The Bengals didn't see Sunday's 24-0 loss coming.

        They were at home, on the heels of an emotional victory against Cleveland. The game was played before a walk-up sellout of 63,408 fans.

Darnay Scott flips over R.W. McQuarters. (Jeff Swinger photo) | ZOOM |

        But the Bengals turned in their worst performance of their up-and-down season. They gave up 435 yards of offense to the Chicago Bears and ran for just 35 yards.

        “We couldn't block them. We couldn't tackle them. And this is still a game of blocking and tackling,” Bengals coach Dick LeBeau said.

        Perhaps two sets of numbers explain the hot-and-cold start of the 3-3 Bengals, who will play Sunday at Detroit before heading into their bye weekend.

        LeBeau wants “a look” from his team, and it starts with running the ball on offense and stopping the run on defense.

        In their three wins, the Bengals have rushed for an average of 140 yards a game and held opponents to an average of 57.3 yards rushing.

        In their three losses, the Bengals have averaged 70.3 yards rushing and given up 203.3.

        The Bears (4-1) ran for 203 yards Sunday, including 188 from Anthony Thomas, who set a Chicago rookie single-game record.

        Journeyman Bears quarterback Jim Miller also passed for 232 yards and two touchdowns.

        “Their defensive line wanted no part of our offensive line,” Miller said. “They were abusing those guys.”

        The Bengals' offensive line also was outplayed. Corey Dillon, coming off a 140-yard game against Cleveland, was held to 30 yards on 16 carries. Half of his attempts were for 1 or fewer yards.

        The loss snapped the Bengals' five-game home win streak and dropped them into a third-place tie in the AFC Central. The shutout was the first suffered by the Bengals in Paul Brown Stadium and their first at home since a 35-0 loss to Tampa Bay on Dec. 27, 1998.

        “It was really unexpected,” said Bears coach Dick Jauron. “I thought it would be a closer game than it was.”

        With the running game shut down, Bengals quarterback Jon Kitna passed 46 times and was sacked twice. He was intercepted inside the Bears' 10-yard line when Chicago led 3-0 in the second quarter.

        Why the inconsistency?

        “I think the biggest thing is we just seem to have a hard time bouncing back after a mistake,” he said.

        The Bengals defense couldn't stop the Bears after Kitna's interception. Cornerback R.W. McQuarters, who stepped in front of intended receiver Peter Warrick, returned the ball to the Chicago 49. Thomas ran 46 yards behind the left side of his line, and Miller threw 1 yard to tight end Fred Baxter for the score.

        Even with the loss, the Bengals have their best record after six games since the 1990 team started 4-2.

        The Bengals started last season 0-6.

        “There's probably some teams 0-4, 1-3, that would love to be in our position,” said linebacker Takeo Spikes, who missed the Cleveland game because of his father's death. “There's no need to panic. What we have to do is come in here, look at the things we did wrong and correct them.”

        The defense was without three opening-day starters: End Vaughn Booker was a late scratch with an ankle sprain. Tackle Tony Williams is out with a foot injury. And cornerback Rodney Heath is lost for the season with a torn hamstring.

        Bernard Whittington, who was starting at tackle in place of Williams, was switched to end opposite rookie Justin Smith. Glen Steele was inserted at tackle next to Oliver Gibson.

        “It's focus. Whatever you've got to bring your mind and body to the game, you've got to do it,” said Whittington, a former Indianapolis Colt who went from 3-13 to 13-3 in in one year. “Things like this are going to happen. You're going to have your (bad) days, weeks. God forbid they don't turn into months.”

        LeBeau wouldn't allow injuries to be used as an excuse. The ineffective performance of Bengals nickel back Tom Carter forced LeBeau to press rookie corner Ligarius Jennings into service. Jennings was signed Tuesday off the Lions practice squad.

        He was put on Bears first-round draft pick David Terrell, who had seven receptions, including a 41-yarder in the third quarter that led to Chicago's third touchdown. Miller threw to Marty Booker from 13 yards. The final Chicago score came in the fourth quarter on a 23-yard touchdown run by Thomas.

        The game's complexion could have changed in the first series.

        On the Bears' second play, running back James Allen was hit after running two yards to the 29-yard line, where Bengals linebacker Brian Simmons stripped the ball and ran into the end zone. What was an apparent Bengals touchdown was whistled dead. The officials ruled Allen's forward motion was stopped.

        “I didn't hear a whistle until I was downfield running,” Simmons said.

        The Bengals have turned their focus to the Lions, who are 0-5 after losing 27-24 to Tennessee at the Pontiac Silverdome. The Bengals then have their bye week before playing at Jacksonsville. They are next at home Nov. 18 against the Titans.

        A win at Detroit would send the Bengals into their off week at 4-3 and give them their first winning record at the end of October since 1990.

        The key is not getting blown out when they don't play well, which happened at Pittsburgh and again against the Bears.

        “We have to reach that level of consistency that allows you to compete every week,” LeBeau said. “You won't win them all, but you'll win your share. We've had some good ones, and we've had two that we're not very proud of.”

Bears 24, Bengals 0 Cynicism rears its ugly head Bengals notebook Ground game never got going Pickoff ticks off Kitna Rackers still struggling Report card Game statistics

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