Bengals Bytes (12/6): Special delivery

Dalton out of cast, McCarron still in driver's seat
Can he, can’t he, will he, won’t he – A.J. Hawk has lived this before. The Cincinnati Bengals linebacker brings a unique perspective to the locker room in many areas as the team prepares for its wildcard game Saturday night against Pittsburgh. He’s an Ohio native, and a lifelong Bengals fan. He has played in 13 playoff games, and is the only player with a Super Bowl ring.

10 NFL postseason storylines to watch: Bengals' drought, more
The NFL playoffs begin Saturday, taking us on a ride that won’t end until the big confetti shower commences on the night of Feb. 7 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. Here are 10 storylines to get you ready for the 12-team Super Bowl tournament that’s about to kick off.

McCarron, Roethlisberger have humorous history
When Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron chatted with Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger following the Steelers’ 33-20 win at Paul Brown Stadium on Dec. 13, it wasn’t the first time the two had met

Walkthru: Bengals among few to contain Brown
Defensive coordinators across the league can't help but experience nightmares thinking about trying to stop Antonio Brown. The Steelers receiver lapped the field this year with stupid receptions and yardage numbers.

Marvin Lewis press conference transcript
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis held a short press conference on Tuesday as the Bengals playoff game with the Pittsburgh Steelers looms on Saturday night (8;15 p.m. in Paul Brown Stadium and it can be seen on Local 12) and here is the transcript.

AJ McCarron press conference transcript
Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron held a press conference on Tuesday to discuss the Bengals playoff game with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday (8:15 p.m. in Paul Brown Stadium, and it can be seen on Local 12) and here is the transcript.

Bengals Notes: Teams chase after Bengals’ staff
As expected, the moment the regular season ended and Black Monday morphed into coaching searches, the name of Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson ended up a popular one in interview circles. He was connected through various reports with Cleveland, Tennessee, Miami and San Francisco. Coaches preparing for games this weekend are unable to interview this week, but can conduct interviews next week whether their team wins or loses.

Behind Enemy Lines

Round 3 of Pittsburgh Steelers-Cincinnati Bengals rumble is set
The Steelers and Bengals know each other well, and based on the intensity of their last meeting, Saturday's wild-card game could be a doozy. The Steelers promise to be on their best behavior this time.

Big Ben: Martavis Bryant has to 'toughen up'
The Steelers escaped an early winter with Sunday's win over the Browns, but they could not escape some intra-squad beef. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger went on KDKA-FM in Pittsburgh on Tuesday to call out regressing wide receiver Martavis Bryant, who went AWOL in Cleveland.

Primanti Brothers sandwiches arrive at Buffalo Bills facility
The Pittsburgh Steelers will be playing this Saturday in a wild-card playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals in part because of the Buffalo Bills' 22-17 win over the New York Jets last Sunday. Primanti Brothers, a well-known Pittsburgh restaurant chain, shipped 80 sandwich kits to the Bills' facility this week to thank them for their role in the Steelers earning a playoff berth.

Random Bytes

How Alex Smith and the Chiefs turned their season around
Kansas City was 1-5 when coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Doug Pederson decided to put a little more trust in their quarterback’s football mind. The reward: a 10-game winning streak and a real shot to go deep in the 2015 postseason

30 Under 30 2016: Sports
Breaking records and earning awards and big money on and off the field.

Report of disguised Manziel partying in Vegas leads to Photoshop gold
Christmas came just a little late for the Internet. The Internet had plenty of fun imagining Johnny Manziel in blonde wig, mustache and sunglasses. As soon as this report came out, a nation collectively got on their computers, fired up Photoshop and quickly went to work on what Billy looked like.

Redrafting the 2015 NFL Draft at the End of the Regular Season
We’re just nine months removed from the 2015 NFL draft, but we already know so much about team fits, first-rounder upside and those prospects who are already leaning toward "bust" status.  Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota stay put, but the remarkable running back, cornerback and defensive line talent saw an influx in comparison to the actual draft.

Jerry Jones willing to take a risk on a young quarterback
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones kept the home fires burning for his unrequited draft crush, saying yet again on Tuesday that he wouldn’t rule out taking a chance on a young quarterback who happened to be on someone else’s roster.