Sunday, November 25, 2001
Keys to victory
Balanced offense worked the first time
By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The last Bengals-Browns game was the Bengals' finest offensive showing of the season. In the 24-14 victory, the off-season visions of a balanced offense came to fruition. The Bengals had 199 yards rushing and 201 yards passing, the elements working in concert to keep the Browns' defense on its heels all day. The Bengals ran 42 times and passed 38 times.
Even though the offensive numbers were higher at Detroit, the Bengals' performance against Cleveland was better.
The Bengals could use a repeat today in the rematch at Cleveland Browns Stadium if they want to end the franchise's 34-game road losing streak against teams with winning records. The skid dates to December 1990.
The Bengals lost the balance in their offense the last two weeks and, as a result, lost both games to fall to 4-5. They fell behind and had to pass too much.
At Jacksonville, the Bengals ran 23 times and called 48 pass plays. Against Tennessee, it was 21 runs and 41 pass plays.
“We have to be balanced,” Bengals quarterback Jon Kitna said. “All of this works together. It is not like you can isolate one area. The running game works because the passing game works. The passing game works because of the running game.”
The Browns are not highly ranked against the run (25th, 130.3 yards a game) but are better against the pass (14th, 198.8).
The Browns are expecting another balanced offense from the Bengals. Coach Butch Davis says his team has to stop running back Corey Dillon, but the Browns have a lot of respect for Kitna, too.
“Hey, he's better than what they gave him credit for when he left Seattle,” Browns cornerback Corey Fuller said of Kitna.
COLOR BLIND: Kitna has to avoid the big interception. The Browns lead the league with 20 and have run two interceptions back for touchdowns.
Kitna has thrown 10 interceptions in his nine Bengals starts against nine touchdown passes, after throwing 19 and 16 the past two years in Seattle.
Eight of the interceptions this season have come in the five losses.
GROUNDED: In spite of Tim Couch's standing as a quarterback, the Bengals showed in the 24-14 win in October that Couch can't beat them by himself.
The Bengals shut down the Browns running game, holding them to 40 yards on 19 carries. Leading Cleveland rusher James Jackson had just 22 yards on 14 attempts.
Shutting down the running game, while getting pressure on Couch in the pass game, is another key for the Bengals today. The Bengals sacked Couch three times in the first game.
The Bengals have to be ready for Cleveland rookie running back Benjamin Gay, who rushed 18 times for 56 yards and one touchdown last week in the Browns victory at Baltimore.
Jackson, Jamal White and Gay have run for a combined 713 yards, and Bengals coach Dick LeBeau says he expects to see each of them.
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Balanced offense worked the first time
