By Paul Daugherty
The Cincinnati Enquirer

PITTSBURGH - The good news: For five weeks, Jon Kitna has played as well as any quarterback in the NFL. The bad news: That's still not good enough to translate into Bengals wins.

They're 1-4 in that stretch, beating only the expansion Houston Texans. Kitna has completed 66 percent of his throws in that time and is averaging 257 passing yards per game. He has 10 touchdown passes in the five games and just three picks.

Sunday was typical. Kitna was 22-of-39 passing for 298 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions.

And the Bengals lost, 29-21, to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With a last-gasp chance to score and possibly tie the game, Kitna missed four consecutive passes from the Pittsburgh 5-yard line. The last throw, to Chad Johnson in the right corner of the Steelers' end zone, was knocked away by Chad Scott, just as Johnson appeared to have made the catch.

"(We) find ways to lose," Kitna said. "The good teams expect to make plays in the fourth quarter. We're just not doing that."

Yet if anything good has come from this season, it has been Kitna's play. He says he's comfortable now, and knows the offense as well as anyone can.

"The guys around me are playing well," he said. "I've had a chance to grow together with some guys. The important thing is to maintain the continuity."

Chad Johnson is an emerging star thanks, in part, to Kitna. Johnson caught seven balls Sunday for 152 yards. Since making a crucial drop against the Indianapolis Colts, Johnson has 34 catches for 563 yards and three TDs in six games. He has more than 100 receiving yards in his last three games.

After the Indy game, Kitna told Johnson, "It's not what you do wrong, it's how you bounce back." Johnson has played well ever since.

Kitna said he did some "self-scouting" during the bye week, telling himself not to force the action.

He has been successful. Kitna has played well for five games in a row. The Bengals have won just one of them.

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