Bengals tidbits

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ABJ

Column: Bengals a huge disappointment

JOE KAY

Associated Press

CINCINNATI - Chad Johnson hasn't even bothered to check his "Who Covered No. 85" list for the last three weeks. What's the point? The receiver's checklist has become irrelevant, just like his team.
Any list of the NFL's most disappointing teams has to start with the Cincinnati Bengals, a vogue pick for a Super Bowl run after their 3-0 start. Since then, they've lost five of six and morphed into a souped-up version of the old Bungles.
They squabble. They fuss. They lose.
And, like in the old days, there's plenty of blame to go around.
"I've underachieved as a football coach," Marvin Lewis said, a day after his defense gave up a mind-boggling 42 points in the second half of a 49-41 loss to San Diego.
OK. Let the accounting start with the head coach.
In his first three seasons in Cincinnati, Lewis had the magic touch. He persuaded a set-in-its-ways front office to modernize, cleansed the locker room of its negativity, and won back fans turned off by a decade of losing.
His popularity reached a peak after the Bengals won the AFC North last season and made their first playoff appearance in 15 years. He became the first NFL head coach with a replica jersey - it costs $75, the same as a Johnson or Carson Palmer jersey, and features "M. Lewis" on the back with an "03" for his first season in Cincinnati.
Given the way things are going, there won't be an "06" model.
Lewis' biggest shortcoming has been his handling of misconduct. By steadfastly defending players during their array of arrests, the head coach sent the message that their off-field problems were nothing more than an annoyance.
Six Bengals have been arrested this year, with two of them - linebacker Odell Thurman and receiver Chris Henry - drawing suspensions from the league. The night after a win in Pittsburgh left the Bengals 3-0, Thurman was arrested for drunken driving. Henry was a passenger in the vehicle.
That was the tipping point for Lewis.
He took away Thurman's locker even before the league suspended him for the rest of the season. He also benched Henry for one game before the league weighed in with its own two-game penalty.
Since Lewis finally drew a line, no one else has been arrested. A lot of damage already had been done.
Henry's absence hurt an offense that was still trying to get on track, and Thurman's banishment cost the Bengals a playmaker on defense - the defense that gave up those 42 points in the second half.
Ultimately, character counts.
So does the mind-set. Teams that contend every year - New England is the prime example - figure out ways to overcome the player losses and other setbacks that are the norm in a parity-driven league.
These Bengals (4-5) don't have that attitude. Pro Bowl right tackle Willie Anderson was on the mark with his criticism last month that the his team isn't tough enough.
"It all comes back to the mental part of it," Anderson said. "At some point, you've got to draw the line and say, 'Dang it, it stops here.' Teams draw the line all the time."
This one goes in circles. Instead of making a stand, it makes a scene - running back Rudi Johnson second-guesses the play calling, safety Dexter Jackson questions the team's effort, receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh loses his cool and slams his helmet after a questionable call.
Then there's Chad Johnson, whose cover-boy Mohawk is an appropriate symbol of the '06 Bengals.
The Pro Bowl receiver took self-promotion to a new level in the preseason. He grew the Mohawk, found a corporate sponsor for his list of opponents that couldn't cover him, and even unveiled a new Chad Johnson headpiece.
As for the unending trash talk:
"Anyone else that feels we're not going to dominate the AFC North this year, something's wrong," he insisted last May. "Look at the numbers. Look at the players. Look at me. What else could I say?"
These days, not much.
Those dreams of domination sound rather silly now. Johnson had to shave off his golden Mohawk when he lost a bet and the Bengals lost a game. He groused about the lack of passes thrown his way, then briefly stopped talking altogether.
Even the most productive game of his career turned into another empty moment. He caught 11 passes for a club-record 260 yards against San Diego on Sunday, and mimicked Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman's "Lights Out" celebration after his second touchdown.
Then the Chargers came back and dimmed the lights on the Bengals' playoff hopes.
"We could have started pointing fingers and fussing at each other - which a lot of teams do in this league," Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers said afterward.
He didn't single out the Bengals.
Didn't have to.

 

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ABJ

Bengals embarrassed by collapse

JOE KAY

Associated Press

CINCINNATI - Defensive lineman John Thornton tried to be inconspicuous at a restaurant on Monday, hoping to avoid a rehash of the Cincinnati Bengals' mammoth collapse.
Not a chance. Not after that 42-point half.
"I went out to eat breakfast with my dad this morning, and the waitress said: Did you see the Bengals game?" Thornton said. "She started going off on us, man. And then, she found out who I was. She kind of got red-faced."
Just like the Bengals defense.
After putting themselves in position to resurrect their playoff aspirations, the Bengals played some of the worst football in franchise history on Sunday. San Diego scored 42 second-half points on its way to a 49-41 win that left the Bengals (4-5) a long shot for the playoffs.
"We picked a bad time to have a bad half of football," Thornton said. "Nobody's ever been a part of that, playing or coaching, where somebody scored 42 points in a half. But it happened, and now we've got to deal with it."
First, they had to try to make sense out of an incomprehensible collapse.
The offense finally found its stride on Sunday, rolling out to a 28-7 halftime lead that left the Chargers in disbelief. The defense had them right where they wanted them - first-year quarterback Philip Rivers would have to throw.
Stunningly, they let him do just that.
The Chargers rolled up 314 yards in the second half - 314! - against a defense that knew exactly what was coming. San Diego went 8-of-9 on third-down conversions, and Rivers was 16-of-22 for 229 yards and three touchdowns during a comeback that equaled the largest in Chargers history.
For the Bengals, it matched the second-biggest collapse in team history. They blew a 24-point lead during a 30-27 loss to Houston in 1979. No Bengals team had ever given up 42 points in a half.
The NFL record for most points in a half is 49, by Green Bay and Chicago. San Francisco pulled off the biggest comeback in league history, rallying from 28 points down to a 38-35 overtime victory over New Orleans in 1980.
Given the stakes, this one will become the Bengals' reference point for meltdowns.
"There's no way they should be able to score 42 points in a half," defensive end Justin Smith said. "Being part of that defense, it's embarrassing for all of us."
A victory would have kept the Bengals in the middle of the pack of playoff contenders. Instead, they now have to get on a roll during the toughest part of their schedule - highly unlikely, given their mental state.
For weeks, players have been second-guessing the play calling and grousing about their roles. After the latest loss, safety Dexter Jackson said some of his teammates quit in the second half.
Coach Marvin Lewis strongly disagreed with Jackson on Monday, saying the defense didn't stop playing, it just played badly.
"I didn't fault the effort," Lewis said. "I don't fault the effort."
The defense has been one of the biggest problems - along with player arrests and suspensions - during Lewis' four seasons in Cincinnati. He was coordinator of the Baltimore defense that set records and won a Super Bowl during the 2000 season.
To watch his defense give up 42 points had to be galling for Lewis, even though he tried to be upbeat a day later.
"After going through the tape a few times today - after replaying it a million times - it's disappointing to get off to a great start, to make plays in all three phases, and then to kind of play like we've got three thumbs there for the last 30 minutes," Lewis said.
He defended defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan, saying it's up to the players to do their jobs. He agreed that the defending AFC North champions aren't playing up to expectations.
"I've underachieved as a football coach," Lewis said.
Fixing this mess won't be easy. When a defense gives up 42 points in a half, the problems go well beyond the playbook.
"When something like that happens, you start to feel the pressure," Thornton said. "It's a choke job, like when one of those great players misses a free throw when they've made them all game. We choked in the second half."

 

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Dispatch

Coordinator challenges leaky defense
Bresnahan felt ill after Bengals? flop against Chargers
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

</IMG> AL BEHRMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS Brandon Manumaleuna scores on a 9-yard pass during the Chargers? 42-point second half Sunday against the Bengals.

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CINCINNATI ? Chuck Bresnahan?s Sunday night was about what you would expect. That afternoon, the Bengals defensive coordinator watched in horror as his players allowed 42 second-half points in a 49-41 loss to the San Diego Chargers.
"I did not sleep a wink," he said yesterday. "I came in here at 3 o?clock that morning and watched the tape four times before 7 o?clock. You?re sick to your stomach, literally sick to your stomach."
It?s a coaching axiom that a team never plays quite as bad in a loss or as well in a win as it looks live. This was an exception.
"That was as bad as it was," Bresnahan said. "And it was more because we let it be that bad."
The debacle caused the Bengals defense to drop to No. 28 heading into a game Sunday at New Orleans.
Bresnahan?s message to his players was blunt.
"What I said to our guys is that we have to look in the mirror and say we?re an underachieving unit and we?ve got to change that," he said. "We?ve got to be grown men and have to play with consistency and hold ourselves accountable from me right on down."
When a defense collapses the way the Bengals? did Sunday, the coordinator inevitably wears the bull?s-eye. Bresnahan welcomes it.
"That didn?t faze me one bit," he said. "That comes with the territory. I don?t blame our fans. I?m probably one of those ones typing it in and sending it in, too. It?s part of the game. We?ve got to get better. I?ve got to get better. I?ve got to get these guys to believe they can finish."
That was a problem at times last year, as well. Cincinnati led the Baltimore Ravens 34-0 before allowing three quick touchdowns that put the outcome in doubt. Ahead 28-7 against the Chargers, Bresnahan figured he?d have a fun second half.
"It?s really a coordinator?s dream at halftime because you?ve gotten them into a onedimensional game," he said. "You can do the things you like to do and it?s easier to call the game. Then boom, we couldn?t get off the field on third down."
There were different culprits at different times, sometimes several at once. On the final Chargers touchdown, a 5-yard pass from Philip Rivers to tight end Brandon Manumaleuna, three players made mistakes. Defensive end Justin Smith allowed Rivers to scramble out of the pocket, a no-no in the red zone. Linebacker Caleb Miller slowed momentarily in coverage. Cornerback Johnathan Joseph joined safety Madieu Williams in trying to sack Rivers instead of helping Miller cover.
"I was appalled at what transpired," Williams said of the team?s second-half performance. "Disappointed, embarrassed, every word you could use. It was one of those games when you thought it was a bad dream. You just want to wake up and say, ?OK, that didn?t really happen.? "
By the end of the game, players were understandably testy.
"Then it gets to be a little bit of a finger-pointing where, ?This guy isn?t doing this job and this guy?s not lining up (correctly),? " Bresnahan said. "We?ve got to take that out. We win together. We lose together. That?s the thing we have to overcome.
"It was a rude awakening for us. I don?t know if anybody in that room has been through something like that. It?s tough to handle. It?s a shot to your ego. It?s a shot to your manhood. We?ve got to step back up and put it behind us and get better."
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Dispatch

Palmer unhappy to be slinging in the rain
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH



The Bengals are one of the few NFL teams that don?t have an indoor bubble in which to practice in bad weather. So yesterday they practiced for their game against New Orleans in the Superdome in rainy, 43-degree weather in Paul Brown Stadium.
"It?s tough," quarterback Carson Palmer said. "We don?t have the ability to prepare for a dome game, so it makes it tough. It?s a definite disadvantage practicing all week in the rain, especially if you?re not going to be playing in the rain.
"We?ve been through this before. We?ve been out there in 15-degree weather and snow and rain and then played when it?s 65 degrees or 70 degrees. So it?s definitely a disadvantage, but we?re used to making that adjustment and moving on."
As for the Bengals? progress in getting a bubble, coach Marvin Lewis said, "We?re working on that."
A different Adams

Hampered all season by a bad knee, mammoth defensive tackle Sam Adams has looked a bit more sprightly lately.
"Yeah, I feel a lot better," he said. "I feel like I changed sexes."
Yes, that?s what he really said.
"I feel like a different human being," he added. "I?m a different human being right now."
Injury report

The Bengals listed linebacker Brian Simmons (neck) as doubtful and four starters as questionable for Sunday.
Safety Dexter Jackson (Achilles), left tackle Levi Jones (knee), cornerback Deltha O?Neal (shoulder) and Bobbie Williams (abdomen) are considered 50-50 to play. None practiced yesterday.
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Dispatch

Q &A BRANDON WILLIAMS
Ex-Wolverine: OSU treatment?s not great
Friday, November 17, 2006
Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

</IMG>


Cornerback Brandon Williams, a member of the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad, played at Michigan from 1999 to 2002. He spoke with Bengals reporter Bill Rabinowitz about the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry.
Q: What was your experience like playing in Columbus?
A: Every year, win or lose, they turn the hot water off. They turn the hot water off, the food never seems to make it to the stadium, there?s always an excuse. ?Oh, there was a fire on Main Street, so the food didn?t make it.? So you can either take a cold shower in 20-degree weather or just get on the bus and take a shower when you get home. I always took a shower at home. It was always an uncomfortable bus ride. Everybody?s dirty, but that?s how they do it.
Q: What about the bombsniffing-dog episode?
A: They really do that. They had to come out and drop our bags, smell our bags.
Q: How mad did that make you?
A: It just makes us ready for the game more. It was just like, they really hate y?all. They really hate us. It gets you ready. It gets you going.
Q: Were there any other inconveniences?
A: At the hotel, every now and then the fire alarm will go off. The food is never good at the hotel.
Q: Does all the misery add to the rivalry?
A: It makes it that much better. That?s why it?s the biggest rivalry in all of sports.
Q: Just so you know, cars with Ohio license plates have been known to be egged in Ann Arbor.
A: (In Columbus) they probably would have stolen it. The way I hear they talk to our fans, I told my mom, ?You?re not coming to this game.? We had players whose parents got verbally abused. They say stuff to people?s moms. It?s funny, but I?m like, ?Come on, man, to their moms?? I had a witness to hear all that so they could see how big this rivalry really is.
Just those two colors anywhere, it looks like a conflict. Like if I see a picture with blue and yellow and then red and gray, it just doesn?t look right.
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Dispatch

Palmer relinquishes play-calling duties
Friday, November 17, 2006
Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

</IMG> AL BEHRMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS Guard Bobbie Williams hoists Carson Palmer in the air after the quarterback threw a 74-yard touchdown pass to Chad Johnson against the Chargers.

</IMG>

It?s rare these days that an NFL quarterback is granted broad play-calling authority. So it was a testament to Carson Palmer?s development that the Bengals gave him as much autonomy as they did in only his third season as a starter.
But the offense sputtered for most of the first half of the season, and coach Marvin Lewis decided last week to limit Palmer?s play-calling options and put it back in the hands of offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski.
Coincidence or not, Palmer threw for a career-high 440 yards and the offense put up 41 points in the loss to San Diego.
Lewis was careful not to characterize the change as a criticism of Palmer, and Palmer said he wasn?t upset about it.
"I?ll do whatever the coaches tell me to do," he said. "It doesn?t matter to me. They know the game plan better than me. They know why they?re calling certain plays from the (press) box, because they?re watching certain things develop and see some possibilities from the top of the field."
In the first eight games, particularly in the no-huddle offense, Palmer made the final play call after being given a few options from Bratkowski. The Bengals didn?t use the no-huddle as much against the Chargers. For the embattled Bratkowski, Sunday could be viewed as vindication.
"Y?all bashed him when we were (struggling) in the nohuddle, so you might as well give him credit that we didn?t do it as much and were successful," receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh said.
Palmer said giving up his play-calling authority didn?t result in radical changes.
"The only thing it really does is slow down the game," he said. "When we get to stuff that ?Brat? can call off the play sheet, we have a lot more options, a lot more play combinations. (We can use) different formations, different motions, different routes. It just gives us a little bit more offensively."
It?s not as if Palmer doesn?t have to make decisions at the line of scrimmage.
"There are still certain things you need to see and protection adjustments you have to make and a bunch of different scenarios that come up," he said.
The Bengals scored 28 points in the first half against a Chargers defense ranked second in the NFL. They could have come close to that in the second half had Chris Henry not dropped a would-be touchdown pass on Cincinnati?s final drive. A thirddown drop by Houshmandzadeh would have put the Bengals in scoring position on an earlier possession.
The success has given the Bengals offense a much-needed confidence boost heading into their game Sunday against New Orleans. The Saints have the league?s 15 th-ranked defense.
"Another 40-point game," said Bengals receiver Chad Johnson, who had a franchiserecord 260 receiving yards against the Chargers. "From this point on, I would hope that we would continue that same pace and be able to score 40, regardless of the opponent."
The way the Bengals defense struggled last week, that might be needed. Johnson said the offense is up to the challenge.
"You don?t want to go backwards," he said. "We had the loss, but we made some strides on offense and that?s what we?ve been looking for ? to get back into the rhythm we had last season."
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Dispatch

Lineman is out after appendectomy
Friday, November 17, 2006
Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH



Just when the offensive line was showing the benefits of finally establishing continuity, the Bengals have been forced to scramble the line on the fly.
Right guard Bobbie Williams underwent an appendectomy Wednesday afternoon and will miss the game Sunday in New Orleans. Stacy Andrews will make his first NFL start in Williams? place.
Williams was seen in apparent good health in the locker room at lunchtime Wednesday, but he was an unexpected addition to the injury report with what was described as an abdomen problem.
Andrews was a 2004 fourthround draft pick from Mississippi even though he didn?t play football in high school and played in only five games as a collegian. He was an All-American in track and field as a thrower.
The Bengals lose Williams, but left tackle Levi Jones might return from knee surgery. Jones, who is listed as questionable, has missed four games.
"I?m taking it day by day," Jones said. "I?ll see how my knee reacts."
Jones played only six days after arthroscopic knee surgery in 2003, a decision he came to regret because the knee continued to nag him.
A too-early return doesn?t seem to be an issue this time.
"For me, it?s not fast enough," Jones said. "I want to be back in there."
Rookie Andrew Whitworth of LSU has done a solid job of replacing Jones and protecting quarterback Carson Palmer?s blind side.
"There?s no pressure because ?Whit? is doing a great job," Jones said. "He?s been taking care of business. Carson hasn?t been hit really hard from that left tackle spot. He can do the job anywhere we put him on the line."
The line, considered the foundation of the team?s success in 2005, has been intact for only one game, the opener in Kansas City. Center Rich Braham was injured the next week against Cleveland and Jones went out three games later. This will be the fifth starting combination the Bengals have used.
The combination used the past four games has allowed only two sacks each game. Palmer was sacked 17 times in the first five games. Last week, the offense gained 545 yards in a 49-41 loss to San Diego.
"Any time the offensive line plays as well as it did, we?re going to play well on offense," receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh said. "They played better than any position on Sunday."
Injury update

The Bengals added linebacker Ahmad Brooks (groin, probable) and running back Rudi Johnson (thigh, probable) to the injury report. Neither practiced yesterday.
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Dispatch

Cornerback play hurting Bengals
O?Neal, James have experienced slippage

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

DARRIN BRYAN THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS Tory James, stripping the ball from the Chargers? Lorenzo Neal, allowed too big a cushion on a critical third-down play.

The decline is stark, and the numbers don?t conceal the truth.
Last season, starting Bengals cornerbacks Deltha O?Neal and Tory James combined for 15 interceptions. This year, they have one apiece.
Sometimes, interceptions can be a misleading statistic. Cornerbacks can do everything right and not accumulate interceptions. It happens.
But in the case of O?Neal and James, it?s clear their overall play has slipped.
"Haven?t played good enough," coach Marvin Lewis said of his starting cornerbacks. "Our guys in the secondary haven?t played well enough this year consistently enough. We?ve got to play better. We?ve got better players than that. We?ve got to play better."
There?s urgency to that Sunday against New Orleans. The Saints have the NFL?s topranked passing game.
O?Neal and James were burned for big plays last week in the 49-41 loss to San Diego. O?Neal allowed Malcom Floyd to get behind him for a 46-yard touchdown pass for the second Chargers score in a disastrous third quarter. O?Neal suffered an injury to his right shoulder trying to make a touchdownsaving tackle and is doubtful for Sunday.
James? biggest breakdown didn?t cause an immediate touchdown, but it led to the Chargers? final score. With San Diego facing third-and-8, James allowed too big a cushion and allowed Floyd to make an 11-yard catch on a sideline pattern.
"That?s not normal for him," Bengals defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan said.
Bresnahan added that James might have been able to intercept the pass if he?d had closer coverage because quarterback Philip Rivers was hit as he threw.
Just a year ago, O?Neal went to the Pro Bowl thanks to snagging 10 interceptions, tied for most in the league. James went to the Pro Bowl after the 2004 season.
Bresnahan seems mystified by the problems they?re having now.
"We?ve got to kind of figure that out as a group," he said. "To me, I feel like we?re pressing now because we?ve gotten into a little slump on the turnovers so we?re guessing a little bit. We?re not playing technique-conscious like we did. In the past, we bought into what our system was and it put them in good position to make plays."
In James? case, it may be that, at 33, age has caught up to him. O?Neal?s decline is more a mystery. Both players declined requests for interviews.
The Bengals drafted Johnathan Joseph in the first round of the 2006 draft. Though Joseph has not been flawless, he has shown he?s worthy of his selection.
It might be sooner rather than later that he becomes a starter, though Lewis wouldn?t say if he was contemplating a change at cornerback.
"Johnathan?s played more," Bresnahan said. "We?ve tried to challenge these guys more. But you get into a sub situation, those are the guys you?ve got. You?ve got to love them. You?ve got to live with them. But they?ve got to challenge."
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Dispatch

Bengals face dual obstacle of Saints, passionate fans

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




NEW ORLEANS ? Sean Payton went to a concert this past summer when a fan approached the first-year New Orleans Saints coach.
Like so many others in this still-ravaged city, the man?s life had been turned upside down by Hurricane Katrina.
"He said he had lost his job, been relocated, yet he bought six season tickets," Payton recalled. "Couldn?t wait for the season to open up but didn?t know how he was going to pay for them."
Right then, Payton understood how much the Saints meant to the people of New Orleans.
Recovery from Katrina is still a long way away, but the Saints have done their part to lift their fans? spirits. The Superdome, the site of so much misery 15 months ago, now is a place for celebration. New Orleans fans are reveling in the surprising success of their Saints (6-3).
It is in that environment that the Cincinnati Bengals (4-5), losers of five of their past six games, must try to save their own season.
"I think it?s great that the Saints are back in the Superdome and playing," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. "They?re playing well. That?s a good thing. But that?s where it?s got to stop."
It will be a homecoming for three Bengals players with Louisiana ties: Andrew Whitworth, Tory James and Chris Henry.
"I?m really excited," Henry said. "I?ve been looking forward to this week since the beginning of the season, playing at home, in front of my family."
Many of Henry?s relatives moved north to live with him after Katrina hit. Most have since returned.
Whitworth, who played at Louisiana State, visited New Orleans before heading to his first NFL training camp.
"It still looked awful," he said. "It looked like not a whole lot had been done with anything. I definitely think it?s something people need to put more attention on because it?s an issue that nobody?s doing anything about, but should."
Payton understands that a football team can only do so much to resurrect a city. But the Saints are taking that responsibility seriously, even beyond the help they provide through their individual charitable foundations.
"You feel a sense of urgency to improve the product you give them on the weekends," Payton said. "If we can win one more game, play a little better, do all those little things with more effort and enthusiasm than we ever had, that, too, is going to help.
"Our fans certainly appreciate when you play hard and win. I think our players understand that, and that?s something we?ve tried to talk about openly. We?ve got the right guys from a chemistry standpoint who understand that."
Like Payton, Whitworth said he has had people tell him they?d lost everything in Katrina but still managed to scrounge up money for season tickets.
"They?ll be passionate," Whitworth said. "The Saints are something that for 60 minutes of football (allows escape) from everything on the outside, everything that hurts them from the storm."
Whitworth said he has played in the Superdome about 10 times.
"It can get extremely loud at times," he said. "That?s why I?ve told some of the guys we have to get on them early."
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Cincy

Hauling in crucial win
These Bengals looked like 2005 version; Old explosive offense and opportunistic defense show up

BY MARK CURNUTTE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

NEW ORLEANS - Whew, dey.
The Bengals got a win they needed desperately Sunday against the Saints by turning back the clock to 2005.
Though easier said than done, Cincinnati relied on a big-play pass offense, a pounding run game, solid special teams and an opportunistic bend-but-don't-break defense that had four takeaways to counter 510 passing yards by Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
The Bengals broke open a 10-all game in the fourth quarter with 21 unanswered points to win easily 31-16 in the Big Easy. It snapped a three-game losing streak and helped the Bengals make up a little ground in the AFC wild-card race.
Two of the interceptions, from Bengals safeties Madieu Williams and Kevin Kaesviharn, came in the end zone to prevent New Orleans from capping long drives with any points.
The third interception was returned 52 yards by rookie safety-wide receiver Ethan Kilmer on just the fourth defensive play of his NFL career.
Linebacker Caleb Miller recovered a fumble by Saints receiver Terrance Copper at the end of a reception at midfield, also in the second quarter, after New Orleans had driven into Cincinnati territory.
Williams' interception was the first Cincinnati takeaway in 13 quarters, since the end of the Carolina game. In that span, the Bengals had committed five giveaways to fall to just plus-1.
All five of Cincinnati's victories this season have come with a plus turnover differential, and the Bengals are 22-2 in three-plus seasons under Marvin Lewis when having that edge.
The Bengals led the NFL at plus-24 in 2005.
"It was good to get some back in our favor," said Lewis, whose team was plus-3 against the Saints, who dropped to minus-9. "They threw us the ball, and we caught the ball."
The Bengals gave up 595 yards.
"All that matters is the scoreboard," said safety Kaesviharn, who had the defense's two sacks on third-down blitzes, in addition to his team-high fourth interception.
The offense erupted for the second week in a row in the vertical pass game.
Chad Johnson set an NFL record with a combined 450 receiving yards in two consecutive games. On top of the franchise-record 260 he had in last week's loss to San Diego, Johnson grabbed six passes - three for touchdowns - for another 190 yards. They are the two best games of his career, edging the 189 he had in the loss last season to Indianapolis.
Palmer and Johnson victimized Saints cornerback Fred Thomas, who was playing with an injured groin that kept him out of the previous game at Pittsburgh.
"It's truly one of the worst games of my career," Thomas said. "The guy (Palmer) makes plays. The quarterback threw the ball where he needed to."
Palmer also threw an interception that was caught in the end zone by linebacker Mark Simoneau, but Palmer also had three more touchdown passes, 275 yards and an A-plus passer rating of 127.8.
Don't look now, but Palmer - for all of the talk of his flawed throwing mechanics coming off reconstructive knee surgery - has 18 touchdowns, 2,593 passing yards and just seven interceptions. He is closing in on his Pro Bowl pace of 2005; after 10 games last season, he had 20 touchdowns, five interceptions and 2,620 passing yards.
"It feels great to win after five long weeks (1-4 record)," Palmer said. "Let's hope we can string some together now."
Palmer has 715 passing yards in two games, and five of his six touchdowns have gone to Johnson, whose two-week glut of yards has put him on pace for 1,491 - which would better his career high of 1,432 from 2005. "We got lucky a couple of times," Palmer said.
The Bengals eschewed the no-huddle offense in the first half, using the huddle to maintain clock possession and make sure the plays practiced during the week were used in the game, Lewis said.
Balancing the pass was a bruising run game manned by Rudi Johnson, who had his third 100-yard game this season with 111. He worked behind an offensive line with three non-starters - left tackle Andrew Whitworth, center Eric Ghiaciuc and right guard Stacy Andrews, who made his first NFL start - forced to play because of injuries.
The line allowed just one sack and has given up 11 sacks in the past six games, compared to 15 in the first four.
"Our backs were against the wall," Johnson said. "We came out swinging. It really was a game like last year."
E-mail [email protected]

QUICK HITS BY MARK CURNUTTEWHAT HAPPENED

There was no second-half meltdown this week. The Bengals outscored the Saints 21-9, building on a 10-7 halftime lead to win 31-16. Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson connected on three touchdown passes from 41, 60 and 4 yards, and the defense had four takeaways, two of them interceptions in the end zone to snuff Saints' scoring chances. The Bengals snapped a three-game losing skid.

BIG PLAY

There were many. But on third-and-2 from the Saints' 40-yard line, on the drive immediately following the Saints' game-tying field goal, Palmer rolled left away from pressure and lofted a pass down the sideline to Johnson, who had turned deep when cornerback Fred Thomas left coverage to come up against a possible Palmer run. The Bengals led 17-10 and would score 21 consecutive points in a span of 4:20.

SHINING STAR

Kevin Kaesviharn had an interception and two sacks among his 10 solo tackles (11 total). His interception came right before halftime when Drew Brees threw into the end zone for tight end Mark Campbell and a chance to take a 14-10 lead into the break. Three of Kaesviharn's team-best four interceptions have been in the end zone to kill drives.

NUMBERS GAME

Johnson had 190 receiving yards to give him an NFL-record 450 in two consecutive games to go with five touchdowns. ... Brees threw for 510 yards (sixth most in NFL history) but lost. ... The Bengals' four takeaways came after going three games without one and were a single-game high since Week 3 (five) at Pittsburgh. ... The Saints had 29 first downs, compared with 15 for the Bengals.

THEY SAID IT

"It's good to see Chad back and that other 85 character (alter ego "Ocho Cinco") somewhere else." - Bengals coach Marvin Lewis.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Cincy

Priorities now back in Chad's grasp
BY PAUL DAUGHERTY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

NEW ORLEANS - Marvin Lewis doesn't often speak in headlines. In Lewis' world, the Bengals always have to "keep working'' and "play better.'' Occasionally, though, the coach will slip and say something revealing, such as this Sunday, about Chad Johnson:
"It's good to see Chad back and that other 85 character somewhere else.''
Johnson, i.e. Ocho Cinco, the Golden Child and Eighty-Five, is definitely back. Seventeen catches in the last two weeks, for a ridiculous 450 yards and five touchdowns, bears witness to that. But back to what, exactly?
You'll never get much of an answer from Johnson. When I ran Lewis' assessment past him, Johnson guessed Marvin meant that the chatty Chad was back. That wasn't it at all. The coach has tolerated Ocho Cinco because he produced, his act helped his confidence and, occasionally, the confidence of the whole team.
But as Johnson began marketing his Mohawk hairdo and showing up on the field with "Ocho Cincovelcroed on his game jersey, his numbers didn't keep pace with his audacity. It has only been in the last two weeks that Eighty-Five has returned to Pro Bowl form. Not coincidentally, teammates say that was when he exchanged some of the shtick for renewed attention to the game.
As Willie Anderson noted, "The last couple weeks, he's been focusing in practice and not forcing anything in games. As much as we like him and some of the things he does, Chad's going to be remembered for helping his team win. He really cares about us winning.
"Chad puts a lot of pressure on himself. Once he realizes he can't do anything else to be a star - he's already as well known as any receiver in the league - he settles down and plays. That's all he needs to do. That other stuff takes care of itself.''
For a team whose identity begins with Carson Palmer's right arm and ends with Chad Johnson's hands, this is no small realization.
Apologies to the defense, as resourceful and opportunistic on Sunday as it has been since last season. Regrets, too, to Rudi Johnson. Heavy Duty hit a nice stride Sunday, pounding the Saints middle and making Palmer's play-fakes an easier sell. Cheers also to the beaten-up, makeshift offensive line, which held its own.
But it is Carson-to-Chad that pulls the wagon here. That Palmer went deep to Johnson on the fourth play of the game speaks loudly about the intentions of an offense that needs to hit its '05 stride for this team to keep December interesting.
That throw turned into a 41-yard touchdown bomb/tone-setter in what would be a convincing 31-16 win. Palmer found Johnson twice more for TDs, once on an impromptu scramble and throw and again on a short toss to the left side of the end zone. Because of the big plays and the crucial turnovers forced by the defense, the game had an '05 feel.
The Bengals were resourceful, opportunistic, driven. Call it what you like. Desperation tends to get your mind right. At 5-5, this team walks the playoff plank weekly.
Or maybe they were due for a game like this, when the opposing quarterback throws for 510 yards yet manages just 16 points. No team rolls snake-eyes every week, especially not one as gifted as this one. Cincinnati's black-cat season was owed a break.
The idea was to give Drew Brees the short passes - the dumps, the check-offs, the solid singles - but not to allow any home runs. With one obvious exception, the 72-yard flea flicker to Joe Horn in the first quarter, the idea worked. But 510 yards and just two touchdowns?
C'mon. The Saints' offense spent the day setting a record for fastest English Channel crossing, only to drown on the beach. It was, quite possibly, the worst 504-yard passing day, ever.
Meanwhile, Palmer and Johnson appear to have rediscovered the ties that bind. The second TD, a 60-yarder after Palmer left the pocket, was "nothing more than Chad and I making eye contact,'' said Palmer.
Johnson wasn't saying much. For a guy so expressive on the field, he can be equally subdued off it. Johnson entertains the world, but at arm's length. The guy on the field isn't the guy off it. He's not good at introspection, so when you ask him why Lewis would say he's changed for the better lately, Johnson either doesn't know or doesn't want to say.
The results talk, though. Loudly.
E-mail [email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

BENGALS 31 SAINTS 16
Bengals pull their act together
Reverting to 2005 form helps them end three-game skid

Monday, November 20, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




NEW ORLEANS ? The Bengals revived their 2005 formula just in time to save, at least for now, their 2006 season.
The Bengals won the AFC North last year thanks to a combination of explosive passing, rugged running, opportunistic defense and sound special teams. One or more of those ingredients had been missing in almost every game this season until the 31-16 victory over the New Orleans Saints yesterday in the Superdome.
Chad Johnson set an NFL record for receiving yards in consecutive games by catching six passes for 190 yards, including three touchdowns.
Rudi Johnson ran for 111 yards.
The defense snapped a three-game turnover-less streak by forcing four turnovers, the last one an interception returned 52 yards for a touchdown by rookie Ethan Kilmer.
The kick-coverage units held dangerous returners Reggie Bush and Michael Lewis in check.
"It felt like it was a game from last year," quarterback Carson Palmer said.
Having lost three straight and five of six, the Bengals (5-5) couldn?t wait any longer if they were to salvage their season.
"We had our backs against the wall," Rudi Johnson said. "Coming in here against a great team at a hard place to play, it?s definitely a big lift off our shoulders."
Not that it was particularly pretty. The Bengals yielded 595 yards, including 510 passing by Drew Brees, the sixth-highest total in NFL history. That number could have been worse. Rookie sensation Marques Colston left the game early because of a sprained ankle, and the Saints? other receivers dropped numerous balls.
After the Bengals? secondhalf collapse last week against San Diego, defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan probably endured another night of tossing and turning.
"You can give up 600 yards or whatever we did, but we scored on defense and that was one of the goals we had going into this game," defensive end Bryan Robinson said. "We have that goal going into any game, but we got it done today."
All three interceptions were pivotal. New Orleans (6-4) was at the Cincinnati 8 when safety Madieu Williams intercepted a pass in the end zone to keep the score tied at 7 early in the second quarter.
The Bengals took advantage with a drive for a field goal, but the Saints were again on the verge of taking the lead just before halftime. Then Kevin Kaesviharn continued his knack of making big plays in the end zone by stepping in front of an ill-advised Brees pass for an interception.
The final one clinched the victory. With the Bengals ahead 24-10 with less than seven minutes left, Brees threw a short pass to running back Aaron Stecker. Kilmer, a rookie playing in his first pro defensive series, stepped in front of the pass and ran 52 yards to give the Bengals a 31-10 lead.
The Bengals had taken the lead thanks to the Palmer-Chad Johnson combination. They hooked up on an improvised 41-yard touchdown less than two minutes into the game.
After that, the offense mostly stalled for the next three quarters.
Given the way New Orleans moved the ball, Cincinnati looked to be in trouble. But with the score tied at 10, Palmer escaped the pocket, saw Johnson get behind cornerback Fred Thomas and tossed the ball down the left sideline to his open receiver, who ran for a 60-yard score.
On the Bengals? next possession, Johnson made a spectacular 48-yard reception and scored on a 4-yard slant on the next play to make it 24-10. Johnson had 260 receiving yards last week, giving him an NFL-record 450 in consecutive games.
Any chance for a Saints comeback was foiled by Kilmer?s interception and Rudi Johnson?s running.
After the Saints made it 31-16, the Bengals? workhorse running back dragged several tacklers for a 10-yard gain and a first down to end any remaining suspense. [email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

BENGALS NOTEBOOK
Interception catches rookie by surprise

Monday, November 20, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




NEW ORLEANS ? Ethan Kilmer saw the pass coming his way and couldn?t believe his fortune.
Here it was, only the rookie?s fourth snap from scrimmage in an NFL game, and he had an opportunity that defensive players dream about. He?s not even a full-time defensive player.
With the Bengals leading 24-10 midway through the fourth quarter, New Orleans was beginning a drive it hoped would reverse the momentum. On second-and-2 from the Bengals 49, Kilmer ended that hope. Blitzing linebacker Landon Johnson jumped to Drew Brees? left, and the Saints quarterback turned and looked right toward receiver Aaron Stecker. He evidently didn?t see Kilmer.
"I couldn?t believe it, to be honest with you," Kilmer said. "I thought, ?Is he really throwing it there?? "
He was. Kilmer stepped in front of Stecker, caught the ball and ran 52 yards for a touchdown.
Kilmer was in the game only because Keiwan Ratliff suffered a rib injury falling on the ball on a punt return. With cornerback Deltha O?Neal and safety Dexter Jackson deactivated because of injuries, the Bengals had little choice but to use Kilmer.
A seventh-round pick who walked on at Penn State, Kilmer was drafted to play special teams, a role in which he has excelled. When injuries hit the Bengals? receiving corps recently, Kilmer took practice snaps at that position.
"Whenever they need me on defense, I go there," he said. "Whenever they need me on offense, I?m there."
Yesterday, he was exactly where the Bengals needed him.
"He?ll never forget that and neither will I," Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis said.
Andrews pleased

Stacy Andrews considered his first NFL start a success. Andrews replaced right guard Bobbie Williams (appendectomy) and made no glaring errors.
"There?s some stuff I have to clean up, but overall think I had a pretty good game," Andrews said.
"The whole week I was very excited. I had to call my brother (Philadelphia Eagles lineman Shawn Andrews) to calm me down. But after the first two plays, I started taking deep breaths and everything came into play."
He said veteran right tackle Willie Anderson provided guidance.
"He did a great job," running back Rudi Johnson said. "It helps he?s got big Willie talking to him every play. He?s going to direct him in the right direction."
Big stop

Other than create turnovers, Cincinnati?s defense didn?t do much to slow the Saints. A crucial exception came on the first two plays of the fourth quarter. With the Bengals clinging to a 10-7 lead, the Saints had second-and-2 at the Cincinnati 6. The Bengals stopped Deuce McAllister for a 1-yard gain. On the next play, defensive tackle Sam Adams got penetration and end Justin Smith came over to stuff McAllister for a 1-yard loss, forcing the Saints to settle for a tying field goal.
Miller replaces Brooks

Caleb Miller played instead of Ahmad Brooks at middle linebacker in place of the injured Brian Simmons. Brooks had started the previous five games. Lewis said the change was not for disciplinary reasons. Miller had a team-high 14 tackles but dropped a potential interception in the first quarter.
By the numbers

The previous Bengals record for receiving yardage in consecutive games was 324 by Carl Pickens in 1998. ? The Bengals are 22-2 under Lewis when they have a positive turnover differential. ? Rudi Johnson had 27 carries. The Bengals are 15-0 when he has at least 25 runs. Kevin Kaesviharn had two sacks. [email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Johnson shakes drops, sets receiving mark

Monday, November 20, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




NEW ORLEANS ? For all of Chad Johnson?s frustration this season, he took solace that he hadn?t dropped any passes.
In the first half yesterday, he dropped two.
Let?s just say he made amends.
Johnson proved to be the difference when the Bengals needed him most. With the score tied and Cincinnati?s offense in a funk, Johnson caught two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter.
Johnson, who also caught a 41-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, finished with 190 yards on six catches. With his 260-yard game last week against San Diego, Johnson set an NFL record for yardage in consecutive games with 450.
San Francisco 49 er John Taylor had 448 yards in back-toback games in 1989.
In Cincinnati?s first eight games, Johnson had 482 yards as the Bengals struggled to find ways to get him the ball against defenses that spent the offseason devising ways to slow him.
"This game, we were aggressive," Johnson said. "It?s something I?ve talked about. Regardless of the coverage, let?s just go at it. We dictated what we wanted to do regardless of what the coverage said."
Unfortunately for the Saints, sometimes their coverage said, "Torch us."
The first two touchdowns came on blown coverages. On the first, Johnson waved frantically for Palmer to see him when he got behind cornerback Fred Thomas.
"He was running a different route than we had (planned) because the defense was so far out of position," Palmer said. "The safety was supposed to be covering the deep half of the field. He was way too low and out of position."
The second touchdown, which proved to be the decisive one, came on a broken play. Palmer was flushed out of the pocket. Johnson, who was on the left sideline, got behind Thomas again and Palmer floated the ball to him.
"It was a scramble drill," Johnson said. "There was nobody there, and I put my hand up and he saw me."
Johnson caught the pass at about the Saints 35 and outran the safety to the end zone despite tweaking a hamstring.
The injury must have healed quickly. On Cincinnati?s next possession, Johnson stretched to make a 48-yard catch and then caught a 4-yard touchdown pass for a 24-10 lead.
"I was kind of frustrated in the first half," Johnson said. "I had two drops. I hadn?t had any drops all year. I?m trying to be as consistent as possible, trying to do everything I can to help us get out of this hole."
That?s pretty subdued for Johnson, who is known for his mouthiness.
"It?s good to see Chad back and that other 85 character went somewhere else," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said, a reference to Johnson?s Ocho Cinco persona.
The other Chad did make a brief appearance. Prodded about the game next week against Cleveland, Johnson looked into the cameras and said, "Russell, it?s on."
Browns safety Brian Russell left Johnson woozy in the first Cincinnati-Cleveland game with a crushing hit to the receiver?s chin.
"We go into the Dawg Pound, so you know it don?t get no easier," Johnson said. "You always know those games with Cleveland are hard." [email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Cincy

Browns 'D' watches Rudi run
Johnson has benefited when Cleveland defends deep pass

BY MARK CURNUTTE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

When the Cleveland Browns defense under Romeo Crennel plays the Bengals, it truly picks its poison.
The Browns don't want Chad Johnson to beat them long, so they often drop a safety deep.
It's a basic law of football physics: Concentrating on Chad Johnson deep in the pass game opens room for Rudi Johnson in the run game.
In the three games Crennel has coached against the Bengals, Johnson has run for 440 yards on 82 attempts with four touchdowns.
That's 146.7 a game and 5.4 yards a carry.
In the last four games against the Browns, dating to the last stand of the Butch Davis regime, Johnson has averaged 160.5 yards a game with six touchdowns.
"I don't know how much Rudi's gone out there and blocked anybody," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said Wednesday when asked about the effectiveness of the run game against the Browns. "I think Rudi's carried the ball effectively."
Johnson's four-game glut of rush yards corresponds with Cincinnati's four-win streak that has evened the Battle of Ohio series at 33-33.
The Browns have struggled all season against the run. They are ranked 28th in rush defense at 136.9 yards a game.
Teams haven't had to pass against them; the pass defense is seventh at 190.8 yards a game.
Still, Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer thinks the Browns will have to pay attention to Chad Johnson, even though Rudi Johnson has hurt them in the past four meetings.
Speaking of gluts, Chad Johnson has 450 receiving yards in the past two games, an NFL record for consecutive games that has given him a league-best 932 receiving yards after 10 games.
(Johnson needs 163 receiving yards Sunday to set the three-game record of 612 held by Charley Hennigan of the Houston Oilers in 1961.)
"The way they've played us is to not let Chad get a bunch of touches and be deep-conscious and not let us throw the ball over their heads," said Palmer. "(Crennel) always tries to take something away."
Crennel is aware of the double-Johnson threat.
"What I'd like to do is put 12 out there and have three on him, but I know the rules will not allow me to do that," Crennel said. "We're just going to have to try to do the best we can. And when we have the opportunity, probably roll some coverage to him, knowing that we're not able to do that all the time, because Rudi makes you play pretty honest.
"If you worry too much about Chad, Rudi will be running the ball on you."
Chad Johnson had 78 receiving yards on six receptions (one for a touchdown) in Week 2. He said he expects the Browns to try to shut him down.
"I'm really looking forward to the game - not Cleveland, but going against (cornerback) Leigh Bodden."
Browns safety Brian Russell thinks the Bengals have too much success through the air not to pass.
"I think it's Carson that sets up both," Russell said. "He has a way of checking into a good play against a defense. Obviously he studies a lot of film and he knows what your coverage is going to be.
"You try to disguise, but eventually you have to get into your coverage, and he seems to have a knack for - we call it - reading your mail."
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