Bengals News (9/20): New faces setting an example

New Defensive Leaders Take A Stand To Re-Group Bengals
"Rome wasn't built in a night," said strong safety Vonn Bell, one of the linchpins of The Overhaul as he Zoomed the media on Friday. "You just have to keep on harping on it every day. It has to be contagious. It has to be oozing out. It has to be guys wanting to get better. It has to be all in, everybody, coaches, too. I think we're getting to that point where we need to turn the page and keep on turning it."

TV Ratings Are In For The Browns vs. Bengals Game
According to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, the Thursday night matchup for Week 2 drew a total viewership of 7.2 million people across television and digital platforms. That’s a three-percent increase from last year’s Week 2 game.

Bengals free agent signees vow to find way to stop team's losing ways
Since midway through the 2018 season losing has been extremely commonplace for the Bengals, and this year's 0-2 start can certainly bring the sinking feeling of, 'here we go again,' but several of the team's offseason free agent signees vow to make the losing stop.

Bengals: OL guru believes answer to the unit is already on the roster
Just two weeks into the season, and it has already been abundantly clear that the Cincinnati Bengals have carried over 2019’s offensive line woes into the new era. The right side of the unit is a mess and as a result, franchise cornerstone Joe Burrow has been put in harms way far too often.

Joe Burrow’s taking over: ‘Do you understand what you saw last night?’
Since, all the talking heads and big names have come out and had nothing short of praise for Burrow. One, who goes by the name Colin Cowherd, was emphatic in his praise, literally asking his listeners if they even understood what happened.

Around the league

NFL Week 2 game picks: 'Hawks top Pats; Falcons nip 'Boys
This should be a nice bounce-back game for Ryan Tannehill after a sloppy opener. The Jaguars were thrilled with rookie cornerback CJ Henderson's debut, but their defensive strategy without a pass rush this season appears to be "hold on for dear life" while the offense avoids mistakes. Gardner Minshew and Jay Gruden are a terrific match to execute this plan, and undrafted rookie runner James Robinson played like a first-round pick in Week 1. The Titans' defense isn't special until proven otherwise, so don't buy into Tennessee as some heavy favorite in what shapes up as another ugly win.

Bears rebuff trade interest, want to strike deal with Allen Robinson
Sources say that Chicago began receiving calls with potential trade interest for Robinson, which generally happens any time there are rumors of discontent. And the Bears not only brushed off those calls, but told teams they were not trading their star receiver, sources say.

Referees focusing on 'clear and obvious' calls as penalties drop
"When we were preparing, certainly going in, we had a theme of 'clear and obvious' and we wanted that to continue throughout the year," Anderson, the 24-year veteran official who joined the league office this year, told NFL.com. "We had to address clear and obvious. You can't miss clear and obvious and it starts with that. Going forward we don't want all of a sudden to start calling the ticky tack stuff. We want things that are clear."

Injury roundup: Patriots' Julian Edelman, N'Keal Harry expected to play
Chicago Bears pass-rusher Robert Quinn, who arrived as a big-time free agent this offseason but missed Week 1, is expected to make his debut today vs. the New York Giants, per Rapoport. He was listed as questionable with an ankle injury.

Tarik Cohen agrees to 3-year contract extension with Bears
Cohen was in the final year of his rookie contract and he's been a versatile weapon for the Bears since coming into the league as a fourth-round selection in 2017. Cohen is an electric change-of-pace back that can make big plays running the football, or as a receiver either out of the backfield or in the slot. The diminutive speedster has also been a proven playmaker returning punts, earning a First-Team All-Pro honor as a return specialist for the 2018 season.

Saints WR Michael Thomas (ankle) ruled out for MNF vs. Raiders
Thomas, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, missed every practice this week after suffering a high-ankle sprain in the closing minutes of the team's Week 1 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday. He was unusually quiet in the contest, hauling three of his five targets for 17 yards and no scores.