, with cornerback Champ Bailey (hamstring), defensive end Elvis Dumervil (shoulder) and linebacker D.J. Williams (elbow) not practicing the past week. Williams has been ruled out for today's game, and the others are listed as questionable on the injury report.
If Bailey is sidelined, Bengals wide receivers could have a better game today. Rookie A.J. Green was without a reception until a fourth-quarter touchdown catch, and Jerome Simpson had four catches but was limited to 44 yards.
If the Bengals win today, the coming schedule is favorable with home games against San Francisco and Buffalo, a trip to Jacksonville and a home game against Indianapolis.
But Benson isn't looking that far ahead.
"It's important to take them one at a time," Benson said. "You don't know what can happen, but you put yourself in the best position to get a big positive out it by executing during the week."
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