The Associated Press

By calling their shot and backing it up, the Bengals ended the ridicule - well, for one week, anyway. Could respectability be just a win or two away?

"That was one of the better games we've had around here for a good while," coach Dick LeBeau said Monday after their 38-3 victory over the Houston Texans. "I'm going to be surprised if we don't compete on an even basis with everyone we play from here on."

No one was emboldened to make any predictions for next Sunday in Baltimore, where they could match their longest winning streak of the century with a win.

LeBeau, who was the first to predict a win over the Texans, chuckled Monday when asked if he'd make any more promises.

"I think I'm going to retire with a 100 percent record on that part of it," he said.

"We need to build off this and not get too relaxed," said receiver Chad Johnson, one of those who guaranteed a victory in Houston. "Everybody needs to stay humble."

The Bengals were the last team in the NFL to win this season. They raised the stakes by guaranteeing a win in Houston.

"Let's be honest: If you lose that game, that could really be detrimental to your team, and you could start losing some guys," said quarterback Jon Kitna. "It was a very important game for us."

The Bengals hadn't scored so many points since the last time they played an expansion team, beating the first-year Cleveland Browns 44-28 in 1999. For one day, the Texans played the way the Bengals have all season.

"It was an easy thing," said Kitna, who threw for four touchdowns and completed 22 of his 27 passes. "Guys were open, and the game plan dictated what we had to do with the ball."

It's a safe prediction that the Bengals will win a few more. They always do.

Since they started their run as the NFL's worst team in 1991, they've followed a pattern: Lose until they're out of contention, then win when it no longer matters.

In the last 12 years, they've gone 9-36 in August and September, 8-38 in October, 16-31 in November and 21-25 in December and January. The strong finish convinces the front office that there's no need for a major change.

They make some cosmetic changes in the offseason, bring in a new quarterback and start the losing cycle all over again. Kitna hopes a strong finish this year will change one part of the equation.

"We want to build on this and show the organization that major changes don't have to happen every year," Kitna said. "Very seldom do major changes work, especially when you're changing the quarterback."

Return to Bengals front page...