NFL Heading to playoffs, Bengals stumble

They're not playing well going into Sunday's game against Pittsburgh.
CINCINNATI (AP) -- The NFL's feel-good story for much of the season isn't feeling very good heading into a game that's been 15 years in the making.
Two sickening losses will do that.
The Cincinnati Bengals finished the regular season with two of their worst games, an undeniable downturn for their first playoff appearance since 1990.
The AFC North champions are playing like anything but a champion heading into their first-round game against Pittsburgh.
Instead of riding momentum, the Bengals (11-5) are trying to get back on their feet.
"You want to come in playing well, but we're in, we're at home and there's a few other teams that would love to have that," defensive tackle John Thornton said Monday. "So we've got to have fun with it."
Loss to Kansas City
None of them were very happy the day after they finished the regular season with a 37-3 loss to Kansas City.
Coach Marvin Lewis rested some of his injured starters -- quarterback Carson Palmer played only two series -- but was disturbed by his team's lackluster play.
How does he set it right? First, he tries to get them to forget about it. Then, he tries to get everybody else to stop talking about it.
"Yesterday is over," he said.
Lewis wouldn't talk about the last game, and he doesn't want his most-quoted player talking about the next one, either.
At various times this season, Lewis has clamped down on Pro Bowl receiver Chad Johnson, taking away his "who-covered-me" list and limiting his subject matter for interviews so he wouldn't rile an opponent.
No interviews
Lewis evidently is taking no chances this week. Johnson turned down interviews, saying he'd received a gag order.
"Thanks to higher authority, I can't open my mouth, period, all week," Johnson said.
Now that the Bengals have made the big stage, Lewis is trying to prevent his players from noticing the spotlight. Instead, he wants them thinking about what they need to do better.
For starters, they can play some defense.
The Bengals went 4-3 in the last seven games and gave up an average of 30 points per game. They allowed 45, 29, 31, 20, 17, 32 and 37 points down the stretch, putting themselves in the position of having to outscore teams to beat them.
The offense will be intact for the game against Pittsburgh. Palmer strained his groin in the final minute of a loss to Buffalo, and Lewis benched him after the first quarter in Kansas City as a precaution. Palmer looked sharp during his two series and says that he felt fine.
Division title
The Bengals dethroned the Steelers (11-5) for the division title by beating them 38-31 in Pittsburgh on Dec. 4. They split their season series, with the Steelers winning in Cincinnati on Oct. 23.
For their first playoff appearance in 15 years, the Bengals get to play a familiar foe. Palmer isn't sure whether that's an advantage or not.
"I don't know if it ever helps to play Pittsburgh," he said.
Fans fret
Their fans feel the same way. Pro Bowl offensive tackle Willie Anderson noticed last week that fans at a local restaurant openly fretted about a rematch with the Steelers, who are still smarting from that last loss.
Anderson urged fans not to panic, and suggested that Pittsburgh was the perfect first-round opponent for a team still proving itself.
"We still need to exorcise some demons," Anderson said. "I still don't think that we put that perception in a lot of people's heads [to rest] in one year's time. Pittsburgh is a team that we needed to play. This is traditionally, year-in and year-out, the biggest and baddest and toughest team in football. If we're going to get over the hump, I think it needs to be Pittsburgh."