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1. Andy Dalton generating a lot of buzz. The Red Rifle has gotten off to a hot start, and as a result, he is finally deserving a ton of recognition for it. Dalton was nominated for the NFL FedEx Air Player of the Week award for the second straight week after losing out to Aaron Rodgers in Week 3. And despite yet again losing in the voting--this time to Philip Rivers, Dalton's second straight nomination is encouraging. Andy Dalton was also tabbed as an MVP candidate by several media outlets, showing people around the league are starting to finally believe in Dalton. Dalton's MVP odds are 18-1, good for third in the league.
2. The Bengals are clawing their way up the Power Rankings. Cincinnati is now in the top three of almost every expert's Power Rankings. With Cincinnati playing so well, our own Patrick Judis analyzed the state of the AFC North after four weeks of action. And with Sunday just around the corner, our staff gave their weekly picks on the 14 games taking place this week.
3. Cincy's secondary is getting healthy. After dealing with injuries to both his groin and elbow, Adam Jones returned to practice on Thursday in a limited capacity. Jones also opened up about his personal life on the Dan Le Batard show this week, reminiscing on the highs and lows of his lengthy career. Jones isn't the only Bengal who is getting healthy--George Iloka also practiced in a limited capacity on both Wednesday and Thursday and looks good to go; he'll likely return to action on Sunday. And if anyone in the secondary has to leave Cincinnati's game on Sunday, Darqueze Dennard will be ready. The Bengals' 2014 first-round pick has been earning more playing time with the secondary dealing with a few minor injuries.
4. Marvin Lewis and Dre Kirkpatrick excited to take on the Seahawks. The Bengals' head coach appeared on ESPN's NFL Insiders show where he discussed the game ahead against the Seahawks. In the interview, Lewis praised Andy Dalton, shared a few thoughts about Cincinnati's game plan and spoke of the Seahawks' talent level and depth. Dre Kirkpatrick also shared some thoughts before Sunday's game, explaining how his attempts to emulate Richard Sherman, who has helped him develop as a corner. Kirkpatrick also noted he wants to be the best corner on the field, come Sunday; he'll need to overcome an early-season slump in order to do this, but anything is possible on any given Sunday.
5. Chad Johnson is returning to Cincinnati. No, he won't be donning Bengals stripes, but Chad Johnson will be in attendance at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday. Whether he'll be sitting in the stands or down on the sidelines remains a mystery, but seeing Ochocinco in Cincinnati is always exciting.