After the 2009 season, when the Bengals won the division and lost in the first round, many wondered what the team would do for an encore. It resulted in a 4-12 campaign and the end of the Carson Palmer-Chad Ochocinco era.

In the big-picture scheme of things, a 9-7 regular season and second playoff berth in three years was better than anyone could have hoped during training camp.

In the narrow prism, a 6-2 mark at midseason raised the stakes that they didn't match. Instead, the Bengals dropped six of their final nine games including last Saturday's 31-10 loss at Houston.

Despite his diminutive stature, for a moment no one was bigger than 5-foot-8 (1.73-meter) Danny Woodhead. The New England running back's 4-yard touchdown reception in the final minute of the first half gave the New England Patriots a 10-9 halftime lead in the Super Bowl. "I was able to get open, and Tom (Brady) did a good job of putting the ball right on me," he said.