LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS... OH MY!

Dalton Scratches and Claws: The Bengals clawed their way back to .500 at home with a rousing win over the previously undefeated Buffalo Bills Sunday in Cincinnati. In a week where comebacks were remarkably common, the Bengal's Andy Dalton engineered a second half that Cinci fans hope is a sound indicator of the rookie's poise leading the Bengals back from a 14 point deficit at the half.

Dalton, the 35th overall pick in the 2011 draft, went only 18 for 36 in the game for a respectable 298 yards. However, the young gunslinger's mettle was at stake late in the fourth quarter when it really mattered.

Far more important than his personal stats is the manner in which Dalton was able to accept personal responsibility for the game's outcome. Making plays with both his arm and his legs, Dalton showed leadership and resolve by putting the team on his back for the win. Dalton's several scrambles included a touchdown and one for a pivotal first down in which he calmly ran out of bounds while stretching the ball out for the marker. These were not the moves of a rookie second round pick, but those of a seasoned veteran showing no nervous tendencies.

Cedric Benson did his part as well rushing for 104 yards on 19 carries, a 5.5 YPG average. If the Bengals can maintain balance, they may become the trap team later on this season.

Lion Kings: The Detroit Lions continue to put up franchise bests earning their fifth consecutive road win Sunday versus the Dallas Cowboys. By doing so, the Lions extended their consecutive win streak to eight games, an NFL best going into week 5. What's more is that the Lions continue to show their true grit erasing halftime leads of 17 and 20 over the past two games respectively.

At one point in the third quarter of Sunday's comeback win over Dallas, the Cowboys enjoyed a 24 point margin in their favor only to relinquish 14 points by way of interceptions returned for touchdowns on back to back offensive drives. After earning their keep, the Lions defense then watched Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson take over the game en route to a thrilling 34-30 come from behind victory. I think it is safe to say that the Detroit Lions are no longer on the bubble. Brimming with talent and firing on all cylinders, the Lions possess a poise and synchronicity that NFL teams dream of. The only question remaining is whether or not injuries or lack of experience will hamper Detroit down the stretch. As of right now, the Detroit Lions are a serious contender.

Bear Feet: Matt Forte continues his early season dominance leaving his week four date with the Panthers' rush defense with 205 yards on 25 carries, a whopping 8.2 YPC average! That translates to a 5.4 average for Forte a quarter way through the 2011 season.

With Jay Cutler showing reasons for concern, it is the perfect time for Matt Forte to enable Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith to go back to old school Chicago football, the punishing ground and pound. Cutler left the week with only 9 of 17 passing attempts completed for a measly 102 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.

Over the next several weeks, I expect the Bears to continue pounding the rock and limiting Cutler's role to that of a game manager rather than a play maker. The Bears head into Detroit to face the fierce undefeated Lions in week 5 and will likely attempt to keep the ball on offense much of the game. The Bears will need another strong performance from Forte so that they can play ball control against the big-play tandem of Stafford-Johnson. If they fail to win in the ground game in Detroit, they will come back to Chicago 2-3 and a full 3 games behind a 5-0 Lions team in their division.