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Benson helps Bengals notch first win, top Jaguars

Nov 2, 2008 - 11:38 PM CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- The Cincinnati Bengals are winless no longer.

Cedric Benson rushed for 104 yards and the decisive touchdown Sunday as the Bengals recorded their first victory of the season with a 21-19 triumph over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Bengals (1-8) were coming off consecutive lopsided losses, 38-10 to Pittsburgh and 35-6 to Houston, and another defeat Sunday would have left them 0-9 for only the second time in team history.

"We've been taking a beating in the media," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. "Our offense came out to play and the guys competed the entire game.

"We've been getting our heads kicked in by the public. That wears on you, but we've been working hard. I tell them to keep pounding away and pretty soon the rock will break."

Benson put the Bengals on the right track toward snapping their winless drought when he scored from 7 yards out with 9:20 remaining in the third quarter to give Cincinnati a 21-3 lead.

"Being 0-for-whatever-it-was coming in, there was a lot of pressure and a lot of frustration for everybody, from the staff to the equipment managers," Benson said. "Everybody's trying to figure out what's wrong."

The Bengals had jumped out to the early lead on a pair of touchdown receptions by Chad Johnson. His first touchdown was Cincinnati's first offensive touchdown in a first quarter this season.

"I was a big relief. It was something that I didn't know about," Johnson said. "It was good half. In the second half, we didn't play the exact same football. It wasn't conservative, but it was mistake free."

Jacksonville (3-5) battled back in the fourth quarter, getting a 26-yard field goal by Josh Scobee and an 18-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Montell Owens on the ensuing kickoff to pull within 21-13.

Maurice Jones-Drew scored from 1 yard out with just over a minute left, but David Garrard's two-point conversion attempt to Jerry Porter was knocked down.

"It was disappointing ... we really felt like it should've been our game today," Garrard said. "We didn't make the necessary plays. They did a great job, defensively and offensively."

The Bengals gained a 14-0 lead after Ryan Fitzpatrick tossed 2- and 10-yard scoring strikes to Johnson. The talkative wideout finished with five catches for 37 yards.

After his 10-yard TD catch made it 14-0, Johnson flipped the ball to the official, went to the sideline and gave Lewis a kiss on the cheek.

"Forget about the two touchdowns, we got the (win)," Johnson said. "Fitz is coming into his own and looking more comfortable. It wasn't a perfect day, but it was a day good enough for us to win."

Fitzpatrick, starting for fourth straight game in place of the injured Carson Palmer, completed 21-of-31 for 162 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Garrard, who was harassed all day by the Bengals' defense, finished 23-of-38 for 236 yards and an interception.

Jones-Drew led the Jaguars on the ground with just 33 yards on 10 carries.

"This is not what we came here to do" Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. "Two weeks in a row there were opportunities to make plays early, but we didn't make them. I told the team a little while ago, all we can do right now is stick together and keep fighting."

There was some other kind of fighting involving the Jaguars during the game, as Jacksonville defensive tackle John Henderson and Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth were ejected for trading blows during the third quarter.

Henderson was penalized for a blow to Whitworth's head while rushing the passer which knocked the Cincinnati player's helmet off. Henderson then grabbed the lineman around the head, but Whitworth broke free and threw two punches at Henderson.

Both players were penalized for personal fouls and were ejected.

"I saw what appeared to be a hold in the backfield which was called," Del Rio said. "Then I saw two guys lose their cool and draw unsportsmanlike penalties. They both got ejected. That's really all I know. Clearly you need to be able to keep your composure and not hurt the team."