Bengals Bytes (10/1): Keeping track

Bengals Travel to Cleveland
Cincinnati Bengals travel to Cleveland to take on the Browns in week 4 of the regular season.

Media Roundtable: Bengals, Browns battle to get on track
Browns head coach Hue Jackson never thought he’d be hosting old friend Marvin Lewis Sunday (1 p.m.-Cincinnati’s Channel 12) in a winless bowl. What is even more unthinkable is leaving the game still winless and the Bengals have the recent past heavily on their side. Since Brian Hoyer lit them up for a triple digit passer rating in 2013, the Bengals have gone to Cleveland the past three years and held three different quarterbacks to a total of 13 points. With the Bengals facing a rookie quarterback for the third time in the last six games against the Browns, the Bengals.com Media Roundtable sees a third victory that would make Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton 5-2 in Cleveland, site of his first NFL victory.

Numbers game: Lewis hopes to reverse October trend
Bengals left guard Clint Boling has most career snaps on Bengals' O-Line opposite Browns' 10,000-man Joe Thomas. 51-62 _ Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis’ road record. 1-8 _ Browns head coach Hue Jackson’s home record. 24-29-2 _ Lewis’ record in October, his only losing month.

Fantasy Fallout: Can you trust Joe Mixon, other borderline starters?
Joe Mixon feels like a late bloomer compared with the rest of this year’s impressive rookie running back class. But if you managed to stay patient with him for three whole weeks, it looks like the Cincinnati Bengals are ready to reward you. Mixon dominated the Bengals’ time-share in Week 3 after they switched from offensive coordinator Ken Zampese to Bill Lazor, running for 62 yards on 18 carries and catching three passes for 39 yards

Patriots aren’t this bad, Bengals are, and what else is real in NFL
Can anyone other than Coach Nostradamus really tell what is real and what is not real in the NFL after Week 3? Of course not. But that won’t stop me from trying

Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals: 5 things to watch
The Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals play on Sunday afternoon at FirstEnergy Stadium. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. Both teams come into the game winless in three tries. The Browns lost to the Colts on Sunday, 31-28, after falling behind 28-7 in the first half. The Bengals lost to the Packers last week in overtime.

Cincinnati Bengals season, leadership on line at Cleveland
It seems, since Week 1, there has been a certain tag attached to Cincinnati Bengals games. Each battle has become a “must-win” scenario. The season is still young, but a loss at Cleveland will put the Bengals in a hole that could be hard to overcome. Not many teams can climb out of an 0-3 dilemma. But, being 0-4 is even worse. Taking an L from the rebuilding Browns could seal the fate of Marvin Lewis & Co.

Could the return of Andre Smith be the answer for the Cincinnati Bengals' offensive line?
After the Cincinnati Bengals became the first NFL team since 1939 to open a season with two home games and fail to score a touchdown, quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor replaced Ken Zampese as the team's offensive coordinator. The Bengals reached the end zone three times in their first game with Lazor calling the plays, although they lost to the Green Bay Packers 27-24 in overtime on Sunday.

Bengals' defensive game plan starts with Isaiah Crowell
A temporary season-saving win for the Cincinnati Bengals (0-3) starts with stopping the Cleveland Browns (0-3) rushing attack. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you what helps a rookie quarterback the most. A defense that keeps the score close, a security blanket at tight end, a simplified playbook, etc. Perhaps the most important, though, is a successful rushing attack.

Gregg Williams on A.J. Green: ‘we have to know where he is at all times’
The winless Cleveland Browns are going up against the winless Cincinnati Bengals this week. Neither team is playing good football, however, in order for Cleveland to win, they must stop A.J. Green. No. 18 for the Bengals is one of the best receivers in the league. The Browns know Green is a very special player who can change the outcome of the game in a heartbeat and must be prepared to face him.

AFC North Bytes

Art Rooney II Says Steelers' Protest During National Anthem Is 'Over'
Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette on Friday that his team will be back on the field during the national anthem before Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens. "I expect our team will be on the field like they were prior to last Sunday," Rooney said.

Ravens add security for Ray Lewis statue
No Ravens fans seemed to be overly upset with murder allegations and/or a guilty plea to obstructing justice in a murder investigation involving linebacker Ray Lewis; indeed, his career culminated in the placement of a statue outside the stadium where the team plays. However, the decision of Lewis to kneel during Sunday’s national anthem prior to the team’s game in London is sparking unprecedented outrage toward him.

Random Bytes

NFL1000's Week 4 Weekend Preview: Is There a New Legion of Boom?
After three weeks of a season that has seen more than its share of bad football, Week 4 might give us a reprieve. Several fascinating matchups are featured as divisional play comes to the forefront. Neither Pittsburgh's nor Baltimore's offense is on track, but both defenses are playing well, and those Steelers-Ravens tilts are always entertaining. The Raiders and Broncos face off, as Oakland tries to recover from what the Redskins defense did to it last Sunday night, and as the Broncos hope, once again, Trevor Siemian will prove he's their franchise quarterback.

Josh Norman Pledges to Send $100K to Puerto Rico for Hurricane Maria Relief
According to CNN.com's Jason Hanna and Madison Park, Hurricane Maria was a Category 4 storm that resulted in devastation and at least 16 deaths. Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello said additional aid is needed despite United States President Donald Trump complying with his requests: "We need to do a lot more in order for us to get out of the emergency. But the other thing that's also true is that the administration has answered and has complied with our petitions in an expedited manner."

Danny Trevathan Suspended 2 Games for Hit That Injured Davante Adams
Chicago Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan was suspended two games Saturday for his brutal hit on Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams during his team's 35-14 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 4. NFL Vice President of Football Communications Michael Signora tweeted the following press release regarding the suspension