Bengals players say they have a chance Sunday night in Atlanta to show a national audience that they're not the same old losers.

        “We want to make a good showing because people in the west don't get a chance to see the Cincinnati Bengals,” right tackle Willie Anderson said Wednesday. “They think this team is just a terrible team.”

        A lot is riding on the Bengals' first prime-time television appearance (ESPN) in four years, besides trying to dig out from an 0-2 start.

        Like Anderson, linebacker Takeo Spikes makes his offseason home in Atlanta.

        There's more. The Bengals' losing ways have kept some of their top players from getting Pro Bowl consideration.

        “If we win, if you get some spectacular plays out of it, individuals will get the praise they deserve,” Spikes said.

        Spikes and Anderson have played their entire careers with the Bengals. Other players, such as quarterback Gus Frerotte and left tackle Richmond Webb, have played on winning teams in Denver and Miami.

        They're used to prime-time exposure, and they say it is coming at the right time. The spotlight could help lift a team that has been outscored 54-13 in two losses.

        “Let's go out and show people what we can do,” Frerotte said. “There has been a lot of lip service, a lot of talk, and when we get to Sunday it has to stop.”

        Said Webb, “I try to approach all my games the same, but it's natural when you're on prime time to get a little more hyped for that game.”

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