By Shannon Russell
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Offensive tackle Willie Anderson has been a Bengal for seven non-winning seasons. No one needs to tell him about false hope.

He wears No.71, the same number of losses he has endured since signing with the club in 1996. The Bengals' 38-3 pounding of expansion team Houston Sunday might have revived team spirit, but Anderson isn't swayed.

0-6 EQUALS ...

How the Bengals have fared after starting 0-6 or worse during franchise history: Year L streak Record 2002 0-7 ?-? 2000 0-6 4-12 1994 0-8 3-13 1993 0-10 3-13 1991 0-8 3-13 1979 0-6 4-12 1978 0-8 4-12

The franchise hasn't strung together more than three consecutive wins since 1989.

"You don't want to get too excited," Anderson said. "It's kind of embarrassing if you go around beating your chest after one game. It's only one game. We've lost seven."

The Bengals avoided clinching a 12th straight non-winning season with the Houston victory. Should they win their last eight games - and no Bengals team ever has won eight in a row - they could secure their first winning season since Sam

Wyche's 9-7 team in 1990.

The odds aren't in their favor. Since the NFL expanded to a 16-game format in 1978, no Bengals team that posted a losing record after the first eight games ever recovered. Of the six teams that started 0-6 or worse, none finished better than 4-12.

This season marks the first time the franchise has had an 0-7 start without following it with at least one more loss. The last time the Bengals were 1-7 (1999), they lost their next four games.

On Monday, coach Dick LeBeau spoke cautiously about the future, focusing instead on the team's first win since defeating Tennessee 23-21 on Jan.6. Houston's thrashing comes before the weightiest chunk of the season: AFC North rivals Baltimore, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Baltimore again.

"(Sunday) was one of the best days we've had around here in a long while. The difference in the point spread was significant," LeBeau said. "I'm not going to be surprised if we don't win 40-3 in the future. I will be surprised if we don't compete on an even basis with everyone we play from here on out."

The Bengals have beaten Baltimore only once in their last eight meetings. Cleveland and Pittsburgh already have thumped the Bengals this season by a combined 54-14 total.

But the Bengals might have found their "A" game. Or at least established even footing against an expansion team.

"I know I don't have a fall-in-love-with strong arm, but my arm is plenty strong," said quarterback Jon Kitna, coming off a career-best four touchdown passes against Texas.

The Bengals' turnaround at Reliant Stadium started with Artrell Hawkins' first-quarter 102-yard interception return. The defense went on to shut out the opposition for three quarters, something it never did last year as the NFL's ninth-rated defensive team.

Offensive fireworks from receivers Michael Westbrook, Chad Johnson and Peter Warrick propelled the club to its biggest margin of victory since 1989. It was the Houston Oilers they defeated then, 61-7.

"Let's be honest. If you lose that game, it could be detrimental to the team. You start losing guys mentally," Kitna said of Sunday' contest.

"We're 1-7, but I can't remember the last time we hung in in a fourth quarter. Let's go out there and try to win the next eight games."

Another plus for the club: As the weather gets chillier, the Bengals fare better. Since 1991, the team has won eight October games, 16 November games and 21 December/January games.

Hawkins doesn't put much stock in the weather. The Bengals' late-season success hinges more on playing well together, rather than the forecast.

So what do the Bengals need to do to maintain the level of play established Sunday?

"Pray harder," Hawkins said. "And keep our focus more."

Anderson said it's important to look at the first seven games and learn from early mistakes. Beating up on an expansion team is one thing, but soundly defeating a veteran franchise would be another.

"Offensively, the thing we need to do is recognize that our execution is getting better," Anderson said. "We're not committing the turnovers we committed in the earlier games that put us out of the game in the beginning of the game. To go out and beat a great team, that's what we're going to have to do this week against Baltimore. We need to come out there and prove ourselves."

E-mail srussell@enquirer.com

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