Jets meet their match in the futile Bengals

[BengalszoneBilly]

Jets meet their match in the futile Bengals

Tom Rock

October 20, 2007 3:15 AM

Asked if the Jets needed a players-only meeting or for someone to blow a fuse and start chucking furniture around the room, Chad Pennington shook his head.

''We're past that,'' the Jets quarterback said this past week. ''Not a lot can be said. I think it's one of those things where we all understand what we have to do. Can't just talk about it.''

What they have to do is win. It's been nearly a month since they have, and the Jets are in the middle of one of the lowest stretches in recent years. There are no injuries, no bad calls, no outside distractions upon which to pin this three-game slide and 1-5 start.

Sunday, for the second time in two weeks, the Jets will face a team just as desperate as they are. The Bengals, too, had high expectations for 2007, but they are riding a four-game losing streak.

One team will emerge from Sunday's Disappointment Bowl with a win and, for the first time in a while, a reason to smile. The other will continue to sink into the abyss of the AFC standings.

''We are two hungry teams looking for a win,'' Jets receiver Jerricho Cotchery said. ''If it were a boxing match, you would see a lot of punches. Guys are trying to get a win this weekend. They won't accept anything else.''

Not even vociferous Bengals receiver Chad Johnson would provide a bulletin-board worthy boast. That's how humbled the teams have become.

The Jets, who won an amazing 10 games last year and were expected to build upon that momentum in their second season under Eric Mangini, maintain their stoic approach. There are times, however, when it's hard to tell the difference in the players' eyes between stoicism and shock over what has become of their season. The same is likely true in Cincinnati.

''That's an example of what the NFL is all about,'' Pennington said in regard to the two teams failing to meet expectations thus far. ''It's a league where predictions, a lot of the times, don't work out. Everyone goes into the season with a positive attitude and a healthy outlook. As the season plays itself out, teams go down different paths.''

For these two teams, the paths are very different, but have arrived at this game together. The Bengals, at least, are able to look at their injury reports to find a reason for their demise. ''We'll continue to improve as a football team as we get guys back,'' Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said.

And they've had the requisite public blowups, with Lewis' tirade heard through the locker room doors two weeks ago and TV images of Johnson and Carson Palmer jawing at each other on the field. It all makes the Jets and their emotionless exterior seem rather functional.

Johnson has promised not to unveil any celebrations if he scores. At 1-4, perhaps he needs to save all of the Pepto-Bismol he usually ships to opposing defensive backs for himself, and the CPR he has performed on footballs could come in handy for reviving the Bengals' season.

But one Jet seemed ready to match Johnson's antics. Asked if he has his own touchdown dance ready, safety Kerry Rhodes said he wasn't too concerned about scoring.

''I'm trying to get a nice W,'' he said. ''You'll see me dance after that if we get a W.''