What We Learned from the Cincinnati Bengals' 24-17 Win over Tennessee

The Cincinnati Bengals pulled off yet another come-from-behind victory on Sunday, toppling the Tennessee Titans 24-17 with a gutsy showing following a less than pretty first-half performance.

Today's topic then, with Cincinnati firmly in contention for a playoff spot, is: Are the Bengals for real?

While the victory in Tennessee goes a long way towards showing that this team is better than they are given credit for, there were still moments that made even the most positive Bengals fan scared for the game against Pittsburgh next week.

Here's what we learned from the win...

Donald Lee Can Ball

In my pre-game slideshow, I stressed the need for Jermaine Gresham's and Dan Skuta's replacements to play well, and boy did Donald Lee step up to the plate.

Lee followed his blocks and burst out for a 22-yard gain on what looked like a lost play in the second quarter. That was followed by an athletic catch over the middle of the field from the Titans' 33-yard line, down to their eight. 

Lee had three catches for 49 yards, a pedestrian amount that doesn't do justice to his overall input.

He was never expected to come into this game and be the focal point of the offense. What he was expected to do was to fit seamlessly into Gresham's shoes and be a serviceable backup, something that he more than fulfilled. 

Lee proved to be a steady target for Andy Dalton, and helped to get the Bengals on the board in the first half, in what proved to be a crucial touchdown when the game reached its latter stages.

The Team Has Guts

I have to admit, with the score at 17-7 at the half, Tennessee looking like a largely superior team at that point, and the threat that Chris Johnson could have a big day still seeming plausible, I was almost ready to start lamenting a loss.

However, this Bengals team did what they have done best in 2011, and took to the field in the second half looking like a completely different team. The stout defense started to play to the level their ranking requires, and Dalton, Green, Simpson and the rest started to click.

What strikes me about this new young team is that where the 2010 Bengals might have thrown in the towel, this team stayed hungry, stayed energetic and played every series with a relentless positivity and enthusiasm, that saw the successes or failures of the previous series have little effect on morale or psyche.

It was a great thing to see, and it is a testament to the 'all in' attitude that this team continues to implore on both sides of the ball. Everyone seems to be singing from the same hymn sheet, and with no distractions, these Bengals look wise beyond their years.

A Benson/Scott Combo Is Better Than a Focus on Benson

If there was one positive that came out of Ced Benson's one-game suspension, it was that it gave us a chance to see what Bernard Scott can do.

Undoubtedly Scott brings a skill-set to the table that is vastly different to Benson's downhill, freight-train running style, and it has its positives.

The Bengals obviously have faith in Scott and continued to utilise a rotation between the two running backs. Originally this was deemed as a means to keep Benson fresh, used predominantly when the Bengals didn't need his services.

However, it is becoming more apparent that the coaching staff see Scott as having real value, and he showed it on Sunday with some pace-changing runs to the outside when Benson was struggling to break through the line of scrimmage.

I don't know how Benson will respond to Scott's increased carries, but it seems like they're here to stay. With the simplicity of the Bengals' passing game, a versatile, two-headed monster of a running back combo in the backfield may be a real facet of the offense going forward.

Scott finished the day with six carries for 24 yards, while Benson totalled 20 carries for 78 yards.

Jerome Simpson Is a Liability

I like Jerome Simpson, and I am enjoying seeing him receive some first-team attention. 

The guy has talent, but continues to be his own worst enemy on the field.

With a penalty to his name in this one and a number of drops to go with it, Simpson didn't perform to the level someone receiving 10 targets in a game should. 

With the schedule toughening up, Simpson's productivity could take a nosedive in the coming weeks, and his aggressive attitude on the field won't go down well with the likes of Pittsburgh and Baltimore either.

With a penchant for showboating, Simpson needs to be more consistent, get focused and work on his hands if he wants to continue to celebrate every first down and slam-dunk every TD.

Despite an erratic showing, Simpson did come down with a great TD grab, and will be needed to produce more of the same as we see Green double-covered more frequently.

Carlos Dunlap Is as Good as Advertised

Despite limping off the field with cramp in the final moments of Sunday's encounter, Carlos Dunlap had yet another strong showing on the road.

Dunlap has 14 tackles and three sacks for the year thus far, but is getting to the quarterback more times than most statisticians can even count. That's an exaggeration of course, but Dunlap's QB pressures float somewhere in the low-20s at this point, which in itself is an amazing feat.

With a touchdown in Seattle and an almost-TD in Tennessee, Dunlap is not only a pass-rushing behemoth, but he has the versatility and game-reading ability to react and make plays on defense with a combination of speed and recognition. 

It is perhaps best put by the man himself: “That’s just as good,” said Dunlap. “It’s one of those stats that don’t show up on paper, but it’s as important as getting the sack itself.  If you can consistently give pressure, that’s better than getting a sack every now and then.”

Mike Zimmer's defensive system is getting the best out of players, and while Dunlap is not alone in terms of ability, his name is one that Bruce Arians will be weary of during Pittsburgh's visit to Paul Brown Stadium.

Andy Dalton Has Ice in His Veins

Things may not have started very prettily, but Rookie of the Year candidate Andy Dalton led the Bengals to their fourth fourth-quarter comeback this year, and their third on the road.

Dalton threw for a career-high three touchdowns on Sunday, each of which found the hands of a different receiver, none of which was A.J. Green.

The Dalton-Green connection did continue however, with Green catching every ball the Red Rifle sent his way, amassing 83 yards in the process, which culminated in a breathtaking haul on 3rd & 18 in double-coverage that set up the game-winning points.

It's been said a number of times, but is worth repeating: Dalton has done an amazing job in a truncated offseason to get this team on the same page and firing on all cylinders in what many considered to be a lost season before it even started.

Dalton has an uncanny ability to stay calm even when time is running out and the Bengals are losing, a far cry from the Bengal's previous QB, who was renowned for fourth-quarter INT's. It speaks volumes about the chemistry between OC Jay Gruden and Dalton, and both have proved thus far that they can more than handle the big stage. More than that though, there seems to be a confidence in Andy Dalton and a real sense that the players want to rally around him, and he continues to show why that is the case.

In Andy We Trust!

Penalties Could Derail the Bengals Going Forward

Too many times on Sunday did the Bengals get momentum going, only to have it taken away by a series-changing penalty.

With nine penalties for the day for 87 yards, the Bengals were lucky to have not felt bigger repercussions than they did in this one.

It is a concern going forward, as the likes of Pittsburgh and Baltimore are teams that will capitalise on silly penalties, and put up points where Tennessee didn't.

The implications of penalties can hugely affect a team's psyche, especially if they are trying to get back into a game, as the Bengals have been on many occasions.

If Cincinnati wants to be seen as 'for real', they need to stop being sloppy, and start getting things done the first time.

The Deep Ball to A.J. Green Is the Bengals' Biggest Weapon

A.J. Green continues to delight Bengals fans with an athletic prowess that has seen many dub him as the best prospect of a generation. 

Green has been a great asset to Andy Dalton, and will continue to be in the coming weeks.

I stressed pre-Tennessee that the Bengals need to keep throwing it up for Green to go up and get it, despite two off-putting interceptions in Seattle, and it seems Jay Gruden subscribes to that same idea.

While Green may not haul in every pass, the fear that he generates can lead to some pretty big breaks for Cincy, as was proved on Green's jumbo 45-yard pass interference call that set up a touchdown. 

The Bengals may continue to hand the ball off or target their tight ends in coming weeks, but A.J. Green will remain a nuisance to defensive coordinators, as Gruden and Dalton have proven that they have no fear in throwing it up for their No. 4 pick to fight for.

Green is the Bengals' 'superstar' on offense, and is performing with a style and grace that couldn't be more opposed to that tag. It has only been eight games, but Green has become a huge name in the NFL already.