Bengals shocked, 20-17, by Raiders

By JOSEPH REEDY

OAKLAND, Calif. — After their come-from-behind victory overthe Steelers in Week 3, the Bengals nearly lost at Cleveland the nextSunday and had to go to the last play of overtime to get the win.

On Sunday at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, the Oakland Raiders did what the Browns couldn’t — beat the Bengals.

In their 10th trip to Oakland, the Bengals still couldn’t get a win here as the Raiders scored 10 points in the final 33 seconds to get a 20-17 win and end the Bengals’ four-game winning streak.

After prevailing 18-12 at Pittsburgh last Sunday, the Bengals followed a familiar pattern that this time cost them — a goodstart followed by a woeful second half that allowed the Raiders to climb back into it.

Louis Murphy tied the game with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Bruce Gradkowski with 33 seconds left. After Andre Caldwell fumbled the ensuing kickoff at the Raiders 18, which was forced and recovered by Brandon Meyers, Sebastian Janikowski gave Oakland the lead with a 33-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining.

Much like the Week 4 victory at Cleveland, this contest featured:

• The Bengals taking a 14-0 lead and squandering it.

• A good start on offense followed by a frustrating stretch of lulls.

• An opposing quarterback getting his first start of the year. Gradkowski was 17 of 34 for 183 yards.

The 7-3 Bengals though did get a gift. With Kansas City’s 27-24 overtime win over Pittsburgh, the Bengals still have a one-game lead in the AFC North.

With the attention focused on the running game, Bernard Scott and Brian Leonard carried the load after Cedric Benson was made inactive due to his hip flexor injury.

Scott had his first 100-yard day in the NFL with 119 yards on 21 carries while Leonard had a season-high 13 carries for 36 yards. Larry Johnson got in for one series in the second quarter and had 5 yards on two carries.

Even Carson Palmer got into the spirit of the run. The seventh-year quarterback accounted for both of the Bengals touchdowns — a pair of 1-yard runs — which is the first time he has had two TD runs in a game.

Palmer came into the year with two rushing touchdowns in his career and has three this season. Passing, Palmer was 13 of 20 for 201 yards.

Things started off well. The Bengals won the coin toss and took the opening drive 78 yards in 14 plays which ate up 9 minutes, 28 seconds. The drive was capped off when Palmer scrambled right and snuck it past the pylon in the end zone on a 1-yard keeper.

It was a strange drive for the Bengals, who had six plays of negative yards and three plays that resulted in gains 20 yards or more.

They then went up 14-0 midway through the second quarter on another Palmer 1-yard plunge. The nine-play drive was all on the ground as Scott had 4 carries for 31 yards, Leonard 3 for 21, Andre Caldwell 1 for 15 and Palmer 1 for 1.

And then the lull started which allowed the Raiders to start slowly creeping back into the game.

Oakland scored late in the first half when Zach Miller caught a 10-yard pass from Gradkowski.

The teams traded field goals in the third quarter. Janikowski had a 52 yarder while Shayne Graham had a 25 yarder.