We’d love to know what Marvin Lewis said in the Bengals locker room during halftime because it must have been some inspiring stuff.
Since we don’t know, we’ll just assume he pulled out a laptop and dialed up Florio’s post from earlier in the first half. Said post opined that the Bengals were a couple of hours away from being 2-4 and that assessment looks a lot shakier at this hour.
They stumbled into the break losing 24-3 to the Falcons and looked like the same team that dropped two games to the Browns and Buccaneers before their bye week. They’ve come back from the break looking like the team that won the AFC North last season.
Carson Palmer has completed 13-of-14 passes for 211 yards in the third quarter, including touchdown passes to Terrell Owens and Jordan Shipley. The latter score was set up by a spectacular leaping interception by Leon Hall. Shipley scored on the next play to make it 16 straight unanswered points -- they were unsuccessful on a two-point try -- for the Bengals.
On the next Falcons drive, Matt Ryan hit Roddy White on the right side but Pacman Jones stripped the receiver and returned the ball 59 yards for a score. Another two-point attempt failed, which means it is now 25-24 in Atlanta at the end of three quarters.