Notes: Eifert returns; Green improves on contested catches

Tyler Eifert was in a good mood after playing in his first game action of 2016 in Sunday's 31-17 win against the Cleveland Browns. He underwent ankle surgery in May and was on track for a return to the field on Oct. 9 against Dallas, but injured his back in practice that week.

“It felt good to be back out there with the guys, just run around getting hit, hitting people,” the tight end said. “It felt good out there. I didn’t take a whole lot of snaps but I’m just happy to be out there and helping where I can.”

He was targeted twice and caught one pass for nine yards. Eifert said he was “full go” if needed, but admitted that the plan is for him to increase his snap count against Washington next week.

“Man, it’s good to get ‘85’ back,” A.J. Green said. “I’m just happy he gets to play football again. He’s just a great talent. You saw what he did for us last year. I’m just happy to have him back. It changes a lot of things because he controls the middle (of the field). You have to account for him every time he’s on the field."

Browns QB Hogan a surprise for Bengals' defense

Bengals rotate at right tackle

A week after the Bengals benched starting right tackle Cedric Ogbuehi for a period of time before bringing him back late against New England, Marvin Lewis and assistant head coach and offensive line coach Paul Alexander decided to use Ogbuehi and veteran Eric Winston in a rotation.

“I think maybe I go in there and do things a little differently than he does,” Winston said. “I’m hoping it helps the coaches show a contrast, perhaps, hey, you see he’s how he’s doing that, you can do that, or you can do that maybe better because of length or he has something I don’t.”

Winston, who is in his 11th year, recalled Houston using a rotation when Duane Brown was drafted in the first round in 2008, but he’s never participated in one.

Winston made his first appearance on the Bengals’ first drive of the second quarter and again to start the second half. That series ended on its second play when he helped open the hole for Jeremy Hill’s 74-yard touchdown run.

“The tough part, I think, is not being able to get into a groove as much and staying warm on the sideline,” Winston said. “That’s the tough part. I think I ended up getting like 10 plays on three drives and one great (one) was a bomb – that was good. Marv and Paul, they’ll figure it out. If they tell me to go in, I’m going to go in and do everything I can to help the team.”

Instant analysis: Why Bengals beat Browns

Green improves on contested catches

For A.J. Green, his two highlight-reel catches – the 48-yard “Hail Mary” at the end of the half and a 48-yard catch in the third quarter – stood for more than just the endless loops on social media and top 10 lists. It meant an improvement from a week ago when he felt New England Patriot defenders were holding him, pulling on his arm or jersey, but he received no call and didn’t make the catches.

Doc: Hail Mary catch suits Green - and Browns

On Sunday, Cleveland’s Ibraheim Campbell had pinned one of Green’s arms down on the jump ball. And on the second 48-yard catch, Tramon Williams had grabbed one as well. Both were one-handed catches.

“Last week I had some plays I should have made,” Green said. “Especially that one in the corner (of the end zone). Sometimes I do it and sometimes I don’t, that’s the beauty of it. I feel like if it touches my hands, I’ve got a catch, it doesn’t’ matter if its one (hand) or two.”

Green acknowledged that sometimes the way he is contacted can affect whether or not he can complete the catch, so there is an element of luck. But he doesn’t feel there should be any excuse as he searches to make such plays more consistently.

“If we want to win a lot of games, I’ve got make those plays week in and week out,” Green said.

Jackson, Lewis duel before end of first half

Good friends Marvin Lewis and Hue Jackson engaged in a coaching battle in the final 4:09 of the first half. Cleveland began a drive at its own 25-yard line that moment, trailing 14-10. The Browns moved the ball to the 45, leading to a Bengals timeout with 2:11 left. Three plays after that, Jackson feigned going for it on 4th-and-3 at the Bengals' 38, looking to bait Lewis into taking another timeout. Instead, the Browns took a delay of game and punted.

The Bengals began their possession with 1:03 to go, and Lewis admitted the initial strategy was to run out the clock. But after a 5-yard run by Giovani Bernard, Jackson called a timeout. After another Bernard run for six yards, Lewis called his second timeout with 47 seconds left.

Jackson said if Bernard had not gained a first down on that second rush, he would have burned another timeout.

"We hit the big run up in there to begin with, which gave us life, and that's what we're looking for," Lewis said. "Your drive starter gives you an opportunity to gain some field position and put the pressure on the defense to see whether they're going to call a timeout or not."

Andy Dalton moved the ball to the Browns' 49 before being sacked back to his own 45 with 20 seconds left. That led to Lewis calling his final timeout. Two plays later, Dalton hit Green for the 48-yard touchdown as time expired.

"We're trying to score every chance we get, and we were going to get the ball back to start the second half and have a chance to do something before the end of the half," Jackson said of his strategy in those waning moments. "We're always going to stay aggressive that way, unless (something) dictates otherwise."

Dalton went 4-for-4 for 80 yards on the drive.

Jeremy Hill enjoys breakthrough day

Whitworth suffers concussion

With five minutes remaining in the game, veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth came off the field and was seen by the independent doctors to undergo concussion protocol and is currently in that protocol. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said after the game he felt Whitworth will be healthy to play next week in London.