Kimo Von Oelhoffen Steelers won coming off the bye during their Super Bowl winning season.

I'm not exactly sure what it means, if anything, how a team does coming out of the bye week. Last year's New York Giants lost 31-20 to the Dallas Cowboys. The 2006 Indianapolis Colts beat the Washington Redskins 36-22. The Kimo Von Oelhoffen Steelers of 2005 beat the San Diego Chargers 24-22 and the New England Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills 31-17. Three of the past four Super Bowl winners won after their respective bye week. I thought I was hot on the trail of a trend, then it hit me; don't Super Bowl winning teams generally have a high winning percentage? Yes. All right.

Teams that made the playoffs in 2007 went 9-3 after their respective bye weeks. In 2006, playoff teams went 10-2 after their bye weeks. The Bengals aren't making the playoffs and they're surely not going to the Super Bowl. So let's stick with what we know.

Since 2003, the Bengals are 1-4; another one of those stats that reminds us that the Bengals historically stink. Blame who you want, but the sum of the product has been consistently poor. Before riding a four-game losing streak that they'll hope to break against Philadelphia next week, the Bengals beat the Baltimore Ravens 34-26; the Bengals took a 24-7 lead into Half Time, barely escaping with the win after losing 10-19 in the second half. Jon Kitna recorded three touchdowns (130.8 passer rating) and Chad Johnson recorded 130 yards receiving on five receptions; including an 82-yard touchdown reception to take a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter.

In an effort to extend the season, the NFL instituted a bye week into 1990 season between week three and week ten (from 1999-2002, the bye weeks was extended throughout the season because of an unbalanced 31 teams).

Since 1999, the Bengals are 1-8 after the bye week. Since 1990 (when the bye week was instituted), the Bengals are 4-13. Though for the sake of rebuilding decades of damaged pride, the Bengals are 3-1 facing the Steelers off their bye week; wins in 1998, 1995, 1990.

So yea, another one of those stats. Sorry about that.

Receiving

Rushing