5 day forecast
Emotional win in Cincinnati
Share with others:
CINCINNATI -- The head coach was dry as he ran off the field after clinching a title -- no celebratory sideline dousing. Players' eyes were dry, too -- all the tears had been wrung out.
In their finest moment, the Cincinnati Bengals didn't act like champions. Maybe it was the ugly way they won. Maybe those tearful practices and wrenching eulogies had something to do with it as well.
Either way, they were in the playoffs.
Carson Palmer's touchdown pass to Chad Ochocinco completed a 98-yard drive in the closing minutes yesterday, sending Cincinnati to a 17-10 victory against the Kansas City Chiefs that clinched the AFC North title five days after the Bengals buried teammate Chris Henry.
They wore the receiver's No. 15 on their helmets and their hearts. "I'm not jumping for joy or glee, just thinking about 15 once that clock hits zero," Ochocinco said. "That was everybody's mindset, to go out and win this one for him."
The Bengals (10-5) reached the playoffs for only the second time in the past 19 years after dealing with Henry's death. His wooden locker stall still has his shoulder pads resting on the top shelf, an assortment of shoes on the bottom rack and his helmet hanging from the side -- almost as though he would show up at any moment and suit up.
Given the mood, the Chiefs (3-12) stayed close in a ragged game against a team finishing a very rough week. The Bengals lost in San Diego last Sunday, had a late flight home, then flew to New Orleans on Tuesday to attend Henry's funeral. The receiver died from injuries suffered during what police describe as a domestic dispute in North Carolina last week.
"It was a long week," Palmer said. "We didn't have an off day. We fly back from the coast, and the time change got us. Then we fly to New Orleans and don't get back until like 7:30 p.m. That was a long, emotional day. We were drained and tired."
One good drive at the end was enough. Cincinnati took over at its 2 with 9:21 to go and put together its longest drive of the season. On the 14th play, Palmer threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Ochocinco, who ran to the stands and touched a poster of Henry, pausing for a brief prayer.
Fans wearing No. 15 decals chanted "Who Dey!" after Matt Cassel's final pass was intercepted and a burst of snow fell on a windy, raw afternoon. Palmer threw for two touchdowns, and Cedric Benson ran for 133 yards in an offense that managed only two drives all day.
"To win this game, no matter how ugly, makes you closer as a team," defensive lineman Tank Johnson said, wearing a gray division champion baseball cap. "Winning makes everything feel better -- a broken leg, a broken heart."
The Chiefs have one game left in their third consecutive season with four or fewer wins.
The Bengals played a pregame videoboard tribute to Henry. Offensive lineman Bobbie Williams pointed at the board, and Ochocinco raised one finger on one hand and all five on the other hand, signifying Henry's No. 15.
First Published December 28, 2009 12:14 am
