Bengals Bytes (10/4): Mojo

Politics of Cincinnati Bengals fans: Politically, Bengals fans are most evenly split in NFL
CINCINNATI -- If you're a fan of the political center and bipartisanship, you should probably be a Bengals fan. The team has the NFL's most politically balanced fan base, according to an analysis from FiveThirtyEight.

Top 50 Moments: Blakemania is Born
Bengals president Mike Brown once said Jeff Blake came to the Bengals from Hollywood. They ended up shooting the first scene at an unsuspecting Riverfront Stadium on Oct. 30, 1994 against the defending Super Bowl champion Cowboys. Blake, the No. 3 quarterback who arrived barely two months before on the waiver wire, gets his first NFL start when David Klingler and Donald Hollas are hobbled within minutes of a dreadful 37-13 loss in Cleveland the week before.

Fantasy Recap: Week 4
We can’t go a single week in the NFL this season without a roster changing, season ending injury! This week it was RBs Dalvin Cook (torn ACL) and Chris Carson (broken ankle), both of which need to be cut in all formats (outside of dynasty formats obviously). Latavius Murray is likely to take over the feature role in Minnesota, while Seattle will likely use a committee of Eddie Lacy and Thomas Rawls.

Doc: Are Bengals the canary in NFL coal mine?
The revelation in This Space yesterday that my pal-for-life Bengal Boy had blown off watching his Guys play Cleveland Sunday revived the obvious wonder: If he can say goodbye (temporarily, he’s back this week, on what he says is a week-to-week basis) anyone can.

Week 4 Notes: Bengals make history vs. Cleveland, game balls
Bengals fans, you can breathe. After a headache-worthy three-week span to begin the season, the Cincinnati Bengals finally figured things out. It just took a trip to Cleveland and a matchup with the winless Browns to do so.

Cincinnati Bengals: 3 Reasons They Beat Cleveland in Week 4
Finally. After a tough opening slate to the season, the Cincinnati Bengals were gifted with a visit from their division rival Cleveland Browns. Cincinnati used this opportunity to tally up their first victory of the season in dominant fashion. At 1-3, they still have their work cut out for them to truly reemerge in the playoff race, but this was a necessary first step to having any shot at bringing those dreams to fruition. So how exactly did these previously flummoxed Bengals go from losing in deflating and excruciating fashion to blowing out an opponent like they did on Sunday?

First Look: Bengals vs. Bills
The Bengals finally put it all together by beating the Cleveland Browns 31-7 and finally getting into the win column. Andy Dalton continued his impressive play since the team changed offensive coordinators by throwing for four touchdowns and completing 83.3 percent of his throws for a passer rating of 146.0. The defense nearly pitched a shutout and has climbed in the league rankings to No. 3 in scoring and total defense.

Andy Dalton gets his mojo back under Bengals new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor
Andy Dalton completed 16 throws in a row, had a hand in four touchdowns, and finished with the second-highest passer rating of his career. The Bengals' decision to change offensive coordinators has made a huge difference in the quarterback.

AFC North Bytes

The Browns gave Cincinnati no reason to think they're getting closer to winning
Anytime you find yourself agreeing with Pacman Jones, it's best to step back, way back, Jabrill Peppers-in-centerfield back. But when the Bengals cornerback said he didn't see a Browns turnaround anytime soon - "It's going to be hard to win with that group" -- that didn't seem particularly outlandish. A mild-disclaimer: he didn't see Myles Garrett, Danny Shelton or Corey Coleman Sunday. All missed the Bengals' 31-7 squeaker with injuries.

John Harbaugh Says Ravens Have Gone Deep into Playoffs After Worse Starts
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is not panicking because of two consecutive losses. After starting 2-0, Baltimore suffered a 44-7 blowout to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London before falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers at home, 26-9. Joe Flacco threw two picks in each defeat and averaged just 3.9 yards per pass attempt.

Ben Roethlisberger: Antonio Brown 'Temper Tantrum' Is Unneeded 'Distraction'
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger did not like the sideline outburst from wide receiver Antonio Brown during Sunday's 26-9 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Roethlisberger told 93.7 The Fan's The Cook and Poni Show (via CBS Pittsburgh) that Brown's "temper tantrum" was "a distraction that none of us really need.”

Random Bytes

NFL draft order 2018: Tracking where picks change each week
The Browns and 49ers owned the first two picks in 2017 and could have the same spots in 2018. At this point, after that, it’s the Chargers and Giants tied for the third pick. The tie likely won’t last long, but it would be decided by a coin flip if any two picks are dead even at the end of the season.

NFL's best and worst quarterbacks of Week 4
It was a tale of two rookies: Deshaun Watson had a record week, while DeShone Kizer crumbled.

Brandon Weeden Reportedly to Be Signed by Titans Due to Marcus Mariota Injury
The Tennessee Titans plan on signing free-agent quarterback Brandon Weeden, according to Field Yates of ESPN. The potential move comes after Marcus Mariota suffered a hamstring injury in Sunday's loss to the Houston Texans. While that injury doesn't appear to be serious, the Titans may nonetheless be preparing for a possible stint on the sidelines for Mariota.

Alex Smith Laying Foundation for MVP Campaign as Chiefs Remain Undefeated
Long before the Kansas City Chiefs were the NFL's only remaining undefeated team after four weeks, and long before a thrilling 29-20 Monday night win over the Washington Redskins, there was a question floating around: When will Patrick Mahomes become the Chiefs' starting quarterback?

Gridiron Heights Season 2, Ep. 5: Romo Predicts a "6/9" in Gronk's Future
Four weeks into the NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs are the last undefeated team. Alex Smith is going to enjoy every moment of it. In Bleacher Report's newest episode of Gridiron Heights, the quarterback savors his sizzling start with a trip to the carnival. While the game manager can appreciate their 4-0 opening, head coach Andy Reid is already panicking over the next clock-management crisis.