Sunday, December 05, 1999
Last back-to-back wins? 715 days
Anderson vows Bengals won't be flat
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
When Boomer Esiason rode off into the TV lights after a 16-14 victory over Baltimore on the last day of the 1997 season, no one dreamed two years would pass and there wouldn't be back-to-back victories since.
Esiason quarterbacked Cincinnati to three straight wins at the end of the '97 season, the last time the Bengals strung together anything but angst.
The tragic flaw in coach Bruce Coslet's regime is how inert his teams have played after each of their four previous victories during the last two seasons.
They have been outscored, 109-23, and out of it before the tailgating shut down.
With the 49ers trudging into Cinergy Field today with seven straight losses after the Bengals most complete game since the Esiason era in a 27-20 victory in Pittsburgh, the scene seems set for another major letdown.
“No,” said Coslet simply earlier this week when asked if he feared how his team would respond.
“We've come out flat (after wins) and we have to take it up with the veteran leaders,” said right tackle Willie Anderson. Myself. Jeff Blake. Takeo Spikes. Corey Dillon. We have to take care of it position by position if a problem happens.”
The Bengals know the Niners are such a vulnerable team that the once great champions are underdogs to a club that has lost 11 straight at home. But they also know they've lost 20 of their last 23 games.
“They're struggling at the quarterback position and we need to take advantage of that,” said strong safety Myron Bell.
“On defense we've put together three games, so I think we've got things back in order. But the fact is, we're still 2-10. We're picked to win this game, but it doesn't matter. It's just different.”
More than anything this week, Coslet has stressed winning at home. Until the last two Cinergy games, the Bengals had been geting blown out by an average of more than three touchdowns.
But they could feel the fans swinging back to them during the game they lost to the Ravens at the gun two weeks ago on a field goal.
“The crowd is going to come out and do their usual thing,” Anderson said. “They're going to come out and see if we give them something to cheer about. When we do, we have some of the best fans in the NFL. If we don't win, they have the right to boo.”
Bell, the former Steeler who heard the boos take the paint off Three Rivers Stadium last week, knows the fans will be there if the game goes right:
“I don't think the fans ever really left our side. They just want to win and they're getting impatient. I don't blame them. It's harsh, but they paid good money to see a good showing by the home team.”
Bengals like second-year cornerback Artrell Hawkins have never won back-to-back games and have won just one home game.
“It's not a huge step, but a step in the positive direction,” Hawkins said. “We can still make this season better than it was last season.”
A Bengal win today gives them the three wins matching last year's total. But to do it, Bell says they must contain mobile quarterback Jeff Garcia in the pocket and prevent running back Charlie Garner from cutting back against the pursuit.
If Bengals quarterback Jeff Blake is to win his first back-to-back starts since Nov. 2-9, 1997, he knows the Bengals must stay away from the penalties and turnovers dogging them all year.
They still lead the NFL in penalties with 98 — 25 over the league average — despite making just five last week. They won the turnover war last week, but their minus-8 in takeaway-giveaways is still next to last in the NFL.
They also have to keep running the ball in the red zone the way they did in Pittsburgh. Dillon came into the game with just 21 yards on 16 carries from the foes' 20-yard line on in. But against the Steelers he got 25 on four carries.
“The last couple of games, we've moved the ball,” said Blake of the 763 yards of offense the last two weeks. “I think we've turned the corner, but we still need everyone, offense, defense, special teams to play like they did last week.”
The offense started turning the corner two weeks ago when Blake threw the long ball early and often against the Ravens' No. 1-ranked defense. He did the same against the Steelers' top-ranked pass defense.
So expect more of the same against an undermanned Niner secondary that can't compare to the units Blake has hit up for 487 passing yards and four touchdown passes the last two weeks.
“We didn't get too excited after winning last week and we shouldn't have,” Anderson said. “The only thing that matters now is the 49ers.”
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