CLEVELAND — Jon Kitna, benched at halftime Sunday after throwing two interceptions, will start Sunday against Tampa Bay.

        Coach Dick LeBeau made the announcement in his postgame news conference at Cleveland Browns Stadium, where the Browns shut out the Bengals 18-0.

        Scott Mitchell played the first six of the seven second-half possessions, which ended twice on punts, three times on Mitchell interceptions and another time on downs. Akili Smith played the final series.

        “We did not get anything more out of the second half than we did in the first half, so we will go back to Jon,” Le Beau said. “We wanted to fire every gun that we had to see if we could shake something loose in the second half.”

        The Bengals have not scored in the second half in the past three games, all losses. They've been outscored 61-7 in the past 10 quarters.

        “It was not the first half per se,” LeBeau said. “We have had a string of quarters where we have not been productive on offense, and I just wanted to see if a different guy at the trigger could free us up.”

        The five passes intercepted tied a franchise high for the Bengals last done in 1978. Browns defenders had more interception return yards, 118, than the 107 net yards passing by the Bengals.

        Kitna, who has thrown 12 interceptions and nine touchdown passes, knows the situation is different now. He had taken every offensive snap until the start of the second half.

        “Certainly, as a quarterback, once the change is made, it's always in the back of your mind now: That if things aren't going well, that you're going to be taken out of there,” Kitna said. “I'll just prepare myself to go out there and let it rip just like it was the second week of the season and we were 2-0.

        “I think there's a little bit of doubt in everybody's mind who the quarterback is going to be. But that's what happens when you're losing.”

Browns 18, Bengals 0 Kitna will start next week Bengals report card Sullivan: Destination Oblivion Bengals-Browns statistics Houshmandzadeh sets punt return mark Rackers blows it in the wind Akili: 'I'll be back' Browns defense savors first shutout Sunday Night Game: Bears 13, Vikings 6

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