Thursday night games are downright grueling, given the short turnaround for players to get their bodies right among other factors. However, the Cincinnati Bengals saw the benefits that can arise from sitting at home with a mini-bye during Sunday's Week 7 NFL action.
The AFC in particular is having a bit of a collective struggle. Yes, there are some juggernauts toward the top of the standings, but there are a lot of middling-to-bottom-dwelling teams who are only helping the Bengals' hopes of keeping their season alive.
As if Thursday's thrilling 33-31 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers to move to 2-0 in the AFC North wasn't reason enough for Who Dey Nation to feel great, the Bengals got even more hope from other intraconference adversaries in Week 7.