LOS ANGELES -- The banged-up Bengals may have earned a stripe for valor, but two plays on one Los Angeles fourth-quarter drive Sunday prevented Cincinnati from earning a trip to the AFC championship game.
With the score 10-10 and the Raiders facing third-and-20 at their 22- yard line, Jay Schroeder and Tim Brown combined for a 26-yard gain. Cornerback Eric Thomas made a costly mistake when he went for the ball instead of the tackle short of the first down.
Later in the march, linebacker Leon White, forced into deep coverage, was beaten on a perfect pass from Schroeder to tight end Ethan Horton on the sideline. It went for a 41-yard touchdown with 8:52 left, and Los Angeles had the lead and eventually a 20-10 playoff triumph at the Coliseum.
'They made two plays that we didn't,' Cincinnati Coach Sam Wyche said. 'Championships go to the teams that make those kinds of plays.
Like a wounded cat in a corner, the Bengals put up a tough fight despite numerous injuries. Running back James Brooks was playing with a dislocated left thumb and the flu. Quarterback Boomer Esiason also was sick and spent much of Saturday in bed.
Left tackle Anthony Munoz, a 10-time Pro Bowler, spent the blustery day watching from the sidelines with an injured shoulder. And left guard Bruce Reimers, bothered a sprained ankle, was deactivated before the game.
But despite their patchwork offensive line, the Bengals gained 124 yards on the ground. Rookie Kirk Scrafford replaced Munoz, Ken Moyer moved from right guard to replace Riemers and Paul Jetton started in Moyer's spot.
'We had a bunch of guys banged up and others who couldn't play,' Wyche said. 'We saddled it up and played with what we had and played one whale of a game.'
The Bengals committed just one penalty -- on the first series of the game -- and no turnovers. Fullback Ickey Woods bulled for 73 yards on 11 carries and Brooks finished with 26 yards on 11 attempts.
'We were the only ones who believed in ourselves,' said Stanford Jennings, who caught the 8-yard TD pass from Esiason that tied it 10-10 with 11:49 remaining. 'We had guys come in and do a good job. We ran the ball right down their throats.'
On the TD play to Horton, Woods said it was the first time all season he was forced to cover a tight end on a deep route. However, it was a route he had seen on film.
'They run that play, but it's usually not with the tight end,' he said. 'Against Minnesota (last Dec. 22) they did it with (running back) Marcus Allen.
'I was in perfect position. When Horton turned (for the ball), I turned. It was just a great throw.'
The Bengals won the AFC Central this season and a first-round playoff game against Houston last week. But Esiason said in his eyes this year would not be judged a success.
'At this level, second-best, seventh-best, whatever, is not worth it,' he said. 'We had every opportunity to win this game, but we just came up a few plays short.'
