Ask Mark

BALTIMORE - Chad Johnson continued his evolution as the Bengals' go-to receiver, collecting his first career 100-yard receiving game Sunday.

In the Bengals' 38-27 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the second-year receiver had 110 yards on seven catches, including a 39-yard TD pass from Jon Kitna, Cincinnati's longest touchdown pass since Dec. 12, 1999.

Johnson has a team-leading 34 receptions for 548 yards this season. Johnson and Peter Warrick, each of whom had TD receptions against the Ravens, have three TD catches each.

Johnson beat Baltimore cornerback Gary Baxter on his touchdown.

"It was one-on-one coverage with no help," Johnson said. "It was a regular deep ball, and we finally hit one."

The touchdown capped an eight-play, 81-yard drive on which Johnson had four catches for 77 yards.

The Bengals' previous longest touchdown pass was Jeff Blake's 52-yarder to Darnay Scott against the Cleveland Browns in the team's last game at Cinergy Field.

GIBSON GONE: Bengals defensive tackle Oliver Gibson tore his left Achilles tendon and is out for the season. He will undergo surgery today.

The injury will end Gibson's streak of 57 consecutive starts with the Bengals, and his consecutive-game streak of 105, dating back to 1996 when he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Glen Steele is expected to step into Gibson's spot Sunday against the Browns at Paul Brown Stadium.

JENNINGS HURT: Bengals cornerback Bo Jennings also is out for the season after tearing his left ACL on a special-teams play. He will have surgery this week.

THIRTY-PLUS: The Bengals defense allowed at least 30 points for the sixth time in nine games.

ONE HUNDRED MORE: Bengals tailback Corey Dillon, who rushed for 102 yards on 21 carries, has two of the three 100-yard individual rushing games in the past 64 contests against the Ravens. Jacksonville's Fred Taylor has the other.

Dillon broke Baltimore's 51-game streak without allowing a 100-yard rusher on Dec. 23, 2001. His 100-yard game Sunday was the 26th of his career and gives him 7,005 career rushing yards.

Dillon has 796 rushing yards this season and another 192 receiving. He had five receptions for 48 yards against the Ravens.

ONE DROUGHT ENDS: Brandon Bennett's 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown accounted for the Bengals' first points in Baltimore since Sept.27, 1998. The Bengals have lost six games in a row in Baltimore and have been outscored 113-27 in the last four.

RACKERS HOT: Bengals kicker Neil Rackers made field goals from 43 and 35 yards, making him 7 of 9 this season. He is 17 of 17 on extra-point kicks and leads the Bengals with 38 points.

BENGAL TAMER: Ravens kicker Matt Stover, an original Cleveland Brown who moved with the team to Baltimore, has been almost automatic against the Bengals. His 33-yard field goal in the second quarter was his 47th against the Bengals in 52 tries.

BENGAL KILLER: Ravens tailback Jamal Lewis rushed for 135 yards against the Bengals for the third time in his three-year career. Baltimore is 3-0 in those games. The Ravens are 10-0 in games in which Lewis runs for 100 or more yards.

WELCOME: Bengals tight end Chris Edmonds, signed this past week to the 53-man roster, made his NFL debut on special teams.

HURTING BIRDS: Ravens cornerback Chris McAlister, Baltimore's best cornerback, was inactive because of a sprained ankle. Along with linebacker Ray Lewis and end Michael McCrary, McAlister was one of three veteran defensive starters out.

CAP COUNT: As of Nov. 1, only four NFL teams had more salary-cap room than the Bengals, who were $2.9 million under the cap. The Bengals were sixth until the Minnesota Vikings signed their first-round draft pick, left tackle Bryant McKinnie.

Return to Bengals front page...