The Monday Touchdown: The Bengals Give Fans a Win for the Holidays Edition

They did it! The Bengals snapped their losing streak and spared us all from loss number 11 and a season in which they get swept by the Browns. What a great early Christmas present! It almost makes you forget about the 10 straight losses leading up to the Browns game..... almost, but not quite.

Just when you figure that the Bengals don't have any pride left in the tank, they go ahead and prove you wrong because Sundays win against the Browns was definitely a gut check win. They played for pride and they proved that they still have enough of it left to possibly ruin another team's playoff hopes.

Here's the seven things that Sunday's win over the Browns taught me.

Actually, it's more accurate to say that we didn't know him at all -- and we won't have the chance either. With the win on Sunday, the Bengals knocked themselves out of a possible run at having a first overall pick and out of a second overall pick as well. Right now, the Bengals are sitting with the third pick in the 2011 NFL Draft behind Carolina and Denver. Both of those teams could use Luck and are unlikely to pass on him.

It's not all bad considering that the Bengals may be in desperate need of every other position including running back (maybe), full back (definitely), wide receiver (definitely), offensive line (definitely), defensive line (definitely), cornerback (maybe) and safety (definitely). Things could get a lot worse than not being able to draft Andrew Luck.

It was a good run. I enjoyed watching TO play for the Bengals this season. He had a few impressive plays that made me question whether or not he was really in his mid 30's. It's regrettable that his season had to be cut short by a knee injury, but that same knee injury just probably confirmed what we already knew; TO's stay in Cincinnati was never going to be longer than this season. The Bengals will definitely need to turn to the draft or free agency (the draft... please) to fill the void that will be left by TO.

Hopefully they decide not to pass up on the next DeSean Jackson so they can get the next Jerome Simpson.

On Sunday, Benson went over 1,000 yards for the second time in his career. The first time was last season when he carried the Bengals on his back all the way to the playoffs. Even though his yards per carry average was down from last season and he has been less effective, remember that the offensive philosophy completely changed from last season to this season. Benson had to fight for every single yard that he got this year.

There are seasons where it looks like 1,000 yards comes easy and others where it looks like backs have to claw their way for every yard. This has been a 1,000 yards the hard way for Benson. That could be another reason why he was emotional after the game because he knows how hard the yards have been this year. It was also good to see Benson congratulating offensive linemen, receivers and tight ends in the locker room after the game and expressing his thanks for their blocking. He was also reminding them that there were still two games to go.

Whether or not he wants to stay in Cincinnati, well that's a different story.

Carlos Dunlap has seven sacks this season. Seven. That's only one behind second overall pick Ndamukong Suh. He also, obviously, leads the Bengals in sacks this season. Fellow rookie Geno Atkins has been fairly impressive as well so far this season and rookie linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy had a stop against Browns running back Peyton Hillis on a third and one play that could be considered responsible for allowing the Bengals to finally squeak out a win.

Rookie linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy was in on one play from scrimmage and he made the most of it. He stopped 250-pound Browns back Peyton Hillis on third-and-one at the Bengals 5 to forced a field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter. Muckelroy lined up at middle backer in the goal-line defense, Dhani Jones moved over and when Muckelroy hit Hillis high, Jones finished him off below.

These three rookies are definitely sealing the fate of some of the other defensive players, especially on the defensive line, that have failed to produce this season.

The Bengals are my excuse to do nothing on Sundays. They have been for a long time. I have been lucky enough to get at least a mini-pack of tickets over the past three years. That's what I did this season. Unfortunately, the Browns game wasn't one of the games in my pack. Usually, I wouldn't care, I would just sit and watch the Bengals game from my couch. However, since the Bengals have been getting blacked out, my Sundays have become a little more complicated. I had to go to the mall on Sunday to go Christmas shopping.

THE MALL!!!!

The Bengals ruined my weekend.

A little more time to get experience in the passing game and becoming a better blocker were the only two things left that Gresham had to do to become the complete package. The experience will come with time but Gresham's blocking ability is getting better and better as the weeks go by. Blocking, which is likely the toughest thing for a rookie tight end, and experience are the only two things that separate Gresham from the elite tight ends in the NFL.

Andre Smith may be a bust. Jermaine Gresham definitely isn't.

Coaches thought that Andre Caldwell was one of the most improved players on the offense coming into this season. Unfortunately for him, the signing of Terrell Owens and the drafting of Jordan Shipley effectively squeezed Caldwell out of the wide receiver picture. Now that TO is done for the season though, Caldwell will have another chance to prove that he belongs in a Bengals uniform. Jerome Simpson has the same opportunity on four and five receiver sets. He can finally prove to the Bengals that he belongs on the field.

Both Caldwell and Simpson made cases for themselves against the Browns, especially Caldwell. The next couple games could be pivotal for the future of both of these receivers with the Bengals.