CLEVELAND - In the long, strange trip to 11 consecutive losing seasons, Sunday's 20-7 loss to the Cleveland Browns ranks among one of the Bengals' strangest indeed.

        The Bengals accomplished their two bookend goals, running the ball with Corey Dillon and stopping the Cleveland ground game.

16 GAME PHOTOS

        They dominated the stat sheet in all but one category: points, of course.

        And when it was over, there was an odd sense of relief among some Bengals players that at least progress was made from last week's 34-6 blowout loss to San Diego.

        Dick LeBeau, now 10-21 as coach, set the tone.

        “There are a lot of games like this, funny games,” LeBeau said. “Sometimes things go your way. Some times they don't. We didn't have much go our way. That's how I saw it.”

        The Bengals moved the ball nine times into Cleveland territory and came away with just one touchdown, a 22-yard Gus Frerotte to Chad Johnson pass midway through the fourth quarter.

        The Bengals gained 357 net yards, compared to just 265 for the Browns. The Bengals ran 83 plays and gained 28 first downs, compared to 58 plays and 15 first downs for the Browns.

        “They got stuff out of their movement. We didn't, or not enough,” LeBeau said. “Our guys fought. We will get better.”

        Frerotte threw three interceptions, including one left-handed at the end of the first quarter that changed the game's complexion.

        On third down and five from the Cleveland 17-yard line, and trailing 10-0, Frerotte tried to throw the ball away in the direction of wide receiver Michael Westbrook. But Browns defensive tackle Orpheus Roye yanked Frerotte's lower body, and the ball floated into the hands of defensive end Kenard Lang. Lang ran 71 yards to the Cincinnati 8, where Browns quarterback Kelly Holcomb threw a touchdown pass to Kevin Johnson for a 17-0 lead.

        “I didn't want to take a sack,” Frerotte said.

        Even if he had, the ball would have been on the 25-yard line. There would have been more than 30 seconds remaining to get the field goal team on the field to try a 43-yard field goal.

        Trailing by 17 points, the Bengals had to pass more and run less to try to catch up.

        Too bad for them. Dillon, after getting shut down for 10 yards in the opener, was en route to a 108-yard rushing day.

        It was Dillon's 23rd 100-yard game, and just the 10th loss in those 23. Dillon also had 22 rushing attempts, another harbinger of good karma, but the Bengals fell to 17-10 in those games.

        The Browns couldn't stop Dillon. About the only things that could slow him down were questionable play calling by the offensive staff and an equipment snafu.

        Dillon had to run into the locker room with three minutes remaining in the first half because his rubber knee braces were too tight and restricted blood flow in his legs.

        “He had a uniform constriction,” LeBeau said. “He had to come out or he would have had more yards.”

        Dillon also was the leading receiver, with eight receptions for 67 yards.

        On the nine drives into Cleveland territory, the Bengals bogged down when they went away from the run and passed more.

        And while the Bengals offensive line blocked well in the run game, it had problems protecting Frerotte. He was sacked five times - nine for the year - after the Bengals gave up just 28 last season.

        “We've got to take our shots,” Frerotte said of the decisions to pass more often.

        They didn't take a shot at a potential game-tying field goal in the first quarter.

        The Bengals lined up for a 51-yard Neil Rackers field goal attempt, but he fumbled the direct snap from Brad St. Louis, and Rackers' attempted pooch punt went minus-2 yards.

        The Bengals were second and five from the Cleveland 33-yard line, but two consecutive incomplete passes forced the fake field goal.

        Rackers made a 54-yard field goal against the Chargers, but LeBeau said he tried the surprise punt because he wanted to pin the Browns inside their 10 and they didn't have a safety back to field the punt.

        There was statistical improvement Sunday - on both offense and defense. The Bengals forced five Browns punts.

        In the end, though, they left Cleveland at 0-2 for the seventh time in 12 seasons. They've scored 13 points - second fewest in the league - and given up 54.

        Linebacker Takeo Spikes put the day into perspective.

        “We made strides as far as getting better,” he said. “It's not enough to win. Just doing the right thing and executing right isn't enough now on either side of the ball. We have to go over and beyond.”

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