Margus Hunt

The turnstile on the defensive line turned into a vestibule Monday when old friend Margus Hunt returned to where he started and signed to help the Bengals decimated front. "Some familiar faces and a chance to get on the field and contribute," Hunt said on why he decided on the Bengals in a league desperate for defensive linemen.

INDIANAPOLIS - The Bengals went to the NFL scouting combine looking for edge rushers and the question isn't if they're going to get one, but when? And how many? "Can we get two of them?" asked defensive coordinator Paul Guenther during a break in workouts. This is the draft to do it.

Welcome to the earliest Bengals.com Media Mock Draft in history. It's way too early to make a sane call here. Remember, there are 75 days until they have to make this pick. This is purely fantasy football. So try the de-caf. But we couldn't wait. Neither could you:

The chair recognizes the readers in another Who Dey hearing in the august (and September and October ...) halls of Bengaldom. What late-round gems twinkle? Cody Core (above), last year's sixth-rounder, is trying to shine in '17.

HOUSTON - Lightning is about to strike twice in the Super Bowl. It could help illuminate how rich rookie free agency has been for teams like the Bengals and Patriots with players like former Cincinnati tight end Matt Lengel playing Sunday.

With the Bengals taking a look at the No. 9 pick in the draft, the discussion is about value. Where do they fall when it comes to taking a running back so high as Giovani Bernard (above) comes off ACL surgery?

The Bengals.com end of year awards. Who is your MVP? Rookie of the Year? There is no doubt about the Offensive Play of the Year, right?

In what has been a staggering season for their proud special teams, the Bengals are staking their claim to a consolation prize in the form of the AFC kick return title. Rookie wide receiver Alex Erickson, who got his second wind in the season's second half, holds a tenuous lead heading into Sunday's regular-season finale (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Channel 12) against the Ravens at Paul Brown Stadium.

HOUSTON - Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton converted a fourth-down pass to tight end C.J. Uzomah and running back Rex Burkhead ran for 10 yards to set up former Texans kicker Randy Bullock's 43-yard field goal try that sailed wide right on the game's last play that gave Houston a 12-10 victory and the AFC South title.

CLEVELAND - After leaping to a 20-0 half-time lead Sunday, the Bengals got into a second half tussle with the Browns and let winless Cleveland crawl within 10 points with 14:14 left in the game before Mike Nugent hit a 44-yard field goal with 8:38 left and running back Jeremy Hill finished off his second 100-yard game of the season in a 23-10 victory.

The Bengals special teams, ranked in the top ten three of the last five seasons, are beginning to rise again. The surge coincides with Sunday's appointment against a key figure in that stretch at Paul Brown Stadium (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Channel 19), Buffalo returner Brandon Tate.

Andy Dalton's protection is a big topic this week for the readers as they weigh in after Monday night's game in New York.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton got sacked on back-to-back bull rushes by a rampaging Giants defensive line with three minutes left Monday night and New York's No. 32 ranked running game converted a third-and-six with 2:50 left to secure as the Bengals let another one slip away, 21-20.

Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther likes the way his guys responded to his bye week decree that he's shaking up things with competition from the young players, but at the same time the locker room embraced the return of veteran defensive lineman Wallace Gilberry.

At the mid-way point of the season we take a look back, starting with our co-MVPs and Offensive Player of the Year.

Peko had four tackles on Sunday, giving him 501, according to NFL.com.

Nugent started the year with a 47-yard game-winning field goal with 54 seconds remaining in the season opener and hit 13 of 15 field goal attempts in the first six weeks. But last week against Cleveland he missed 40 and 45-yard attempts, and Mike missed a 51-yard field goal try in addition to the extra point against Washington.

LONDON - All you need to know is this stat and quote for Sunday's game against Washington (9:30 a.m-Cincinnati's FOX 19) at Wembley Stadium. The Bengals are next to last in the NFL in allowing sacks per pass and Washington is 10th in getting them and right tackle Eric Winston says, "We have to play well up front to beat these guys."

Old friend Hue Jackson arrived at sold-out Paul Brown Stadium Sunday with his winless Browns and bottomless bag of gadgets, but his former student delivered the final nail in when Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton oversaw a big-play offense that included a 48-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to A.J. Green and a 74-yard touchdown run by running back Jeremy Hill in a 31-17 victory over Cleveland.