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Now, there is finality. There will be no last-ditch playoff run, no hope of salvaging the season. The Bengals' season is now officially a failure. The reasons were on full display to a national television audience last night during a 24-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Heinz Field. "Obviously, this is a loss that doesn't sit well with us," coach Marvin Lewis said. Cincinnati's supposedly vaunted offense, which came alive in last week's thrashing of the Tennessee Titans, reverted to its underachieving form of most of the season. The Bengals defense created four turnovers, but couldn't stop the Ben Roethlisberger-to-Hines Ward connection. Ward caught two touchdown passes and hauled in several third-down passes to keep drives alive. The special teams faltered again. Shayne Graham missed a 43-yard field goal attempt on the rain-soaked field. Glenn Holt fumbled a kickoff return for the second time this season. An offsides penalty on a punt with five minutes remaining allowed Pittsburgh a first down and the chance to milk precious time off the clock.
So now the best the Bengals (4-8) can do is avoid a losing record for the first time in Lewis' five years as coach, and even that will require victories in their final four games. Cincinnati hasn't won consecutive games all season. "The only thing we can do is get ready for St. Louis and play with pride because we're a prideful team," right guard Bobbie Williams said. Cincinnati repeated a distressing pattern -- an impressive opening drive followed by futility that allows the opponent to take control. The Bengals went 75 yards in 12 plays on the game's first possession for a touchdown. Carson Palmer completed 6 of 7 passes on the drive, and Rudi Johnson scored on a 1-yard run. It was the seventh time this season that Cincinnati scored a touchdown on its opening possession. But then the offense collapsed. Cincinnati gained only 174 yards the rest of the game. Palmer was a dismal 11-of-37 passing after the opening drive to finish 17 of 44 for 183 yards. Though Kenny Watson and DeDe Dorsey had some success running the ball (a combined six carries for 38 yards), the bulk of the carries went to Johnson, who didn't fare so well (14 for 34 yards). Cincinnati had 11 possessions with an average starting position of its own 44-yard line. The Bengals converted one of two Willie Parker fumbles into a field goal to make it 17-10 in the third quarter, but they came up empty on Parker's other fumble and two Roethlisberger interceptions. "We just didn't get things done," Lewis said. "We had some chances. We didn't make some third downs." And they couldn't stop Pittsburgh (9-3) on its third downs, particularly because of Ward. He had 11 catches for 90 yards. Five of them came on third-down conversions, often on third-and-long. His two touchdown catches gave him a Steelers-record 64 for his career, surpassing Hall of Famer John Stallworth. Thirteen have come against the Bengals. "He made some tough catches," said Cincinnati cornerback Johnathan Joseph, the victim of many of Ward's catches. "We had guys blasting him and he held onto the ball. I give him credit. He's a good player." So is Roethlisberger, who rebounded from a shaky start to complete 21 of 33 passes as well as run for Pittsburgh's first score on a 6-yard scramble in which he evaded three Bengals defenders. The Steelers took the lead for good on a field goal after Holt's fumble on the ensuing kickoff. Pittsburgh made it 17-7 with 10 seconds left before halftime on a 66-yard drive capped by a 2-yard catch by Ward. Cincinnati could manage only a Graham field goal after Parker fumbled at the Steelers 25, and Pittsburgh answered with a touchdown drive to make it 24-10. Columbus Dispatch http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/bengals/stories/2007/12/03/bengals1203.ART_ART_12-03-07_C1_778LIDF.html?sid=101 |
