The Bengals surpassed their victory total from last season when they beat Seattle 34-12 on Sunday. They’ve won four in a row, their longest such streak since 2009, when they reached the playoffs. It’s a complete reversal from the same time a year ago, when the Bengals were in the midst of losing 10 consecutive games with receivers Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco getting most of the attention. The 30-something reality show stars are gone, and the young Bengals team they’ve left behind is quickly growing up. “The fact (is) that we’re all young and no one has a name for themselves and everyone wants to make a name for this team,” second-year defensive end Carlos Dunlap said on Monday. “That’s the big difference from last year to this year. Everybody’s playing for one another.” There’s significance to the strong start. It’s only the fourth time the Bengals have started 5-2 since 1990. The last three times, they reached the playoffs — 1990, 2005 and 2009. They won their first playoff game in 1990, but lost their first-round games in ‘05 and ‘09. The Bengals play at Tennessee (4-3) next Sunday, followed by a four-week stretch against AFC North opponents that will give them a good feel for how they match up. They’re tied for second with Baltimore, a half-game behind Pittsburgh. “The confidence has always been there,” Dunlap said. “I don’t know how you explain it. I think everybody’s more comfortable with where we’re at, but they’re not complacent. They see the potential and strive to get there together.” They’ve done it with a defense that ranks among the league’s best, special teams that have been solid throughout, and an offense that does just enough with its limited experience. Dalton ranks 18th in the NFL with an 82.7 passer rating, completing 62 percent of his passes for 1,479 yards with nine touchdowns and seven interceptions. He’s the second-highest ranked rookie passer in the league, trailing Cam Newton’s 87.1 rating. Newton has thrown for 2,393 yards with 11 touchdowns with nine interceptions. Dalton completed 18 of 29 for 168 yards against the Seahawks with two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Bengals’ fast start has been largely a function of Dalton’s ability to avoid the game-changing mistake. After the game in Tennessee, Dalton and the young offense will get tested during games against Pittsburgh, at Baltimore, home against Cleveland and at Pittsburgh. The game against the Steelers at Paul Brown Stadium on Nov. 13 will provide a chance to break their streak of seven straight home games that have failed to sell out. At 5-2, they’ve given themselves a chance to make something of the rest of their season. “It’s great,” Dalton said. “We have to keep this momentum going.” Notes: Coach Marvin Lewis had no update on CB Adam “Pacman” Jones’ sore hamstring, which forced him out of the game Sunday following a 63-yard punt return. … MLB Rey Maualuga said he jogged without pain on Monday for the first time. He’s missed the last two games with a sprained left ankle, but hopes to be back for Tennessee. … The Bengals received a two-day roster exemption on RB Cedric Benson, who was suspended for the game in Seattle because he violated the NFL’s conduct policy. The Bengals will have to remove someone from the 53-man roster by Wednesday to open a spot for Benson. Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Few teams can match the Cincinnati Bengals’ resume of terrible moments. As a team, the Bengals are long suffering. For fans, disgraceful moments have become the expectation. Here are five of the worst moments in Cincinnati Bengals team history. Akili Smith Drafted in 1999 In place of making a deal with Mike Ditka for a player who actually was successful ( Ricky Williams(notes)), the Bengals chose Akili Smith with the third pick in the 1999 draft. I’m not sure the Bengals have ever recovered from the disaster Smith turned out to be. Bengals Lose the Super Bowl The Bengals’ 1988 Super Bowl loss to the San Francisco 49ers was a total heartbreaker for the city of Cincinnati. The fact that the Bengals were in the game until the final drive (at which point everything collapsed). The fact that the Bengals had been widely expected to be blown out made the loss all the more painful. Bengals Lose the Super Bowl – Part II In the 1981 Super Bowl, the Bengals rushed four straight times from the one yard line in an attempt to score a touchdown. They came up short all four times. Is a little creative play calling too much to ask? The Bengals outgained the 356 yards to 275 yards, but it didn’t make a difference in the score on this day. Comeback Loss to the Chargers In 2006, the Bengals went to the locker room at halftime up 28-7 against the San Diego Chargers. Unfortunately, the Bengals had a total meltdown in the second half. They lost the game 49-41, with 42 of the Chargers’ points coming in the sloppy second half. Palmer Goes Down On the second play of the 2005 playoffs, Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer(notes) went down with an injury to his ankle. Palmer never regained his pre-injury form, and the Bengals, who had begun to look promising, again fell into the lowest ranks in the league. Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

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What are some of the worst moments in Cincinnati Bengals history? The Bengals haven’t necessarily had a multitude of record-breaking seasons or Super Bowl appearances, but even at that there are a few things that certainly qualify as the worst moments in Bengals history. Stanley Wilson’s(notes) Super Bowl Eve Cocaine Relapse. On the eve of Super Bowl XXIII, running back Stanley Wilson, Sr., who had battled substance abuse, league suspensions and legal problems, opted for cocaine over the evening team meeting. Since Wilson was out of “strikes”, he was unable to play the biggest game of the year and many Bengal fans wonder how an eligible Wilson would have changed the outcome. Tim Krumrie’s Broken Leg. As if the loss of Wilson before Super Bowl XXIII was not enough, during the early moments of the game, Tim Krumrie suffered what many have called one of the worst injuries in Super Bowl history. Krumrie, a Cincinnati Bengal star elected to the Pro Bowl in both 1987 and 1988, broke both of his lower left leg bones during a tackle attempt when his cleat snagged the turf. The loss of Krumrie was certainly felt during that Super Bowl loss against the San Francisco 49ers. Carson Palmer’s(notes) Knee Injury. The first round of the AFC playoffs on January 8, 2006, pitted the Cincinnati Bengals against division rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The joy felt on the Bengals’ first pass, which turned out to be the longest completion in Bengal playoff history, was short lived. Carson Palmer was down on the field after a tackle by former Bengal Kimo von Oelhoffen(notes). Palmer’s game ending knee injury was feared to be career ending as well. Joe Montana’s Super Bowl XXIII Winning Pass. With a little over three minutes left in Super Bowl XXIII, it seemed that the Bengals would pull out a win in spite of the obstacles. Even as the game clock wound down to the final minute, there was hope for a Bengal win. Then Montana connected with John Taylor for a 10 yard touchdown to win the game. The 2-14 Season. 2002 was a tough season for the Cincinnati Bengals. They posted the worst season record in franchise history, winning only one game at home against New Orleans and one on the road in Houston. Plagued by injuries, Cincinnati was outscored 119-23 during the first four games of the 2002 season-and allowed the second most points in team history. Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

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SEATTLE (AP) — The Cincinnati Bengals are using their defense and a couple of rookies on offense to stay in the AFC North race. Quarterback Andy Dalton threw a pair of first-half touchdown passes, one to fellow rookie A.J. Green, Brandon Tate returned a punt 56 yards for a touchdown with 3:22 left and the Bengals won their fourth straight with a 34-12 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Dalton tossed TDs of 14 yards to Jerome Simpson and a beautiful 43-yarder that dropped into the arms of Green in the second quarter to give the Bengals a 17-3 lead. From there, the Bengals (5-2) leaned on their impressive defense that bent, but managed to keep Seattle out of the end zone until the fourth quarter. The Bengals are tied with the Ravens for second place in the AFC North, with both teams a half game behind Pittsburgh (6-2). The Seahawks (2-5) were flustered to the point where running back Marshawn Lynch was barking at coaches on the bench after Seattle was held to a field goal on the final play of the third quarter – the second time they were stymied inside the 10. The victory made Marvin Lewis the winningest coach in Bengals history with 65 career wins. Dalton made mistakes in the second half throwing a pair of interceptions and the Bengals managed only 252 yards of total offense. That proved to be enough thanks to special teams, defense and plenty of flubs from the struggling Seahawks. Dalton, whom Seattle passed on in April’s draft by using its late first-round pick on right tackle James Carpenter instead of the quarterback out of TCU, was 18 of 29 for 168 yards. Green finished with four catches for 63 yards. Mike Nugent made two field goals, including a 48-yarder with 4:50 left to give the Bengals a 20-12 lead. The field goal capped a drive where Cincinnati used 4:05 off the clock and forced Seattle to get a touchdown and 2-point conversion to tie. It was a moot point. Seattle went three-and-out on the ensuing possession and Tate, filling in for Adam Jones who was injured in the first quarter, caught Jon Ryan ‘s punt and sprinted nearly untouched to seal the victory. It was Cincinnati’s first punt return for a score since 2003. As a capper, Reggie Nelson intercepted Seattle QB Tarvaris Jackson and raced 75 yards for a touchdown with 36 seconds left. While Cincinnati continued its roll, the Seahawks put together a maddening and confusing day that started when receiver Mike Williams was surprisingly inactive after not being listed on any injury reports all week. Then came a confusing game of quarterback roulette and never hitting on the right number. Jackson, who missed last week’s loss at Cleveland with a strained pectoral, was listed as the starter, only to see Charlie Whitehurst jog out to start the game under center. But with Whitehurst ineffective at getting the Seahawks moving, he was pulled early in the second quarter and Jackson went the rest of the way. Jackson finished 21 of 40 for a career-high 323 yards in just 2 1/2 quarters, while Whitehurst was 4 of 7 for 52 yards and was sacked twice in his limited appearance. Despite all of Seattle’s problems, they trailed only 17-12 with 8:55 left after Lynch plowed in on a 2-yard TD run. It was Seattle’s first TD since the fourth quarter of its win over the New York Giants on Oct. 9. The score only accentuated Seattle’s time management flub at the end of the first half. Seattle finally got a little bit clicking offensively before halftime, driving inside the Bengals 5, but Zach Miller was stopped 2 yards short of a first down at the Cincinnati 3. Seattle coach Pete Carroll used his final timeout and decided to go for it on fourth down, running an inside handoff to Lynch with 14 seconds remaining. Lynch was tripped up short of the goal line and the ball never got spotted in time for Seattle to spike the ball and run another play. Jackson screamed at referee Tony Corrente, his voice getting transmitted through the open microphone and Carroll slammed his headset on the turf as he marched on the field demanding an explanation. Carroll clearly didn’t take his own advice from a year ago, when in a win over San Diego a similar circumstance happened and the Seahawks were left watching the first-half clock expire without any points. After that mistake, Carroll said he was “too bold,” and would learn from the time management miscue. Jones made his return for the first time in a year, having not played since the sixth game of last season with a neck injury. He left with a hamstring injury after taking a punt return back 63 yards in the first quarter. The Bengals also won without starting running back Cedric Benson , who was serving a one-game suspension for violating the NFL’s conduct policy. Bernard Scott made his first start since the end of the 2009 season and rushed for 76 yards on 22 carries. Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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SEATTLE – The Cincinnati Bengals are using their defence and a couple of rookies on offence to stay in the AFC North race. Quarterback Andy Dalton threw a pair of first-half touchdown passes, one to fellow rookie A.J. Green, Brandon Tate returned a punt 56 yards for a touchdown with 3:22 left and the Bengals won their fourth straight with a 34-12 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Dalton tossed TDs of 14 yards to Jerome Simpson and a beautiful 43-yarder that dropped into the arms of Green in the second quarter to give the Bengals a 17-3 lead. From there, the Bengals (5-2) leaned on their impressive defence that bent, but managed to keep Seattle out of the end zone until the fourth quarter. The Bengals are tied with the Ravens for second place in the AFC North, with both teams a half game behind Pittsburgh (6-2). The Seahawks (2-5) were flustered to the point where running back Marshawn Lynch was barking at coaches on the bench after Seattle was held to a field goal on the final play of the third quarter — the second time they were stymied inside the 10. The victory made Marvin Lewis the winningest coach in Bengals history with 65 career wins. Dalton made mistakes in the second half throwing a pair of interceptions and the Bengals managed only 252 yards of total offence. That proved to be enough thanks to special teams, defence and plenty of flubs from the struggling Seahawks. Dalton, whom Seattle passed on in April’s draft by using its late first-round pick on right tackle James Carpenter instead of the quarterback out of TCU, was 18 of 29 for 168 yards. Green finished with four catches for 63 yards. Mike Nugent made two field goals, including a 48-yarder with 4:50 left to give the Bengals a 20-12 lead. The field goal capped a drive where Cincinnati used 4:05 off the clock and forced Seattle to get a touchdown and two-point conversion to tie. It was a moot point. Seattle went three-and-out on the ensuing possession and Tate, filling in for Adam Jones who was injured in the first quarter, caught Jon Ryan’s punt and sprinted nearly untouched to seal the victory. It was Cincinnati’s first punt return for a score since 2003. As a capper, Reggie Nelson intercepted Seattle QB Tarvaris Jackson and raced 75 yards for a touchdown with 36 seconds left. While Cincinnati continued its roll, the Seahawks put together a maddening and confusing day that started when receiver Mike Williams was surprisingly inactive after not being listed on any injury reports all week. Then came a confusing game of quarterback roulette and never hitting on the right number. Jackson, who missed last week’s loss at Cleveland with a strained pectoral, was listed as the starter, only to see Charlie Whitehurst jog out to start the game under centre. But with Whitehurst ineffective at getting the Seahawks moving, he was pulled early in the second quarter and Jackson went the rest of the way. Jackson finished 21 of 40 for a career-high 323 yards in just 2 1/2 quarters, while Whitehurst was 4 of 7 for 52 yards and was sacked twice in his limited appearance. Despite all of Seattle’s problems, they trailed only 17-12 with 8:55 left after Lynch plowed in on a two-yard TD run. It was Seattle’s first TD since the fourth quarter of its win over the New York Giants on Oct. 9. The score only accentuated Seattle’s time management flub at the end of the first half. Seattle finally got a little bit clicking offensively before halftime, driving inside the Bengals’ five-yard line, but Zach Miller was stopped two yards short of a first down at the Cincinnati three. Seattle coach Pete Carroll used his final timeout and decided to go for it on fourth down, running an inside handoff to Lynch with 14 seconds remaining. Lynch was tripped up short of the goal-line and the ball never got spotted in time for Seattle to spike the ball and run another play. Jackson screamed at referee Tony Corrente, his voice getting transmitted through the open microphone and Carroll slammed his headset on the turf as he marched on the field demanding an explanation. Carroll clearly didn’t take his own advice from a year ago, when in a win over San Diego a similar circumstance happened and the Seahawks were left watching the first-half clock expire without any points. After that mistake, Carroll said he was “too bold,” and would learn from the time management miscue. Jones made his return for the first time in a year, having not played since the sixth game of last season with a neck injury. He left with a hamstring injury after taking a punt return back 63 yards in the first quarter. The Bengals also won without starting running back Cedric Benson, who was serving a one-game suspension for violating the NFL’s conduct policy. Bernard Scott made his first start since the end of the 2009 season and rushed for 76 yards on 22 carries.

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