Monday, December 13, 1999
BENGALS 44, BROWNS 28
Dillon, Bengals hit strides
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Bengals discarded sentiment Sunday and fittingly ended their stay in the concrete canyon known as Cinergy Field with a heartless brand of smashmouth football against the overmatched Browns.
The only time emotion played a role in the 44-28 dismantling of Cleveland came when Bengals coach Bruce Coslet benched running back Corey Dillon and his 192 yards late in the third quarter to prevent any hard feelings.
“Sportsmanship factored in,” said Bengals right tackle Willie Anderson, who thought of Walter Payton's single-game rushing record of 275 yards.
“We didn't want to get those guys (thinking) we're trying to run it up and get the record against them. We have to play them twice next season.”
Anderson's offensive line manhandled the Browns in a cold rain to generate Dillon's 162 first-half yards. In the other trench, the defensive front held the Browns to just 11 rushing yards to set a team record.
“It's nice for the franchise, nice for the fans, nice for everybody,” said inside linebacker Takeo Spikes. “It was just another day at the office. I'm ready to get out of here. I'm tired about all the bad memories in this place. I want to start over fresh.”
The Bengals have been fresh ever since falling to an NFL-worst 1-10 last month.
With a bye this week and remaining games in Baltimore and Jacksonville, they've won three straight for the first time since the end of the 1997 season. On Sunday, they secured their most points (88) in back-to-back games in 14 seasons.
Even though the Bengals' annual too-little-too-late run has come against teams with a combined 10 victories, Spikes rode the wave and looked to next year's opening of Paul Brown Stadium.
“You've got to start somewhere. You've got to crawl before you can walk,” Spikes said. “We've been getting the good breaks. Things are happening that haven't happened early in the year. Now we're finally getting them and taking advantage.”
Such as:
• Special teams contributing to games instead of ruining them. For the second time in four weeks, rookie Craig Yeast returned a punt for a touchdown. Yeast's 81-yard scoot up the middle gave the Bengals control over a slippery field with a 10-0 lead late in the first quarter.
• Turnovers leading to points for instead of points against. The Bengals, who came in with the NFL's fifth-worst turnover differential, forced four and only made one on a Dillon fumble.
• The offense regaining its form. Quarterback Jeff Blake won his third straight start for the first time since the end of the 1996 season with an offense that generated 400 yards (459) for the third straight week.
“We can only imagine what we would have been doing if (Blake) had been in there the whole time,” said Anderson of the quarterback who was benched early in the season. “It's kind of sickening to sit here and think about it.”
Blake, who handed off 53 times while the Bengals had their second-best rushing day with 279 yards, saluted the of fensive line with, “one of the best performances by an offensive line that I can remember ... It sure made things easier for me.”
Dillon, who shredded the Browns' NFL worst run defense for 168 yards on Oct. 10, nearly had that in the first half as the Bengals attacked Cleveland's defense with cutback runs in building a 30-15 halftime lead.
“We know they're a fast-flow team,” Dillon said. “When they get to one side, if you turn it back, you can get an alley and you can gash them.”
Anderson said the Bengals were calling their basic running play — “16,” to be run mainly behind him and right guard Jay Leeuwenburg. When the Browns shifted that way, Dillon cut behind left guard Matt O'Dwyer and left tackle Rod Jones.
“The back side was turning to the front side,” Anderson said. “We wanted to seal the back side off and make sure Corey played a real disciplined ball game, staying on the angles and then cutting.”
Fullback Clif Groce played a key role in the scheme because he was blocking defensive ends who were nearly 40 pounds heavier.
“The end doesn't know whether you're going to cut him off or seal him down inside,” Groce said. “It's a mismatch, but you can use (the end's) aggression. When he crosses your face, you can push him on down (the line) because you know Corey's coming behind you.”
Anderson got inspired watching Tennessee's Eddie George run for 199 yards in a game broadcast by ESPN Thursday night.
“I would have liked to have had 200,” Anderson said. “Everyone saw the Eddie George game Thursday night. We wanted to get him at least that.”
But even though it was the Bengals' Cinergy Field farewell, sentiment only went so far on Smashmouth Sunday.
It was just business,” Anderson said. “We kind of left it up to the fans to be sentimental. We still have to play more football games here in Cincinnati. It's not like we're moving out of the city. ... The young guys like myself, Corey, Akili (Smith), Takeo, we're excited about going to the new stadium.”
Now they're taking a two-game home winning streak with them.
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