Bengals bytes (10/21): Battle of the best

TDBH: Rookies Curtis, Clark make Chiefs feel a draft
A week after a huge win over the Steelers at home the Bengals return to Riverfront Stadium and announce they are in the AFC Central race for good when they raise their record to 4-2 with an eye-catching 14-6 victory in which they control the massive Chiefs defense with a stunning 354 yards. “That’s the first time we’ve beaten two good teams back-to-back since I’ve been here,” says fifth-year defensive tackle Ron Carpenter. “I know we beat some goods teams in ’69, but then we just sort of snuck up on them. After we beat Pittsburgh last week there’s no way we could sneak up on Kansas City.”

Hobson's Choice Podcast: Corey Dillon
In the Bengals’ 50th season on the anniversary he delivered one of the greatest days in franchise history, Corey Dillon plans to remember. And he just may surf YouTube to do it. “And watch the whole game over. Every time I see clips or footage I get a chill,” says Dillon in an anniversary edition of a Hobson’s Choice podcast celebrating his 278-yard game on Oct. 22, 2000 that eclipsed Walter Payton’s all-time single game rushing record.

Bengals at Steelers Game Notes
Still very much in the race for the AFC North Division, the Cincinnati Bengals this week come off a bye looking for a third straight win, taking on the division-leading Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at Heinz Field. The Steelers, meanwhile, have their sights set on expanding and solidifying their lead over the rest of the division.

Quick hits: Adam Jones doubtful, Ross full go; Doctors assure Eifert he'll be 100 percent
It was only a walk-through Friday but rookie wide receiver John Ross (knee) was upgraded to a full practice and questionable for Sunday’s game (4:25 p.m.-Cincinnati’s Channel 12) in Pittsburgh. For the second straight day starting cornerback Adam Jones (back) didn’t work and was classified as doubtful. Like the last game, slot receiver Tyler Boyd and fullback Ryan Hewitt were ruled out with knee injuries, although Hewitt is starting to work on the side and could be ready for next week and the Colts. Also upgraded to full and questionable was back-up safety Derron Smith (ankle), who has missed the last three games.

Fan Focus: Bengals Fans Share Favorite Memories
I'm 51 and have been a Bengals fan my entire life. I have a separate closet to store my vast collection of shirts, jerseys, hats and other Bengal regalia accumulated over the past 50 years. My most memorable game is probably the 1981 Forrest Gregg Freezer Bowl. I was 16 and unlike many who SAY they were there, I WAS there and have the ticket stub to prove it!

Tyler Eifert of Cincinnati Bengals not worried about football future after third back surgery
Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert says he is not worried about the future of his playing career despite having his third back surgery. Eifert's season is over, but he said he will be allowed to resume normal play once he has recovered from the most-recent procedure, which ESPN's Adam Schefter reported was microdisk surgery. Eifert also had surgery on his back at the end of last season.

A.J. Green and Antonio Brown clash in style, blend in team importance
Wide receivers A.J. Green and Antonio Brown couldn’t be more different in terms of personality, but their importance to the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers, respectively, is undeniable. The star receivers could be the key to winning the game at Heinz Field on Sunday.

Predictions: Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Week 7
Not sure much more can be said about Bengals-Steelers that hasn’t been spilled during this two-week run-up to the game with Cincinnati coming off a bye, but we sure tried in this edition of the Walkthru. Most importantly, Jim and I making our predictions. The stadium tour for the prediction video continues as we show you the tunnel entrance to the team's locker room.

Cincinnati Bengals: TE Tyler Eifert DB Adam Jones Injury Updates
For the first time since choosing to undergo back surgery last week and end the final season of his contract year early, Tyler Eifert spoke about the procedure and his future on Friday. The former Pro Bowl tight end said there wasn’t much of a choice involved in opting for surgery instead of attempting to play through the pain. In fact, of the multiple doctors involved, this was the unanimous diagnosis. He had two epidurals during the initial recovery process trying to see if he could play, but to no avail.

AFC North Bytes

The Internal Steelers Struggle: Week 7 vs. the Bengals
The Steelers bring out the best -- and worst — in me. I call them Me (my rational, thoughtful side), Myself (my homeristically obnoxious side) and I (his name is one letter long so he doesn’t forget how to spell it). This week, they discuss the Steelers’ victory over the Chiefs and the upcoming war against the Bengals.

Ravens Owner Steve Bisciotti Gives Joe Flacco, John Harbaugh Vote of Confidence
Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti provided a vote of confidence for head coach John Harbaugh, general manager Ozzie Newsome and starting quarterback Joe Flacco following the team's 3-3 start to the 2017 NFL season. On Friday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com passed along comments Bisciotti made on the Ravens Rap show about the three key organizational pieces.

Browns Mailbag: Who’s next to help boost Browns WRs?
Nothing at all is wrong with Cody Kessler. The second-year quarterback entered training camp as the first player in line to claim the starting job. He struggled in a handful of areas, most notably when it came to getting the ball out in a timely fashion, and was ultimately passed by the likes of Brock Osweiler -- who has since been released -- and DeShone Kizer, who eventually won the job.

Random Bytes

Sam Bradford Out Week 7, Mike Zimmer 'Believes' He'll Play Again in 2017
The specifics of Sam Bradford's knee injury remain a mystery, but the Minnesota Vikings remain hopeful he will be able to play again this season even though he will be out in Week 7 against the Baltimore Ravens. Per Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said Friday he does "believe" Bradford will play in 2017.

NFL1000: Every Team's Most Promising Young Player
When we talk about the promise of NFL players, we can mean several things. Some veterans start to show promise when they come to a new team and the right scheme, and hidden talents finally come to the surface. But mostly, we’re talking about young players just becoming their best after outstanding college careers. When examining the NFL’s most promising players at any given time, the NFL1000 staff looks at younger players—a good age limit is 25—who bring their best to teams that have given them the optimal opportunity to succeed.

Which NFL Head Coaches Should Be on the Hot Seat?
In each of the last four years, at least one NFL head coach has been fired in the middle of the season. Jeff Fisher and Gus Bradley were let go last December. Joe Philbin, Ken Whisenhunt and Chip Kelly were fired in October, November and December of 2015, respectively. The Oakland Raiders cut ties with Dennis Allen in September 2014. And the Houston Texans canned Gary Kubiak in December 2013.