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CINCINNATI -- A lopsided victory over a winless team has given the Cincinnati Bengals a sense that their season has finally turned.The defending AFC North champions are back in the race after beating the intrastate rival Cleveland Browns 31-17 on Sunday in their best all-around showing of the season. Up next is the franchises first trip to London to play Washington.The Bengals (3-4) looked more like a contender against Cleveland (0-7). The offense piled up 559 yards, Cincinnatis best showing since 1990. Jeremy Hill ran for 168 yards and A.J. Green had 169 yards in catches, the first time in franchise history that a receiver and running back each had so many yards in a game.After struggling all season to score points, the Bengals pulled off one big play after another, including three touchdowns of more than 40 yards.When you put bad things on (game) film over and over, it kind of becomes what people expect from you, and thats exactly the opposite of what we expect, Hill said Monday. What we expect is what we did out there on Sunday. So weve just got to continue to put performances like that together, string them together, and build the confidence we need going down the stretch for us.The Steelers (4-3) and Ravens (3-4) lost on Sunday, leaving the Bengals only a game back in the injury-depleted division. Cincinnati is the only team that has been able to avoid significant injury.The last missing piece of the offense was back in a limited role on Sunday. Tight end Tyler Eifert got into a game for the first time since ankle surgery in the offseason. He was on the field for 15 plays, and the Bengals plan to move him into a bigger role each week.Eifert set a club record for tight ends with 13 touchdown catches last season. The offense was complete with him back for third-down and goal-line plays. Cincinnati hadnt scored so many points since a 37-3 win in Cleveland last December.That was good to help us get back on the right track, Eifert said.The defense still has some issues. The Browns were down to their sixth quarterback after Cody Kessler got a concussion in the second quarter. Undrafted rookie Kevin Hogan made his debut and ran for a team-high 104 yards and a touchdown. Cleveland rushed for 180 yards overall against a defense that got flattened by Dallas two weeks earlier.The Bengals gave up the second-fewest points in the NFL last season. After Sundays game, they were tied with Washington for 18th in points allowed.Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said that once the Bengals adjusted to the change to a running quarterback, they played closer to expectations.I think if we continue to move in that direction, well be back, Guenther said. At the end of the year well be right where we were a year ago. Were just doing it the hard way this year.Game notes RT Cedric Ogbuehi, who was benched during a loss at New England a week ago, was in for 51 plays against the Browns. Eric Winston took his spot for 10 plays, giving the first-year starter a break. Now you step back and have an opportunity to take a deep breath, then go back in and finish it out, coach Marvin Lewis said. He declined to say if hed continue to give Ogbuehi a rest during games. ... LT Andrew Whitworth should be out of the concussion protocol by Thursday, Lewis said. He left in the fourth quarter of Sundays game.---Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Dion Waiters Jersey . The Barrie Colts defenceman, who impressed many with his play for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, is the top-ranked skater in the February rankings. He has 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points in 45 games with the Colts this season. Tyler Johnson Heat Jersey . The lawyers filed a 33-page amended complaint Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan, expanding on the suit originally filed Oct. 3 in New York Supreme Court. Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz last week refused to compel Selig to testify in the grievance, and Rodriguez then walked out of the hearing without testifying. https://www.heatlockerroom.com/Tim-Hardaway-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. Goran Dragic Heat Jersey . "No difference at all," chirped U.S. roommate and linemate James van Riemsdyk. "Its still the same cranky Phil. Wayne Ellington Heat Jersey . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. CHICAGO -- As the Chicago White Sox conclude a fourth straight losing season, a couple of 23-year-olds provided some optimism for the future Friday night.Carlos Rodon tied an AL record by striking out the first seven batters and Tim Anderson finished a double shy of the cycle in a 7-3 victory over the Twins. It was Minnesotas 103rd loss, the most since the franchise moved from Washington in 1960.Rodon never gave them a chance.The lefty, the third overall pick in the 2014 draft, fanned Brian Dozier, Jorge Polanco and Robbie Grossman on sliders in the first. He got Miguel Sano on a fastball, Kennys Vargas on a changeup and saw Eduardo Escobar chase a slider in the dirt in the second.When John Ryan Murphy was caught looking at a 97 mph fastball to lead off the third, Rodon tied the AL record for strikeouts to start a game set by Joe Cowley of the White Sox on May 28, 1986, at Texas.Youve just got to throw strikes, go right at them, Rodon said.Logan Schafers ensuing double left Rodon one strikeout shy of the major league record to start a game shared by the Astros Jim Deshaies and the Mets Jacob deGrom.Rodons strikeout streak was 10 when figuring in the final three hitters he faced while fanning 11 in a victory Sunday at Cleveland. The last pitcher to strike out 10 in a row was Eric Gagne of the Dodgers over four games in May 2003.Tyler Duffey (9-12) gave up five runs in two-plus innings to ensure Minnesota wont have a 10-game winner in their miserable season.You kind of get what you deserve, Twins manager Paul Molitor said.Duffey gave up six hits while getting six outs. Omar Narvaez hit his first career homer in the fourth off Pat Dean as the White Sox built a 7-0 lead.Anderson, the 17th overall pick in 2013, finished a double shy of the cycle and irritated Duffey after hitting a two-run homer in the third inning.I mean he backpedaled out of the box. Stood there and enjoyed it, Duffey said. Its just one of those things. Its one thing to hit a homer. I gave up a 500-foot homer to Nelson Cruz and he jogs around the bases.ddddddddddddRyan ORourke threw behind Anderson in the eighth and both benches were warned. Anderson then grounded to third to end his chances at the cycle. He tripled and scored in the first and singled in the sixth.I wanted to hit a double. I did it in Double-A, Anderson said. When everything is clicking for you, I feel real great.Rodon (9-10) was dominant until a 31-pitch sixth inning when he gave up three runs -- two earned -- to end his night. He allowed three hits and three walks while striking out 10 in Chicagos sixth win in seven games.This was some electric stuff coming out, White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. He was up there at 98 (mph), but I think that slider, when he has that working, its a devastating two-strike pitch. He can get some swings and misses, thats for sure.TRAINERS ROOMTwins: 1B Joe Mauer (quadriceps) remained out. ... Molitor said veteran C Kurt Suzuki has taken a beating and wont catch again this season. Suzuki is in the last year of his contract. Its probably been as awkward a month for him as anybody in that clubhouse when youre potentially playing out into your free agency as a catcher in your early 30s, Molitor said.White Sox: Tests showed 2B Tyler Saladino has a herniated disk. He had an epidural Monday and doesnt believe hell need surgery. It was kind of crippling for a little bit, he said.RODONS RISERodon finished 7-2 in his last 10 starts. He struggled early in the season and went on the disabled list after spraining his left wrist slipping on the dugout steps.It was definitely the best stuff-wise of having it all -- fastball, slider, mix in a change, Ventura said. I think thats just a big confidence boost for him of getting to that point where he can do that.UP NEXTWhite Sox RHP James Shields (6-18, 5.82 ERA) closes a tough season Saturday night against Twins LHP Hector Santiago (12-10, 4.87). ' ' '