Have you ever worked up the nerve to ask out a woman that was way out of your league because you had been drinking and there was poor lighting in the establishment you were in? Then, the next time you saw her you were sure she would be disappointed because she no longer had impaired judgment and the sun was out, shining brightly on your bald head. But somehow, mysteriously, that second time she saw you she actually liked you even more.

You were actually more of a man than you thought you were. YOU didn’t realize it, but you were hot. (This is more of a hypothetical scenario. It probably hasn’t happened to the great majority of people reading this. I just want it known that I’m very aware of that.)

Last weekend, I realized the Cincinnati Bengals were man enough to get the hot girl, uh, I mean, they really are capable of beating good teams. THEY are, in fact, better than most. The first time they beat the Ravens I didn’t fully give them credit.

I attributed the victory to some skill, a lot of luck, and impaired judgment on the part of our opponent. We did, after all, win with less than 30 seconds left in the game. This time I thought we would get the "real" Ravens team. They were coming off of a game where they absolutely demolished their opponent who thus far hadn’t lost a game.

It appeared they were gearing up to exact some revenge on us to prove that our previous victory was more of a fluke than a well-deserved win. But instead it was the Bengals who were in complete control. They controlled every facet of the game. They were not only capable, they were far superior on offense, defense, and special teams.

Cedric Benson and the offensive line allow Carson Palmer to be the elite field general he truly has not had the opportunity to be since winning a Heisman. But the defense has been just as good, if not even more impressive than their offensive counterparts.

This week, the Bengals will take on the Pittsburgh Steelers for the second time. The Steelers appear to be gaining momentum every week and this will certainly be the biggest test thus far for Cincy.

If Cincinnati can pull off this victory they will then play Oakland, Cleveland, and Detroit in consecutive weeks in what I like to call, "the month we rest our starters." So the question remains, are we man enough, good enough, "hot" enough to beat the Steelers? I think we got this one, but I have spent most of the morning drinking. Seriously, I have. --- TOM SEGURA.