Wednesday, October 09, 2002
Bengals' next 3 games best chances for wins
By Shannon Russell srussell@enquirer.com
The Cincinnati Enquirer
To say things aren't going well for the Bengals would be a gross understatement.
They've been beaten badly four times. They've dropped to 0-5 for the eighth time in club history. The areas they strived to improve - the secondary and special teams - are still miserable.
Throw in a quarterback carousel, defensive gaffes and a whole lot of complaining in the locker room, and say hello to another losing season.
Considering their performances in a historical context, it's best to forget about a comeback. Since the AFL/NFL merger in 1970, no team has posted a winning record after going 0-5. The Bengals are three defeats from a 12th-straight non-winning season.
The big question is how bad the Bengals will be. An NFL-first 0-16 record is doubtful; they've always won at least three games a season, even under losingest coach Dave Shula (19-52).
The club showed a revived spirit in Sunday's 28-21 loss to Indianapolis, in which the Bengals fell behind 21-0 and mounted their first comeback bid of the season.
“We took a step in the right direction, because we were in a place where we couldn't be any lower,” quarterback Jon Kitna said. “It would be great to get a win. We need a win, bad. The first one is usually the hardest one to get in this league.”
Enter Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Houston, the Bengals' next three opponents. The Bengals closed their 2001 campaign with wins over Pittsburgh and Tennessee. Expansion Houston is one of the few clubs with worse offensive statistics than the Bengals', including league worsts in total offense (193.5-yard average) and sacks allowed (26).
If Kitna's passing is on target, the receivers execute their routes and Dillon grinds out yards, the Bengals could return to Paul Brown Stadium 3-5 after Nov. 3.
Coach Dick LeBeau said the Pittsburgh game is the team's first proving ground.
“This doesn't have anything to do with Pittsburgh. It has everything to do with us,” he said. “This is a very important week for us.”
The Bengals beat Pittsburgh 26-23 in overtime Dec.30 in Cincinnati. Kitna was 35-of-68 passing for 411 yards and two touchdowns, and Corey Dillon ran for 91 yards on 21 attempts en route to a 544-yard team offensive effort.
Kitna, who has had one start, is 49-of-78 passing for 380 yards and one touchdown this season. The offense is averaging 265.8 net yards.
Wide receiver Danny Farmer said the big Steelers win last season has no bearing on the upcoming game. The Steelers (1-3) are third in the AFC North, ahead of last-place Cincinnati.
“We're still making too many mistakes. A lot of the mistakes we're making at practices, we're making in games,” Farmer said. “There are people missing their assignments. There are people who are getting their assignments but who aren't using the right techniques to succeed.”
Farmer caught two passes, including a 51-yarder against San Diego, before hurting his knee at practice Sept.11. He has received a clean bill of health and could see playing time Sunday.
LeBeau has announced only one lineup change. T.J. Houshmandzadeh will be handling punt return duties instead of Peter Warrick, who fumbled a punt inside the Bengals' 5-yard line and set up an Indianapolis score.
The Bengals join 0-5 St. Louis and 0-4 Minnesota as the league's only winless teams. Points-wise, the Bengals are the worst of the three, scoring only 44 points and giving up 147 this season.
Cincinnati is last in the NFL in scoring average (8.8) and passing touchdowns (2), second for interceptions thrown (10) and tied for sixth in sacks allowed (15).
The loss to Indianapolis would have been a disappointment to anyone but the Bengals. But losing by just seven points has produced optimism.
“Through the years, I remember losing to Cincinnati a couple times in Pittsburgh,” said defensive tackle Oliver Gibson, a Steeler from 1995-98. “It was never a shoo-in to win.”
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Bengals' next 3 games best chances for wins
