Steve Foley causes Brian Griese to fumble with 5:43 left in the game. (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

        Corey Dillon got the glory and the ESPN highlights, but he couldn't have done it without his defense. That's right. His defense.

        While Dillon was busy setting the NFL rushing record Sunday, the defense was busy getting him the ball. The Bengals caused three second-half turnovers, two of which led to touchdowns.

        The Broncos were averaging 31 points, second in the NFL behind the St. Louis Rams. But the Bengals held them to 21.

        “We're all in this together,” linebacker Steve Foley said. “It doesn't matter who gets the credit. It was just big for us to get a win in this stadium for these fans.”

        The final Bronco turnover, a Foley sack that caused Denver quarterback Brian Griese to fumble, set up Dillon's 65-yard TD run that made it 24-14 late in the game.

BIG TURNOVERS

Reinhard Wilson (second from left) celebrates after recovering Griese's fumble. (Steven M. Herppich photo)   The Bengal defense forced three turnovers Sunday, all in the second half. Two turnovers led to touchdowns:   • 3rd quarter, 10:21 remaining: Denver's Mike Anderson fumbles when hit by Steve Foley. Chris Carter recovers at the Cincinnati 47-yard line. RESULT: Brandon Bennett, 19-yard TD run with 8:53 left in 3rd quarter (Bengals, 17-14).   • 3rd quarter, 3:56 remaining: On a pass play, Armegis Spearman dislodges the ball from Denver's KaRon Coleman, with the airborne ball intercepted by Chris Carter. Carter runs six yards to the Cincinnati 11-yard line. RESULT: Punt.   • 4th quarter, 5:43 remaining: Steve Foley sacks Brian Griese, who fumbles. Reinard Wilson recovers and runs 6 yards to the Bengals' 34-yard line. RESULT: Corey Dillon, 65-yard TD run with 4:58 left (Bengals, 24-14).

        After the game, Foley and fellow defenders were mostly solitary figures in the clubhouse. As reporters scrambled to interview Dillon and other offensive players, the defensive players quietly reflected on a job well done.
        “Guys just had the willpower today,” rookie linebacker Armegis Spearman said. “We were tired of losing. It's all about being a man and doing your job.”
        Cincinnati did allow a season-worst 500 total yards. But 358 were by air, with Denver desperate to make a comeback.
        “We knew they were a high-powered offense, and I was proud of the way our guys took a punch and came back,” coach Dick LeBeau said. “They kept getting the ball back for our offense.”
        The Broncos entered with a plus-14 edge in turnover differential, second best in the league. The Bengals' minus-10 differential was second worst in the NFL.
        “Offensively, when you have turnovers like we did, it obviously puts you in the hole,” Denver coach Mike Shanahan said. “We had some young guys turn it over.”
       ; When Denver went up 7-0 on the game's first possession, it appeared another long day was in store.
        “We made some adjustments,” strong safety Chris Carter said.
        What, exactly? Reporters sought scientific answers, but Carter - who recovered a fumble and had an interception - just smiled.
        “It's just a matter of guys making plays, really,” he said. “Nothing more than that. We talked a little bit more to each other, had better communication on who was supposed to be where.”
        Spearman agreed.
        “We had some mental errors that hurt us at first,” he said. “But the biggest thing is we've still got lots of young guys out there, like me. It takes a while to get used to what everyone is doing. We've been getting better.”
        The defense had held up well, relatively speaking, during the 0-6 start this season.
        The defense was ranked No. 20 in the 31-team NFL entering Sunday's game. Not good, but better than last year's No. 25 ranking.
  “I'm sure nobody expected this, except the players in this room,” Spearman said. “We can always count on each other in here.”
  Foley said the Bengals actively sought to force some turnovers.
        “It's something we stress every week,” he said. “We gave up some yards, but we didn't give up too many big plays.”
        Carter said the Bengals also gained confidence as they realized, entering the fourth quarter up 17-14, that the game was theirs to lose.
        “You make plays, you get the offense on the field, and you win,” Carter said.

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