Mike Brown didn't see Sunday's 34-6 loss to the San Diego Chargers coming.

        “We didn't expect to look the way we looked,” the Bengals president said Monday night from his home. “It was a big disappointment. It was a letdown for everyone associated with the team — the players, the coaches and the fans.”

        Brown was especially concerned with the team's following.

        “We've lost some of the confidence we would like to have with our fans,” he said. “All you had to do is look at the attendance in the stadium. It was spotty.”

        The Bengals drew 53,705 Sunday, almost 12,000 short of Paul Brown Stadium capacity. Many fans were angry that the game didn't sell out and, as a result, wasn't shown on local television.

        Only three of the NFL's 16 opening-weekend games failed to sell out.

        “It was a real setback,” Brown said. “It will take us some time to regain the ground we lost.”

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