by Keith Srakocic - AP

The brave few that ventured into Heinz Field. The 3. WE ARE BENGALS!!!!! (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

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Your Cincinnati Bengals are 7-2, leading the division by effectively 2 games with 7 to play. They just got done shutting down Big Ben Roethlisberger and those hated Pittsburgh Steelers (video highlights here and here) Four of those remaining opponents combine for a 6-29 record. The other three may be difficult games, but they're winnable (with the quality of our defense, everything is winnable), at Minnesota, at San Diego, and at the New York Jets. The Bengals are right in the thick of things at the top of the AFC playoff bracket. If the season ended today, the Bengals are the second best team in the AFC, and would be the #2 seed with a first-round bye.

After the jump, MANY links and notes in narrative form!

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More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

One of the few good things that happened Sunday. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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Antwan Odom is done for the year and Domata Peko was injured. Tank Johnson's been hurt. Leon Hall apparently is NOT the best cornerback in the league, and our tight ends have fumblitis. But we're still atop the division, 4-2 and leading in the tiebeaking categories. My hypothesis? We don't like being favorites. I don't think Marvin's track record is so hot when the Bengals are actually Vegas's choice to win football games. Anyway, here's some of the hate from around the net. I'm kinda busy, so this will be abbreviated.

• Walker Texas Blogger recapped the game. Nothing remarkable, but you get the Countdown Daily video, too.
• Reedy says: Comeback was too little, too late. Collapsed in the second half. Nothing we didn't talk about here, already. We already know why we lost. Playcalling, drops, penalties, injuries, execution. None of those 5 factors went our way.
• Doc says: No heart attacks this weekend. Just bad play. This was a "proverbial trap game," says Doc. Good luck selling out any more home games not against Chicago or Cleveland this year after that debacle.
• CNati staff report: Screens kill Bengals. Apparently, contrary to my sentiment (having not watched the game) Leon Hall did a good job on Johnson when they were matched up. Seemed to me like Hall had a lot of tackles, meaning he gave up a lot of catches. Still, very interesting list of notes and things to think about from the game. Also from CNati, and also something we all talked about - Drops were a big problem. I love Dan Coats?

Look for Peter King's MMQB. It'll say something like "the Bengals tricked us. They're a typical Bungle team." I think we've lost all credibility in the eyes of the National media this week, and I think we'll see that in the form of a vendetta against us, since these national hot-shot writers probably think we made them look dumb.

Sorry for the brevity today, Jungle. Go Bengals.

Mike Zimmer - the man, the legend. Great job coaching this weekend, and the entire nation is thinking of you and your family. The Enquirer/Michael E. Keating

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There is much to talk about today, the day that the Bengals finally get some love in national media. We actually  got more than simple AP recaps to today's game. CBS, SI and ESPN took special note of the Cardiac Cats.

What a game. Without further ado, links to the multitude of photos and stories following the Bengals' 4th straight victory.

• As always, post-game quotes from both sides. The Ravens players blame a lack of execution, Ed Reed almost blames the refs. Coach Harbaugh gives the Bengals props. Cedric Benson describes his day as "awesome," and we get a feel for the closeness of this locker room as it rallied around Mike Zimmer.
• And we'll turn to the local guys at the Enquirer. Leading off is Joe Reedy's recap. As always, Joe's stuff is worth the read. Reedy also put together a short-form recap (man, Leon Hall is good). Paul Daugherty was extraordinarily active on Sunday, writing 2 post-game articles instead of his customary one! First, Doc pays tribute to the excellence in coaching - and in humanity - that we've found in Mike Zimmer, and attests to the community in the locker room that this Bengals fan is sold on. Daugherty also found time to talk to Cedric Benson, and really, you gotta love this kid. He's been the best in the NFL dating back to last December, and it's hard to argue he's a fluke. The Bengals offense can smash some mouth, and if having a 100+ yard rusher against the Ravens doesn't prove it to the pundits, nothing will.
  
• Finishing up from the Enquirer from some not-so-usual suspects, Ryan Ernst has some notes following the game, primarily telling us that Brad St. Louis is no longer a good player. Ernst also has a good quote from Chad, who apparently is sporting a black-eye after Ray Lewis lit him up. The Enquirer also had some GREAT photos from this game. I couldn't pick just one, but felt it was appropriate to continue to highlight our favorite coach.
• In other local media, here's Geoff Hobson's recap: "We've got no talent, just heart. No talent, just heart." - Andrew Whitworth. Nice to hear that Whit, after hearing TJ talk about talent all these years. Heart is apparently better than talent, because heart has us 4-1, and 3-0 on the road.
  
• CNati.com is a cool sports journalism site dedicated to covering Cincinnati sports. They should, however, begin to recognize Cincy Jungle as a "trusted" website and start carrying links to our stories. Please, C. Trent? Anywho, here's their recap... and their version of "BSL is no good." The cool thing about CNati are the unique quotes and angles, and good photography.
  
• Onto the national media's lovin's! First stop, national sports mega-conglomorate ESPN. Not only are we a lead story, but James Walker did a special piece to highlight the Bengals' win for Zim. Walker has to feel pretty good about his pre-season prediction of the Bengals as a darkhorse. More from ESPN: John Clayton says the Bengals are defying logic. I didn't notice that, I just noticed that we know how to win games. Next up, SI.com's Don Banks prominantly features the Bengals in his snap judgments. We're now officially his "surprise team of the year." Move over, Broncos! Moving on, CBS Sportsline has a video recap and Clark Judge writes that the Bengals are for real. Make room on the bandwagon.
• So much national media lovin', we get two whole bullets. Jimmy Johnson, writing  for Fox Sports, says that the Bengals cannot be overlooked. "The Bengals are so much better than anyone gave them credit for; no one was really prepared for this. Without one fluke play in the loss to the Broncos, they would be 5-0." PFT editor Mike Florio is sold on the Bengals too.
  
• NFL.com's Steve Wyche has an excellent review of the game with plenty of video and quotes. They take lots of angles and I think it's a really good recap. Oh yeah, it's another "Bengals are for real" article.
• To cap it all off, the LA Times' - Los Angeles! - Sam Farmer's weekly NFL column highlights the Bengals as one of the best teams in the league. Feels good, don't it?

More photos » by Amy Sancetta - AP

Pink vs. Purple in Baltimore this week. Go pink! In all seriousness, I think it's great that the NFL is promoting breast cancer awareness. Players are having fun and the community is benefiting. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

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Practice is back in full session as the Bengals prepare to travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens this weekend. In what should be a premier game in the NFL this week, first-place AFC North titans will clash in an intriguing matchup on both sides of the ball. Hopefully Bobby Brat watched New England exploit Baltimore's defense: a healthy committment to the run helped keep Tom Brady on his feet and opened up the passing game. I don't think the Cincy Jungle favored approach of "passing to set up the run" will be particularly useful against a Baltimore defense that really only has one hole: Dawan Landry in coverage. Ed Reed and the front 7 do a pretty good job of disguising that, but maybe Palmer can pick on Landry enough early to back the Ravens off. Only time will tell!

Enough of my opinion, here's what the internets say:

• J.P. Foschi is reveling in the glory of his big catches against Cleveland, and Tony Stewart is impressed. Bratkowski likes the big guy's soft hands, and we maybe in for more of the same from Foschi.
• Geoff Hobson wrote an excellent piece on the Cincinnati Bengals and community: both in the locker room and in the literal community. This team seems much more cohesive than what we've seen in the past, from starters to back ups. That's good to see for a club that was long-reputed in media circles for divas and thugs. T.J. Houshmandzadeh is still running his mouth in Seattle - could his departure have helped strengthen the familial bonds between Bengal players?
• Staying on the "helping out in the community" vein, John Eradi wrote about a group of Bengals that helped build a playground near the Price Hill Community Center. 40 guys showed up at 10:00 AM to plant grass and help build, in Daniel Coats' words "a sweet park."
• Eradi also wrote a piece highlighting the resurgence of Jeremi Johnson, who exemplifies the "do your job" mantra. 
• Joe Reedy's weekly 3-and-out column, which highlights 3 key factors for the Bengals in upcoming games is out. Reedy emphasizes the Ravens' passing game, injuries to starters for both teams (the Ravens might be without left tackle Jared Gaither and LB Brendon Ayanbadejo), and the Ravens' apparently soft pass-D. Maybe I was wrong about running to open up the pass - but it sure worked for Brady last week.
  

More photos » by Amy Sancetta - AP

about 1 month ago: Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini walks off the field after a 23-20 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime of an NFL football game on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009, in Cleveland. The Browns are now 0-4 under Mangini. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

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Consistently this year, the Bengals have played to the level of the competition. That's great when you're playing teams that are good every week (such as the Steelers and Packers), but terrible when you play teams that you should easily handle (the Browns or the Broncos who, even though they're 4-0, are a very beatable team). More often than not, this has produced wins for Carson's Cardiac Cats.

Major storylines yesterday:

1. Carson Palmer sucks! Also, he convinced Marvin Lewis to go for it on 4th and 10.
   
2. Carson Palmer has stepped up when it counts, and has led 3 (should be 4) game winning drives this season. I understand your cynicism, but we're 3-1 and leading the AFCN!
   
3. The defense has scored touchdowns in consecutive weeks. Also, Brad St. Louis has cost the Bengals points in consecutive weeks.
4. The Bengals played down to the Browns. The offense stunk it up for 60-70% of the game, and the Bengals lost time of possession after the Browns possessed the ball for just over a minute in the first quarter.
5. Josh Cribbs gashed the Bengals. If we kick it to him ONCE when the Browns visit PBS, I'll be irate.
   
6. The UC Bearcats are #8 in the AP poll. The Cincinnati Reds finished the season 78-84, a 4-game improvement over last year. It was a pretty good weekend for Cincinnati sports.
   

Anyway, my job is not to recap the game. Here's what professional recappers around the professional media are saying:

• Cincinnati.com was active following the Bengals' dramatic win. John Eradi #1: "Hardly a snap for St. Louis." A piece highlighting Brad St. Louis, currently an object of CincyJungle animosity. John Eradi #2: "Geathers gathers a touchdown." Leon Hall and Robert Geathers break down how the fumble was forced, and how it turned into a TD. Bengals Notebook: "Cribbs does number on Bengals." Without looking, I think he accounted for almost as many yards as the rest of the Browns offense. Joe Reedy's Recap: "Bengals beat Browns in OT." Strong recap with a local edge.  I don't even know how one would go about covering this team's ups and downs (all in a single game) right now. Props to the local journalists for figuring it out!
  
• If you like flair, read Paul Daugherty's recap. "Regardless, winning is the only thing in the NFL. And we want style points? From this franchise? Next thing you know, you’re going to expect them to make the playoffs or something." Look at that flair.
• From Bengals.com: Geoff "Brainwash" Hobson's recap and post-game quotes. 
• AFCN Blogger James Walker is busy in Pittsburgh with the Steelers-Charges game. He still manages to write a blurb about the Bengals-Browns game (although I doubt he watched any of it until overtime, or if Baltimore was on a commercial). Walker kindly includes the Countdown Daily video recap of the game.
• Doug Farrar at Yahoo's shutdown corner thinks the Bengals are for real. This is probably the most unique reaction to the squeeky victory in Cleveland today. Then again, the Bengals did  find a way to win the game, and they were on the road, and Cleveland is an "NFL" team that came out playing hard. A win is a win.

Not much going on regarding this game. Bengals should beat Browns. Bengals beat browns. There we have it.

More photos » by Tom Uhlman - AP

I have a love-hate relationship with this picture. I love Carson Palmer, and I hate Ben Roethlisberger. (AP Photo/Tom Uhlman)

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Maybe it's not supposed to be such a big deal that we beat the Steelers yesterday. Or maybe it really is a huge deal. I think the offensive line was under-heralded for the victory yesterday, and did a great job of keeping Palmer upright for most of the game, especially once we got the first quarter jitters out of the way.

All in all, it's a great day to be a Bengals fan. 2-1 is not ideal given the week one FLUKE (that's right, Denver fans), but as Kirkendall mentioned last night, we have a good shot at being 5-2 going into the bye week. I think any Bengals fan, presented that option before the season, would readily have taken it.

That said, here's what the internets are saying about the now-legitimate Cincinnati Bengals!

• Here are all the postgame quotes, as always (also Tomlin's post-game interview here). Good stuff. I dislike Hines Ward. Also on Bengals.com, Geoff Hobson reviews the biggest plays of the game, with a cool quote from Brian Leonard walking us through his pivotal catch on 4th and 10.
• We'll start local. Here's Paul Daugherty's recap of the game. He says there has been a major attitude shift in Cincinnati. I kind of agree, I think in the past, a Bengals team would have bent over after the first quarter. These Bengals will fight you, Bobbie Williams said so. Joe Reedy also recapped the game, talking about what actually happened more than the psychological impact of the victory.
• Also local is C. Trent Rosencrans' CNati.com, which is pretty cool, and has some pretty cool stories about different interesting topics related to sports in Cincinnati. Chris Crocker does not like Hines Ward. Chinenum Ndukwe hates the Steelers. The Bengals think the Bengals are for real. Also, Carson Palmer has led some scintillating drives this year. We give him a lot of flak, but Carson has come through more than once in this young season. Finally, from cnati.com, some really cool photojournalism.
• Moving on to national media, here's ESPN's coach ratings by week for Marvin Lewis. Note, with wins, his approval ratings improve. James Walker, back in the good graces of Cincy Jungle, writes that the Bengals earned contender status. I mean, we did beat 2 straight so-called playoff caliber teams, and really should have beat Cleveland. "The Bengals of old would have laid down," Ochocinco said. "We would have been rattled."Also, Keith Rivers agrees with everyone that Stokely's TD was a fluke.
• John Clayton writes that the Bengals shook up the AFCN. "The Bengals officially have moved into the surprise team category with their 23-20 victory over the Steelers," he wrote. Sadly, he also wrote that the AFCN belongs to the Ravens. I guess we'll have to show them what's up in a couple weeks.
• In SportsNation's "Making Sense of Sunday" column, one of the most shocking things that happened this week was the 3-11-1-in-2008 Bengals beating the Steelers in week 3. I'm not so shocked, but the game itself was shocking.
• Geoff Hobson was apparently the first team-hireed writer in the U.S. 10 years ago. The Bengals pioneered a now-common marketing technique, says this NYT article.
• Peter King at SI, usually a Bengals HATER, finally has something good to say. Vindicating.

More photos » by Mike Roemer - AP

I like this picture, you know? Because he did it. He dared to jump. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

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It's Wednesday, which means the Bengals had a day off sometime recently.  Antwan Odom made a bit of news overnight, the nation is getting pumped for the Cincinnati - Pittsburgh game (which is going to be broadcasted live in Chicago again, yes!), and some other stuff happened.

• AFC North Blogger James Walker has been a pretty active guy. He breaks down the AFCN teams' power rankings on ESPN (the Bengals are somehow still 24th, even though they beat a former top-10 team handily in the GB Packers. Walker surmises that the Denver loss (despite the fact that Denver is now 2-0) is a bad blemish on the season already. People in the ESPN media are guessing that the Packers are bad, and not that the Bengals are good. Walker also talked about the Steleers and Bengals in this video/audio clip. The Bengals-Steelers game is apparently one of the most exciting in the NFL this week.
• Also on ESPN are "rookie rankings." I'm not quite sure how they missed the fact that Rey Maualuga forced 2 fumbles against the Packers, but he's in as the second best defensive player at #5. Any guesses at who's #1? Mark Sanchez, of course, an ESPN darling in the big market of Los Angeles and the bigger market of New York. Get that money, ESPN.
• The Bengals website featured Antwan Odom in a couple of stories, one about his on-field dominance (he won the AFC defensive player of the week award) and one about his off day, off-field character green? flags. Also, the Bengals lost Corey Lynch to Tampa.
• Joe Reedy has some off day notes that include Carson Palmer's AFC statistical ranks and some other Bengals stat leaders (Antwan Odom, Quan Cosby, etc.) Apparently, people are also second guessing Houston coach Gary Kubiak for not pursuing Cedric Benson in the off-season because he's good now. Also, CB Rico Murray replaced Corey Lynch on the practice squad. Antwan Odom also apparently set a record for most sacks in the first 2 weeks of the season, beating Detroit DE William Gay by .5.
  
• Here's a cool piece highlighting Quan Cosby after his excellent punt returning effort on Sunday.
• The Bengals are all over the place in NFL.com's power rankings. Pete Prisco at cbssportsline.com really likes the Bengals though, ranking them at 14. In Don Banks' power rankings for SI.com, the Bengals tied the Jets for the biggest jump (9 spots!) to 15.

I looked around some more around 2:00, and now there's more after the break!

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More photos » by Mike Roemer - AP

Quan Cosby made Uncle Bill proud on Sunday, averaging 22 yards per punt return, including a big 60 yard return that led to a Bengal touchdown. Too bad Chatman wasn't on the Puddin' Pop diet as a kid. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

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The Bengals won! That means we're 1-1, almost 2-0 (can I say that since we won?) and looking much improved in most areas of the game going into a big week 3 divisional contest at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The offense was improved, putting 31 points up (thanks in part to the man in the photo to the right), although Carson Palmer made two terrible, awful, inexcusable decisions/throws to Charles Woodson.

The defense played another great game, and 14 of the points Green Bay scored were results of Carson's interceptions. Many of the yards the D gave up (around 100) were in garbage time. Antwan Odom earned last year's salary, registering his 3rd through 7th sacks of the 2009 campaign, and probably the defensive player of the week award.

Enough of me, let's see what the real journalists are saying about the game around the internets.

• As always, here are post-game quotes from the Bengals victory over the Packers on Sunday. Pretty brief this week, but everyone seems pretty happy. Marvin complained about poor play in the "sudden change" department. I think Cosby's punt returns were pretty good, but I guess Carson's picks were pretty atrocious. Aaron Rogers also thinks Leon Hall (plus safety help) were excellent in shutting down Jennings. Packers defensive players gave some props to the Bengals offensive line too.
  
• Here's Hobson's recap of the pass rush, focusing on Odom's excellence. Don't forget, though, that Rey Rey had a sack and 2 forced fumbles today, too.
• ESPN's Countdown Daily loved the Bengals today. Noted physicality, pressure, and offensive balance! Ced drew comparisons to Rudi and Corey in their primes. The play action is brutal. Chris Carter gave the game ball to Cedric Benson... guess he didn't see Antwan Odom.
• James Walker says the Bengals took a giant 'leap' forward. Clever play on words, James. Worth a read though, he got some quotes that others missed. I think the national media is really on the Bengals bandwagon. Winning in Lambeau, and recovering from the BS and PBS all in one week is impressive to the talking heads.
  
• SI.com has a story on Chad's Lambeau Leap, with a YouTube video embedded.
• Green Bay's 3-4 was pretty ineffective. The Green Bay Press-Gazette tells you why.
• Warren Sapp, former almost-Bengal, apparently called out Carson Palmer, and wasn't around to eat his crow later. Nice find from LA Times blogger Diane Pucin.
• Here's Paul Daugherty's recap. "Deja-Who-Dey didn’t show its ugly mug, thanks to a lot of players," wrote Doc, a fitting recapitulating sentence to a game that saw a lot of Bengals contribute. It was a real team effort, and I don't think the media can really talk down about the team spirit of this club. No more "talent" without "team." I'm cautiously excited. Joe Reedy also recapped the game for the Enquirer.