Offense may change pace to keep 30th-ranked defense fresh.

Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski and quarterback Carson Palmer think alike. They're aggressive, have itchy trigger fingers and like to go deep.  But they may just want to tone things down a bit against the Seattle Seahawks.  It's all in an effort to protect the Bengals' 30th-ranked defense. Remember, the faster Cincinnati scores, the faster its defense is back on the field. So a little change of pace could be in order. The formula for success?  "Longer drives. Less three-and-outs. Less turnovers. Give your defense a chance to rest," Palmer said. "That's what you've got to do."

Conversion chart

The Bengals have converted just 33.3 percent (8-of-24) attempts on third down. In 2005, when they reached the playoffs, they generated a 42.9 percent conversion rate. It dropped to 35.8 percent in 2006.

Bratkowski's goal is 42.5 percent.

"We base it off what the teams that advance to the playoffs make," he said. "We'd like to be in the 60s. But at the end of the year, if you can be (near) 45, you've accomplished some good things."  Five of the Bengals' eight conversions have come when they needed three yards or less. They are just 3-of-17 when they need four-plus yards.

Lesson learned

Defensive tackle Domata Peko said last week's 51-45 loss at Cleveland "brings (the defense) closer together."  "We've got to dig inside and just step forward," he added. "Everybody's got to man-up and just take charge of our defense — especially up front. We really need to stop the run this week. That will help us out."  That won't be easy against Seattle tailback Shaun Alexander. He ranks 25th on the NFL's career rushing list (8,888 yards) and has 98 rushing touchdowns. And the Seahawks are 23-3 when he rushes for at least two TDs.

Potential greatness

Seattle coach Mike Holmgren isn't quite ready to anoint Palmer as an elite quarterback.  "Potentially? Absolutely," he said. "The sky's the limit. He's got everything you want. But let's wait. He's still a young man, and the elite guys play for 10, 12, 14 years and do it year after year after year. Let him do that. Then they've earned it. Carson should be one of those guys when he's all done."

Bengals have 3-3 record in Seattle

The Bengals' road record on the West Coast is 12-30:

At Seattle 3-3
At San Diego 5-9
At Oakland/L.A. Raiders 1-13
At L.A. Rams 2-1
At San Francisco 1-4

The Bengals are ...

• 1-1 on the "Left Coast" under coach Marvin Lewis, earning a split in 2003. They lost to the Oakland Raiders (23-20) on Sept. 14, then beat the San Diego Chargers (34-27) on Nov. 23.

• 9-8 overall vs. Seattle. They won three of their first four visits to Seattle, but the Seahawks have won the past two in the Emerald City, most recently in 1999 (37-20).

• 10-2 against NFC teams over the past three seasons. They swept the NFC East ('04) and NFC North ('05), then split with the NFC South ('06).

Dayton Daily News

http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/pro/bengals/2007/09/22/ddn092307bengals.html