National Football League

Bengals pulled college video to prep for Johnny Manziel

Published Dec. 15, 2014 3:10 p.m. ET

foxsports

CINCINNATI -- Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther was nervous all week. Johnny Manziel had played so little in the NFL that there wasn't much to give him a read on the rookie quarterback. So he started pulling out the college video.

With that little bit of study, the Bengals managed to make Manziel look like he still belonged at Texas A&M.

Cincinnati knocked Manziel around during a 30-0 victory in Cleveland on Sunday that kept the Bengals (9-4-1) a half-game ahead of Pittsburgh and Baltimore in the AFC North.

The Bengals go from preparing for a raw rookie to one of the best ever this week. Cincinnati hosts Denver (11-3) and Peyton Manning on Monday night. The Bengals lost in Denver 31-23 in 2012.