Bengals Early Bird Special

Good morning everyone! And for once I think we can all agree that this particular Monday will be easier to digest compared to previous Monday's. And for those of you wondering what the hell I'm talking about, well it's plain and simple. The Bengals defeated the Browns on Sunday in the beginning of the Andy Dalton/ Post-Carson Palmer Era. It's always a sigh of relief to get that first victory out of the way. It feels as if a weight is lifted off of our shoulders. Because who knows, this win might be the only one the Bengals get this season.

On Sunday the Bengals surprised a majority of spectators by defeating the Browns 27-17. And there are many reasons for that.

For starters the Bengals stayed out of trouble with penalties. The Bengals only committed three penalties in comparison to the Browns who committed 11 penalties. The Bengals were able to stay in check and avoid seeing the yellow flag being tossed for an infraction against them.

Another category that the Bengals had an advantage in was the special teams unit. More specifically the punting unit. Both teams were forced to punt the ball eight times apiece. But the difference is that Kevin Huber averaged nearly 48 yards a punt while Browns punter Richmond McGee averaged a dismal 36 yards per punt. I think the difference in the punting unit was the key difference in this game. The Bengals were able to capitalize on the change of possession. The Bengals scored 20 points when the Browns were forced to punt, whereas the Browns only managed to score ten points. The field position that the Bengals had after McGee's punts were vital. McGee makes a better punt who knows if the Bengals score, it could've been a whole new ballgame.

And holding the Browns to only ten points after punting only means one thing. The defense stepped up and did their job. In reality the Bengals shouldn't have allowed that second touchdown. The key play for the Browns on that drive was Colt McCoy's pass to Mohamed Massaquoi for 56 yards. That was blown coverage. Plain and simple, there's no legitimate reason Massaquoi should've been that wide open.

But instead of focusing on some of the miscues let's live up the Bengals first win of the season! Hopefully this Sunday the Bengals will be able to defeat the Broncos to start the season with two straight victories.

Alright here is a look at what you may have missed or overlooked from the weekend.

• With the Bengals victory over the Browns in round one in the Battle of Ohio, we were able to learn what some of the key components of the game were.
• During Sunday's game not only did the Bengals seem to be on the same wavelength as a team, they also showed some heart, something that has been lacking in recent years.
• A recap of Marvin Lewis' post-game press conference.
• Towards the end of the first half Andy Dalton sustained a wrist injury and will undergo an MRI. Marvin Lewis remains hopeful that Dalton will be able to return next week when the Bengals square-off against the Denver Broncos.
• After the game Andrew Whitworth departed from the locker room with a boot on his left foot. For the time being it would appear as though Whitworth's injury isn't serious.
• If you were wondering where some of the Bengals new additions were during the season opener then check out the list of inactive players from Sunday's game.
• Sunday marked the ten year anniversary of the World Trade Tower collapse. All of us here at Cincy Jungle took a moment to remember what was going on when we heard the devastating news. Rey Maualuga wore a special pair of cleats to commemorate September 11.
• Newly acquired wide receiver Brandon Tate has a vote of confidence from special teams coach Darrin Simmons, despite not being very productive against the Bengals last season.
• Due to the recent quarterback woes in the AFC South, the Bengals 2011 season should be easier. Key words, "should be."
• The Browns are a team that the Bengals should beat. Yes, the Browns have a slight advantage on offense, but here are five reasons as to why the Bengals did beat the Browns on Sunday.
• Tony Grossi of The Cleveland Plain Dealer, stated that the Browns should be ashamed if they lost to the Bengals. Well it's time for the Browns and Tony Grossi to walk with their tails between their legs in embarrassment.
• Alright so usually if we or any other media source have anything to say about Mike Brownit's mainly to bash on him. For Brown if something negative is going on then he will be right under the spotlight. But surprisingly Brown stepped up to help a Bengals fan. Maybe, just maybe Mike Brown isn't as bad of a person that we make him out to be. (Okay, let's face it, he is very poor at operating and producing a team that will constantly win, but a tremendous business guru.)
• The NFL regular season officially kicked-off (no pun intended) on Thursday and on Sunday a majority of the league played their openers and there's only one way to sum up our feelings. It's about damn time the season started.
• With the Cincinnati Bengals now operating their own radio network fans will not be able to call during the postgame shows.
• Check out some notes and news about the Bengals, Carson Palmer, and Andre Smith.
• Predicting how the Bengals will fare during the 2011 season is a popular topic and Cincinnati Magazineinvited our very own Josh Kirkendall to join their roundtable discussion.