CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Bengals are now 4-0. In one of the three other seasons the Bengals started 4-0, they ended up in the Super Bowl.

While it may still be too early to start equating the 2015 Bengals with the 1988 squad, there's no denying the buzz beginning to build in the Queen City. Before too long, the under-the-radar status the Bengals have been enjoying will disappear.

Here are five reasons this Bengals team currently looks like a legit Super Bowl contender:

1. 'Best Andy.' Let's retire the "Good Andy" and "Bad Andy" tags once and for all. Through four games this season, Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton has showcased the best version of himself with a series of performances other teams are envying. If you ask Bengals coaches, they'll tell you this version of their signal-caller has always been there -- Dalton is just playing at a high level more consistently. Credit two people with helping that happen: offensive coordinator Hue Jackson and backup AJ McCarron. Jackson has ridden Dalton hard the past two years, and McCarron this training camp pushed Dalton the way a backup should. All of it has led to a visibly more competitive Dalton. When he makes decisions now, Dalton's confidence shows. There is no gray area to his decision-making. When he wants to complete a pass, he throws it with purpose. When he wants to run, he doesn't tiptoe. An assertive quarterback is precisely what a Super Bowl-contending team needs.

2. Offensive balance. When the Bengals are in the offensive rhythm they have had much of this year, good things are bound to happen. It's not surprising they have the league's No. 2 total offense. If Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard can stay consistent in the backfield, don't expect that ranking to dip much as the year goes on. Part of what's worked for the Bengals' offense has been its ability to create field position. Two statistics make that evident: third-down conversions and goal-to-go efficiency. They rank fifth and fourth, respectively. By converting third downs so well the offense is moving into spots that regularly lead to favorable goal-line opportunities.

3. Welcome back, defense. An offense can spark a postseason berth, but that old adage about defenses and championships holds true, too. Sure, the Bengals' current No. 19 total defense ranking isn't much different from the 22nd spot they held last year, but the ranking doesn't tell the full story. Cornerback Adam Jones said it best Sunday when he mentioned how Cincinnati's defense was playing with a similar assembly-line flow to the offense. The secondary's largely tight coverage correlates with the significantly improved front seven, and vice versa. As a result of that in-sync play, the Bengals are getting good pressure on quarterbacks and mostly preventing receivers from hurting them deep. The league-low 20 sacks they had last year likely will be obliterated this season. Cincinnati's defense currently has 11.

4. Empty training room. Like any team, health could be a key factor in determining whether the Bengals have a Super Bowl run in them. Although some of their defensive backs have gotten banged up, for the most part, the Bengals are healthy and are about to get healthier. After Week 6, Pro Bowl linebacker Vontaze Burfict can rejoin them in practice following offseason knee surgery, and their first-round pick, rookie offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi should soon be fully recovered from a college ACL tear. Burfict certainly could provide a jolt to a linebacker corps that already has played a key role in the Bengals' No. 6-ranked red zone efficiency defense. A changed Friday and Saturday routine has helped get Bengals players to Sunday fresher and with fewer bumps and bruises from practice.

5. Favorable schedule? Cincinnati still has a tough schedule (it was ranked the second toughest in the preseason), but has some things working in its favor. For starters, like the Chiefs this past week, when the Bengals welcome the Seahawks to Paul Brown Stadium next Sunday, they will be playing another team coming off a short week of preparation. Seattle plays Monday night like Kansas City did the week before. Then there's the possibility the Bengals either will miss or face a possibly less effective Ben Roethlisberger when they visit the Steel City in Week 8. Cincinnati is catching some scheduling breaks early, helping make an 11-win season seem like a very real possibility. That certainly would be enough to win the AFC North, and maybe give the Bengals a mojo-turning first-round bye. They haven't had a bye during their 25-season postseason wins drought. Now the question becomes: Can the Bengals beat the Patriots or Broncos in January for AFC supremacy? So far, they have a great chance to.