Cincinnati @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 25, 2011 ) San Francisco 13, Cincinnati 8

AJ McCarron was used to high-profile games from his days at Alabama but the pressure will rise considerably as he prepares to make his first NFL start when the Cincinnati Bengals visit the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. McCarron is stepping in for Andy Dalton, who suffered a fractured thumb on his throwing hand in last week's loss to Pittsburgh.

The Bengals, who are trying to hang onto the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the postseason with three games left, can clinch the AFC North with a win or a loss by the Steelers. “Hopefully we'll be able to get Andy back at some point and we'll move forward,” Cincinnati offensive coordinator Hue Jackson said. “But right now it's AJ McCarron's show and he'll go lead the parade.” McCarron threw for 280 yards and two scores but also was picked off twice last week, including an interception for a touchdown. The 49ers are coming off a meek effort in a 24-10 loss at Cleveland, but they are 3-3 in their six home games.

TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Bengals -4.5. O/U: 40.5

ABOUT THE BENGALS (10-3): Dalton was in the midst of the finest season of his career, but he's not the only key injury for Cincinnati. Tight end Tyler Eifert, tied for the league lead with 12 touchdown receptions, missed practice again Thursday due to a concussion. McCarron did thrown a 66-touchdown pass to A.J. Green, who has 76 catches for 1,169 yards and eight TDs, but the Bengals may lean more on the backfield tandem of Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard with Dalton sidelined. Cincinnati is second in the league, allowing an average of 17.6 points, and faces the NFL's lowest-scoring team (14.5 ppg).

ABOUT THE 49ERS (4-9): San Francisco followed up one of its best performances of the season, an overtime win at Chicago, by getting mauled in Cleveland and giving up 230 rushing yards to a team that ranked last in the league entering the contest. Blaine Gabbert is 2-3 since he replaced Colin Kaepernick as the starting quarterback, but he has failed to pass for 200 yards in each of the past two games and was sacked a franchise record-tying nine times by the Browns. The 49ers' defense has played exceptionally well at Levi's Stadium, allowing a league-low 15.8 points in the six home games.

OVERTIME

1. McCarron is bidding to become the first Alabama quarterback to win an NFL game since Jeff Rutledge in 1987.

2. 49ers WR Anquan Boldin is nine receptions shy of becoming the 13th player to reach 1,000.

3. The Bengals are the only team that features two players (Carlos Dunlap 10.5, Geno Atkins 8) with at least eight sacks.

PREDICTION: Bengals 23, 49ers 16