Bengals Beat Seattle To Cap Off Undefeated October

SEATTLE -- Marvin Lewis politely acknowledged becoming Cincinnati's all-time wins leader only to immediately crack a joke when it was pointed out the Bengals had surpassed their entire win total from a year ago.

"We didn't have to go far to surpass last year, unfortunately," Lewis said.

It's not just the Bengals' win total that's surprising. They're doing it thanks to defense, a couple of rookies on offense, and on Sunday one huge special teams play.


Quarterback Andy Dalton threw a pair of first-half touchdown passes, one to fellow rookie A.J. Green,Brandon Tate returned a punt 56 yards for a touchdown with 3:22 left and the Bengals won their fourth straight with a 34-12 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Toss in Reggie Nelson's 75-yard interception return for a score in the final minute and every phase had a hand in the Bengals fourth straight win and first win on the West Coast since beating San Diego in 2003.

Cincinnati is 5-2 for the fourth time in the past 21 years and the previous three times it reached the postseason. The Bengals are tied with Baltimore a half game behind Pittsburgh in the tough AFC North.

"We continue to find a way to win it and continue to find a way to keep it interesting. We have to grow on the positives and we've got to correct the negatives," Lewis said.

"That's a hard-fought game. It started out with more talking than playing. We got ahead at that point, and we were able to settle down and play a little bit more better in the second half."

Dalton tossed TDs of 14 yards to Jerome Simpson and a beautiful 43-yarder that dropped into the arms of Green in the second quarter to give the Bengals a 17-3 lead.

From there, the Bengals (5-2) leaned on their impressive defense that bent, but managed to keep Seattle out of the end zone until the fourth quarter.


"To the people on the outside, they may be surprised and what not," Cincinnati cornerback Leon Hall said. "Every season we come in expecting to win. ... Just hopefully, we've got some big games coming up, so we execute in those games."

Dalton made mistakes in the second half, throwing a pair of interceptions and the Bengals managed only 252 yards of total offense. That proved to be enough thanks to special teams, defense and flubs from the struggling Seahawks.

Dalton, whom Seattle passed on in April's draft by using its late first-round pick on right tackle James Carpenter instead of the quarterback out of TCU, was 18 of 29 for 168 yards. Green finished with four catches for 63 yards.

Mike Nugent made two field goals, including a 48-yarder with 4:50 left to give the Bengals a 20-12 lead. It capped a drive where Cincinnati used 4 minutes and forced Seattle to get a touchdown and 2-point conversion to tie.

It was a moot point. Seattle (2-5) went three-and-out on the ensuing possession and Tate, filling in for Adam "Pacman" Jones who was injured in the first quarter, caught Jon Ryan's punt and sprinted nearly untouched to seal the victory.

It was Cincinnati's first punt return for a score since 2003.

"For some reason when he kicked it I had the feeling I was going to do something special with it," Tate said. "I didn't know I was going to score, but I put all the trust in my teammates. The other 10 guys did their job, I just went out and did mine."

One of Cincinnati's challenges was deciphering Seattle's quarterback. Charlie Whitehurst started after coach Pete Carroll determined he wanted to try and hold out Tarvaris Jackson, and his pectoral injury, another week. But Whitehurst was ineffective and Jackson entered midway through the second quarter.

The quarterback roulette that never hit on the right number was part of a maddening and confusing day that started when receiver Mike Williams was surprisingly inactive after not being listed on any injury reports all week.


The Seahawks (2-5) were flustered to the point where running backMarshawn Lynch was barking at coaches on the bench after Seattle was held to a field goal on the final play of the third quarter -- the second time they were stymied inside the 10.

"There were a couple plays out there where I feel myself, I didn't execute right, and I think those were plays that would have put the game in a different perspective," Lynch said.

Jackson finished 21 of 40 for a career-high 323 yards in just 2½ quarters, while Whitehurst was 4 of 7 for 52 yards and was sacked twice in his limited appearance.

And Carroll again flubbed his time management late in the first half. When Seattle was out of timeouts, Carroll called a run play on fourth-and-2 at the Cincinnati 3 with 14 seconds left. Lynch got the 2 yards, but the ball was not spotted in time to be spiked and Seattle walked away with no points.

The mistake appeared huge when Seattle trailed just 17-12 early in the fourth quarter before the Bengals pulled away.

"It would have been a good call if we made it," Carroll said. "But we didn't."

Game notes
Carroll said Williams tweaked a hamstring and that's why he was not active. ... Seattle WRs Sidney Rice (102) and Ben Obomanu (107) both topped 100 yards receiving. ... Jones said his hamstring was just a tweak and that he would do "whatever I have to do to be healthy," for next week's game at Tennessee. ... Lewis passed Sam Wyche for most wins in Bengals history.

Bengals Beat Browns To Kickoff Season

CLEVELAND -- Bruce Gradkowski looked up field and couldn't believe his eyes. There was nothing, just green grass and rookie receiver A.J. Green.

With a sudden snap, the Bengals had fooled Cleveland's defense, leaving them flat-footed and out of position. Now, it was up to Cincinnati's backup quarterback to complete the sneaky trick.

"I said, 'Oh my gosh, you gotta be kidding me,'" Gradkowski said.


The Browns were just as shocked.

Gradkowski caught Cleveland's defense still in the huddle and quickly lobbed a 41-yard touchdown pass to Green in the fourth quarter, giving the whatever-it-takes Bengals a stunning 27-17 win Sunday over the Browns to spoil a sloppy debut in Cleveland's first game under coach Pat Shurmur.

"The play is designed to catch them napping," said Bengals running backCedric Benson, who put the Browns away with a 39-yard TD run in the final minutes. "We caught them napping."

Green, who hadn't caught a pass all game, was left uncovered by the Browns, who were still huddled up when the Bengals lined up.

After taking the shotgun snap, Gradkowski, on in relief of injured rookie starterAndy Dalton, looked toward a wide-open Green streaking down the right side.

Green felt as if he was dreaming.

"I thought, 'Ball, please get down and into my hands,'" the speedy first-round pick said. "It's one of the slowest balls I've ever seen. It was one of the toughest catches I've ever had because I had so long to think about it. It took forever to get to me."

Green hauled it in and sprinted untouched into the end zone to shock the Browns and their fans. Cleveland fell to 1-12 in season openers since 1999.

Shurmur isn't convinced what the Bengals did was legal.


"They quick-snapped us," Shurmur said. "I'll have to watch the tape, but it's my understanding they changed personnel, lined up and then quick-snapped. There's rules that go along with that, so we'll see. My understanding is when the offense changes personnel, the defense is allowed to do so as well and have time to do it."

The play was equally surprising for the Bengals, who jumped in celebration at the improbable TD. This was the kind of play that usually happens to them.

"We just got lucky," said center Kyle Cook. "I think they knew they screwed up. We just called it at the right time."

Browns cornerback Sheldon Brown thought the Bengals got away with one.

"We were still in the defensive huddle when they snapped the ball," he said. "It happened so fast, all I know there was a lot of people running wide open down the field."

Colt McCoy threw two TD passes for the Browns, who were disorganized for much of Shurmur's first game. Cleveland committed 11 penalties -- 10 in the first half -- but the Browns' biggest offense was not being ready while protecting a 17-13 lead in the fourth quarter.

Cornerback Joe Haden, who had kept Green without a catch for more than 50 minutes and batted away five passes, was out of position and couldn't catch Green.

"We weren't ready," Haden said. "Everybody was scrambling. Everybody was standing in the middle looking at D'Qwell {Jackson) trying to figure out what the call was. We never got one and when we heard everybody screaming, they were already lined up and we just started running."

Benson, who recently served jail time on an assault charge, finished with 121 yards on 25 carries. Mike Nugent kicked field goals of 24 and 47 yards for Cincinnati.

Considered by some to be the NFL's worst team, and with veteran quarterback Carson Palmer sitting out in a standoff with ownership, the Bengals somehow won their first opener since 2007. And they did it with Gradkowski, their third-string QB, who pulled one over on the Browns.

"Every once in a while you lose a game that makes you feel sick to your stomach," Browns linebacker Scott Fujita said. "This is definitely one of those games."

Dalton was hit by Browns rookie defensive tackle Phil Taylor on Cincinnati's final offensive play in the first half. Dalton, trying to become only the fifth rookie since 1970 to win his debut on the road, finished 10 of 15 for 81 yards. He hopes to play next week at Denver.

Shurmur's first quarter as a head coach couldn't have gone much worse as the Browns were called for six penalties, gained 3 yards rushing and were badly outplayed.

Afterward, a red-faced Shurmur didn't hold back when assessing his team's disappointing outing.

"A season full of mistakes in the first quarter," Shurmur said. "No excuses. I don't care if you're a rookie. I don't care if you've been in this thing for 12 years, and I care if this is your last game. You can't make mistakes."

Brown didn't offer any excuses, but felt the officiating was one-sided. Cincinnati was only whistled for three infractions.

"It's kind of frustrating, but in my eyes some of those calls are questionable," he said. "The biggest thing is do not let this game trickle over into a whole season. That would be the most frustrating thing."

Game notes
Players and coaches on both sidelines helped hold the giant American flag that covered the entire field during a stirring pregame tribute to the 10th anniversary of 9/11. ... Jackson had 11 tackles, two sacks and forced a fumble for the Browns. ... Cincinnati leads the series 40-36. ... The Bengals improved to 20-24 in openers, 7-13 on the road. ... Browns punter Richmond McGeeaveraged 36 yards on eight punts, a poor debut that could lead to changes.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

How Can The Bengals Play In Super Bowl XLVI?

By:  Cooper Ledford

So today is the biggest day in sports, Super Bowl Sunday, as the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers go at it, maybe some Bengals fans, like me, asked themselves "How can the Bengals make it to the Super Bowl?" Well, I think I have the answer.

It might not be Super XLVI (46), but I think they can make it to a Super Bowl in the next 5 years.  In-fact, they would be a Super Bowl Caliber team in 2011 if they did a few things.

First off, they need new ownership.  Mike Brown is a terrible GM, as we all know, he only cares about winning. In my opinion, he does not deserve to be Paul Brown's son.  Since you cannot fire a GM, Mike needs to sell the Bengals, I mean if it's money he wants, set a high price and see if you can get enough to buy Mars or something. Then someone needs to come along and buy the Bengals, and completely change almost everything.

So say someone like me bought the Bengals, since, you know, I am a multi-millionaire.  Here is what I should do, and we'll pretend we still have all the same players and coaches as we do now.

Since Brad Bratkowski is gone, that is one thing off the check list.  But there is tons more.  I would fire Marvin Lewis, in-case you guys didn't know, he has more losing seasons than a hunter who does not have a gun.  It's terrible.  I would find a good head coach to come in and be the man.  I would find someone who has experience and knows how to win.  If I stayed in the NFL, I would go for Rex Ryan, I know he would be tough to get, but I would try my hardest.  I know he does not have much experience, but he knows how to win.

So, no that we have a new head coach, we'll go to the players.  I would get rid of Carson Palmer, maybe trade him.  If I can't get a good QB out of him, I would just release him.  I would try to get someone like Mike Vick, I know that wouldn't happen though, he wants to stay in Philly. So, since I couldn't get him I would try for the San Francisco 49ers QB, Troy Smith.  He was good at Ohio State (Go Bucks!), but has not shined in the NFL.  Why?  Because he has not had much playing time.  I would try to get him, let him start and he would get the hang of it.  He could put up numbers, and confuse defenses, as he can run like Forest Gump, well better, and throw very good passes.  He had his share of picks, but that is because he did not have the experience to grow, mentally, as a quarterback.

So, now that we have a QB, let's talk about WR's.  Chad Johnson Ochocinco Jo, yeah Johnson, needs to go.  He is nothing but a distraction.  He is more of a celebrity than he is a football player.  Dunno about you guys, but I want a football player to be on my football team, no a celeb.  And if I wanted a celebrity to be on my team, I would go after Justin Beiber, maybe then he would get knocked in the head and he would forget how to sing.  Anyways, get a good replacement like Pierre Garcon of the Colts, or Percy Harvin of the Vikes.  I think they would be good in Cincinnati.  And let's not forget about T.O., we can replace him with someone like Harvin or Garcon as well.  Then we still have Shipley, who will be a star one day, Andre Caldwell, who I think will be very good soon, Simpson, and we know what he can do when he gets his chances (remember that Colts game?), and a good TE in Gresham.  With all of those guys, we are a great WR team.

Now go to defense.  We have some good guys, like Peko, Ray Maualuga, Jonathan Joseph, Leon Hall, Ndukwe, etc.  Zimmer is a good d-coordinator, and if everyone stays healthy, we have a good defense.  We have the pieces, but we need to know how to use them.

In the draft, get a good pass rusher like Bowers, and a QB, put it all together and BAM!  We have ourselves a team boys!

Oh, and for the heck-of-it, let's get new uniforms to symbolize the new era of Bengals winning.

Bengals season comes to a close

By: Coop Ledford



The Cincinnati Bengals were hosting the New York Jets, Sunday Jan. 9th. It was a rematch of last week, where the Jets beat Cincinnati 37-0. The Bengals were trying to get their first playoff win in 19 years, while the Jets were trying to continue their season.



The Bengals lost in a heart-breaker, 24-14 as the Bengals' season ends.

A big reason why Cincinnati lost was because of the turnovers. Cincy had three, while New York had zero. Shayne Grahm also missed two field goals.

However, even though the Bengals lost, fans have nothing to hand their heads about, last year they went 4-11-1, they finish this year with a record of 10-7. Great season for the Bengals.

Bengals, A for effort, but no W to show for it.

By: Cooper Ledford

The Cincinnati Bengals were coming off of a sad situation, the loss of Chris Henry. They were trying to clinch the AFC North, but more importantly, win a game for Chris. It would be tough for them to do so, they were at San Diego to play the Chargers. This game also would determine the second seed in the AFC. The Bengals lose a heart breaker, 27-24 in the final seconds of the game. Here is how.

To start things off, on their opening drive, the Chargers would get a touchdown when Rivers connected with Antonio Gates for a 3 yard score, it was 7-0. Cincinnati would answer back on their drive with a 26 yard field goal by Shayne Graham to make it 7-3. Cincinnati would take the lead when Palmer threw the home run ball to Chad Ochocinco, 49 yard touchdown to give the Bengals a 10-0 lead. After the reception by Ochocinco, he prayed and looked to Heaven and cried, thinking about Chris Henry. Later on, Rivers found Vincent Jackson for a 21 yard touchdown to make the score 14-10. Shayne Graham would then kick a 26 yard field goal to make it 13-14 San Diego on top at the half. The first score of the half was for the Chargers when Rivers and Jackson connected once again, this time for a 34 yard score to give the Chargers a 13-21 lead. The Chargers would get 3 more off of a 33 yard field goal from Nate Kaeding to make it 13-24 at the end of the third quarter. The Bengals would then get a spark going when Laveranues Coles got his hands on a 2 yard touchdown pass from Carson Palmer, the Bengals then went for two. Plamer ran it in himself for the 2-pointer and it was a 21-24 game. The Bengals then tied it up when Graham kicked a 34 yard field goal, 24-24 with 54 seconds left in the game. San Diego then had the ball, after some good pickups, there was only four seconds left, they sent out Nate Kaeding for a long, 52 yard field goal attempt, the kick was good, Kaeding made it look easy, and more importantly, San Diego had a 27-24 lead, which would be the final.

The Bengals did good, Palmer had 314 yards, 2 touchdowns and was 27/40. Now if Cincinnati beats the Cheifs next Sunday, they will clich the division. The game will be at Paul Brown Stadium at 1:00 PM ET and will be on CBS.

PICTURE: Ochocinco prays after scoring a touchdown, Sunday versus the Chargers. (ESPN)