Antrel Rolle had three interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns, as the Arizona Cardinals fended off the Cincinnati Bengals, 35-27, at Paul Brown Stadium.

Rolle's third pick of the day came in the closing moments to seal the win, and nearly put him in the record books. The first-round pick out of Miami took Carson Palmer's errant pass and sprinted into the end zone, seemingly giving him an NFL-high three TD interception returns in one game. Antonio Smith was whistled for a personal foul on the return, however, to nullify the score.

Cardinals (4-5) at Bengals (3-6)
Kickoff: 1 p.m., Paul Brown Stadium (65,500, FieldTurf)

Line: Bengals by TV: Fox

Story line:  The Bengals hope to win consecutive games for the first time this season. Cincinnati's defense looked good last week against Baltimore, allowing only a meaningless late touchdown. Now that defense must prove last week wasn't due only to the Ravens' offensive ineptitude. Both teams feature outstanding receiving corps. While Edgerrin James has had a productive season for Arizona, the Bengals must get their run game untracked.

What's at stake?  Because of their awful start, the Bengals have already reached the must-win part of their schedule if they're to have any chance of contending for the playoffs. Otherwise, what's at stake is their draft positioning for 2008.

What you need to know about today's Bengals-Cardinals game at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati:

Scouting the Bengals:  They finally got a boost from the defense and special teams, riding seven Shayne Graham field goals and forcing six turnovers against the Ravens. The point of emphasis all week has been to improve the 28th-ranked rush offense, whose average has fallen to 86.3 yards per game after outings of 28 yards at Buffalo and 70 at Baltimore. Quarterback Carson Palmer has plenty of options through the air (Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chris Henry), but the club desperately wants tailback Rudi Johnson to get his first rushing touchdown of the year.

While two Bengals from Michigan hailed the Wolverines, their teammate from Ohio State — linebacker Anthony Schlegel — carried the Buckeye banner.     There was plenty of woofin'  in the Bengals locker room regarding Saturday's Ohio State-Michigan showdown at high noon in Ann Arbor.     Wearing the Maize and Blue on their sleeves, tailback Chris Perry and cornerback Leon Hall predict a Michigan victory, which produced a chuckle from Schlegel, who insists the Scarlet and Gray will prevail.

"I look for Michigan to win," Perry said, "and avenge whatever has been going on."     Translation: Three straight OSU victories and five wins in six years for the Buckeyes.     "Michigan will win by 20 points," Hall added. "Everyone has their predictions. I think they're going to pull through. They're going to surprise a lot of people. I've got a lot of faith in my boys up there. It's been a few years (since a Michigan victory in 2003), so it's a long time coming.

Two scars — one six inches, the other two inches — decorate the outside of Chris Perry's right ankle, courtesy of a fracture and dislocation suffered at Cleveland on Nov. 26, 2006.  But the Bengals tailback sports another scar, too. It's branded on his psyche. It's Ohio State's recent domination of his beloved Michigan Wolverines.     Perry is in his second week of practice with the Bengals on a roster exemption, but remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list. When his three-week practice window ends, the club has to make a move — activate him to the 53-man roster, place him on Injured Reserve or release him.  Perry addressed his rehab, his Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State coach Jim Tressel in a question and answer session:

Q. How often have you heard about Appalachian State this year?
A. I've heard it a lot. Last time I checked, I wasn't there when they lost that game. But they've bounced back. Most teams couldn't do what they did.

Fans attending Paul Brown Stadium today are in for a treat because the aerial circus is in town.  Quarterbacks Kurt Warner of Arizona and Carson Palmer of Cincinnati will be at the controls in a game that features two of the NFL's best sets of wide receivers.  There's Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chris Henry for the Bengals, and Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Bryant Johnson for the Cardinals.  "Our guys, as competitive as they are, want to be the best trio," Palmer said. "Knowing the pride they have, our guys want to show them up."

Rudi's ready:  When Bengals tailback Rudi Johnson gets to the red zone, he usually sees green. "That's money time," he said. "When I get down there, I'm licking my chops."  Trouble is, Johnson hasn't scored a rushing touchdown this year. He's stuck on 45 for his career. And the Bengals are sick of hearing about their 28th-ranked rushing offense.  "We haven't been opening up holes and taking care of business," left tackle Levi Jones said. "We have to get back to that."