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Justin Smith summed up the Bengals' defensive performance perfectly. "It's ridiculous," the veteran defensive end said in the wake of Cincinnati's 51-45 loss at on Sunday. He also used the words "embarrassing," "inexcusable" and "terrible." The defense got torched for 554 yards — 328 passing and 226 rushing — by a Browns squad that suffered a 34-7 loss to Pittsburgh the same weekend the Bengals yielded 314 yards in a 27-20 victory over Baltimore. "At this level, you can't have mental errors," Smith added. "Letting guys run up and down the field, that's what killed us. We went to a base defense, and we're still not stacked right. Guys are too good, too fast, too strong for you not to be where you need to be and then not to exploit it."
Not so special: How do the special teams coverage units smell? Pinch your nose. After giving up 245 return yards to the Ravens last week, the Bengals yielded 206 this week, including Joshua Cribbs' 85-yard kickoff return that set up Joe Jurevicius' 9-yard TD reception from Derek Anderson for a 20-14 Browns' lead. A beer bath: Wide receiver Chad Johnson had a monster game — 11 catches, 209 yards, two TDs — then kept his promise by leaping into the Dawg Pound, where he got beer poured on him. "That was cool. That was fun," Johnson said. "I gave the fans their money's worth." With his performance, Johnson became the Bengals' career receiving yards leader with 7,229, shattering the old mark of 7,101 set by Isaac Curtis from 1973-84. "That's pretty good, isn't it?" Johnson said. "The loss is bad, but to see where we are in Week 2 as an offense, and to know we're going to get better week to week, it's scary." Holt on fire: Glenn Holt replaced Tab Perry as the kickoff returner and No. 3 receiver after Perry suffered a hamstring injury, and Holt played the best game of his two-year career. Holt piled up 229 all-purpose yards — six kickoff returns for 177 (29.5), including a 65-yarder, plus five receptions for 52 yards and a 7-yard TD. "I wanted to showcase my talent," Holt said. "But I'm still sad we lost the game." Quick hitters • Middle linebacker Ahmad Brooks exited in the first half with a groin injury, and Caleb Miller struggled in his place. He dropped a potential interception and got burned against the run and pass. "I have no excuses," Miller said. "I played the worst game I've ever played." • The Bengals defense forced only one turnover — an interception — and didn't sack Anderson, who got great protection from his offensive line. The lack of pressure allowed Anderson to play an easy game of pitch and catch against the Bengals' cornerbacks. • The Bengals kissed their seven-game winning streak in September good-bye. Dayton Daily News http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/pro/bengals/2007/09/16/ddn091707bennotes.html |
