Gary Walker celebrates after sacking Akili Smith. (AP photos) | ZOOM |

        JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Bengals, especially the defense, handled defending division champion Jacksonville all right on Sunday.

        Cincinnati wasn't affected much by the tropical storm blowing across the Florida Panhandle and dumping heavy rain on ALLTEL Stadium. The wet field actually favored the Bengals and their plan to establish the running game with featured back Corey Dillon.

        In the end, the Bengals pretty much beat themselves, losing 13-0 to the Jaguars and falling to 0-2.

        The Bengals tried but failed to run the ball. Remove quarterback Akili Smith's 34 yards in scrambles and they had 37 yards rushing on 18 plays. Dillon had a 1.9-yard average on 17 attempts.

        The offensive line gave up five sacks and had five holding and two illegal motion penalties. Three of Cincinnati's first six plays were nullified by holding calls, one each on tackles Rod Jones and Willie Anderson and guard Mike Goff.

Hardy Nickerson exults after an interception. | ZOOM |

        The offense's futility is becoming a trend.

        In 26 possessions in two games, the Bengals have scored seven points. Since scoring 44 points in consecutive games in weeks 14 and 15 last season, the Bengals have scored 14 points in four games. This is the least productive four-game stretch in team history, worse than a 15-point output over 16 quarters in 1978.

        Rookie kicker Neil Rackers missed two field goals and is 0-for-3 for the season. His hooked 44-yard attempt in the second quarter ended the offense's deepest penetration of the day on the Jacksonville 26-yard line.

        While the Jaguars had only one turnover — an interception on a tipped pass — the Bengals had four.

Smith scrambles. | ZOOM |

        Quarterback Akili Smith threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. Tremain Mack's fumble on a kickoff return in the first quarter led directly to a Jaguars field goal.

        “Tough deal today in tough conditions,” coach Bruce Coslet said. “Normally, in an inclement game, the team that commits the fewest turnovers wins. That's exactly what happened.”

        Only 33 of Cincinnati's 69 offensive plays gained yards. Coaches and players were left wondering why.

        “We just couldn't get that going,” Coslet said of the running game.

Peter Warrick can't get a handle on the wet ball. | ZOOM |

        Left tackle Jones, who was pulled last week against Cleveland after getting beat for two sacks, was beat for one by Jacksonville defensive end Tony Brackens. “I'm confident we can move the ball,” he said. “I don't understand why we couldn't get it going today. We're in the game the whole way, and football is a game of big plays. We just kept hoping we could make a big play, but it didn't happen.”

        Goff is the only new starter on the offensive line, which accounted for the Bengals being sixth in the league in rushing last year.

        Field position might have had something to do with the outcome. Jacksonville's drives started on the 48-yard line on average. Cincinnati's average start was the 20.

        Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Keenan McCardell in the first quarter. It was initially ruled out of bounds, but the Jaguars challenged the call, and it was reversed.

        Trailing 10-0 in the second quarter, the Bengals drove 46 yards to the Jaguars' 26. Smith ran 16 yards on third-and-9 and hit Peter Warrick for a 14-yard completion. Then Rackers missed wide left from 44 yards.

Rodney Heath uypends Jimmy Smith. | ZOOM |

        At the end of the quarter, Cincinnati went 41 yards to the Jacksonville 30.

        Rackers crushed the ball, but it hit the left upright near the top of the post.

        Cincinnati didn't have a scoring threat in the second half.

        Smith said six points would have changed the game but also said the entire team is to blame, including himself. He was 18-of-41 for 183 and two interceptions.

        For the season, he is 33-of-84 (39 percent) for 433 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. He has been sacked 12 times.

        Smith, who was near tears after the Cleveland loss, said, “I don't feel as bad as I did last week. There were a lot of things out there not in my hands. I played a little better, but still not what I'm looking for at all.”

        The Jaguars blitzed on several plays, and the defensive pressure got to Smith.

        “I lowered my eye level at times,” he said. “Anytime a quarterback is getting hit and the pressure is there, you tend to drop back on your first two steps and look at the rush as opposed to looking downfield. On a few plays, I did do that. Still, I have to fight through it and keep my eyes downfield.”

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