Bengals Bytes (7/13): Mending Fences

Bengals Bytes:

Corey Dillon wishes to mend fences with Bengals
Corey Dillon left scars for comments during his illustrious career in Cincinnati, but hopes to put those behind him in a potential return this year. He left the Denver Broncos bruised and embarrassed during his 22-carry, 278-yard, then-NFL record rushing day in 2000. A string of opponents suffered his tenacious running style racking up six consecutive 1,100-yard seasons for the Bengals from 1997-2002.

Sports Vault: In the early '90s, Bengals owner Mike Brown won a game of chicken and got his stadium - WCPO
Remember when pro football in Los Angeles was nothing more than a millionaire's dream? Well, okay -- remember when, in 1995, the Raiders and the Rams both split L.A. for greener pastures, leaving their fans with nothing more to do than go to the beach...or watch Lakers basketball, or Dodgers baseball, or Kings hockey, or the MLS, or fawn over movie stars?

Geno Atkins praised far and wide although he’s not far and wide
Geno Atkins got some love Tuesday morning, when NFL.com broadcaster Willie McGinest tabbed the Bengal and former University of Georgia star the fifth-best defensive tackle in the league after he led all NFL interior linemen last season with nine sacks.

Bengals 50: Chris Henry steeped in talent, tragedy
As much as Bengals fans and coaches marveled at what was with him, the lasting impression of the late receiver will always be what could have been. Henry passed away on Dec. 16, 2009, after falling out of a pickup truck at age 26.

Bengals need to prepare for the true urgency of 2017
It’s not just another year. This is not year one on the Andy Dalton to A.J. Green connection. The Bengals have been to the playoffs five of the past six seasons. Last year’s dismal showing had fans and football purists scratching their heads in awe. When the Bengals proceeded to post nine losses, it was a shock to anyone claiming to support the Orange & Black. But, it happened. Now, it’s a do-or-die scenario for 2017.

Top-5 celebrity Bengals fans
Which celebrities are Cincinnati Bengals fans? Check out the list here.

Bengals O-Line Must Keep Sacks Down Despite Significant Turnover - Steelers Depot
The Cincinnati Bengals were already facing a disappointing development last year when their offensive line, which by that time had only lost right tackle Andre Smith, gave up an uncharacteristic 41 sacks after a few years of being one of the cleanest units in the game.

Bengals 50: Andy Dalton, face of the future
Just six years into his Bengals career, Andy Dalton owns the franchise mark for most passing yards, touchdown passes, consecutive 300-yard games and passer rating in a season. Dalton made three Pro Bowls and ranks as the winningest quarterback by percentage in club history, but the one win that's avoided him still hangs over himself and the franchise.

Bengals 50: Carson Palmer, the top pick, the knee and the trade
The first move of Marvin Lewis' tenure with the Bengals meant solidifying the quarterback problem which doomed the Bengals through the previous decade-plus. As Lewis tells it, he was lucky a certified top quarterback was on the board. Thus, Carson Palmer's tenure with the Bengals began.

Bengals 50: Chad Johnson, a personality and talent unlike any other
Chad Johnson wasn't just the most productive receiver in Bengals history. He wasn't just a bold personality. Johnson changed the dynamic of what it meant to play and root for the Bengals. He made the Bengals cool again. And helped usher the return of winning in the process.

Bengals 50: Willie Anderson and Andrew Whitworth, rocks on and off the field
Wilie Anderson and Andrew Whitworth played on different sides of the line, but the parallels between their impacts on the Bengals franchise are too much to keep separate. For 20 seasons, Anderson or Whitworth played the role of locker room cornerstone and Pro Bowl offensive lineman.

Bengals 50: A.J. Green could be the next HOFer
The selection of A.J. Green with the fourth overall pick in the 2011 draft changed the trajectory of the franchise toward the most successful stretch in Bengals history. He's only six seasons into his career, but Green already placed himself among the best Bengals receivers ever, in rare company in league history and potentially on pace to become the next Bengals players to make the Hall of Fame.

Bengals Looks For Double Play With Malone
“We went into the draft and felt like this was a guy that maybe was somewhat overlooked but had physical tools to play at a higher level,” said head coach Marvin Lewis. “We’ve had good luck with a lot

AFC North Bytes:

A bad 2017 season for Bengals could mean Marvin is out; Could Hue Jackson be in?
If you are a Cleveland Browns fan, I really think that you should be pulling for the Cincinnati Bengals to have a successful 2017 campaign. Why you ask? Because if the Bengals miss the playoffs for the second straight season, you would have to think that the future of Marvin Lewis as head man in Cincy would be bleak at best.

AFC North Q&A: Who is on the hottest seat in the division? - NFL Nation- ESPN
ESPN's AFC North writers examine which player, coach or front-office executive is on the hottest seat in the division. Three out of the four writers agree.

Who are the top 50 players the Texans will face?
The Texans play 13 different opponents in the 2017 season, including the defending World Champion New England Patriots, the entire NFC West and the entire AFC North. Here is my list of the top 50 players that the Texans will face in those 13 games. There are fewer quarterbacks on this list (Brady, Big Ben, Mariota, Luck) than last year (Rodgers, Rivers, Carr, Luck, Mariota) but the running backs? Whoa, what a group (Bell, Johnson, Murray, Hill, Gurley)! Quibble where you will, but it’s clear who’s at the top of the list

Brandon Williams goes international with his brilliant 'Carlton' dance moves
It wasn't his first or his last dance routine, but take a look at Ravens DT Brandon Williams doing the Carlton at a promotional event in London.

Random Bytes:

Chad Johnson's Daughter Smashes 800m Record for Age Group
Chad Johnson's daughter, Cha'iel, straight-up DUSTED the competition in her 800m run Wednesday ... setting a new U.S. record for 12-year-old girls. It all went down at the AAU Track and Field National Club Championships today ... where mini-Ocho crossed the finish line at 2:14:80 -- almost 5 full seconds faster than her gold-medal winning Jr. Olympics run last year.

Past, Present, Future: How Barstool Sports Is Swinging For The Fences In Digital Media
A deep-dive into the controversial online sports publication and how it's still swinging for the fences nearly 15 years after its founding.

DeAngelo Williams lists four teams he doesn't want to play for
Veteran free-agent running back and former Steeler DeAngelo Williams still needs a job, but he will not take calls from the Cowboys, Browns, Panthers or Jaguars.

A.J. Hawk adjusting well to life after football - Acme Packing Company
For the vast majority of players, life in the NFL ends far sooner than they expected. The average career lasts under three seasons, and many find themselves without the social and financial crutch that served them for nearly their entire lives to that point. A.J. Hawk doesn't fall into that category.

FC Cincinnati: Home and Away - U.S. Soccer
Home is a notion that's mattered massively to FC Cincinnati in their 21 months as a club, and they're hoping to defend Nippert Stadium, The Bailey and the city's soccer revolution writ large when they travel to Miami for the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals.

FC Cincinnati will have to wait to find out makeup date vs. Miami FC
MIAMI – Wednesday night's Futbol Club Cincinnati U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals match against Miami FC has been postponed. No makeup date has been announced, but it will not be played on Thursday, Miami FC officials said.