Bengals News (11/17): Following the same script

Bengals and Campbell Snacks Announce New Multi-Year Partnership
What makes a fun and delicious NFL homegate and tailgate experience? Cheering on your hometown sports team with your favorite Campbell Snacks! Thanks to a new multi-year partnership between the Cincinnati Bengals and Campbell Snacks, Who Dey Nation fans will have an at-home, in-game and in-store experience that's one of a kind in professional football.

Bengals-Steelers Matchup Of The Game Pits Rookies Bengals CB Taylor-Britt Vs. Steelers WR Pickens
With the 3-6 Steelers looking to avoid head coach Mike Tomlin's first losing season in a 16-year career straddling three Bengals franchise quarterbacks, the 5-4 Bengals are looking to replicate last year's post-bye Super Bowl run. It's a Twitter buffet with the Civil War handle of Bengals quarterback Col. Joseph Lee Burrow pitted against Steelers rookie field commander Kenny Pickett's first charge into the Bengals reinforced defenses.

Bengals Quick Hits: Joe Burrow Vows No 4-Pick Game; Volson's Emergence; Injury Update
It will be recalled in the season opener at Paycor against the Steelers, Burrow threw four interceptions in the still unfathomable 23-20 overtime loss. Look at what he's done since with 16 touchdowns, two interceptions, a passer rating of 110.4 and a completion percentage of 71.4, which would be good for second place in the NFL in both rating and completion percentage. As it is, his 102.6 is good for fifth and his 70 percent is good for third. And his per attempt is 7.8 since then, 7.6 if you include the opener.

The Bengals Are Following Last Year’s Script. But Will Their Turnaround Be The Same?
Following a season in which the Cincinnati Bengals made a magical playoff run to the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance since 1988, the team didn’t get off to the fast start many experts anticipated in 2022. The Bengals dropped their first two games and have struggled to get above .500 for most of the year so far. But after its worst loss of the season, a 32-13 road defeat to the Cleveland Browns in Week 8, Cincinnati got a bounce-back win over the rebuilding Carolina Panthers to go into its bye week with a 5-4 record.

Joe Burrow Mentions Two Big Differences Ahead of Cincinnati Bengals' Rematch With Pittsburgh Steelers
"Just healthier," Burrow said on Wednesday. "I’m not coming off an appendix surgery. I’m just going to be smarter with the ball, I’m not going to throw four interceptions. That’s an outlier for me. So, that’s my plan going in."

Rested Bengals head to Pittsburgh looking for payback
KEY MATCHUP: Cincinnati's offensive line vs. Pittsburgh's defensive front seven. The Steelers pulled off a stunner in Week 1 thanks in large part to a defense that sacked Burrow seven times and forced five turnovers. Pittsburgh LB T.J. Watt went down late in that game with a torn left pectoral and the Steelers slumped in his absence. Watt returned last week and held New Orleans to just 186 total yards. If the Bengals can't protect Burrow, another upset may be in the offing.

Zac Taylor reveals Bengals contacted Larry Ogunjobi Steelers signing
This is little more than a funny note at this point for Steelers week. Whatever popped a red flag on Ogunjobi’s big-money deal with the Bears hasn’t stopped him from having a solid season with the Steelers.

Bengals CB Chidobe Awuzie announces successful knee surgery
Awuzie suffered a season-ending ACL tear during that Monday night loss to the Browns. In the aftermath, word broke that he would need to wait for the swelling to subside before undergoing the procedure.

Around the league

NFL monitoring weather in Buffalo as snowstorm threatens Sunday's Browns-Bills game
The league is monitoring weather around Buffalo ahead of Sunday's game between the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium and is in communication with both clubs, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Thursday morning. No decisions have been made about possibly changing the venue for the Week 11 matchup. However, rescheduling the AFC clash is not currently a consideration, as the Bills play four days later on Thanksgiving in Detroit, Pelissero added.

Week 11 NFL game picks: Titans top Packers on Thursday night; Cowboys end Vikings' win streak
Was last week the Packers’ Super Bowl or the start of a run? They might be catching the Titans’ defense at the right time, with key injuries and fatigue a factor. Tennessee’s better side has played 164 snaps in the last two weeks and now it heads out into the cold on a short week. Then again, the Titans’ run defense is vastly superior to the Packers’, and both teams will skew run-heavy. There’s every reason to believe Mike Vrabel's team is tougher.

Ejiro Evero, Ben Johnson and DeMeco Ryans among young NFL coaches to watch
The shift was likely inevitable (and predicted in this space a year ago), given the trends of the previous four cycles, in which the dominant demographic was first-time head coaches under age 45, making up over half of all hires (14 of 27). Just three came from that demo in 2022: Nathaniel Hackett (Broncos), Mike McDaniel (Dolphins) and Kevin O'Connell (Vikings).

Travis Kelce on Chiefs' trade for Kadarius Toney from Giants: 'I don't know how he got out of that building'
"I don't even want to know what happened over there. I am just extremely happy that [Chiefs general manager] Brett Veach found a way yet again to get an unbelievably talented player in this building."