Akili Smith, called for intentional grounding on this play, was 12-of-33 for 117 yards. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        Brad Johnson threw three touchdown passes as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rolled to a 35-7 victory Sunday over the winless Bengals.

        In a move that showed the depths of their desperation, the Bengals promoted Akili Smith from third-string quarterback to starter. Like every other move, it was a bad one.

        Chased around by Warren Sapp and the rest of the Bucs' hard-charging linemen, Smith didn't get the Bengals inside Tampa Bay's 30 until the game was decided late in the third quarter.

        Smith helped the Bucs pull away by throwing a pass right to linebacker Shelton Quarles. His 25-yard return made it 21-7 at halftime.

        “We've been losing and losing badly for four years,” said Smith, who was 12-of-33 for 117 yards with three sacks. “You try to figure out what the heck is going on. It seems like we put together a good game plan every week, but then something happens.”

Bucs tight end Rickey Dudley pushes away Jeff Burris on his way to a 35-yard TD. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        After the game, Coach Dick LeBeau was noncommittal about who would start at quarterback next week at Indianapolis.

        Rickey Dudley and Keenan McCardell slipped past confused defenders for uncontested touchdown catches as Tampa Bay (3-1) got its second solid victory in six days.

        The Bengals had consecutive delay-of-game penalties before missing a field goal, and twice had only 10 men on the field on punts.

        They're 0-4 for the sixth time during their 12-year reign as the NFL's worst team.

        “Thirty-five to seven,” said Bengals receiver Chad Johnson. “Oh-and-four. Ridiculous.”

Keenan McCardell celebrates his 65-yard TD catch with center Jeff Christy. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        The 57,234 fans gave Smith a loud ovation at the outset, hoping he'd do better than Gus Frerotte and Jon Kitna. By the third quarter, reality had set in and they gave a loud cheer when Smith's throwaway on a scramble was caught by a fan in the stands — a rare completion.

        In the closing minutes, the few remaining fans got to see Sapp stop and gyrate on the re-sodded middle of the field as music played during a timeout.

        “It's all about us,” said Sapp, who had two sacks. “If we come out and play our game, they can't play with us. Even if we give them seven, they still can't play with us.”

        Linebacker Brian Simmons' 51-yard interception return accounted for the Bengals' touchdown and gave them their first lead of the season. It was short-lived.

        Brad Johnson twice found uncovered receivers for Tampa Bay touchdowns. Two minutes and 30 seconds after Simmons' interception, Johnson saw Dudley uncovered down the middle of the field for a 35-yard TD pass. Johnson later lobbed a 65-yard touchdown to McCardell, who was alone on the sideline because two Bengals defenders had converged on Keyshawn Johnson.

Bucs LB Shelton Quarles outruns Bengals guard Matt O'Dwyer on an INT return for a TD. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        “I can't sit here and explain to you what went on,” Bengals cornerback Jeff Burris said.

        Johnson was 19-of-30 for 277 yards. Keyshawn Johnson had five catches for 56 yards, and drew a personal foul in the fourth quarter for throwing an elbow at a defender.

        By then, some of the few remaining fans had plopped brown bags on their heads. One fan ran onto the field during a timeout in the closing minutes, lined up at the 23-yard line and ran a sprint before being tackled by security officers before he could reach the end zone.

        The Bengals have been outscored 119-23 during their sixth 0-4 start in the last 12 years.

       Notes: The Bucs have returned interceptions for touchdowns in each of the last three games. ... LG Kerry Jenkins, who cracked a bone in his lower leg against the Rams, played despite the pain. “I don't know if he'll make the Hall of Fame, but he's in my Hall of Fame,” coach Jon Gruden said. ... Corey Dillon became the Bengals' career rushing leader, passing James Brooks. Dillon ran for 59 yards and has 6,452 in his career.

Buccaneers 35, Bengals 7 Bengals-Bucs stats

Huggins improving, UC says
Huggins' coaching status unclear
Send get-wells to Huggins
Huggins needs to take timeout
Huggins' friends, colleagues stunned
Coles knows Huggins' plight
UC 35, Temple 22
UC-Temple statistics
UC football team somber despite victory
Expos 7, Reds 2
Reds Box, Runs

• Return to Bengals front page...