Bengals Bytes (9/5): Peace of mind

Buy This Cincinnati Bengals Tailgating Bus — $5,950
Considering that the NFL season starts in less than a week, we assume most of you guys and gals already have your Week 1 tailgating plans mapped out. But if there are any Bengals fan procrastinators out there who still need a ride, team BC has you covered.

Patriots Notes: Marquis Flowers Playing Catch-Up After Trade From Bengals
FOXBORO, Mass. -- Some notes and nuggets from Saturday -- cutdown day -- at Gillette Stadium: -- Linebacker/special teamer Marquis Flowers is adjusting to his new surroundings after being traded from the Cincinnati Bengals to the New England Patriots on Tuesday.

RPO: What they are and why Bengals love them
One of the most popular NFL offensive trends involves the rise of the quick-hit, safe passing game. Completion percentages have never been higher. Interception rates never lower.

Marvin Lewis news conference transcipt
The good part is that we have a number of young guys who have come out of programs and been able to separate themselves that way. They came here and competed from the first day and didn’t take a back seat to anyone or anything. There’s going to be a step up and an uptick come Sunday, and I think they’re ready for that.

Notes: Bengals not looking over Bullock 's shoulder; Ross doen't work; PS covered with Ivy
Even though rookie Jake Elliott is on the practice squad, special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons says Randy Bullock has no one looking over his shoulder for the kicking job. “It's Randy's job. Randy won the job. So there's none of that,” Simmons said before Monday’s practice That’s exactly what Bullock has been told. The competition is over.

Bengals Player Moves: Driskel to IR, Toner and Shelton to practice squad
Driskel, a second-year player, suffered a hand injury in the preseason finale on Thursday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. He originally was a San Francisco sixth-round draft choice last year. He joined the Bengals prior to Week 1 last season as a waiver acquisition from the 49ers, and he spent his entire rookie season on the Bengals’ 53-player roster, though he did not play in a game. He played in all four of the Bengals’ preseason games this year, completing 14 of 21 passes for 164 yards, one touchdown, zero interceptions and a passer rating of 106.1. Also this preseason, he had nine carries for 63 rushing yards and a TD.

Bengals notes: Young special teams; safeties mend
The question couldn’t even finish. Upon asking special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons about the massive crop of players he’ll trot out in their first NFL regular season game Sunday against Baltimore, he cut it off after “how do you …” “I don’t know,” Simmons said.

Cincinnati Bengals make 3 roster moves
The Cincinnati Bengals made three roster moves Monday, placing quarterback Jeff Driskel on injured reserve and signing two players to the practice squad. Because Driskel made the 53-man roster, he is eligible to return from IR on Oct. 30 . Teams are allowed to bring back two players from IR during the course off a season.

AFC North Bytes

Jeremy Langford Reportedly Signs Ravens Contract After 2 Seasons with Bears
This comes after the Chicago Bears announced they waived Langford before the 2017 regular season rather than keep him as the second back behind Jordan Howard. Chicago drafted the Michigan State product in the fourth round in 2015 and saw him as the starter entering the 2016 campaign, but Howard eventually surpassed him following an ankle injury.

Le'Veon Bell on Steelers Holdout: 'I Didn't Want to Get Hurt in Camp'
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell put a priority on his health when he decided to skip almost all of his team's offseason activities in preparation for the 2017 regular season. "I wanted to make sure I was fresh for the season," Bell said Monday, per Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I didn't want to jeopardize myself and get hurt in camp. I understand I'm on a one-year deal, so I have to prepare and play football. I didn't want to get hurt in camp. In my rookie camp, I got hurt. I didn't want to deal with that. I'm going to be ready for Game 1, the games that count."

Random Bytes

Su’a Cravens on Snapchat: ‘I think I need to follow what makes me happy.’
Redskins safety Su’a Cravens has used his social media accounts to break his silence. Cravens shared his emotions on Snapchat, with six videos and a photo, on Monday morning — a day after the franchise placed him on the exempt/left team list on Sunday after the 22-year-old expressed a desire to retire before his second season.

Andrew Luck Out vs. Rams in Week 1 with Shoulder Injury; Scott Tolzien to Start
Andrew Luck will not play in Week 1 for the Indianapolis Colts against the Los Angeles Rams, and Scott Tolzien will start in his absence, the team announced Monday. The news didn't come as much of a surprise after reports suggested Luck was unlikely to feature in Week 1 as he recovers from January shoulder surgery, per Mike Wells of ESPN.com (h/t Mike Clay of ESPN.com). Head coach Chuck Pagano also said Aug. 22 he didn't have a timetable for Luck's return.

NFL Files Motion to Dismiss Ezekiel Elliott Case from US District Court
The NFL reportedly filed a motion Monday to dismiss an NFLPA petition that seeks to void Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott's six-game suspension. A.J. Perez of USA Today reported the news, noting the motion was filed to dismiss the case in the U.S. District Court. Kate Hairopoulos of the Dallas Morning News also reported the league filed the documents as a response to the running back's injunction request.

NFL Moneyball Is Hurting the Browns, Jets, Bills and Competitive Balance
The NFL should award a trophy to the team that finishes the preseason with the most cap space and the most future draft picks. It can be a silver-dollar sign on a pedestal or a golden construction barricade with engraved police tape reading "closed for renovations." Fans could even hold a parade.