By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Steelers-Bengals photo gallery

After Sunday's debacle, the 0-6 Bengals are the NFL's only winless team. They are the lowest-scoring team at 8.5 points per game. They've been outscored 181-51. But, in the wake of a 34-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals are unlikely to make any significant changes to their coaching staff or lineup.

Bengals coach Dick LeBeau said quarterback Jon Kitna would start in two weeks against the Tennessee Titans, even though Kitna threw three interceptions, lost a fumble and took personal responsibility for the loss.

LeBeau, now 10-25, was asked if he feared that Bengals president Mike Brown would fire him.

"That's something I don't worry about," LeBeau said. "He either will or he won't."

The Bengals stumble into their bye week staring at a 12th consecutive season without a playoff berth. They are 0-6 for the second time in three years and seventh time in franchise history.

Yet their only answer was to keep working hard.

"We're going to stay together," LeBeau said. "It's easy to do the right things and say the right things when things are going good. When things aren't going your way, it takes men to battle through it."

Since entering their bye week last season as a playoff contender at 4-3, the Bengals are 2-13.

"We're the laughingstock of the whole league," Bengals fullback Lorenzo Neal said. "It's embarrassing. It's a disgrace."

The Bengals actually thought they had a chance to beat struggling Pittsburgh, which came in 1-3, having given up 105 points in four games. But the Steelers left town feeling better about themselves and tied for the AFC North division lead at 2-3.

Pittsburgh got well before a crowd of 63,900, the fourth largest in stadium history, thanks to several thousand of its own fans. In the second half, there appeared to be as many Steelers fans as Bengals fans left in the stadium.

"I was really proud of our fans today," said Kitna, whose day was far different than Dec.30, 2001, when he shined in the Bengals' 26-23 overtime victory. "They wanted so badly to cheer for us, wanted so badly to rub it in the people's faces who wear black and gold (Steelers colors) to our stadium."

The Bengals gave their fans nothing to cheer about. They fell behind 24-0 at halftime and now have been outscored 123-17 in the first half.

Steelers running back Jerome Bettis, who came in with just 184 rushing yards in four games, ran for 109 yards and two touchdowns. The 256-pounder displayed his nimble feet on a 41-yard score, stutter-stepping past Bengals rookie strong safety Marquand Manuel.

Whatever hope the Bengals had of rallying vanished in the first 13 seconds of the second half. Pittsburgh's Antwaan Randle El faked a reverse and returned the kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown and a 31-0 lead.

The Bengals have allowed 30 or more points in four of their six losses. They're on pace to allow a franchise-record 483 points.

It's no better on the other side of the ball. The Bengals are on pace to score 136 points, which would shatter the franchise low of 185 in 2000.

Steelers wide receiver Plaxico Burress didn't get into the end zone, but he had 149 receiving yards on eight receptions against a Bengals secondary that was introduced before the game as a hand-holding group instead of individuals. So much for solidarity.

After the game, Bengals cornerback Artrell Hawkins took exception to a fan calling him a jackass as he left the field and challenged the heckler to come down to the locker room.

"It's not easy to go out and be openly ridiculed and face criticism every week from the fans and media," Hawkins said after showering.

His exchange with a fan wasn't the only surreal event Sunday.

In the third quarter, during a Steelers challenge of an officials' call on a Chad Johnson reception, the photograph and career record of Chicago Bears coach Dick Jauron flashed on the stadium scoreboard. Fox TV reported last week that Brown was interested in talking to Jauron to become the Bengals' coach/general manager, a rumor shot down by Brown and Jauron. Scoreboard operators quickly cut away from the CBS-TV feed.

Worse yet, Pittsburgh appeared to take pity on the Bengals. Assistant coaches from the San Diego Chargers, Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers had laughed at the Bengals in their booth, but even the most outspoken of the Steelers felt sorry for the Bengals - maybe because they play again in Pittsburgh on Nov.24.

"That's a team right there that is struggling," said Steelers safety Lee Flowers, who had two interceptions. "They are trying to find their identity."

Bengals linebacker Takeo Spikes knows what his team's reputation is but disputes it.

"We're not that bad of a team, regardless of what people say from the East Coast to the West Coast," he said. "We'll see what we have to do to come together collectively as a team. Until that happens, the bleeding is going to continue to pour right out on out.... I'm mentally drained."

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