Monday, December 06, 1999

Quarter century worth of payback

Blake-led offensive explosion blasts 49ers

BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer

[img]
Wide receiver Carl Pickens catches a touchdown pass over San Francisco's Ramos McDonald in the second quarter Sunday.
(Craig Ruttle photo)
| ZOOM |
        Quarterback Jeff Blake and his suddenly swashbuckling Bengals avenged the past, spiced up the present and muddied the future Sunday at soggy Cinergy Field.

        Blake, the lame-duck quarterback, engineered Cincinnati's first victory over the dreaded 49ers since the days of coach Paul Brown when he generated eight scores and four touchdown passes in the Bengals' first 10 possessions.

        The busy 44-30 victory treated the paid crowd of 53,463 to the most yards ever (1,018) at Riverfront/Cinergy.

        As the scoreboard cooled, the 3-10 Bengals savored their first back-to-back wins in nearly two years, the end of their 11-game home losing streak and their most points since coach Sam Wyche waved goodbye to Oilers coach Jerry Glanville after Cincinnati's 61-7 victory 10 years ago.

[img]
Jeff Blake threw 4 TD passes.
(AP photo)
| ZOOM |
SET AS WALLPAPER:
 Click here for bigger image, then right click to Set As Wallpaper
        But the Bengals discovered Sunday's victory also meant much to the fans and players who lost two Super Bowls to San Francisco and hadn't beaten the Niners since 1974. Like radio man Bruce Kozerski, the center on the 1988 team that lost in the final minute to the 49ers in Super Bowl XXIII.

        “Bruce Kozerski thanked us for winning,” Blake said.

        Defensive captain Takeo Spikes observed, “I didn't know how big (the rivalry) was until today. We won this one for the fans.”

        These clearly aren't the 49ers of old after their eighth straight loss secured their first losing record in 17 seasons. Still, that old 49er, 37-year-old receiver Jerry Rice, continued to torture the Bengals by more than doubling his best output of the season. He had 157 yards on nine catches.

[img]
Darnay Scott races to a TD.
(AP photo)
| ZOOM |
SET AS WALLPAPER:
 Click here for bigger image, then right click to Set As Wallpaper
        The Bengals' defense found itself in a tussle against a team that that didn't have a passing touchdown since Oct. 17 and had just one touchdown in its last 54 possessions coming into Sunday.

        But struggling Jeff Garcia literally looked like a Hall of Fame candidate in taking advantage of the Bengals' small, inexperienced cornerbacks in throwing for three touchdowns and 437 yards. Only Phil Simms (513) and Dan Marino (450) have thrown for more against the Bengals.

        “As a defense, we should go in that meeting Monday and apologize to the offense because we put them in a position they had to keep scoring,” said linebacker Brian Simmons. “And they stepped up. That's what a team is about.”

        The Bengals finally look like a team and they had to against the NFL's fifth-worst defense. Cincinnati came into the game leading the NFL in penalties, but didn't make one Sunday until the fourth quarter. They came in with the NFL's second- worst turnover ratio, but cashed three Niner miscues for 13 points while not turning it over.

        “It makes us feel good for now, but it still makes you feel kind of bad that we couldn't get the thing going earlier,” said right tackle Willie Anderson, who knows Blake is most likely gone to free agency.

[img]
Pickens celebrates one of his two TD's.
(AP photo)
| ZOOM |
SET AS WALLPAPER:
 Click here for bigger image, then right click to Set As Wallpaper
        On Sunday, Anderson watched wide receiver Carl Pickens have his best day of the season with seven catches for 107 yards, wide receiver Darnay Scott race 58 yards for a touchdown with a short pass over the middle and running back Corey Dillon ring up 210 all-purpose yards.

        “I feel bad we're losing (Blake) who has Pro Bowl potential. If he has a running game, a defense and he knows he's the man, he's a big-time player,” Anderson said.

        “It's continuity. Carl Pickens is in shape (after a training camp holdout). Darnay is settling in as No.1 receiver. Corey is doing what he promised to do if you give him the rock ... And the offensive line is starting to jell. We had two new guys learning the system and it was kind of tough on them.”

        While the Niners rolled to 542 yards, the Bengals countered with 476. Early in the game, the Niners tried to play bump-and-run, one-on-one coverage and Blake burned them by lofting an 11-yarder Pickens wrenched from cornerback Ramos McDonald in the end zone to give the Bengals a 17-7 lead.

        Then when the Niners switched to a two-deep zone, Blake responded to those who criticize his intermediate accuracy and took the passing game underneath. He found Dillon on five passes for 77 yards and Blake's longest pass was 12 yards when he drove the Bengals 91 yards in the last 1:24 of the first half to set up a 24-yard Doug Pelfrey field goal giving Cincinnati a 27-10 lead.

[img]
David Matre of Mason gets the fans going Sunday.
(Craig Ruttle photo)
| ZOOM |
        When the Niners had to gamble to get back into it in the second half, Blake flipped a 12-yard screen pass to Dillon past a blitz for a touchdown and Pickens again outfought cornerback Darnell Walker in single coverage on a fade route for a 13-yard touchdown that made it 44-30 with less than 10 minutes left.

        “They were in a zone,” said defensive end John Copeland of the offense. “I never felt for once they were going to stop them. I knew they were going to get at least three (points every drive).”

        Anderson's line mates were giving him grief at halftime. On Wednesday, Anderson wrote 17 on the chalkboard, saying the Bengals had to score more to win. Guard Jay Leeuwnenburg turned the 17 into a 47.

        “I don't know what it means,” said Anderson of what Sunday meant for next season. “I can't predict the future.”

        With this team, he's not alone.

       


Bengals Stories
- Quarter century worth of payback
The rare, sweet taste of victory Paul Daugherty column
Blake: What might have been, not what will be Tim Sullivan column
Dillon carries the day
BENGALS NOTEBOOK
GAME STATISTICS
Young DBs can't catch 'aging' Rice
Join the discussion at our Bengals forum

Ducks roll on with 6-1 victory
Slaise, UC beat Xavier in 2 OTs
XU wary of 1-3 RedHawks
UC veterans have been here before