Gus Frerotte was yanked after missing his first seven passes. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        ATLANTA - The Bengals' first prime-time television appearance in four years couldn't have gone worse. The Atlanta Falcons cruised to a 30-3 victory Sunday night that ousted Gus Frerotte as the Bengals starting quarterback.

        The Bengals are 0-3 for the third time in four seasons and the sixth time in the past 12 years. They have been outscored 84-16 to start this season.

        Frerotte was benched in the second quarter and was replaced by Jon Kitna. Bengals coach Dick LeBeau said either Kitna or Akili Smith would start Sunday's home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

        “We'll take a look,” LeBeau said. “It will be Kitna or Akili.”

        LeBeau, who was promoted to head coach two years ago when Bruce Coslet resigned after starting 0-3 in the 2000 season, said after the game that he wouldn't resign. LeBeau is 10-22 as the Bengals' coach.

Michael Vick ran for 56 yards and passed for 174. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        “That's not a good way to establish job security,” he said. “I will do my best at this position as long as I am at this position.”

        Coslet resigned Sept. 25, 2000, the day after a 37-0 loss at Baltimore. The Bengals had been outscored 64-7 to start the season 0-3. The similarities between that season and this one are eerie, except this year is more disappointing. Expectations for this Bengals club were much higher.

        The Bengals have failed to score a touchdown in 10 of their past 35 games, and they have scored seven or fewer points in 16 of those games.

NO SUGAR COATING

Dick LeBeau didn't try to sugarcoat this loss like he did last week by pointing out the Bengals' statistical edge over the Browns.   “We were defeated very decisively,” LeBeau said Sunday night.   “If anybody wants to jump off the bandwagon,” tackle Willie Anderson said, “I can't blame them.”   - Associated Press

        Sunday night, the Bengals fell behind 13-0 at the end of the first quarter, and Frerotte was pulled after four possessions in which he was 0-for-7 passing with one interception and one sack. Kitna was 18-for-35 passing for 136 yards.

        The Falcons had a 306-193 advantage in total yards and a 36:45 to 23:15 edge in possession time.

        Kitna, who started 15 games for the Bengals last season, took over at the 2-yard line with 7:54 remaining in the second quarter. Kitna completed the Bengals' first pass with 7:20 left in the quarter, a 3-yard out to Peter Warrick, but Cincinnati was forced to punt.

        The Bengals had just 10 men on the field for the fourth-and-5 punt play, and Nick Harris barely got the kick off from the end zone. The punt spun out of bounds 17 yards later at the Bengals 24.

Brian Finneran catches a TD pass in front of Jeff Burris. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        Atlanta drove 24 yards on four plays, with quarterback Michael Vick passing 13 yards to wide receiver Brian Finneran for the touchdown.

        Finneran earlier caught a 20-yard TD pass from Vick and had five first-half receptions for 74 yards.

        With the score 20-0, Falcons kicker Jay Feely sailed a kickoff out of bounds. The Bengals were given the ball on their 40, their best field possession to that point.

        Kitna, who was 6-for-9 passing for 34 yards, led the Bengals on a 53-yard drive that ended with Neil Rackers' 24-yard field goal on the last play of the first half. The points were the Bengals' first in the first half in three games and gave them just 16 total for the season.

        The Bengals had Vick on the run throughout the first half but couldn't catch him in or out of the pocket.

Peter Warrick tackles Falcons DB Kevin Mathis after he intercepted Frerotte. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        Atlanta scored the first three times it had the ball, and the Bengals gained a total of 4 yards on offense. They had no first downs in the first quarter and didn't get their first until 18 minutes had been played.

        Cincinnati's NFL team wanted to show a national TV audience that it's not the same old Bengals. They weren't the same old Bengals in the first half. They were worse.

        On the game's first play, the Bengals stopped Falcons running back T.J. Duckett for a 3-yard gain, but defensive tackle Oliver Gibson was called for taunting. The 15-yard dead-ball penalty moved the ball from the Atlanta 31 to the 46. A 19-yard pass from Vick to former Bengals wide receiver Willie Jackson followed, and Feely kicked a 44-yard field goal.

Corey Dillon gained 66 yards on 18 carries. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        On the Bengals' first possession, Frerotte threw his fifth interception in three games. He underthrew receiver Peter Warrick, and Falcons cornerback Kevin Mathis returned the ball to the Bengals 15.

        The Bengals' defense didn't allow Atlanta to get a first down, forcing Feely to kick a 26-yard field goal for a 6-0 lead.

        The Bengals' defense rose up on third-and-1 from the Cincinnati 23. Defensive tackle Tony Williams tackled Duckett for a 3-yard loss, forcing Atlanta to try the field goal.

Falcons 30, Bengals 3 Bengals-Falcons statistics Bengals Notebook: Forget playoffs at 0-3 Falcons happy with first victory Monday Night NFL Preview

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