|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
Christening a new era Bengals open Paul Brown Stadium with preseason win
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Down by two touchdowns just a few minutes into the game, the Cincinnati Bengals were looking like the same old losers in a glitzy new stadium. Then Akili Smith and Peter Warrick gave their fans a couple of reasons to think things might go a little better in Paul Brown Stadium. Warrick scored on a reverse and Smith pounded his chest after his two touchdown passes rallied the Bengals to a 24-20 preseason victory against the Chicago Bears on Saturday night in the first game at the $453 million stadium. "After the first 10 minutes, you saw a team that's not the last several years' version of the Cincinnati Bengals, if you know what I mean," Bengals coach Bruce Coslet said. Smith had called it a "must-win" game that ranked among the most important in franchise history. He played up to the hyperbole, leading three consecutive touchdown drives after the NFL's worst team of the 1990s fell behind early. "It was ridiculous," said Smith, who gave a pep talk in the huddle. "We were down 14-0. As an offense, it was time for us to step up and put some points on the board. It was time to wake up." The Bengals (1-2) won their first preseason game since 1998 -- they went 0-4 last year and had lost seven in a row -- by overcoming Marcus Robinson's two touchdown catches that fashioned the 14-0 deficit. The first game at the 65,600-seat stadium was played before a less-than-capacity crowd as the Bengals sold only 56,180 tickets. Fans were grumbling when the Bears (2-1) scored on their first two possessions. Robinson, who was the Bears' leading receiver last year but missed the first two preseason games with an abdominal strain, scored the first two times he touched the ball. He got 15 yards behind the secondary for a 45-yard scoring catch from Cade McNown, who rolled left to avoid a cornerback blitz and saw the Bengals' breakdown. On the Bears' next possession, Robinson took a short screen and outran the secondary for another 45-yard score. "It's a big relief," said Robinson, who played only a quarter. "I just wanted to go out and get a feel for the game. Everything felt fine and I just want to go on from here." While Robinson had a banner return, Bengals running back Corey Dillon was ineffective in his first game since ending a holdout. He carried seven times for 16 yards and dropped a pass in the first quarter. "At first, I had butterflies because I've been away from the game for a few months," Dillon said. "I took some licks and things started to feel a little more natural." Smith and Warrick led a 21-point spurt that put the Bengals ahead to stay. Warrick, the Bengals' top draft pick, went 14 yards on a reverse for his first touchdown and the first against the Bears in preseason. Warrick jumped into the front row of fans in celebration. "I planned that," he said. "I feel real good about that. I said that I was going to jump into the stands." Smith then threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to uncovered tight end Tony McGee and a 3-yard scoring pass to third-round pick Ron Dugans -- Warrick's teammate at Florida State -- for a 21-14 lead. Smith was 13-of-14 for 139 yards during the three drives and pounded his chest repeatedly after throwing his first touchdown passes of the preseason. Smith completed 21-of-29 for 184 yards without an interception as he played all but 12 seconds of the first three quarters -- another indication of how badly Cincinnati wanted to win. McNown played the first two series of the third quarter and completed 12-of-18 for 177 yards with one interception overall. Both teams closely watched their kickers with roster cuts ahead Tuesday. Cincinnati's Doug Pelfrey, a long shot to hold onto his job, was good on a 20-yard field goal. Chicago's Paul Edinger, a rookie trying to beat out Jaret Holmes, hit a 40-yarder but was short and wide on a 54-yard attempt late in the game. Holmes hit the upright while making a 25-yarder. "I don't know about the kicking situation," Bears coach Dick Jauron said. "I don't know that it's clarified itself. The same with the punting." Cincinnati's Brad Costello had punts of 36, 34, 23 and 22 yards, drawing boos and hurting his chances of holding onto his job.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
