Coach Dick LeBeau added the Bengals' fourth-quarter effort to the list of positives he's taking from Sunday's 31-16 loss to Miami.

        Even though Cincinnati (0-4) had fallen behind 31-13, it drove 57 yards for a field goal. Then the Bengals forced the Dolphins to punt after three plays and drove 72 yards to the Miami 8-yard line before a penalty forced them into a long fourth-down play that failed. Cincinnati then forced another punt after three plays and had the ball for 9:37 of the quarter.

        “We finished that part of the game pretty well,” LeBeau said Monday.

        He was troubled by the offense's performance in the red zone. The Bengals had the ball inside the Miami 21-yard line five times and scored only one touchdown, although they did get three field goals.

        Cincinnati has seven possessions inside the 20 this year and have two field goals and two touchdowns. Its TD percentage of 28.6 is the third lowest in the league.

        RUN, RUN, RUN: Another major improvement was the running game, which was the result of a philosophical change on the line.

        “We were running the ball no matter what, even if we lost a yard or two here or there. We weren't going to panic,” center Brock Gutierrez said. “We just kept after it.

        “Sometimes, as a lineman, especially me as a center, I have to make a lot of calls. And against Baltimore I didn't play aggressively. I was thinking too much. And that can happen to you. If you're thinking about the correct technique and the correct this and that, you're not thinking enough about kicking the crap out of the guy in front of you.”

        Cincinnati had 191 yards rushing to boost its average from 62 to 94 yards a game.

        MIAMI BOUND? Corey Dillon, after rushing for 110 yards on 22 carries Sunday, was asked if he had told Dolphins linebacker Robert Jones that he wanted to play in Miami next season.

        “(Dillon) could probably be even better if his attitude was better,” Jones told the Miami Herald. “What I mean by that is that he mentioned to me on the field, "Hey, tell your coach come get me and we'll win it all.' His reason for saying that is that he just didn't want to be here.”

        But Dillon denied saying that to Jones whena Herald reporter talked to him in the Cincinnati locker room.

        “I don't remember saying nothing about that,” Dillon told the Herald. “I don't even want to get nothing started. That wasn't said by me. I like what I'm doing. I'm here working, trying to get this thing turned around. You think I would say something like that? I wouldn't say nothing like that.”

        Dillon, who was unavailable for comment Monday, will be an unrestricted free agent after the season. After designating Dillon a transition player, the Bengals can match other teams' offers but can't demand compensation if another team signs Dillon.

        ROSTER MOVE: Running back Michael Basnight was placed on injured reserve Monday, and strong safety JoJuan Armour signed a two-year contract and was elevated from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.

        Basnight broke a bone in his wrist in the training camp scrimmage. Coaches initially had planned to get him back by early November.

        Armour, who played linebacker at Miami University, had been placed on the practice squad after missing much of training camp with a groin injury.

        INJURY REPORT: Offensive tackle Willie Anderson (right knee strain) is questionable for the Tennessee game. Defensive tackle Oliver Gibson (left knee sprain) and linebacker Armegis Spearman (right shoulder) are probable.

        Linebacker Brian Simmons (knee), defensive end Vaughn Booker (fainting spell) and center Rich Braham (knee) are out.

Cornerbacks may lose jobs LeBeau likes fourth-quarter effort Pickens may miss Bengals game

Next manager probably has Reds ties
Odds on Reds next manager
SULLIVAN: Ax will turn on Bowden
McKeon more grateful than bitter
Casey: High expectations were McKeon's downfall
New mix served Mariners well
Bearcats face 'must win' at Houston
Probation ends for UC basketball
UC's Jones looks for December return
Martin's goal: make NBA all-defensive team
Olympic boxer welcomed home
Complete Olympics coverage at Cincinnati.com/olympics
Chiefs 24, Seahawks 17
Football rankings shuffled
Enquirer football polls
Kentucky football polls
Complete prep football coverage at Enquirer.com/prepfootball
Ohio soccer polls
High school highlights
Cincinnati high school results
N. Ky. high school results
Xavier women ranked as high as 15th
Cintas open house Monday

• Return to Bengals front page...