Brandon Johnson News

His team is "not playing playoff football for sure right now," Chad Ochocinco said as he sat at his dressing stall afterward, but there's no denying the Cincinnati Bengals already are into the Christmas spirit.

If there is such a thing as the proverbial rookie wall, linebacker Rey Maualuga doesn't know if he's gone through it yet.

The Bengals got a 24-hour extension to sell out their game against Detroit on Sunday and avoid a local television blackout.

The Cincinnati Bengals played the ball control game as they ran the rock down the Cleveland Browns' throats in a 16-7 workman-like victory.

Talking to myself while watching Brady Quinn in the Browns' 16-7 loss at Cincinnati ... Question: So what do you think of Brady Quinn now? Answer: I'm empty of any original thoughts.

The Cincinnati Bengals are second in the NFL in rushing defense, allowing 84.3 yards a game.

Everybody has thrown their two cents into the nickel package so effectively lately that the Bengals defense has turned third down into money.

On the edge of the mayhem, but also deeply entrenched in the middle of it, stands the Bengals' Jonathan Fanene, the indomitable defensive end from American Samoa.

Did anyone else hear some of the things Carson said after the Steelers game? He just continues to impress me.

Jon Fanene had no apologies Sunday. The Bengals defensive lineman who suddenly has five sacks on the season in place of Antwan Odom 's five sacks, celebrated Sunday's culture-changing 18-12 victory over the Steelers with two sacks, two quarterback hits, six tackles and a pass defensed.

Granted, Bengal faith is spare and rare for the best of reasons: Since the striped-helmet ones lost the 1989 Super Bowl to the San Francisco 49ers, they have posted but two winning seasons and made the playoffs once.

Running back Cedric Benson did not practice for a second straight day and is unlikely to play Sunday at Oakland.

The balance of power in the AFC North shifted in the Bengals' final drive of Sunday's showdown at hushed Heinz Field to the left side of their offensive line.

Ten quick takes on Steelers - Bengals ... 10. When the Steelers lose, it's tempting to look only at what they did wrong ? and we will ? but how about giving the Bengals some credit? This is clearly a different breed of Bengal, one that isn't tamed easily.

The shirts had orange, block letters that spelled out NDCQ, apparently referring to a phrase players have used during their surprising season: Not dead, can't quit.

There may be no greater compliment to a defense than to call it "no-name," because it invariably means it is winning football games.

A few postgame notes and quotes following Sunday's 18-12 win over the Steelers: A "It's the most physical grinding game I've ever been on the sideline for," head coach Marvin Lewis said.

View full size photo>> Your Cincinnati Bengals are 7-2, leading the division by effectively 2 games with 7 to play.

Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer throws against the Steelers in the third quarter.

The Cincinnati Bengals had not swept the Pittsburgh Steelers in 10 years. The Steelers had won four in a row, and were sporting "the toughest defense in football." The Bengal pass rush that only got to Ben Roethlisberger once in a week three matchup was now without defensive end Antwan Odom - out for the season with a town Achilles.