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Sunday, October 06, 2002

Some of the best stories are coming from Cincinnati these days. It's hard to turn your head away from the train wreck that is playing in Paul Brown Stadium, where the Steelers will visit next week.

Jon Kitna is back at quarterback after the rotation of Akili Smith and Gus Frerotte put the Bengals at 0-4.

"I think it's important that we stabilize things," said Coach Dick LeBeau.

Blow it up and start over would be a good choice. LeBeau, the Steelers' former defensive coordinator and a great cornerback who should be in the Hall of Fame, is 2-11 in his past 13 games as the Bengals' coach.

Now he's rewarded Kitna, who ripped him Monday for juggling quarterbacks. Kitna passed for 751 yards in the final two games last season, including a victory against the Steelers. But LeBeau chose newcomer Frerotte to start this season.

The Bengals have scored 23 points in four games, just 16 on offense. Since Bob Bratkowski left the Steelers as wide receivers coach in 2001 to become offensive coordinator in Cincinnati, the Bengals' offense has averaged 11.8 points a game.

Today, they get a chance to erase a 12-year-old streak of not winning on the road against a team with a winning record -- Indianapolis. The streak is 37 and dates to Dec. 2, 1990, when they beat the 6-5 Steelers here.

And leave the driving to ...

The commute around the suburbs to Buffalo isn't as bad as, say, New York or Boston or even Pittsburgh. Not unless you make it from Toronto.

Bills defensive end Chidi Ahanotu drives two hours daily from Toronto to Buffalo after he moved into a condo that outfielder Raul Mondesi vacated when he was traded from the Blue Jays to the Yankees.

"I always wanted to live outside of America to see what it was like," Ahanotu said. "I knew Toronto was close by and that it was a great city."

Ahanotu leaves at 5:30 a.m. and pays a driver $5,000 a month so he can sleep along the way.

A nasty ring to it

Dolphins have long memories, which is why a photo of four former Miami players showing off their Patriots Super Bowl rings hung in their locker room this week.

Quarterback Damon Huard, linebacker Larry Izzo, cornerback Terrell Buckley and lineman Grey Ruegamer took the photo with their rings on their middle fingers and sent it to some of their former teammates in Miami.

New England Coach Bill Belichick was livid when he heard about it and fined the four.

"It kind of upset me to see it again, hanging in the hallway," said Miami defensive end Jason Taylor. "But, when you win it, you can do that. I'm glad they got fined by their team, but I'm not big on bulletin-board stuff. If you need a bulletin board to get you going for Sunday, then you need to get a new line of business."

Quick slants

The Titans are listing after losing three games in a row. Coach Jeff Fisher: "If anyone on this team -- by their play or by their expression or by their attitude in these hallways -- acts like this season is all for naught, they won't be on this team any longer."

Baltimore has beaten Denver three consecutive times, which caused Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome to declare, "If I'd have beaten Denver as many times as a Brown as I have as a Raven, I'd have been in three Super Bowls."

Buffalo's Drew Bledsoe already has erased one Jim Kelly mark: Most yards in the first four games. He has passed for 1,345 yards, four more than Kelly had after four in 1991.

Think Tommy Maddox was hot last week? On the Bills' four touchdown drives against Chicago, Bledsoe completed all 15 of his passes for 209 yards and four touchdowns.

Bledsoe has thrown his past 149 passes without an interception, pulling close to Kelly's team record of 172.

Miami has never lost to the Patriots at home in September or October. They are 12-0.

Catch a Bus: Curtis Martin has 98 yards after four games, jeopardizing his streak of 7 for 7 1,000-yard seasons.

Seven of the Browns' 20 games under Coach Butch Davis have been decided on the last play. They are 2-5 in those, and Davis is 9-11 overall.

Kansas City leads the NFL with 142 points but is last in defense, allowing 439 yards a game.

The Chiefs have lost their past two games in the Meadowlands by scores of 27-7 to the Jets and 28-7 to the Giants, prompting Coach Dick Vermeil to say, "We've got guys on our roster who may not be able to spell Meadowlands."