Read these and enjoy

[membengal]

Clark Judge's piece at sportsline.com (he was apparently at the game today):

/>http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/12347820

I believe.

I believe the Cincinnati Bengals are for real. I believe they are more than a bunch of lucky guys touched by fate. I believe they are good enough to overcome the speed bumps that lurk ahead of them the next five weeks. And I believe they can and will contend for the AFC North title.

I believe because I just saw them win another close one. Only this wasn't Cleveland in overtime. This was Baltimore. In Baltimore. And it was a 17-14 decision that should not have been as close as it was ... but it was because that's how Cincinnati plays everything this season.

Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer hugs daughter Corri before the game. (AP)

The Bengals lost the season opener on a last-second miracle. Then they won at the wire the following week at Green Bay, beat Pittsburgh on their last drive and survived Cleveland on a last-second overtime field goal.

Now this.

Only this one might've been the most difficult. Not because it was in Baltimore or because it was against the league's top-ranked run defense or because the Ravens are supposed to be light years ahead of Cincinnati ... and most of the AFC.

No, this was a land mine because Cincinnati played only days after the unexpected death of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer's wife, Vikki. No one knew what to expect from Zimmer or his players, with Bengals coach Marvin Lewis admitting defensive players seemed in "a little bit of a funk" at last Friday's practice. But that happens. As linebacker Dhani Jones said, "emotion is the name of the game," and there was plenty of it tied to Vikki Zimmer's death.

"What was said to and by Mike Zimmer?" Lewis was asked.

"He said, 'You know how Vikki felt about all of you,'" said Lewis. "'She's up there now in heaven smiling at you.' Win or lose, she loved these guys. I was in their house on Thursday afternoon, and there were Post-It notes all around and treats for the players. And I reminded those guys of that Friday morning. I said that they were always on her mind."

So the Bengals went out and pulled off one of their biggest wins in years -- or the past three weeks -- with Zimmer on the sidelines. Not only did he call the defensive signals, but he was joined by his father, Bill, his son, Adam, and one of his daughters, Corri.

Don't ask me how he did it. I can't imagine. And don't ask Lewis, either. He said that Zimmer went "back and forth" before deciding to make the game, and good thing he did. He witnessed ... no, he helped engineer ... a victory that could be a defining moment for the Bengals as the season unfolds.

"That's a good football team," said Baltimore coach John Harbaugh. "They are everything advertised ... and more."

That's a big 10-4. Cincinnati didn't just beat Baltimore. It dominated the Ravens. It shut down one of the league's most prolific attacks, holding it to one touchdown and a season-low 12 first downs and intercepting quarterback Joe Flacco twice in what was easily his worst performance of the year. The Ravens couldn't run. They struggled to complete a downfield pass. And they couldn't make a big play when it was demanded. In short, Cincinnati played the Ravens as the Ravens usually play everyone else, hammering them with tough, physical defense and winning it on a last-minute drive.

I don't know whether to credit that to the emotion this team was feeling in the wake of a tragedy or to a club that is growing with each week and making a name for itself with its defense. What I do know is that the Bengals aren't going away anytime soon.

"We know what we've always known -- that we're a fighting team," said Jones. "A lot of people look at us and they don't know what we know -- and that's within ourselves. If you go out there on the streets and someone challenges you, if you're not confident within yourself then you don't stand a chance. You have to have a certain confidence within yourself, knowing who you are."

The Bengals found out who they are on an 80-play drive that began with just over two minutes left. It took 11 plays to cover the field, and it was helped by three Baltimore penalties -- all for first downs. But the point is: They did it, just as they did it in the last minute against Pittsburgh -- and for those keeping score, the Ravens and Steelers not only were the last two left standing in the AFC last year but are the teams that are supposed to keep Cincinnati down in the AFC North.

But they haven't. And maybe they won't. I know it's early, but I can't get over what Cincinnati did -- go the distance on Baltimore ... in Baltimore ... on a last-gasp drive. I saw it happen with Pittsburgh last year when the Steelers came here in December and went 92 yards to beat the Ravens at the gun, and I saw what it did for them.

I'm not comparing this year's Bengals to last year's Steelers, but I am saying they must be taken seriously. They can run, with Cedric Benson putting up 120 yards on the Ravens. That's extraordinary because the Ravens had gone 39 straight games without allowing a 100-yard rusher. But when the streak was broken, it was Benson who did it.

"What an awesome accomplishment," he said. "It's hard for me to put into words how wonderful a feeling it is."

Then there's quarterback Carson Palmer. Nearly four years after suffering a serious knee injury, he finally seems himself -- unencumbered in the pocket, moving to avoid trouble and running for first downs. In fact, on the Bengals' last drive Palmer converted a fourth-and-1 with a 6-yard scramble up the middle.

"If there wasn't a play to be made downfield sometimes it's better to make the 2-yard scramble or the 4-yard scramble," he said. "In a field-position game, you don't want to take chances."

Cincinnati didn't have to because of Zimmer's defense. The Bengals missed an easy field goal. Star receiver Chad Ochocinco lost a fumble deep in Baltimore territory. Palmer's first touchdown pass was to Baltimore safety Ed Reed, who ran 52 yards with an interception. Tight end Daniel Coats dropped two passes that could have been scores. I don't have to draw you a picture. The Bengals made a raft of mistakes.

Yet they persevered, and maybe it was because they were determined to win one for Zimmer or maybe it was because they were determined to prove they are legit. It really doesn't matter which. All I know is the Bengals just won a game I didn't think they could, and with it they won respect they deserve.

"They believe they can win," Lewis said of his players, "no matter what the circumstances are. We keep talking about that: Just keep playing. Don't worry about. Don't flinch. Just keep playing. They believe that."

[membengal]

And Don Banks at si.com leads off Snap Judgments with this:

/>http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/don_banks/10/11/snap.judgments/index.html?eref=sihp

No more calls, we have a winner. With apologies to the giddy 5-0 Denver Broncos, the Cincinnati Bengals are officially the surprise team of the NFL's 2009 season after five weeks, and their 17-14 win at Baltimore in an AFC North first-place showdown convinces me of their legitimacy once and for all. Consider this: At 4-1, the Bengals have already matched their victory total from their entire 2008 season (4-11-1).

Facing an Ravens team intent on making someone pay for last week's embittering loss at New England, the Bengals traded punches with Baltimore and then -- as they've done in all four of their victories this season -- found a way to get it done when the game went down to the wire. These Bengals don't do anything easily. All five of their games this season have been decided by seven points or less, and they've won three in row by scoring in the game's final minute. In the process, they've developed a tough, resilient whatever-it-takes mentality, and suddenly their earlier wins at Green Bay and home against Pittsburgh don't seem the least bit fluky.

In beating their third different division opponent by three points in consecutive weeks -- Steelers, at Cleveland, at Baltimore -- the Bengals have proven they're not going to beat themselves like so many Cincinnati squads in the past. And at 4-1 overall, 3-0 in the AFC North, and 3-0 on the road, Marvin Lewis' club has plenty of ceiling room remaining.

The Bengals now return home to Paul Brown Stadium and they won't leave for more than a month. Houston, Chicago and Baltimore all make the trip to Cincinnati in the coming four weeks, with the Bengals' Week 8 bye sandwiched in there as well. Cincinnati doesn't play again on the road until Nov. 15 at Pittsburgh, meaning it has a shot to be 7-1 and maybe even in command of the division by the time its rematch with the Steelers rolls around.

Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer did his part once again, hitting receiver Andre Caldwell for the game-winning 20-yard touchdown pass with 22 seconds remaining to cap an 80-yard, 11-play drive that began with 2:15 left. But the Bengals defense, playing their hearts out for defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, whose wife, Vikki, died suddenly Thursday night, deserves so much of the credit for this nail-biting win.

Zimmer's unit held Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco to just 186 yards passing, picked him off twice and sacked him twice. Baltimore, which had resembled an offensive juggernaut in racing to a 3-0 start this season, produced just 12 first downs, with 82 yards of rushing and 257 total yards. The Ravens were just 3 of 12 on third and fourth downs.

Another reason to believe in the Bengals? They can run the ball, and control the clock. The re-born Cedric Benson continued his renaissance with 120 yards rushing on 27 carries, including a late-third quarter 28-yard touchdown run that gave Cincinnati its first lead at 10-7. That snapped Baltimore's streak of not allowing a 100-yard rusher in 39 games, dating to December 2006. Not since the Bengals' Rudi Johnson gouged the Ravens for 114 yards in late November 2005 had Baltimore given up triple digits in rushing against an AFC North opponent.

When you throw in Cincinnati's season-ending three-game winning streak last December, the Bengals have now won seven of their past eight games, and maybe the best thing that ever happened to them was that unlucky Week 1 bounce of the ball at home against Denver. Rather than demoralize them, it served to remind them to play 60 minutes each and every week. For a month now, that every-second-counts approach has been the winning formula for Cincinnati.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Clark Judge's piece at sportsline.com (he was apparently at the game today):

/>http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/12347820

I believe.

I believe the Cincinnati Bengals are for real. I believe they are more than a bunch of lucky guys touched by fate. I believe they are good enough to overcome the speed bumps that lurk ahead of them the next five weeks. And I believe they can and will contend for the AFC North title.

I believe because I just saw them win another close one. Only this wasn't Cleveland in overtime. This was Baltimore. In Baltimore. And it was a 17-14 decision that should not have been as close as it was ... but it was because that's how Cincinnati plays everything this season.

Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer hugs daughter Corri before the game. (AP)

The Bengals lost the season opener on a last-second miracle. Then they won at the wire the following week at Green Bay, beat Pittsburgh on their last drive and survived Cleveland on a last-second overtime field goal.

Now this.

Only this one might've been the most difficult. Not because it was in Baltimore or because it was against the league's top-ranked run defense or because the Ravens are supposed to be light years ahead of Cincinnati ... and most of the AFC.

No, this was a land mine because Cincinnati played only days after the unexpected death of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer's wife, Vikki. No one knew what to expect from Zimmer or his players, with Bengals coach Marvin Lewis admitting defensive players seemed in "a little bit of a funk" at last Friday's practice. But that happens. As linebacker Dhani Jones said, "emotion is the name of the game," and there was plenty of it tied to Vikki Zimmer's death.

"What was said to and by Mike Zimmer?" Lewis was asked.

"He said, 'You know how Vikki felt about all of you,'" said Lewis. "'She's up there now in heaven smiling at you.' Win or lose, she loved these guys. I was in their house on Thursday afternoon, and there were Post-It notes all around and treats for the players. And I reminded those guys of that Friday morning. I said that they were always on her mind."

So the Bengals went out and pulled off one of their biggest wins in years -- or the past three weeks -- with Zimmer on the sidelines. Not only did he call the defensive signals, but he was joined by his father, Bill, his son, Adam, and one of his daughters, Corri.

Don't ask me how he did it. I can't imagine. And don't ask Lewis, either. He said that Zimmer went "back and forth" before deciding to make the game, and good thing he did. He witnessed ... no, he helped engineer ... a victory that could be a defining moment for the Bengals as the season unfolds.

"That's a good football team," said Baltimore coach John Harbaugh. "They are everything advertised ... and more."

That's a big 10-4. Cincinnati didn't just beat Baltimore. It dominated the Ravens. It shut down one of the league's most prolific attacks, holding it to one touchdown and a season-low 12 first downs and intercepting quarterback Joe Flacco twice in what was easily his worst performance of the year. The Ravens couldn't run. They struggled to complete a downfield pass. And they couldn't make a big play when it was demanded. In short, Cincinnati played the Ravens as the Ravens usually play everyone else, hammering them with tough, physical defense and winning it on a last-minute drive.

I don't know whether to credit that to the emotion this team was feeling in the wake of a tragedy or to a club that is growing with each week and making a name for itself with its defense. What I do know is that the Bengals aren't going away anytime soon.

"We know what we've always known -- that we're a fighting team," said Jones. "A lot of people look at us and they don't know what we know -- and that's within ourselves. If you go out there on the streets and someone challenges you, if you're not confident within yourself then you don't stand a chance. You have to have a certain confidence within yourself, knowing who you are."

The Bengals found out who they are on an 80-play drive that began with just over two minutes left. It took 11 plays to cover the field, and it was helped by three Baltimore penalties -- all for first downs. But the point is: They did it, just as they did it in the last minute against Pittsburgh -- and for those keeping score, the Ravens and Steelers not only were the last two left standing in the AFC last year but are the teams that are supposed to keep Cincinnati down in the AFC North.

But they haven't. And maybe they won't. I know it's early, but I can't get over what Cincinnati did -- go the distance on Baltimore ... in Baltimore ... on a last-gasp drive. I saw it happen with Pittsburgh last year when the Steelers came here in December and went 92 yards to beat the Ravens at the gun, and I saw what it did for them.

I'm not comparing this year's Bengals to last year's Steelers, but I am saying they must be taken seriously. They can run, with Cedric Benson putting up 120 yards on the Ravens. That's extraordinary because the Ravens had gone 39 straight games without allowing a 100-yard rusher. But when the streak was broken, it was Benson who did it.

"What an awesome accomplishment," he said. "It's hard for me to put into words how wonderful a feeling it is."

Then there's quarterback Carson Palmer. Nearly four years after suffering a serious knee injury, he finally seems himself -- unencumbered in the pocket, moving to avoid trouble and running for first downs. In fact, on the Bengals' last drive Palmer converted a fourth-and-1 with a 6-yard scramble up the middle.

"If there wasn't a play to be made downfield sometimes it's better to make the 2-yard scramble or the 4-yard scramble," he said. "In a field-position game, you don't want to take chances."

Cincinnati didn't have to because of Zimmer's defense. The Bengals missed an easy field goal. Star receiver Chad Ochocinco lost a fumble deep in Baltimore territory. Palmer's first touchdown pass was to Baltimore safety Ed Reed, who ran 52 yards with an interception. Tight end Daniel Coats dropped two passes that could have been scores. I don't have to draw you a picture. The Bengals made a raft of mistakes.

Yet they persevered, and maybe it was because they were determined to win one for Zimmer or maybe it was because they were determined to prove they are legit. It really doesn't matter which. All I know is the Bengals just won a game I didn't think they could, and with it they won respect they deserve.

"They believe they can win," Lewis said of his players, "no matter what the circumstances are. We keep talking about that: Just keep playing. Don't worry about. Don't flinch. Just keep playing. They believe that."

That tops off my weekend in style!

[HoosierCat]

So long-time Bengals hater and all-around tool Clark Judge wants a spot on the bandwagon now?

I say: suck it, Clark.

Sorry, but the same way some feel about Paul Daugherty, I feel about Clark. F**k him.

And Pete "can I have a mulligan" Prisco, too.

[cincy9275]

i'm with hoosier f**k'em.

[Pidge]

Whatever. Our next loss - they are who we thought they were. Busting out the Bungles s**t again.

Some pot-bellied middle aged guy can wax idiotic as much as he likes. The players believe and they're the one who matter.

[membengal]

I just like reading things like that as opposed to "same old bungles" stuff. And, if we are looking for where the winds are blowing from national observers, they are blowing from "for real" land, which is of interest, since we as a fanbase seem still reluctant to completely buy in.

Having a defense helps. A ton.

[HoosierCat]

I just like reading things like that as opposed to "same old bungles" stuff. And, if we are looking for where the winds are blowing from national observers, they are blowing from "for real" land, which is of interest, since we as a fanbase seem still reluctant to completely buy in.

Oh, I get it.

But Judge is second only to Peter "my first name means 'dick'" King in my book of sportswriters I can't stand.

As for buy-in, I am headed to CostCo for a pallet of orange Kool-aid as we speak!

[gregstephens]

I'm with the rest of you guys. The media can piss off. I'd rather stay the Bengals that are the underrated underdogs constantly fighting for respect.

[Kazkal]

It's nice reading good things about the Team ,Though I disagree about losing to the Broncos was good thing I don't think it changes a thing to how this team plays...

[SupaBran]

I'm obviously with all of you, f**k'em, there's only room for those that were on the band wagon from the beginning! These were the same douches that said "Same old Bungles" after Week 1 and the fluke pass!

I can't lie I did enjoy reading those!

[membengal]

Again, large portions of this board said "Same old Bungles" after week 1. Not sure why we hold the national media to a different standard.

At any rate, the national chattering heads are buying in, is the fanbase?

[bwillycuse]

Again, large portions of this board said "Same old Bungles" after week 1. Not sure why we hold the national media to a different standard.

At any rate, the national chattering heads are buying in, is the fanbase?

We'll see if the Houston game sells out. Thats a good sign.

[membengal]

My own personal national boogey-man(men), Greenberg and Golic, grudgingly admitted the Bengals are "for real" this morning. But it was painful, especially for Greenberg. f**k you, Greenberg.

I refuse to listen to Cowherd (blowsgoatherd), but if any of you have the stomach, kindly post here his reaction to the winning.

[cincyhokie]

My own personal national boogey-man(men), Greenberg and Golic, grudgingly admitted the Bengals are "for real" this morning. But it was painful, especially for Greenberg. f**k you, Greenberg.

I refuse to listen to Cowherd (blowsgoatherd), but if any of you have the stomach, kindly post here his reaction to the winning.

I listened to some of Cowherd this morning. I think he mentioned the Bengals but did not go into much detail about his feelings on them or the game. I know he spent some time complimenting the Broncos and McDaniels which is nice considering he was bashing both the Bengals and the Broncos after game 1.

I can only assume he doesn't want to spend the entire show eating his pride. Lately his theories concerning sports success, good teams, etc have been waaaay off.

[Pidge]

Is this Colin Cowherd? A crime against humanity he gets to be so near Michelle Beadle.

[cincyhokie]

Is this Colin Cowherd? A crime against humanity he gets to be so near Michelle Beadle.

The same D-bag, yes.

[ArmyBengal]

Funny thing is, being a sports guy can sometimes be capared to being a weather man. Sometimes you can see things coming without much thought to it and when you call it, people call you "informed". Then there are the times when something out of the blue happens, but it's not that they weren't informed, rather they just didn't bother to look deeper. Here's to hoping for more sunny days, although I think many were predicting bad weather at this point in time in the season.

As for these guys jumping on the wagon, I say kick them the f*ck off with every ounce of force you can muster. Yeah, F*CK'EM !!!