Ten things: Bengals Rediscover Themselves

And reclaim a seat at the Big Bowl table

Games like this make everything possible. The NFL is a weekly crapshoot designed specifically to keep as many people as possible dreaming impossible things as long as they can. It’s good for business, hard on hearts and rewards cynics as much as optimists.

There are no cynics today. Not around here. The Bengals returned to the realm of For Real Sunday, winning at San Francisco by two touchdowns. It’s hard to see that reverting to question marks, barring a run of injury devastation.

The Bengals blasted a Big Bowl contender in the contender’s house. San Francisco hadn’t lost at Levi’s Stadium in 11 games. The Niners had been punched in the mouth twice in a row, their best receiver and their All Pro left tackle were out and they had 100-some former Niners on hand, for an alumni celebration, that they were motivated to impress. If ever an aspiring champion wanted to show its muscles, Sunday was as good a time as any.

It didn’t much matter.

The Bengals offense set the tone, scoring TDs in its first two tries, with the sort of diamond-cutter precision we’d come to expect the previous two years and to doubt this year. The defense decided the game, though, as it has all season. More on that momentarily.

After 31-17, there was no room for doubt. Zac and Joe were joined at Brian Callahan’s brain. The unintentional Lou Anarumo Traveling Resume Show topped itself again. Ja’Marr Chase did a Tyreek Hill and Logan Wilson made yet another killer interception.

It’s a bit much, God-ding up these guys like this. But what’s due is due.

The Bengals of this year are the Bengals of last year and the year before that. With three whole months left to top themselves.

Without further ado:

TEN THINGS FROM BENGALS 31, 49ers 17: