Bengals emerge winners during bye as all other AFC North teams fall flat

While the Cincinnati Bengals sat on a bye this weekend, we noted the team’s fans should be huge fans of the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions.

Those teams took on other members of the AFC North on Sunday, meaning the Bengals could have an improved outlook in the division while not even playing a game.

The Patriots made good on any goodwill from Bengals fans, beating down the Cleveland Browns in a stunning 45-7 outcome that dropped the Browns to 5-5 and last in the AFC North. In the process, quarterback Baker Mayfield left the game with a knee injury.

As for the Lions, the NFL’s only winless team played the Ben Roethlisberger-less Steelers to a tie, dropping Pittsburgh to 5-3-1.

This, keep in mind, happened after Thursday’s primetime game featured the Baltimore Ravens getting upset by the hapless Miami Dolphins, keeping the AFC North 100 percent in play.

Panning back a bit, nobody really has an edge in the AFC North after Sunday’s results, though the Bengals remain the only team in the division with a winning record within it at 2-1.

But overall? Better to make some serious ground than lose it while sitting out on a bye week.

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Cincinnati Bengals 7-round 2022 NFL mock draft at bye week