Through two weeks this year, the Bengals are 2-0 against the spread, beating the heavily favored Cleveland Browns and preventing the Denver Broncos from covering. Cincinnati loves the underdog role and they were this close (imagine two fingers barely separated enough to allow a piece of paper through).
The Bengals enter the week as 1.5-point favorites this weekend, hosting the San Francisco 49ers where several storylines are developing.
Even though it's the regular season opener in Cincinnati, the Bengals have already declared that the game won't sellout -- thus creating a blackout within a 75-mile radius of Paul Brown Stadium.
There's a collection of former player connections between the two teams, including Manny Lawson, Nate Clements and Taylor Mays as former 49er players and guys like Justin Smith and Ahmad Brooks (among others) returning to Cincinnati.
Other storylines includes how much of the second half offense against the Broncos carries over and will the defense turn it around after a pedestrian performance last week?