Bengals News (9/27): Offense finally gains traction

Bengals Notes: D.J. Reader Listed As Did Not Practice; Hot Defense Looks To Prevent Miami From Going Long
It's a short week at Paycor Stadium with the undefeated Dolphins coming to town Thursday (8:15 p.m.—Cincinnati's Channel 9), so even there was no practice on Monday Bengals nose tackle D.J Reader (knee) was listed on an estimated injury report as did not practice.

The First Read, Week 4: Bengals too talented for Super Bowl hangover; who's early leader for MVP?
The Cincinnati Bengals have spent a good part of this month encouraging critics to back off and take a deep breath. As disappointing as they looked in losing their first two games of the season, there were plenty of reasons to believe things could turn around fast. Part of that optimism certainly had something to do with the New York Jets showing up on the schedule in Week 3. More of it comes down to the predictable learning curve that often follows an appearance in the Super Bowl.

Bengals' star-studded offense finally finds footing — and not just because they played the Jets
Joe Burrow and the Bengals weren’t at their sharpest this week in a 27-12 win over the Jets either, but they got back to showing the NFL world that they don’t need to be on their A-game to generate big plays down the field. Burrow averaged 7.6 yards per attempt and threw for three touchdowns, matching his season total through the first two weeks.

Bengals tease repainting Paycor Stadium field for whiteout vs Dolphins
Cincinnati’s social media team threw out a tease of the re-painting job happening to the Paycor Stadium Field on the logos and in the endzone, while ESPN’s Ben Baby caught a picture of the white helmets getting prepped inside the stadium.

DJ Reader’s status remains uncertain for Bengals’ game Thursday vs Dolphins
The biggest question mark for the game will be the status of starting defensive tackle DJ Reader, who suffered a left knee injury with less than three minutes to go in the first half of Sunday’s 27-12 win over the Jets .

Bengals vs Jets: Joe Burrow's numbers and other stats that made us smile
It took until Week 3 but the Cincinnati Bengals finally got their first victory of the 2022 season and their first win since the AFC Championship Game earlier this year. It wasn't the blowout we were all hoping for but there was a much calmer feeling amongst the fan base throughout this game.

Around the league

2022 NFL season, Week 3: What we learned from Cowboys' win over Giants on Monday night
No Dak, no problem. Cooper Rush started his second game of 2022 and once again got the job done, completing 21 of 31 passes for 215 yards and a crucial touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb to push the Cowboys ahead of the Giants midway through the final quarter. Through two games, Rush has handled the monumental responsibilities of a Cowboys starting quarterback with grace, showing he's capable of handling the reins while Dak Prescott recovers.

Browns DE Myles Garrett discharged from local hospital after suffering non-life threatening injuries in single-car crash
Garrett, who was traveling with one passenger, was involved in the crash around 3 p.m. local time near the 5600 block of State Road, the Ohio State Highway Patrol told NFL.com. Garrett was said to be alert and aware upon officer arrival at the scene. Garrett did not suffer any major injuries, according to the OSHP, and impairment is not suspected.

Kenny Golladay trade fits: Identifying potential suitors for New York Giants receiver
Heading into Monday night's Cowboys-Giants game, it seems as though the two sides could be heading for a split. (UPDATE: Golladay played 22 snaps (32.8%) on Monday night, finishing with zero catches on three targets.) The problem? That contract. It's a tough sell in any potential trade, surely. But if the Giants are really willing to pay a big chunk of it to facilitate a deal, as NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport has reported, then there might be a few teams willing to bet on what amounts to a fascinating reclamation project.

Demarcus Lawrence leads Cowboys with three-sack night: 'Energy was up, my body felt good today, so I attacked it'
Much acclaim is rightfully bestowed upon superstar linebacker Micah Parsons for all that he's brought to the Dallas Cowboys defense in such short fashion. The Cowboys have another standout pass rusher in their ranks, though, and he reminded everyone just how impactful he can be on Monday night.