CINCINNATI — Devon Still figures it will be the most emotional game he'll ever play.
For the past five months, the Bengals defensive tackle has been immersed in helping his 4-year-old daughter Leah get through surgery and chemotherapy to fight a cancerous growth found in her abdomen.
She's feeling good enough to leave a hospital back home in Philadelphia and fly to Cincinnati for a game on Thursday night against the Cleveland Browns at Paul Brown Stadium, where she'll get to watch her father play for the first time.
"It will probably be the most special game I'm ever going to play because I know my daughter is going to be here to watch me play," the third-year player from Penn State said.
"All the money that's been raised for the cancer research is because of her strength and because she's fighting this disease. So it's definitely going to be an emotional game for me."
The Bengals (5-2-1) helped Still and his daughter by excusing him from offseason activities so he could spend time with her in Philadelphia. They kept him on the practice squad to start the season even though he was hurt so that he'd keep his medical coverage.
And the team helped raise money for pediatric cancer treatment and research by donating money from the sale of his No. 75 jersey to Children's Hospital in Cincinnati. The team will present a check for more than $1 million on the field after the first quarter against the Browns (5-3).
Leah Still will be part of the presentation. She'll watch the rest of the game from one of the stadium boxes.
"It's going to be added motivation just knowing my daughter is watching me," Still said. "I want her to be able to hear how the crowd cheers that loud whenever I make a tackle, so I'm going to go out there and do whatever I can to put a smile on her face."
It's the first time Ohio's two NFL teams are playing with first place at stake so late in a season since 1986.
The Bengals (5-2-1) are alone atop the AFC North, with everyone else right behind. The Browns (5-3) could move into a first-place tie with Pittsburgh (6-3) and show they're ready to be taken seriously as a contender Thursday night at Paul Brown Stadium.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian HoyerPhoto: AP
A victory would give the Browns a three-game winning streak, their best start since 1994, and a lot of credibility as an up-and-coming team.
"It'll certainly be a good measuring stick because Cincinnati this year has been probably the best team in the AFC North," left tackle Joe Thomas said. "If we want to win the AFC North, we're going to have to beat Cincinnati, and this is our first opportunity."
What about stage fright?
"If you're at this point in your career, you've played on multiple national-stage games," quarterback Brian Hoyer said. "Guys have been in Super Bowls, playoff games. This isn't like the high school team playing on the weekly Friday night game on TV."
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