Bengals Bytes (10/15): Looking for help

AFC North Bye Week preview: Bengals look for early help
The Bye Week came at a perfect time for the Cincinnati Bengals (2-3). After firing offensive coordinator Ken Zampese–after an 0-2 start–the Bengals survived with Bill Lazor at the helm, going 2-1 to save their season. Now the entire coaching staff can take a collective sigh of relief. Cincinnati is still in the hunt (sitting one game back in the AFC North) and can play for the top spot in the division with some help this Sunday.

what we looked like when the bengals began
"What's a Bengal?" she says,pronouncing it Bean-gal. Jane Johnson is in the doorway. She greets her husband, who has just returned home from an engineering class at the University of Tennessee. It's Jan. 30, 1968.

5 things the Cincinnati Bengals need to fix after the bye
Depending what happens this weekend, the Cincinnati Bengals could be headed to Pittsburgh on Oct. 22 with a chance to move into first place in the AFC North. The two-game winning streak has the Bengals (2-3) just one game back of the Steelers and Ravens, with Pittsburgh playing at undefeated Kansas City on Sunday while Baltimore plays host to Chicago.

Cincinnati Bengals: Secondary must continue youth movement
On the defensive side, the Bengals plugged Carl Lawson in the lineup and now he leads all rookie pass rushers in sacks. Second-year linebacker, Nick Vigil, has become a welcomed surprise, as he leads the team in tackles. Hey, even Clayton Fejedelem has been playing solid snaps and is tied for first on the team in interceptions. The youth movement has been working for the Cincinnati Bengals, but there’s one other position in the Bengals secondary that needs to be swapped out in favor of the youth.

AFC North Bytes

Steelers Vs. Chiefs: Five Key Storylines Ahead Of Week 6 Game
The 3-2 Pittsburgh Steelers will play the 5-0 Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium Sunday afternoon in a Week 6 matchup and ahead of that game kicking off, there are several key storylines worth pointing out. Below are what I consider to be the top five storylines for both teams ahead of Sunday’s game that will kickoff at 4:25 p.m. EST.

Browns defense whole for first time as they take on Houston
Statistically speaking, the Browns defense has taken significant steps forward this season. They are ranked fifth in the NFL in yards per game. They are allowing the fifth-fewest rushing yards per game and rank second in yards per rushing attempt. "They have done exactly what my vision is," head coach Hue Jackson said earlier this week. "We have stopped the run. We have slowed down the run, and the ball doesn't go flying over our head like in the past. We are doing some really good things."

A forgotten man last season, Ravens' Buck Allen steps to forefront of improved running game
It was extremely hard to accept, but Ravens running back Buck Allen had been through the experience before. He knew how to handle the disappointment, how to push aside any potential feelings that he wasn’t wanted or valued, and how to stay ready if his opportunity did come.

Random Bytes

The Neverending Heat-Check of a Rookie QB
There's a smooth certainty to how Deshaun Watson thinks, speaks, moves. The world witnessed this Sunday night against the Kansas City Chiefs. He nimbly sidesteps pass-rushers, spins 360 degrees out of impossible traffic jams, resets and rifles the ball with ease. You hear it with his ever-calming tone when he's behind the mic. Friends say they can even sense it in text messages.

Kyle Adam Maraghy's Lawyer Says Fan Punched Was Womanizing and Threatening
The attorney for Kyle Adam Maraghy—the man arrested for punching another fan during Thursday night's game between the Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles—said Friday that the victim threatened his client before the altercation. In a video posted by Tina Terry of WSOC TV, Maraghy's attorney said the 62-year-old man his client punched "continued to taunt and demean, womanize [and was] vulgar, disrespecting and threatening throughout."

Patriots LB Harvey Langi, Wife Suffer Serious Injuries in Car Accident
NESN's Doug Kyed initially reported the news, adding the injuries are serious but not considered life-threatening. Langi won't play against the New York Jets on Sunday, the Patriots announced. Patriots practice squad safety David Jones was among those who tweeted well wishes upon hearing the news

Conflicting Reports Surround Status of Ezekiel Elliott Suspension
Pro Football Talk reported Saturday that the injunction delaying Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott's six-game suspension would remain in place until the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals rules on his petition for a rehearing. That would mean Elliott is eligible to play until the petition "is filed and resolved," according to Pro Football Talk.