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It was like tossing a lighted match on spilled gasoline. The Bengals erupted for 28 straight points and rode the explosion to a wild 38-31 victory over the New York Jets in front of 65,868 spectators at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday. Cincinnati stopped the bleeding of a four-game losing streak with its second win in nine games and 10th triumph in 25 games dating to 2005. The timing was perfect because the Steelers are coming to town Sunday for the first 1 p.m. home game of the season. Maybe, just maybe, Bengals season ticket holders won't scalp their seats to Steelers fans eager to twirl their Terrible Towels in the Queen City's face. "It's a good win — this team needed a win," head coach Marvin Lewis said. "Obviously, we were under attack all week. So we'll just keep battening down the hatches. We have a big game next week."
Trailing 20-10 at halftime, then 23-10 on Mike Nugent's third field goal — a 43 yarder at 11:15 of the third quarter — the Bengals finally came alive, pulling off some big plays and taking advantage of Jets' mistakes. Quarterback Carson Palmer finished a 14-play, 76-yard drive with a 3-yard TD pass to T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Then New York's Ben Graham shanked a 20-yard punt, setting up Kenny Watson's 1-yard plunge at 13:31 of the fourth quarter for a 24-23 lead the Bengals wouldn't lose. Cincinnati pulled away. Star of the game: Bengals tailback Watson had the finest game of his six-year career — 31 carries for 130 yards and three TDs, plus three catches for 27 yards for 157 all-purpose yards. "The more you get the ball, the more comfortable you feel," Watson said. "I give all the credit to the offensive line. They dominated up front." Turning point: Trailing 24-23, the Jets faced third-and-8 at the Bengals' 49 when center Nick Mangold's snap hit the right leg of quarterback Chad Pennington, who lined up in the shotgun. Defensive tackle Domata Peko recovered the fumble, and Watson's 2-yard TD gave the Bengals a 31-23 lead with 6:09 to go. Goat of the game: Jets safety Abram Elam was flagged for unnecessary roughness when he punched Watson at the bottom of a pile at the Jets' 27-yard line with 8 minutes to go. The penalty gave the Bengals a first down at the 14, leading to Watson's TD for an 8-point cushion. Quote machine: "Kenny makes the best of every opportunity he ever gets." — Marvin Lewis Dayton Daily News http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/pro/bengals/2007/10/22/ddn102207bengals.html |
