BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Boomer Esiason celebrates after one of his two TD throws. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

A little more than an hour after Sunday's game ended, Boomer Esiason led his wife, Cheryl, his son, Gunnar, and his daughter, Sydney, into Cinergy Field's north end zone. They gathered for a family photo.

Esiason had the right idea. This was an afternoon worth preserving for posterity.

Reminding a crowd of 55,158 what it was like to revel in professional football, Esiason marked his return to the Bengals' starting lineup by throwing two first-half touchdown passes and leading Cincinnati to a 31-26 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The game began with cheers still ringing from the standing ovation Esiason received in pregame introductions. It ended with fans chanting ''Boomer, Boomer,'' as if this were 1988 and the Bengals were headed for the Super Bowl again.

''It was throwback Sunday in Cincinnati,'' said Esiason, a 14-year veteran who completed 26-of-36 passes for 211 yards. Predictably, Bengals coach Bruce Coslet said Esiason will start Sunday at Philadelphia.

Fans were primed to watch Esiason revive the good ol' days. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

Esiason, who overcame a bout with stomach flu Saturday night and the loss of his top receiver, Carl Pickens, to a groin injury in the game's first quarter, received plenty of help in fashioning the Bengals' third victory in their last four games.

Despite allowing a season-high 415 yards, Cincinnati's defense performed impressively when it counted most.

The Bengals (4-8) forced two fourth-quarter turnovers and held the Jaguars to only only one touchdown in six trips inside the Bengals' 20-yard line. Jacksonville scored the touchdown, four field goals and the Bengals held the Jaguars on fourth down from the 2-yard line.

Cincinnati's offensive line established a season-best by allowing just one sack - which Esiason claimed was his fault. The line also created enough room for rookie running back Corey Dillon to record his fourth good game in a row, an 88-yard effort.

Before faltering late on punt returns, the Bengals' special teams generated a pair of first-quarter touchdowns. The first came after Esiason led a 63-yard touchdown drive on the game's opening series, when Marco Battaglia recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff at Jacksonville's 20-yard line. Esiason threw nine yards to tight end Tony McGee four plays later. The Jaguars trailed 14-0 before they ran a play from scrimmage.

Esiason enters for his first Bengals start since 1992. (Saed Hindash photo) | ZOOM |

Then, after Jacksonville scored a touchdown to make it 14-7, David Dunn's 85-yard kickoff return put the Bengals on the Jaguars' 3. Dillon scored two plays later.

It was an outcome this struggling team could cherish. They defeated an AFC Central foe for the first time in six games this year, and they beat a Jacksonville team that shares the division lead with Pittsburgh at 8-4. Not since last Nov. 10, when they defeated Pittsburgh (then 7-2), have the Bengals beat a team with such a good record.

But the afternoon truly belonged to Esiason, who made his first start as a Bengal since Nov. 22, 1992. And the Bengals' offense immediately understood he was in command.

Esiason, 36, maintained the fast tempo he set Nov. 9 at Indianapolis, when he replaced an injured Jeff Blake and directed Cincinnati to touchdowns in his first three series. The Bengals lined up more quickly and snapped the ball on earlier counts against the Jaguars.

''From watching what we've been doing over the last 11 weeks, I sensed a need for kind of a sense of urgency,'' Esiason said. ''I think offense needs to be played that way.''

Said Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin: ''I think that Cincinnati's up-tempo caused us to run around a little bit on defense. We were trying to do some things that we eventually had to get out of because it was just too difficult to line up.''

Esiason eludes the rush of Jeff Lageman. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

It helped that Esiason completed his first five passes for 52 yards.

''He's wild,'' Dunn said. ''He's just like the Energizer bunny. He's just going and going and going.''

''That was almost like a no-huddle offense,'' McGee said. ''. . . I could tell he was tired as (bleep), and he was still making us go even that much faster.''

The Bengals followed their 21-point first quarter with a 97-yard march, their longest of the season, which consumed 8:14 of the second quarter. It culminated in Esiason's 11-yard scoring pass to Darnay Scott, the drive's 18th play.

The Bengals' 28 first-half points represented their biggest output before intermission since 1990, when the team made its last playoff appearance.

Esiason's teammates responded to his guidance.

''He just took control,'' wide receiver James Hundon said. ''He'd talk to the linemen - 'OK, look, we can't have pressure up the middle on this play.' He'd say, 'Corey, you get your yards, go down, don't fight for any extra yards because we don't want any turnovers.' Just a lot of confidence-boosting things to keep you motivated.''

Esiason exits a winner. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

Said McGee, ''I guess that's what 14 years in the league will do for you.''

A long NFL tenure isn't easy to bear physically, though.

''I'm aching right now, and I didn't even get hit that much today,'' Esiason said.

In the end, he and every Bengal could smile.

''It was like, 'Man, I'm playing with somebody who I watched when I was a kid,' '' Hundon said. ''It was a great game, a great day for the Bengals overall.''

Boomer plays for crowd of one Paul Daugherty column
Could Boomer be the future? Tim Sullivan column
Pickens' season may be over
Esiason shows Blake power of suggestion
Family shares Boomer's big day
Defense bends but doesn't break
Notebook
Game statistics
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