If Bengals fans expected detailed explanations yesterday for the defensive collapse that allowed the Browns to score 51 points Sunday, they were disappointed.

As is his tendency, coach Marvin Lewis was tight-lipped about his team's defensive flaws.

"We were the '85 Bears a week ago," Lewis said of rave reviews for the defensive performance in the opener against Baltimore. "I tell the players all the time, 'Don't try to explain it to (the media) because you don't understand it.' And as I've always said, you're never as good as you seem to be after a win and never as bad as you seem to be after a loss. So we just need to play football -- make our corrections and move forward."

By any measure, it was a disheartening performance. Cleveland gained 10 or more yards on 19 of its 66 snaps.

The Bengals were credited with only one quarterback hit. Rookie cornerback Leon Hall was beaten in single coverage on two touchdowns and was part of a miscommunication that allowed a third. Dexter Jackson missed a tackle on one of Jamal Lewis' long runs. Defensive end Robert Geathers and linebacker Landon Johnson, who were so impressive against the Ravens, were nonfactors.

Awful kick coverage didn't help. Cincinnati kicked off eight times. The average starting position for the Browns was their 36-yard line.

Now a defense that looked so ready to carry its weight is back to being considered the weak link of the team.

"You can't sit back and think you're good, that you've arrived," defensive end Justin Smith said. "This game is week to week. It's what have you done for me lately, and today we were terrible. As a defensive unit, we have to go back in our cave, get everything right, come back out swinging and be ready for Seattle."

Columbus Dispatch

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