Some Bengals players and coaches reached a consensus last week that one way to revive the struggling offense was to simplify it.

        The less-is-more plan worked well Sunday in a 28-21 loss at Indianapolis, but whether the Bengals make a habit of it remains to be seen.

        In rushing for 173 yards, the Bengals offensive line and fullback Lorenzo Neal employed a more straight-ahead blocking scheme against the Colts' front seven, as opposed to the angle blocking they had primarily used in the first games.

        Corey Dillon had his biggest game of the season, running for 164 yards. Quarterback Jon Kitna threw for 244 yards in his first start. The Bengals scored three offensive touchdowns, compared to one in the first four games.

        “Last Monday, we decided to simplify things a little bit and eliminate the number of plays we have,” Bengals offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski said Monday.

        With rookie Levi Jones starting at left tackle in place of the injured Richmond Webb, the Bengals eliminated the set that used Jones as a blocking tight end. They went instead with starting tight end Matt Schobel and had Brad St.Louis in reserve.

        Said Bengals coach Dick LeBeau: “I don't think it's a bad idea when things aren't going your way to contract rather than expand. And that's what we did.”

        Willie Anderson, a seventh-year Bengals right tackle, watches game film with offensive line coach Paul Alexander on Tuesdays.

        “We talked about it and happened to see the same things,” Alexander said of his meeting with Anderson. “Indianapolis, the defense they play, we saw certain types of things that would work against them.”

        The Bengals picked out a handful of running plays and executed them well. Dillon's 67-yard touchdown run in the third quarter went behind Anderson and right guard Scott Rehberg with a lead block from Neal.

        Kitna threw three interceptions and one TD, to Peter Warrick, but the pass offense looked better than it had in the previous four games.

        Kitna was 31-of-43 passing and completed throws to eight receivers. He said he liked the game plan against the Colts and that the Bengals must perform even better against the Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday.

        “I'm a believer that this game isn't that difficult,” Kitna said. “That was evidenced by Indianapolis. They've been running the same plays for four years. They ran the same play yesterday 12 to 15 times. You just do the things that everybody knows and that you're comfortable with.”

        Bengals coaches appear to be listening to their players. Coordinators Bratkowski and Mark Duffner, who runs the defense, say they commonly exchange information with players.

        Kitna had gone to LeBeau and suggested that he needed to settle on one quarterback for the betterment of the offense, even if it meant Kitna had to be No.3.

        Still, he said, there is a line between coach and player.

        “Any time you're 0-4, 0-5, everybody is looking for answers, so yeah (players will make suggestions),” Kitna said. “But, again, you just don't let the inmates run the asylum.

        “We're players. They're coaches. They get paid to produce a game plan for us that puts us in a position to win. And we get paid to execute. So that's what we have to do.”

Simple offense yields results LeBeau smiles at speculation Winless Bengals encouraged by latest loss Dirt on grass at stadium: It'll stay Browns' Couch doesn't back down Colts still trying to plug holes in porous run defense Power shifts to West; AFC looking best Packers 34, Bears 21

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