Peter Warrick (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

        The opening minutes of Saturday night's preseason opener at Paul Brown Stadium was a turn-back-the-clock game to 1999 at Cinergy Field.

        The Cincinnati Bengals were behind 14-0 with 5:55 left in the first quarter. The offense had run six plays on two series that ended in punts.

        The defense had been burnt for two 45-yard touchdown passes from Chicago's Cade McNown to Marcus Robinson.

        Then, coach Bruce Coslet said, the 2000 Bengals showed up. Bengals quarterback Akili Smith led three consecutive touchdown drives that put Cincinnati ahead to stay.

        When it was over, the Bengals had a 24-20 victory, ending a seven-game preseason losing streak, but more important to the organization, opening the new $450 million stadium with a win before a crowd of 56,180.

Akili Smith (Jeff Swinger photo) | ZOOM |

        “The biggest things we have to overcome is ourselves,” Coslet said. “The team you saw in the first 10 minutes of the game is not this year's version of the Cincinnati Bengals. And you also saw, after the first 10 minutes of the game, this team is not the last several year's version of the Cincinnati Bengals.”

        Down by two touchdowns, Cincinnati took over on its 32-yard line. Smith, who was 0 of 3 on the first two posses sions, went 5 of 6 for 40 yards. With a first-and-10 on the Bears' 14, rookie receiver took an end-around handoff to the right side, and with down-field blocking from center Brock Gutierrez and receiver James Hundon, Warrick found his way into the end zone. He tossed the ball down and leapt into the seats for the inaugural “Paul Brown Leap,” patterned after the Lambeau Leap created by the Green Bay Packers.

        Warrick had two catches for 12 yards and the 14-yard TD run on that drive.

        “You've got to get that dude the ball,” Smith said of Warrick. “He's an exceptional talent.”

        The Bengals got even after a Chicago punt sailed into the end zone.

        After the Bengals' defense held and forced a punt, Cincinnati drew even on a five-play drive.

        Starting from the Cincinnati 20, Smith floated a 23-yard out pass to Warrick to the 43. Two plays later, from the Chicago 42-yard line, Smith hit tight end Tony McGee over the middle. McGee carried the ball to the 11, and on the next play, McGee caught another Smith pass for an 11-yard touchdown and a 14-all tie.

        McGee had three receptions for 60 yards.

Rodney Heath celebrates interception (Jeff Swinger photo) | ZOOM |

        McNown, who was seven of eight for 121 yards to this point, went to the air on the first play of the next Chicago drive, but his pass was intercepted by cornerback Rodney Heath at the Cincinnati 41-yard line.

        Heath returned the ball across the field to the Chicago 42.

        The Bengals drove to the Chicago 16 and faced a fourth-and-one play.

        Coslet decided to go for the first down. Smith dropped back and threw toward the right sideline where Warrick was covered by cornerback Jerry Azumah. Azumah hit Warrick while the ball was in the air. Interference was called, and Cincinnati had a first down on the 3.

        On the next play, Smith hit rookie receiver Ron Dugans for 3 yards and the touchdown.

        Cincinnati led 21-14.

        On those three touchdown drives, Smith was 13 of 14 for 139 yards and two TD passes. He finished 21 of 29 for 184 yards and two touchdowns.

        “We had to win this game at all costs,” tackle Willie Anderson said. “We took it as more than a preseason game. We calmed down. We came out too pumped. We tried to do too much.”

Corey Dillon (Jeff Swinger photo) | ZOOM |

        The victory drew a figurative sigh of relief from the Bengals organization, which desperately wants to win as a way to thank Hamilton County taxpayers for approving a sales tax increase to finance the $450 million stadium.

        The Bengals led 21-17 at halftime.

        Chicago coach Dick Jauron, a former Jaguars assistant, was impressed by the Bengals.

        “I thought the Bengals executed well,” he said. “They are a very talented team. I'm familiar with this team coming from Jacksonville. They have talented football players.”

        Reinard Wilson recovered a Cade McNown fumble early in the third quarter, and after the Bengals' drive stalled at the 5, Doug Pelfrey kicked a 20-yard field goal for a 24-17 Cincinnati lead with 13:08 remaining in the quarter.

        The Bengals led in the second half of both of their first two preseason games and lost. The Bears came in 2-0.

        After the Bengals went three and out on their first drive, McNown hit Robinson on a roll-out, and Robinson caught the ball 20 yards behind the nearest defenders, safety Darryl Williams and Health.

        After another Cincinnati punt, the Bears drove 69 yards in eight plays. Robinson, who had 1,400 yards in receptions last year, caught a wide receiver screen from McNown and ran more than 40 yards for the score.

        The Bears had 281 yards passing, completing 24 of 39 attempts; 177 of those yards came in the first half.

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