*From about 1:30 until 3:00, all I wanted to do was punch myself in the face. The Bengals came out flat, had some of the worst special teams play I've ever seen, and did their typical dicking around at the end of the first half. I shouldn't be leading with these things, but here we are anyway. The special teams play has to get better, of course, but I'm beyond believing that Marvin Lewis-coached teams will handle end-of-half situations well.
*I am not the most prescient person, but when Miami decided to not hand the ball to Frank Gore on the third and one from their own 34, instead choosing to have Ryan Tannehill throw long for what ended up being an incompletion, I announced to no one in particular in my section that the Bengals - trailing 17-3 were going to win. You're welcome.
*There are more than a few of us who've wondered in Michael Johnson is still useful. The answer is yes.
*Sam Hubbard is going to prove to be one of the biggest Bengals steals in recent history.
*Yes, he was working against backups, but Geno Atkins was again beastly. This is pretty remarkable statement given how good Geno has been throughout his career, but he's having his best season. The guy is just unblockable.
*The Andy Dalton heave to Joe Mixon for that made it 17-10 gets picked off last season, and the year before. Things feel different, mainly because plays that like one that are destined to go wrong end up going swimmingly.
*Bill Lazor is the best offensive coordinator of the Marvin Lewis era.
*Ryan Tannehill is too experienced of a quarterback to have attempted that pass that was picked off by Johnson and run back for the game-tying score.
*AJ Green had a quiet 112 yards, but had the kind of performance that's demanded of stars when their team is without so many key guys. Same for Joe Mixon.
*Where the Bengals are right now is pretty remarkable. They're 4-1 and the odds-on favorite to win a division that currently has no teams with losing records. They've had to put together three second half comebacks in order to pull out wins - including yesterday's historic effort - and they've had to endure absences to two running backs, another injury to their to red zone threat, and the four-game suspension of their best linebackers. This team has been really, really fun to watch, and even the ways in which the Bengals are winning might not portend sustained success, there's a vibe that just feels different.
If things truly are different, the Bengals beat next week.