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Record might be different if breaks had gone Bengals' way
The New York Jets were a playoff team last year. The Bengals fancy themselves Super Bowl contenders. Yet here they are, a combined 2-9 entering today's game in Paul Brown Stadium. Between them, they've lost their past seven games. Can they really be this bad? Well, in a way, yes. Records don't deceive. Yet except for losses against the New England Patriots, neither team has been blown out. The Bengals' other losses have been by six, three and seven points. The Jets' four other defeats are by seven, three, 11 and seven points. "Every game is like that," Bengals defensive tackle John Thornton said. "Every game is usually a close game. That's what it usually comes down to -- a breakdown here or there. All we had to do was make one more (play) in the Cleveland game, one more in the Seattle game." The "one play away" rationale can be dismissed as a loser's lament. Most bad teams take unjustified solace in their belief that a handful of plays could have turned around their season. In the Bengals' case, there's at least a kernel of truth to it. In each of their four losses -- even the Patriots' game -- one play might have turned defeat into victory, or at least changed the tenor of the game. Here are four plays that, if they'd turned out differently, could have the Bengals sitting pretty instead of in a big hole entering today.
Play No. 1 Sept. 16 at Cleveland • The play: With the Bengals leading 7-0, Carson Palmer throws a pass to Chad Johnson that is intercepted by Sean Jones. • The situation: The Browns were coming off an ugly opening loss to Pittsburgh, and fans were already murmuring for Brady Quinn to replace Derek Anderson after a Cleveland three-and-out followed a game-opening Bengals touchdown drive. Another Bengals score might have caused the psychologically fragile Browns to fold. Instead, on third-and-16 after a sack, Palmer threw toward Johnson, who wasn't where the quarterback expected, and Jones intercepted. The Browns converted the turnover into a field goal, and the game became a shootout won by Cleveland 51-45. Play No. 2 Sept. 23 at Seattle • The play: Glenn Holt fumbles away a kickoff with a minute left, denying the offense a chance for a tying or winning score. • The situation: One minute remained after Nate Burleson caught a touchdown pass to put Seattle ahead 24-21. That might have been plenty of time for the Bengals, who had all three timeouts left, to mount a final drive. For a moment, Bengals special-teams coach Darrin Simmons thought Holt had a chance to return the kickoff for a touchdown when he saw a hole in the coverage. But unblocked Seahawk Lance Laury drilled Holt and jarred the ball free, and Seattle recovered. Play No. 3 Oct. 1 vs. New England • The play: Asante Samuel intercepts a Palmer pass intended for Johnson at the Patriots goal line late in the second quarter. • The situation: New England has been a machine this season, and it's likely that no single play could have transformed the game enough to change a 34-13 Patriots rout into a Bengals victory. But Cincinnati's best chance to make the game competitive came in the second quarter when the Bengals moved the ball to the New England 20 with 1:22 left and the Patriots ahead 17-7. Palmer expected Johnson to turn in to catch the pass, Johnson didn't, and Samuel made the interception. Palmer and Johnson barked at each other for the next few minutes. Though Bengals coach Marvin Lewis later credited Samuel with a "hell of a" play, Johnson acknowledged he ran the wrong route. Play No. 4 Oct. 14 at Kansas City •The play: A false-start penalty on the Chiefs prevented a Bengals touchdown. • The situation: The Bengals trailed 10-7 early in the second quarter. Damon Huard took the shotgun snap only to have Bengals defensive end Justin Smith hit him and knock the ball free. Linebacker Landon Johnson picked up the ball and was headed for an apparent touchdown when officials ruled the play dead because of a false-start penalty on Chiefs tackle Damion McIntosh. The Chiefs continued their drive, which ended when cornerback Deltha O'Neal poked the ball from Larry Johnson for a touchback. But Palmer was intercepted on Cincinnati's ensuing possession, and the Chiefs cashed in for a touchdown. Kansas City remained comfortably ahead the rest of the way.
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