By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

HOUSTON - The Bengals' defense didn't allow a touchdown for the first time since Oct.29, 2000, when Cincinnati won 12-3 at Cleveland. That's a span of 31 games.

The Bengals came in allowing 30.1 points per game. That average dropped to 26.8 after the victory.

DILLON DATA: Corey Dillon's 92 rushing yards continued to move him up the NFL's all-time rushing list.

He is now 34th after passing Robert Smith, Curt Warner and Rodney Hampton on Sunday. Next on the list is George Rogers with 7,176 yards.

Dillon has 694 yards in eight games this season, an 86.8-yard average.

BLOCK THAT KICK: Jo Juan Armour's block of a Kris Brown field-goal attempt in the second quarter was the Bengals' first blocked kick in more than three years.

The team's previous block of a field-goal attempt was Oct. 24, 1999, at Indianapolis by Tremain Mack.

LONGEST PLAY: Cornerback Artrell Hawkins' 102-yard interception return of a David Carr pass equals the longest play in Bengals history.

Hawkins tied an interception return by Louis Breeden (at San Diego, Nov.8, 1981) and a kickoff return by Eric Bieniemy (at the New York Giants, Oct.26, 1997).

The interception was the longest play allowed by the Texans in eight games and ended a streak of 97 consecutive pass attempts by Carr without a pickoff.

LINEUP CHANGES: The Bengals had two changes in their starting lineup. Kevin Kaesviharn started at cornerback ahead of Jeff Burris, who is slowed by a hamstring injury, and Canute Curtis started at outside linebacker ahead of Adrian Ross.

ACTIVE: TCornerback Reggie Myles, who was signed to the 53-man roster on Saturday, played on kickoff returns and recorded his first tackle of the season.

NEW GUYS: The Bengals are 6-0 in franchise history against expansion teams in their first year of existence.

Five of those six victories have come since 1990, the last time the Bengals made the playoffs.

The victory Sunday was the Bengals' 54th in 184 games since the end of the 1990 season.

WORST PRO TEAM: The Bengals entered Sunday with a 62-137 record since the start of the 1990 season, a winning percentage of .312 that makes them the worst team in any of the four major pro sports in that span.

Baseball's worst team since 1990 is the Detroit Tigers (902-1,137, .442); the NBA's worst is the Los Angeles Clippers (337-615, .354) and the NHL's worst is the New York Islanders (345-501-113, .419).

HELLO, TEXAS: Houston linebacker Troy Evans, a former Lakota High School and University of Cincinnati star, has two tackles in four games.

INJURY REPORT: Looking ahead to next week's game against the Baltimore Ravens, linebackers Riall Johnson (left wrist) and Curtis (right shoulder) are probable. Holdover injuries are defensive end Vaughn Booker (knee, questionable) and tight end Sean Brewer (knee, doubtful).