Here's yer payback

[Ox]

Here's yer payback

Pouncing just before half, Bengals hang onC

BY MARK CURNUTTE | MCURNUTTE@ENQUIRER.COM

The Bengals opened a can of payback on the Browns on a cold, windy Sunday afternoon at Paul Brown Stadium.

Cleveland needed only a win against the Bengals to clinch an AFC playoff berth. Now the Browns need Tennessee to lose Sunday night at Indianapolis to get in. The Browns can lose at home to San Francisco (an NFC team) as long as the Titans lose.

The Bengals have long been out of playoff contention, though they improved to 6-9. Several players said after the 19-14 upset of the Browns that a solid ending - including a victory Sunday at Miami - might propel the Bengals toward a playoff berth next season.

The Dolphins fell to 1-14 with a loss Sunday to New England. The Bengals have not won consecutive games this season.

"It was a disappointing season, but we're looking to finish strong and get off fast next year," said tailback Kenny Watson, who tied his career high with 130 rushing yards and had one touchdown. He was the featured back because starter Rudi Johnson was inactive with a hamstring injury. DeDe Dorsey sprained an ankle on the first play, an 8-yard run, and didn't return.

After a 2-6 start, the Bengals would finish with a 5-3 second half with a victory at Miami.

Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who had the other touchdown on a 5-yard catch from Carson Palmer, made note of teams in 2006 whose strong finishes were a jumping-off point to playoff berths in 2007 - Pittsburgh and Green Bay and possibly Tennessee.

"Hopefully we can go out with two straight victories," Houshmandzadeh said. "(The Packers, Steelers and Titans) played well down the stretch last year. And all three of those teams are having pretty good seasons. Hopefully we can be one of those teams next year."

Conversely, the Bengals lost three in a row to end the 2006 season when just one victory would have put them in the playoffs.

The Game 2 loss at Cleveland, 51-45, appeared to have put the Bengals in a funk from which they never recovered. The victory Sunday was sweetened by the fact the Brown lost control of their playoff destiny and now need help.

The Bengals intercepted four Derek Anderson passes and turned two of them into their only two touchdowns of the day in the last two minutes of the first half.

Rookie safety Chinedum Ndukwe picked off Anderson and returned the ball 44 yards to the Cleveland 5-yard line. Houshmandzadeh caught his 12th touchdown pass of the season on the next snap.

Rookie cornerback Leon Hall intercepted Anderson on the next Cleveland play and returned the ball 12 yards to the 20. Two plays later, following a 24-yard pass to tight end Reggie Kelly, Watson ran in from the 1.

Ndukwe would intercept Anderson in the end zone in the second half to snuff Cleveland's first-and-goal play from the Cincinnati 9-yard line. Second-year cornerback Johnathan also intercepted Anderson on a first-and-10 play from the Bengals 17-yard line midway through the fourth quarter.

The Browns had four fourth-quarter possessions inside the Bengals 29-yard line and scored just one touchdown.

Ndukwe and fellow rookie safety Marvin White started because of injuries to strong safety Dexter Jackson (hip) and Madieu Williams (thigh) that occurred within 10 minutes in practice Thursday.

Second-year safety John Busing played in the secondary as a backup. Only eighth-year cornerback Deltha O'Neal had more than two years of pro experience.

"With one guy back there today that's got more than two years experience, so that's kind of amazing," Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said. "They made some errors, but they came up with some plays on the ball - and they tackled."

Ndukwe had nine tackles, two interceptions and broke up two passes. White had three tackles and broke up three passes.

The impressive performances of so many young players bode well for the future of a defense that has turned in six solid performances in the past seven games.

The offense, however, was not sharp, despite Watson's big game on the ground. Quarterback Carson Palmer threw two interceptions, both by Browns cornerback Leigh Bodden.

Palmer, whose 19 interceptions are a single-season worst for him in four seasons as starter, said there is a lot of work to do.

"If you look at a team like Green Bay, you see a team that struggled a lot last year and now is one of the hottest teams in the league," Palmer said. "We can be one of those teams. We have a lot of work to do to get there."

The Bengals split with the Browns, swept the Ravens but were swept by the Steelers. But they finished their AFC North schedule 3-3, not to mention 5-3 at home.

The Bengals have not won consecutive games since Games 12 and 13 of 2006.

"There's no question this team wants to finish with a win," Palmer said. "We have a good chance against a team that has really been struggling (Miami). We need to go down there and execute. We need to finish the season the right way."

Quick Hits

WHAT HAPPENED

The Bengals scored two touchdowns within 39 seconds late in the second quarter to upset the Browns 19-14. Cleveland quarterback Derek Anderson threw four interceptions, two of which led directly to the Bengals' touchdowns. Kenny Watson ran for 130 yards for the second time this season, including a 1-yard touchdown. T.J. Houshmandzadeh caught his 12th touchdown pass. Rookie safeties Chinedum Ndukwe and Marvin White played well in place of injured starters Dexter Jackson and Madieu Williams.

SHINING STAR

Ndukwe, the 253rd player taken in the 2007 draft, had nine tackles and two game-changing interceptions. With the Bengals holding a 6-0 lead, he intercepted Anderson and returned the ball 44 yards to the Cleveland 5. The Bengals scored on the next play. In the second half, Ndukwe ended Cleveland's opening drove on first-and-goal from the 9 with an end-zone interception. He also had one tackle and a forced fumble on special teams.

THEY SAID IT

"We didn't want Cleveland to beat us twice in the same season and clinch the playoffs." - Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...SPT02/712240332

[ArmyBengal]

I'm glad the Bengals were up for this game, to bad we didn't see that same focus all season and yes, it's an added bonus that we may have knocked the Browns from the playoffs. I think the Titans will probably get beat by the Colts thereby having the Browns sneak back in as a wildcard, but there are reports that the Colts could be sitting many starters, giving the hungry Titans a real shot at beating the Colts. There is something to be said for the motivation that comes from controlling your destiny, unless you're the Bengals...

WHODEY !!!