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Defensive tackle Sam Adams said the Bengals defense needed this kind of test. The Carolina Panthers have arguably the game’s top receiver in Steve Smith. They have a proven winner in quarterback Jake Delhomme and a capable runner in DeShaun Foster.
Add the fact that the Bengals offense’s early struggles yesterday forced the defense to stay on the field with disadvantageous field position, and the defense could have been buried. Instead, the defense mostly weathered the storm and then shut out Carolina in the second half of a 17-14 victory. "Our defense did a good job of keeping us in the game," running back Rudi Johnson said. "Without those guys, it could have gotten ugly." After yielding 532 rushing yards the past three games, the Bengals allowed only 60 against the Panthers. "This is a great running team," Adams said. "It was a great test for us. We needed this kind of game — a tight game — to find out who we are, who we are together. We came together and it was good to see. These two games may have helped us get to where we want to go." The Bengals allowed only 14 points last week in a 14-13 loss to Tampa Bay. "They’ve played good two weeks in a row now after not playing very well against New England, and we have to keep building on that," coach Marvin Lewis said. The Bengals allowed a methodical 66-yard touchdown march in the first quarter and a quick 63-yard drive at the end of the second. "We shut them out in the second half and that’s probably the first time since I’ve been here that we’ve shut somebody out in the second half," defensive tackle John Thornton said. "That’s usually the time, before, that we’ve faltered." The Bengals allowed only one first down in Carolina’s first five second-half possessions. Then the defense, with a 17-14 lead, faced its moment of truth when it allowed the Panthers to move 71 yards in three plays late in the fourth quarter. Safety Madieu Williams broke up a pass to Smith, knocking the wind out of the receiver. On second down, Delhomme was forced to throw the ball away because his receivers were blanketed. On third down, Delhomme threw to Keyshawn Johnson, but Kevin Kaesviharn diagnosed the play and leaped to make the interception. The Panthers receiver said Kaesviharn reacted differently than he had on similar plays in previous games. "Sometimes guys just get lucky," Johnson said. "In the film, he was never there. This particular time he was there." The Bengals may have been lucky. They definitely were good. Columbus Dispatch http://columbusdispatch.com/bengals/bengals.php?story=dispatch/2006/10/23/20061023-C4-01.html |
