Seahawks vs. Bengals: Cincinnati Grades, Notes and Quotes

In a situation that past iterations of the team might have folded and started thinking about next week, the Cincinnati Bengals rattled off 17 fourth-quarter points to force overtime before stealing a 27-24 overtime decision against the Seattle Seahawks Sunday.

The Bengals got out to a 7-0 lead before falling way behind because of miscues and turnovers on both sides of the ball.

When the team needed it, though, Cincinnati cleaned up the act before Mike Nugent's game-winning kick. Andy Dalton wound up throwing for 331 yards with three total touchdowns, while Giovani Bernard came up big with 15 carries for 80 yards.

There were issues and mistakes, but against such a high-caliber opponent, Cincinnati's ability to storm from behind and seize a win speaks volumes to the team's ceiling this year. Within, let's break down the unforgettable affair and look at some of the instant reactions.

Position Grades for Bengals

Gary Landers/Associated Press

The Cincinnati defense struggled Sunday.

Position	Grade
QB	A+
RB	B
WR	A
TE	B
OL	C
DL	C
LB	C
DB	C
Special Teams	C
Coaching	B

While it was a thrilling win, there's no chance the Bengals get top grades across the board after needing a comeback in the first place.

To be blunt, the defensive secondary played miserable football at times Sunday, giving up several big plays as Russell Wilson gunned for 213 yards and a score. The defensive line and linebacking corps weren't much better, allowing backup Thomas Rawls to rumble for 169 yards and a score, including a 69-yard touchdown scamper.

Granted, these two units turned it around when the team needed it most, but Cincinnati shouldn't have been in a hole in the first place. 

The offensive line turned in its first poor performance of the season as well, allowing four sacks of Andy Dalton and consistent pressure. 

Alas, Dalton, other than a silly decision on his lone interception, stood tall against the pressure en route to a strong outing. Tight end Tyler Eifert came up big with eight grabs for 90 yards, and A.J. Green shook free of Richard Sherman for 78 yards on six catches. Three other targets caught five passes.

Marvin Lewis once again had some odd timeout decisions, but otherwise his team held tough. The plan to move Green around in different spots worked out well, and the team wasn't afraid to go away from Jeremy Hill when it just wasn't working. As a result, the coaching staff earns another strong grade.

Giovani Bernard Carries the Load Again

Frank Victores/Associated Press

Giovani Bernard continues to come up big for the Bengals.

Going into Sunday's cross-conference showdown, it was easy to presume the Bengals would lean on strong north-south running from Hill, who scored three times on nine carries in Week 4.

Instead, Hill struggled to find room against the Seahawks, rushing just eight times for 13 yards. Part of this had to do with some sluggish play by the linemen in front of him, but most of it was the result of Seattle's strong front.

Regardless, Bernard once again acted as the starter from a usage standpoint, gaining the aforementioned 80 yards on 5.3 yards per carry.

While he saw some of his chances simply because the team was trailing, it's hard to imagine the coaching staff dislikes what it saw. While he's smaller than Hill (6'1", 235 lbs), Bernard (5'9", 205 lbs) continues to rattle off productive runs, earning further chances down the line.

Cincinnati's good problem to have came up big Sunday when it mattered.

Everyone Gets Involved

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

It was a team effort for the Cincinnati offense Sunday.

Last week the Bengals showed the impressive depth of their offensive cache of weapons by spreading it out to many players in different capacities.

It was more of the same this week with the Seahawks in town. Green spent time in the slot and on the opposite side of the field from Sherman. Eifert was all over the place, giving smaller defensive backs nightmares.

Mohamed Sanu came up big for a second straight week, this time with five grabs on five targets for 69 yards. Marvin Jones returned to form too, catching five of eight targets for 61 yards. Bernard saw the same target number, also catching five for 21 yards.

It's quite impressive what the Bengals showed they can do against one of the league's better defenses Sunday. Better yet, it seems to put the offense at a distinct advantage going into most matchups because there's no quality way to prepare for each possibility.

Long story short—now healthy, the offense is performing as expected.

Andy Dalton Carries Team to First 5-0 Start Since 1988

Gary Landers/Associated Press

Andy Dalton put his body on the line for the win Sunday.

At the end of the day, Dalton gets the credit.

The defense got a few big stops. Bernard had a few nice runs, and Eifert bullied defenders, but Dalton deserves the praise for getting the team to 5-0.

This record doesn't happen without his newfound confidence in the pocket, even under pressure. It doesn't happen without better poise, fewer mistakes and more alterations at the line of scrimmage than ever.

As mentioned, this is the first time the Bengals have hit the 5-0 mark in a long time. While it's premature to read too much into the fact, the last time they did it, they went to the Super Bowl in 1988. It's certainly worth bringing up.

With Dalton playing the way he is—even behind a line that struggled in major ways at times—it's easy to buy into the confidence surrounding the organization.

Andy Dalton: 'Complete Game'

Frank Victores/Associated Press

Andy Dalton credited those around him for the comeback victory.

Dalton was, of course, the main attraction after Cincinnati's big win Sunday.

In the presser, he wasn't shy about crediting those around him for the group effort, as ESPN.com's Coley Harvey captured: "Andy Dalton called Sunday's win a 'complete game' for the Bengals. 'We want to stay undefeated. We want to stay undefeated at home.' Credited his defense with getting the ball back to the offense often late."

Most expect the selflessness at this point, but the fact that Dalton is correct should turn more heads.

Dalton and the team know that most people probably counted them out after falling behind. One could hear the boos from the crowd at the stadium. But he and his teammates did turn in a complete game, scratching and clawing back before sealing the win.

The Bengals continue to say and do the right things, both on and off the field.

Marvin Lewis Praises Andy Dalton...

Gary Landers/Associated Press

Marvin Lewis continues to hand more control of the offense to Andy Dalton.

While it's a great time to be a Bengals fan, it's even better to be one of the folks who advocated for Dalton's heap of millions in extension money because they believed in him.

Of course, this refers to Marvin Lewis, who wasn't shy about throwing praise on his quarterback after the game, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com: "What makes Andy Dalton tick, rarely gives up two plays in a row."

It's a great point that actually might get lost in numbers and game-winning field goals. Dalton didn't flinch while under assault all day. His mistakes didn't cascade as they have in the past.

While he might have held onto the ball a little longer than some would prefer after the interception, Dalton didn't make any major mistakes after it, instead changing plays at the line and even putting his body at risk to move the ball.

For the Bengals, it's a justification of the long building process to this point.

...and Makes Sure to Point out Room for Improvement

Frank Victores/Associated Press

Marvin Lewis touched on mistakes after the contest.

As any good coach should, Lewis acted as the voice of reason after Sunday's game. 

After all, the Bengals were in a hole in the first place thanks to multiple turnovers, sloppy tackling, blown coverages and penalties. As Hobson captured, Lewis felt the blame deserved to go right to his players: "Only time we were stopped is when we stopped ourselves."

No team will play a perfect game. But at the same time, it has to be encouraging to the coaching staff to know there are so many correctable mistakes to look at on film in the coming week.

It also has to be encouraging for Lewis to see his guys rally back and steal a win despite the worst performance of the season. The key now? Moving forward and cleaning up these self-inflicted issues to stay ahead of the division. The playoffs are the goal.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.