By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Bengals struggled early against Kansas City's vaunted special teams, but in the second half, it was the Bengals who dominated the return game.

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Sunday's game

It was the Bengals who scored on special teams - on a 68-yard punt return from Peter Warrick in the fourth quarter of their 24-19 victory.

"I just saw the hole open," Warrick said of the score that stretched the Bengals' lead to 17-6. "Everybody did their job. It wasn't Dante Hall. It was P-Dub."

Riall Johnson and Kevin Kaesviharn threw key blocks on Warrick's return.

Hall came into the game with a combined four TDs on kick returns - two on kickoffs and two on punts. And though he had 26- and 28-yard punt returns in the first quarter, they didn't lead to scores.

On a fourth-quarter kickoff, Hall dropped the ball and was stopped for a 1-yard return by Khalid Abdullah. Hall then kicked the ball out of frustration, drawing a delay-of-game penalty.

In all Sunday, he was held 11 yards below his kickoff return average and 5 yards below his punt return average.

It started with attitude.

"If we go into the game playing timid, that's when he's at his best - when you're scared of him," said Reggie Myles, an outside gunner on the punt coverage team.

"I give big props to my teammates," said Myles, who was limited to one tackle.

Warrick's punt return was the first score by the Bengals special teams this season. They have not allowed one, after yielding five touchdowns in 2002. Warrick's score also sent a message to the rest of the special teams players.

"That punt right there let us know that we're better than we think we are," Myles said.

Return to Bengals front page...