Jon Kitna (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        Jon Kitna, barring a bad showing in training camp and the preseason, probably will start the Bengals' Sept.9 opener against New England.

        The quarterback derby among Kitna, Scott Mitchell and Akili Smith obviously will be watched more closely than other position battles when the Bengals open camp Friday at Georgetown College.

        Nobody with the Bengals is saying who their quarterback will be; the official line is it's an “even” competition.

        But all indications are Smith or Mitchell will have to win the job. And Kitna will have to lose it.

        Neither coach Dick Le Beau nor offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski will say who the quarterback will be. But they said what they want him to be.

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How QB race stacks up

        And that QB — based on past performances — sounds a lot like Kitna, and, to a lesser extent, Mitchell.

        “Consistent execution, poise, ability to run and move the offense,” LeBeau said.

        Smith, the first-round draft pick in 1999, started the Bengals' first 10 games last season before losing the job to Mitchell. Quarterback was the team's weakest position.

        In going 4-12 for a second consecutive season, the Bengals set franchise records for fewest points (185) and most punts (94) and were a distant last in the NFL in passing with an average of 122 yards a game, 30 fewer than the 30th-ranked Browns.

        “Productivity will be the determining factor,” LeBeau said of his quarterback choice. “We need more from that position.”

        Bratkowski has installed the multiple-receiver offense he used as Seattle's coordinator. It allows the quarterback to change the play at the line of scrimmage based on the defense formation. Kitna played in that system for a season with the Seahawks.

        Bratkowski knows what he wants to see from his quarterback. The prototype is Trent Dilfer during the Baltimore Ravens' Super Bowl season. You don't have to win the game. Just don't lose it.

        “The No.1 thing is consistency. That is, it's very important we don't have those big highs and lows,” Bratkowski said.

        “No.2, leadership is important. We need to have someone who, when he steps into the huddle, takes command of the offense. All 10 other guys in the huddle have to have confidence in him.”

        Team president Mike Brown lost confidence in Smith last season, which is why Brown invested up to $14 million on free agent Kitna and, in addition to his interest in former Purdue star Drew Brees, previously made a lucrative offer to free agent quarterback Elvis Grbac. Grbac, who took less money to play in Baltimore, would have come to Cincinnati as the clear starter, with Smith as the backup.

        Kitna is no Grbac. He threw 18 touchdown passes — and 19 interceptions — for the Seahawks in 2000. The Bengals are hoping he can duplicate his 1999 season, when he threw 23 touchdowns with only 16 interceptions for 3,300 yards.

        In spite of the high number of pickoffs, Kitna's numbers compare favorably with what the Smith-Mitchell combination compiled in Cincinnati. The Bengals had only six touchdown passes and 14 interceptions last season.

        “We don't think anyone has to lead the league in passing offense to be effective,” LeBeau said.

        Bengals coaches and executives say they have surrounded their quarterback with talent. The quarterback's task is to get the ball into the hands of the team's offensive playmakers.

        In the offseason, they re- signed running back Corey Dillon and offensive linemen Rich Braham, Matt O'Dwyer and John Jackson. Even with defenses stacking the line and daring the Bengals to pass, Dillon rushed for a franchise-record 1,435 yards and led the league's No.2-ranked run offense last year. There's a sense within the Bengals organization that the running game will be even better with a little help from the pass offense.

        The Bengals also brought in free agents Richmond Webb at left tackle and Lorenzo Neal at fullback. They used their second and third draft choices on speedy wide receiver Chad Johnson and pass-catching tight end Sean Brewer. Veteran speed receiver Darnay Scott appears to have recovered from his broken leg. Plus, wide receivers Peter Warrick and Ron Dugans have a year of NFL experience.

        The first priority is to make the pass offense better. The Bengals averaged only 16 first downs a game and had more rushing first downs (119) than passing first downs (109) last season.

        “Consistency, confidence, leadership — those are things that help you get first downs,” Bratkowski said. “Those are the traits you display when you're moving the team and getting first downs.”

        Last season, Mitchell was an upgrade over Smith. Mitchell started five of the final six games — missing Game 12 against Pittsburgh because of injury — and averaged 166 yards a game passing.

        The Bengals re-signed Mitchell on April 22, only after Brees was drafted by San Diego with the first pick in the second round.

        Mitchell, 33, is decisive in the pocket and is a strong leader, but his arm strength has been questioned. There's no denying he's slow on his feet, but he did rush for a touchdown in the comeback victory against Jacksonville.

        Smith, 25, was 2-9 in his first full season as a starter and lost the job after Game 10. He's a natural athlete who could play wide receiver but appears hungry to regain his starting quarterback job and his teammates' confidence. Smith was sacked 36 times last season and habitually held the ball too long in the pocket.

        Smith, who received almost $11 million to sign two years ago as the third overall draft pick, has big-play potential that Kitna and Mitchell lack. But in two NFL seasons, Smith has shown an inability to complete basic pass patterns and convert third-down plays. A decision on a starter could come sooner rather than later in camp, which will open with the three quarterbacks taking a relatively equal number of practice snaps.

        Scott Covington, who has played sparingly in two seasons with the Bengals, also is in camp. Covington, drafted in the seventh round in 1999 out of Miami (Fla.), completed four of his five pass attempts in his rookie year with Cincinnati but saw no action last season.

        “With any even competition, there comes a point when you have to make a determination,” LeBeau said. “Again, as we did last year, we will not cast (any position) in stone.”

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