Sunday, November 9, 2003
Early leads elude Bengals
Initial scores dictate success for NFL teams
By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Bengals have fallen behind in each of their eight games, statistically hurting their chances of winning.
So far in 2003, NFL teams are 82-48 (.631 winning percentage) when scoring first, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
In 2002, teams scoring first went 165-90-1 (.645), Elias said.
The Bengals are 3-5 this season (.375), putting them right in line with league-wide percentages of what happens when opponents score first. Houston, which will play the Bengals today at Paul Brown Stadium, has scored first in two of its three victories.
The Bengals have started slow in both halves.
In six of eight games, Bengals opponents have scored on their first possession. And the 34 points allowed - four touchdowns and two field goals - on first drives is the most in the league.
Pittsburgh missed a field goal, and Buffalo punted.
But the Bengals have fought back quickly and have been outscored only by six points, 44-38, in the first quarter. In the third quarter, the Bengals have allowed first- possession scores - two field goals and two touchdowns - in each of the past four games. They are being outscored 44-19 in the third quarter.
"Sometimes it seems like we need to get a relief after something (bad) that's happened, and then it's, 'OK, we can go play now,' " Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. "We have to fix that, because you don't want to play out of a hole every week."
But the Bengals have composite scoring advantages in the second (50-44) and fourth (45-35) quarters. They were outscored 6-0 in overtime at Buffalo.
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E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com
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