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CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- A nickname may not be too far behind. Sparked by another impressive defensive peformance and the running of rookie Anthony Thomas, the Chicago Bears continued their surprising season with a 24-0 blanking of the Cincinnati Bengals. Known for their defenses of the past, including the "Monsters of the Midway" and Buddy Ryan's famous "46 defense," the 2001 edition of the Bears is starting to resemble those dominating units. On Sunday, the Bears bottled up Cincinnati running back Corey Dillon, limiting him to 30 yards on 16 carries en route to their first shutout since October 3, 1993 against Atlanta. Chicago entered the game ranked just 19th on defense, but has surrendered a league-low 43 points in five games. Thomas, a second-round pick who has captured the starting job from James Allen, had his best day as a pro, carrying 22 times for 188 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Jim Miller also threw for two touchdowns for the Bears (4-1), who have won four straight games for the first time since 1995 and matched their best start since 1991. Since going 9-7 in 1995, the Bears have gone a woeful 26-54 in the last five seasons prior to this campaign. Jon Kitna passed for 244 yards and an interception for Cincinnati (3-3), which has lost three of four after winning its first two games.
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