By Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The diamonds, wrapped in a thick band around his wrist and dangling from his neck, sparkled in the postgame spotlight.

"Today was my day to shine," Bengals receiver Peter Warrick said. "You never know what God has in store for you. Today he had it in (store) for me."

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Photos of Sunday's game

Of those who helped back up Chad Johnson's guaranteed win against the Chiefs on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium, Warrick's performance was the flashiest of all.

Warrick had 212 all-purpose yards and provided decisive touchdowns on a 68-yard punt return and a 77-yard catch in a 24-19 win against Kansas City.

His 114 yards receiving set a new career high, his second career receiving day this season.

"He made plays that changed the whole outcome of the game," Bengals rookie receiver Kelley Washington said. "He just gave us the momentum to carry us throughout the game."

The display was the type Cincinnati envisioned when it drafted Warrick fourth overall in 2000.

"He just keeps getting better," Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said. "He just keeps having fun."

Warrick waited until the fourth quarter to hurt the Chiefs most.

With the Bengals leading by four points, Warrick caught Jason Baker's first punt of the second half at the 32-yard line.

A few moves, two key blocks by Kevin Kaesviharn and Riall Johnson, and 68 yards later he was in the end zone with 12:47 remaining.

"Right there at that time, 11 of us were just giving it everything we had at that moment," Kaesviharn said.

But how's this for foreshadowing?

Warrick had turned to teammate T.J. Houshmandzadeh a few moments earlier and let him in on a little secret.

"I'm about to seal this one with a kiss," Warrick told Houshmandzadeh. "When I went out there, I just saw the hole open. Everybody did their job."

His second touchdown gave Cincinnati a 12-point lead with 6:05 remaining.

Warrick streaked down the middle of the field and caught quarterback Jon Kitna's pass in stride. He shook off an attempted tackle by Kansas City cornerback Eric Warfield for a 77-yard score.

After Sunday's performance, Warrick now has caught 52 passes for 578 yards and five touchdowns.

"I've been here for four years and things haven't been going the way I expected them to," Warrick said. "I know it's not all about me ... Right now, we have a team that is willing and ready to win."

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