Bengals Bytes (11/17): Offense is missing Giovani Bernard

Cincinnati Bengals Adam Jones still out with concussion
Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam Jones missed his second consecutive practice with a concussion, making it unlikely he plays Sunday in Denver. Jones was one of two Bengals who did not practice Thursday, along with defensive tackle Pat Sims, who sat out the Tennessee game with a calf injury.

The Bengals call Domata Peko "a warrior." Now he'll face his old team with the Broncos.
If it’s difficult for a 325-pound man to walk gracefully along the high road, you wouldn’t know it by listening to Domata Peko. The veteran nose tackle for the Broncos passes out gratitude quicker than a Tom Brady spiral. So it was little surprise that a meeting Sunday with the Cincinnati Bengals, the team for which Peko played the first 11 seasons of his career, become an occasion this week for Peko to give thanks.

Bengals' running game is worst in franchise history so far
The Bengals are celebrating their 50th season. None has been worse when it comes to their running game. Cincinnati ranks last in the NFL in running the ball and is on pace to shatter franchise records for ineptitude on the ground. There's no relief in sight for the fading Bengals (3-6) , who play in Denver (3-6) on Sunday.

Bengals hang on to hope, energy as season hangs in balance
Since the drafting of Andy Dalton and A.J. Green in 2011, the Bengals spent five consecutive seasons playing from ahead. They never missed the playoffs. They never found themselves three games under .500 at any point. Motivation and relevancy weren’t questions. They lived in the standings.

Cincinnati Bengals NFL relocation questions and answers
During yesterday's Hamilton County Commissioners' announcement regarding FC Cincinnati's stadium situation, Commissioner Todd Portune mentioned the possibility of the Cincinnati Bengals moving to a different location.

Giovani Bernard's nosedive mirrors Cincinnati Bengals' offense
Aside from a 61-yard touchdown on a screen pass against Cleveland, Giovani Bernard has been almost invisible this season. Rookie running back Joe Mixon, a 2017 second-round draft pick, has evolved as the Cincinnati Bengals’ go-to guy out of the backfield, and Bernard, a fifth-year player, seems to be taking a backseat in Bill Lazor’s offense.

Slants and screens: the Boyd factor; Chatting up Peko
John Ross has been taking the heat. When you’re a first-round pick the headlines are bigger when you don’t make a play than when you do and that’s where Ross is after Sunday’s now notorious stop-and-stop move still had head coach Marvin Lewis seething on Wednesday. The count is 17 snaps, two targets, and no catches in his first three NFL games. But wide receivers coach James Urban scoffs at the term, “Bust,” that is beginning to surface outside Paul Brown Stadium.

Fantasy Forecast: Week 11
With the fantasy football playoffs right around the corner, fantasy owners around the world are scouring the waiver wire in the hope that they can find that diamond in the rough. The problem is, by Week 11, the waiver wire has been picked cleaner than a Thanksgiving turkey! The only real options for owners to consider this week are Packers RB Jamaal Williams, Redskins RB Samaje Perine, and/or Rex Burkhead. Each of these backs have their pluses and minuses, so let’s go through them so you know what you’re getting into.

Top 50 Moments: Bengals become first AFC Central-North team to hit 8-0
Wide receiver Mohamed Sanu breaks open a one-touchdown game when he runs a reverse for a 25-yard touchdown with 13:26 left in the game on Nov. 5, 2015 as his 8-0 Bengals and quarterback Andy Dalton reverse his Thursday fortunes in a 31-10 victory over the Browns at sold-out Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals come into the national showcase with a big agenda and cash the chips in deflating Johnny Football for the second time in a year while becoming the 11th team in this century and the 33rd of all-time to start 8-0.

TDBH: Riverfront’s first Monday Nighter an instant classic as Anderson outlasts O.J.
Bengals head coach Paul Brown detests how Monday Night Football fouls up the 1 p.m. Sunday routine of his team, which is probably why the six-season show on ABC boasting boastful Howard Cosell, Dandy Don Meredith, and straight man Frank Gifford doesn’t make its Cincinnati debut until tonight. But it’s worth the wait. The cameras put Brown’s 8-1 team into the national conversation when little-known quarterback Ken Anderson shows the country why he’ll win a second straight NFL passing title this season as his 447 passing yards fend off Bills running back O.J. Simpson’s 197 rushing yards during the Bengals’ 33-24 victory in an instant NFL Films classic.

AFC North Bytes

Packers offense looks to stay in gear with Ravens coming
Aaron Rodgers' potential return from a broken collarbone took a major step forward this week. But, as Rodgers has said all along, there has to be a reason to return. The Packers quarterback, who is on injured reserve, went through a conditioning session on Wednesday that included taking snaps and mimicking the throwing motion with a towel. It was his first time doing anything football-related on the field since suffering the injury at Minnesota on Oct. 15.

Josh Gordon can start practicing with Browns teammates on Monday
Josh Gordon's solitary confinement is almost over. Hue Jackson said expects Gordon to join the Browns in practice on Monday as scheduled after being limited to individual work since he rejoined the team Nov. 7. "He's doing well," said Jackson. "He's here in the building every day, on time for everything, involved and big smile on his face. He's a pleasure to be around."

Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers Blow Out Titans 40-17; Antonio Brown 3 TDs
The Pittsburgh Steelers aren't blowing teams out. From week to week, it can look like they're teetering on the edge of defeat. That wasn't the case Thursday night. Antonio Brown had 144 yards receiving and three touchdowns, Ben Roethlisberger threw for 299 yards and four scores, and the Steelers defense caused four turnovers on their way to a 40-17 win over the Tennessee Titans on Thursday.

Random Bytes

Video of Jarvis Landry's Domestic Violence Incident Released by TMZ
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry is shown in a video released Thursday making contact with the mother of his child in April. Landry was the subject of a domestic violence investigation.

Jerry Jones' Request for Sit-Down Reportedly Won't Be Honored by NFL Owners
The six team owners on the NFL's compensation committee reportedly rejected a request from Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to hold a special league meeting to discuss a potential contract negotiation with commissioner Roger Goodell. Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal reported the news Thursday, noting "Jones cited a laundry list of problems facing the NFL as justification for his actions."

Richard Sherman Rips Thursday Night Football, Says Injury Recovery Is 4-5 Months
One week after his 2017 season came to a premature end, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman has offered an update on his status heading into surgery and took a shot at the NFL for continuing to have football on Thursday nights. In a video posted on the Players' Tribune, Sherman said his expected recovery time after surgery on the ruptured Achilles he suffered in Week 10 against the Arizona Cardinals is four to five months.