By Shannon Russell
The Cincinnati Enquirer

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Trailing the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-0 at intermission, the Bengals' special teamers were anxious to facilitate a second-half comeback at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday.

Thirteen seconds into the third quarter, Pittsburgh's Antwaan Randle El returned a kickoff 99 yards for a score.

And the Bengals couldn't do anything to stop him.

"We just didn't read it right," the Bengals' Riall Johnson said. "They came out with a return we'd never seen before. They faked the reverse and we all shifted over a little bit too far. (Randle El) was on the crease and he just took it."

Veteran special teams player JoJuan Armour said the error was devastating because the kickoff coverage had been solid until then, and the score opened a 31-point deficit. It was almost as bad as last year, when Tennessee's Derrick Mason scored on a 101-yard return.

"When something like that happens, it's usually because we have someone breaking down at different times. And every time we break down, we get hit," Armour said. "We had a good week of practice with good films, so it was a huge blow. It hurt."

Even with the lapses, special teams haven't been the Bengals' biggest problem, but the stats are starting to dip. Opponents are averaging 11.3 yards per punt return, up from last season's 8.0-yard allowance. The Bengals are giving up 25.4 yards on kickoff returns, a 6.9-yard increase from last year.

Opposing punters are booting 42.5-yarders; Bengals punter Nick Harris is averaging 39.6 yards per punt.

The Bengals' beleaguered kicking game took a hit in the first quarter when Neil Rackers' 46-yard field-goal attempt fell short. Rackers, who has been 0-of-2 from 40-49 yards, is 3-5 overall on the season.

All the little things add up, Armour said, but nothing compares to a 99-yard free ride.

"It's frustrating because other teams see this and think of us differently," he said. "We're better than that."

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