AFC Bengals surpassing their expectations

Cincinnati is 5-1 and leading the AFC North by a game and a half.
CINCINNATI (AP) -- This is going even better than the Bengals had hoped.
For the first time in 15 years, they've started well enough to think about a fantastic finish. They're 5-1 and leading the AFC North by a game and a half heading into their pivotal matchup with the defending division champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
"I feel like we're in a great spot," quarterback Carson Palmer said Monday. "We've done a good job to get here. Now, we've got to stay on top. They're the division champs and they're where we want to be. It's a huge game for us."
It's been a long time since they've played a huge game in October.
The Bengals haven't had a winning record or made the playoffs since 1990, the last time they got off to a good start. A 31-23 victory Sunday in Tennessee left them all by themselves atop the division.
"That was the plan coming into the season, to get off to a good start and once we get into the division, to play every game hard," running back Chris Perry said.
The plan
Actually, the plan was to get through an easy opening stretch in good shape. Five of their first six games were against teams that didn't have winning records last season -- Cleveland, Minnesota, Chicago, Houston and Tennessee.
Given their schedule, the Bengals figured to go 4-2 or 5-1 if they played well. They didn't expect to be in control of the division.
Struggling with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sidelined by a leg injury, the Steelers lost to Jacksonville 23-17 in overtime on Sunday, dropping them to 3-2. If the Bengals beat the Steelers in Cincinnati, they'll be the only team in their division with a winning record.
And, they'll be up by 21/2 games, a commanding lead for a team accustomed to taking up the rear. They haven't been in this position since Sam Wyche was the head coach and Boomer Esiason was the quarterback.
Could be turning point
It could be a turning point in the franchise's history, the game that brought them all the way out of their 14-year shell.
"You never know what game means what until the end of the year," linebacker Brian Simmons said. "But do we want to win this game? Yeah. We're at home, it's a divisional game, it's Pittsburgh -- all those things. This is a big game for us, no doubt about it."
The Bengals are on a roll heading into their most meaningful game in years. Palmer was 27-of-33 against the Titans for a passer rating of 121.2, tying Peyton Manning's NFL record of nine consecutive games at 100 or higher.
Roethlisberger leads the league with a passer rating of 123.8, the only starting quarterback who has yet to throw an interception. Palmer is second at 113.6, with 13 touchdowns and only two interceptions.