Bengals Bytes (9/26): War of futility

Marvin Lewis news conference transcript
Some of the questions yesterday were about how I felt about things we did on offense. There were a lot of positives, and we moved forward in a lot of ways. I thought the offensive staff did a good job, had a good plan. In the second half we weren’t very good on third downs, and that proved probably to be the difference with them (Packers) converting five-of-eight and us zero-of-five. We had four possessions in the second half — two were four plays and a punt, and two we drove for field goal opportunities.

Slants and screens: Mixon: I was trying to put them on my back; Day after; Eifert not ready, Tez is
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis and everyone else got exactly what they wanted on Sunday. A 21-17 lead on the road with a third-and-one at the Packers 27 and rookie running back Joe Mixon ready for his 18th carry of the game behind tight end C.J. Uzomah in the “I” formation. And then Mixon slipped as he bolted out of his stance.

TDBH:Birth of Bengals officially announced
The Bengals arrive today in a birth announcement at a packed house in the Sheraton Gibson Hotel as the newest member of the American Football League. But the labor pains begin long before on the back porch of Paul Brown's home in exile in La Jolla, Calif., where one of his former Ohio State players, Bill Hackett, a London, Ohio veterinarian, urges him to be NFL commissioner when the job opens up again.

Tyler Eifert of Cincinnati Bengals to miss multiple weeks with back injury
He missed Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers but played in the Bengals' first two games. He did not practice at all last week. Eifert, 27, was one of the team's top red zone targets in 2015 and had 13 touchdown receptions. He played in only eight games last season due to a combination of back and ankle injuries. He has missed 28 games due to injury in his NFL career and has never completed a full season without injury.

Bengals’ special season starts 0-3, winless Browns up next
The 50th season in Bengals history started with banners and on-field honors for some of the franchise’s greatest players. It’s quickly turned into a reminder that the last half of their history has been more frustrating than anything else. The Bengals remain winless after the Packers rallied for a 27-24 overtime victory at Lambeau Field on Sunday. They’re 0-3 for the 14th time in franchise history, leaving them with long odds of ending their most stubbornly enduring streak.

Cincinnati Bengals fall to 0-3 for first time since 2008
The Cincinnati Bengals came so close to breaking through for a win. Instead they found a new way to lose. The offense wasn’t entirely to blame. A defense that had contained quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers’ potent offense in the first half fell apart late in a 27-24 loss in overtime on Sunday.

Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns to wage war of futility
Even for two franchises with histories that fall well short of glorious, Sunday’s Battle of Ohio between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns could be an all-timer on the futility scale.

Cincinnati Bengals safety George Iloka calls Donald Trump a clown
The Cincinnati Bengals made a unified, silent statement Sunday at Green Bay in response to President Donald Trump when players and coaches stood with their arms locked during the national anthem.mMonday afternoon, safety George Iloka broke that silence when asked if he took President Trump’s words personally.

AFC North Bytes

Hue Jackson on 0-3 start: 'We have to make the plays'
Immediate transformation is always a tall order with a rookie quarterback under center. Instead of placing DeShone Kizer into a veteran-heavy attack, the second-round passer is missing his lead receiver in Corey Coleman and playing with one of the youngest rosters league-wide, a dynamic that led to a whopping eight drops on Sunday.

John Harbaugh on Ravens Playing in London: 'Somebody Else Can Have That Job'
The Baltimore Ravens' first experience of playing in London didn't go as planned, as they suffered a 44-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Unsurprisingly, head coach John Harbaugh would prefer to avoid these types of games in the future. "To be honest with you—and maybe I'll get into trouble for saying this—don't plan on going over there any time soon to play again," Harbaugh said, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. "So, somebody else can have that job."

Alejandro Villanueva Stood on Field for Anthem with Steelers in Locker Room
While the Pittsburgh Steelers remained in the tunnel during the national anthem Sunday before their game against the Chicago Bears, starting left tackle Alejandro Villanueva appeared in front of them outside of the tunnel.

Random Bytes

Rams DL Ethan Westbrooks Arrested on Multiple Felony Gun Charges
Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks was arrested Friday on several felony counts after being found in possession of a stolen handgun, per Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times. Per Adam Taylor of the California Highway Patrol, Westbrooks was charged with "suspicion of receiving stolen property, carrying a loaded firearm, carrying a stolen loaded firearm, grand theft of a firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine" after being stopped for speeding.

Darren Sproles Tore ACL, Broke Wrist on Same Play, to Undergo Surgery
Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles suffered a torn ACL and broken arm in Sunday's 27-24 win over the New York Giants and was placed on injured reserve. Eagles head coach Doug Pederson confirmed the diagnosis after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sproles will undergo surgery on his arm Monday, with knee surgery set for a later date.

Jerry Jones, Dez Bryant, Ezekiel Elliott Talk Kneeling Before National Anthem
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones joined his team's players and coaches and interlocked arms and knelt before the national anthem in the lead-up to Monday's 28-17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

Dallas Cowboys Have Finally Broken Out of Early-Season Offensive Slump
For two quarters, it looked like the Dallas Cowboys had no business winning a football game Monday night. Their offense was still sputtering and being suffocated by an Arizona Cardinals defense brimming with athleticism. At halftime, the Cardinals had a mammoth lead in time of possession after holding the ball for 20:19. They had thumped the Cowboys in every way, most laughably in offensive yardage, with the Cardinals and suddenly youthful-looking quarterback Carson Palmer gaining 152 yards and the Cowboys stuck at just 57 yards.