New year, same old Bungles

CINCINNATI (AP) — All those preseason issues — Chris Henry returning, Chad Ocho Cinco and T.J. Houshmandzadeh sitting — have caught up with the Cincinnati Bengals in a big way.

They weren’t all quite there during a 17-10 loss in Baltimore Sunday, when the defense got pushed around and the offense was Ocho Stinko. The loss was so breathtaking that players still couldn’t believe it happened a day later.

“They’ve got good players on defense, but I just thought we would win the game,” receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh said Monday. “I didn’t think there was no way they could beat us, regardless of how they played on defense.”

They not only beat the Bengals, they made them look bad. Palmer got knocked around while throwing for 99 yards total. A Ravens offense that kept it simple behind rookie quarterback Joe Flacco held onto the ball for the last 7 minutes, 15 seconds of the game.

Something is very wrong in Cincinnati. The Bengals got a hint of it during their tumultuous offseason, a reminder that they’re still one of the league’s most dysfunctional organizations.

The receiver formerly known as Chad Johnson tried to get himself traded. When that failed, he changed his name in his latest self-promotion. He also skipped the voluntary workouts and missed most of training camp with ankle and shoulder problems.

Houshmandzadeh also stayed home for the voluntary workouts, then missed most of camp with a hamstring injury. Palmer broke his nose in the third preseason game, preventing him from getting much practice time with his two Pro Bowl receivers.

No surprise that the passing game has problems.

Owner Mike Brown’s decision to re-sign the troubled Henry also made an impact in the locker room, reminding everyone that coach Marvin Lewis is not in charge. Brown also was criticized for the way he released offensive lineman Willie Anderson, a team leader who was hastily asked to take a pay cut.

In Baltimore, the Bengals looked like a beat-down team.

“It was spread out — everybody takes some of the blame,” Lewis said Monday.

The Bengals finished with only eight first downs and 154 total yards. They went 2-of-13 on third-down conversions.

“We got beat,” said Palmer, who was 10-of-25 with an interception and a passer rating of 35.2. “We got outplayed.”