MMQB

I almost feel like I've talked way too much about the Bengals this week. . .Did I just say that? However, it is pretty normal for me to refer to Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback on SI.com - and he had a lot (again) to say about Cincinnati:

They'll Be Bitter - CINCINNATI BENGALS
(Note: Not everyone agrees - some say we'll be celebrating)
Overall Record: 7-5 Conference Record: 5-3 Remaining games: Oakland, at Indianapolis, at Denver, Pittsburgh
What I like about the Bengals right now is their defense, which has come alive since the debacle against the Chargers, and the re-insertion of the unknown Caleb Miller at middle linebacker the following week at New Orleans. They're 3-0 since then, including an impressive slapping around of Baltimore last Thursday. I heard Ron Jaworski say the other day how much Carson Palmer has calmed down since his early-season struggles. That's the perfect way to put it. Palmer looks at ease now, like he did a year ago before his major knee surgery. You don't want to play the Bengals right now. You know why I'm not picking them? They're going to Indy and Denver when both foes will have a lot on the line. I've thought for a while that the Colts would be on the verge of wrapping up home-field through the playoffs when they met Cincinnati on Dec. 18, so Indy wouldn't have the same desperation. But now the Colts will be in a neck-and-neck scrum with the Chargers for home-field down the stretch. The Bengals may regret the Indy-Denver games on the schedule, but I say they'll look back on this year and say: "Losing at Tampa cost us a playoff spot.''

The Fine Fifteen
7. Cincinnati (7-5). Chad Johnson's last four games: 32 catches, 664 yards. But a very strange, quasi-silent appearance on the Football Night in America halftime show.

Offensive Players of the Week (Tie w/ four other groups/people listed)
Andrew Whitworth, Eric Steinbach, Eric Ghiaciuc, Stacy Andrews, Willie Anderson, the starting offensive line, Cincinnati. For keeping quarterback Carson Palmer clean against the best pass-rush in football, Baltimore's ... And doing it with three backups (Whitworth, Ghiaciuc and Andrews). He was sacked twice, once for zero yards and once after he fell down going back to pass, on a gimme sack. In the first 35 minutes, as the Bengals built a 13-0 lead, the line committed two false starts and no other infractions. A heck of a job by an underrated group.

Stat of the Week I
Since giving up 42 points in two quarters to San Diego on Nov. 12, the Bengals have surrendered 23 points in 12 quarters.

Factoid of the Week That May Interest Only Me
Including the pregame show, the Wendy's "Stuck in the Middle With You'' commercial, with the guy in the middle of two attractive gals in the backseat of a car on a winding road, aired seven times on NFL Network's telecast of the Ravens and Bengals last Thursday night.

Ten Things I Think I Think
1c. Great note by Jay Glazer on FOX, re Chad Johnson owing Sean Payton $1,600 for 10 tickets to the
Bengals-Saints game two weeks ago.
6. I think this is what I liked about Week 13:
a. Rookie Johnathan Joseph's play at cornerback for Cincinnati. He broke up four passes, and though his hands leave much to be desired, his quickness and gut instincts for the position are those of an NFL vet.
b. We laugh at Chad Johnson for his divaness, but he is one hell of a football player.

Namaste.