Bengals Bytes (9/10): Home cooking

Bengals vs. Ravens Game Notes
The Cincinnati Bengals begin their 50th season this week, hosting the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium, and the team surely can honor its past in no better fashion than by winning Game 1 and laying the groundwork for a bright immediate future. The Bengals went to the playoffs five straight seasons from 2011-15, something only four NFL teams accomplished during that span, and the team seeks to rebound from a 6-9-1 setback in ’16. A win in the 2017 regular-season opener against an AFC North Division rival certainly would be a good first step in that journey.

Media Roundtable: Green-Dalton Bengals finally get home cooking in opener
Not only can you go home again, you can open there and for the first time in their seven NFL seasons wide receiver A.J. Green and Andy Dalton get to do that Sunday (1 p.m.-Cincinnati’s Channel 12) at Paul Brown Stadium against the Ravens. So the Bengals.com Media Roundtable has become a bunch of homers for the first PBS opener since 2009, when former Raven Brandon Stokley conspired with fate and Kyle Orton for Denver to beat the Bengals in the last 11 seconds on a ridiculous 87-yard tipped pass.

Bengals, Eifert do not come to terms on extension
At the start of the 2017 season, the Cincinnati Bengals and tight end Tyler Eifert could not reach an agreement on a contract extension. Saturday was the soft deadline the club imposes to get extensions done, and Eifert will be slated to become an unrestricted free agent in 2018.

Bengals' Tyler Eifert takes public stance on standing for anthem
Tyler Eifert has never hidden his support of the military. Always one of the most vocal supporters and unafraid to speak about his beliefs, he took those thoughts to another level this week. Eifert started the week opening up to The Enquirer on Beyond The Stripes about why he stands for the military. Then he capped it off by writing a story of his own for the web site Medium discussing the political divide in the country and why he chooses to stand.

Ravens seeking to end recent skid against Cincinnati Bengals
Terrell Suggs has a firm grasp of what constitutes a good time. Opening the season against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati does not qualify as one.

Can Jeremy Hill lead the Cincinnati Bengals' rushing attack?
It’s been a couple of years and Bengals fans are still waiting. When Giovani Bernard went down with an injury in 2014, Jeremy Hill was the ground game’s savior. But, since that rookie year, Hill has produced numbers that have been less than stellar. With the Bengals’ offensive line in transition, hard decisions will have to be made. Either things turn around for the rushing attack or Cincinnati will be putting up 50 pass attempts each game.

Baltimore Ravens Round Table: Predictions for week 1
The Baltimore Ravens have a tough test in their first game of the regular season. They have to take on the Cincinnati Bengals on the road. In this battle it is a dominant defense going against an offense with top shelf options in the passing game. Either C.J. Mosley and company come up with some big plays, or Andy Dalton and his crew get some good home cooking. There is no in between. In this game.

Bengals vs. Ravens: Why this Week 1 battle has to be won
What’s the last positive thing most Bengals fans remember? Personally, it was the Week 17 beat down of the Baltimore Ravens. Sure, it was the last game of the season and both teams were going skeet shooting in Barbados. But, the Cincinnati lads showed fire and passion. It’s so easy to put the easy win on the Ravens lack of interest. Yet, it was still a W. And that showing proved the Bengals weren’t lying down.

AFC North Bytes

Stephon Tuitt, Steelers Agree to 5-Year, $60M Contract Extension
Three years after making Stephon Tuitt a second-round draft pick, the Pittsburgh Steelers have rewarded their star defensive lineman with a five-year contract extension, the team announced Saturday. ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported the news. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the deal is worth $60 million. Rapoport also described the contract as "heavy on up-front money."

Ravens at Bengals: 3 offensive keys to victory
Joe Flacco’s had eight days of practice. There’s no getting around actual reps, in preparation for a live game. This means the offense won’t be fine-tuned from the beginning. The big positive here, it’s the same offensive coordinator from last year, Marty Mornhinweg, partnered with Greg Roman, to build a stronger running game. This will hopefully bring about a balanced offense, capable of winning against their biggest challenge in the division, in recent history.

Random Bytes

Michael Bennett's Attorney Calls for Investigation into Las Vegas Police
John Burris, a civil rights attorney representing Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett after he experienced alleged racial profiling and brutality by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, is requesting an independent investigation into the incident.

New Orleans Saints can't use franchise tage on QB Dree Brees
As Drew Brees heads into the final year on his contract, the Saints lack the ability to lock him into New Orleans with a tag. Brees' contract contains a little-known, rarely-used clauses that prohibit the Saints from using their franchise tag on Brees, league sources told ESPN. It doesn't mean Brees won't eventually re-sign with New Orleans, a city he loves and always will be connected to. But New Orleans lacks the flexibility to block him from leaving.

Akiem Hicks, Bears Agree to Reported 4-Year, $48 Million Contract Extension
After a big first season with the Chicago Bears, Akiem Hicks appears set to stay with the team for a long time. The Bears announced they signed the defensive end to a four-year contract extension Saturday. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, deal is worth $48 million, including $30 million in guaranteed money.

Aaron Donald Ends Holdout with Rams; DE Won't Play Week 1
The good news for the Los Angeles Rams is that Aaron Donald is back with the team. The bad news is that he isn't going to play in Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts. Myles Simmons of the Rams' official site reported Donald and the team have yet to reach an agreement on a new contract and "will continue to work to reach a solution."