He crushes Santonio Holmes, for one. The hit wasn't quite a Hines Ward/Keith Rivers type of blast, but it certainly rocked the would-be Super Bowl MVP enough to where Rothlis-something had to get Holmes some help getting off of the field.

Here's hoping Crocker keeps hits like that coming in 2009.

If he's looking for ideas on how to earn his new salary, Crocker can simply refer to the video in this post. Over and over again. Just keep doing that, Chris, and we'll all be fine.

H/t to Stripe Hype for the video find.

We have to give some love to Cedric Benson and the Bengals offensive line; which we largely have limited to blurbs here and there in our post-game "coverage". And no, Shaun Rogers didn't beat us, largely contained on double teams with runs outside the guards. Many of our runs had a pulling lineman (or two), knocking out the edge defender, or sealing the inside linebacker. We pitched, countered, ran up the gut. Power O returned, with Bobbie Williams blocking down into Shaun Rogers, Stacy Andrews working inside linebackers and Nate Livings either kicking out the end, or an outside linebacker. Even Daniel Coats made blocks, hitting undersized safeties, or whomever Livings doesn't pick up. First man across your face, they'll tell you.

For the first time this season, the Bengals were resolved to the run the ball. Successfully. Even though Benson and Chris Perry are insane recollections for a guy named Fingerling (32 is 23 backwards!), Cedric came full circle with a badly timed fumble on the tail end of a 46-yard rush (that reference was only in distinction with losing a fumble... that's what us bloggers call, over-reaching).

Even so, the Browns picked up a first down after the recovery, went run, run, pass that fell one yard short of the first down marker. Convinced that the mighty Bengals tend to struggle defending short yardage situations, the Browns line up to go for it on fourth and one. As if an omen, or a seance were echoed after the Bengals were greeted with Eric Steinbach on the cover of the Browns program guide, the former Bengals guard false starts and the Browns are forced to punt on fourth-and-six. Who needs Steinbach? We have Livings!

It was the Cedric Benson, James Johnson show, before just being the Benson show (were exclusively talking offense, otherwise it would be the "It was the Cedric Benson, James Johnson, Leon Hall show before just being the Leon Hall kicked more ass than Leonidas show"). First, Johnson. Bengals have third-and-4 at their own 17-yard line with 0:31 left in the first quarter. I tend to shout at the television on third down, "DO NOT CALL A SHOVEL PASS." So the Bengals called a shovel pass, to James Johnson, with 4 yards to go. Johnson "catches" the shovel, and picks up 15 yards. First down. OK, so the shovel pass can work; validating this stupid play for future use. We'll keep shouting it. Something to do with seances.

We're still on the same drive.

The situation is third-and-11 at the Cincinnati-31 yard line with 14:27 left in the second quarter. Typically, I underline the words shit punt on long third down conversion scenarios. Fitzpatrick receives the snap in shotgun, quickly looks around and checks down to James Johnson about 5-6 yards short of the first down marker. T.J. Houshmandzadeh was in the area and made a critical "I'm getting in your way" block on the closest Browns defender, springing Johnson free to pick up 16 yards and the first down.

We're still on the same drive.

The situation is third-and-four, at the Cleveland 47-yard line with 12:19 left in the second quarter. Typically, I write before the play, "Houshmandzadeh catches underneath crossing pattern for a first down." Nope. Bengals pitched the ball to James Johnson to the right, who turned the corner with excellent blocking on the edges, and picks up 12 yards on the ground. First down.

Freaking unpredictable, these Bengals are. We're still on the same drive.

Four of the next six plays, Cedric Benson picks up eight yards on the ground, while Ryan Fitzpatrick recovers a fumbled shotgun snap, excusing past Browns defensive players blinded by Crazy Legs' speed while Fitzpatrick lowers the boom for a seven-yard scramble and a first down. Then, on third-and-seven at Cleveland 20-yard line with 8:08 left in the half, Ryan Fitzpatrick takes the shotgun snap, and lofts a perfect pass to Chris Henry towards the back right pylon. Much like his touchdown against the Redskins, Henry laid his hands out for a beautiful over-the-shoulder reception.

Bengals lead 14-0, and in terms of scoring, this game is over.

In the fourth quarter, Cedric Benson ran the ball 12 times out of the Bengals 17 offensive plays in the quarter that consumed 10:24. Twelve times. Ten minutes, 24 seconds. He still averaged 3.5 yards per rush, knowing that the Browns were stacking the box fully aware that Benson would get the ball to kill the clock. It's not like Ryan Fitzpatrick's five completes (on nine attempts) and 55 yards passing convinced them otherwise.

Another bucking the trend headline, which is inclusive of not allowing a touchdown in six straight quarters, is that the Bengals haven't played with a deficit since their 35-3 loss to the Indianapolis Colts two weeks ago.

Last week against the Washington Redskins, the Bengals exploded for a 14-point lead in the first quarter on the back of Cedric Benson recording 120 yards from scrimmage. The Redskins challenged with 10 points in the second quarter, but never sniffed the lead after that.

Against the Browns, Leon Hall returned an interception in the first quarter for a pick-six, giving the Bengals a seven-point Bengals lead (and evidently, all they'd need). The Browns were blanked, and obviously didn't challenge, thanks to Leon Hall and 118 yards rushing by Cedric Benson in the first half. That's 152 yards total, in both first halves combined for Benson.

The Bengals have taken a 28-10 lead in the past two first halves combined. The second half? Well, that's a different story. The Bengals have only scored three points, but have only allowed three points.

These past two games is as complete as this team has played; even against one team that had a winning record when we played them.

Name one thing that Chris Henry has done on the field that Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh haven't. Go ahead, beat your bloody mellon into submission wondering exactly what that is. Or reread the headline of this post. In back-to-back games, Chris Henry has recorded a touchdown reception. Not Chad Johnson, nor T.J. Houshmandzadeh have accomplished that "feat".

Henry is in the process of recording his best production of the season against Washington and the Browns. Even though a one-reception day is hardly an argument for a player "coming back around". When that reception is a 20-yard touchdown reception (the only touchdown on offense) basically taking the Cleveland Browns out of any possibility to come back, then that's a good day.

If Henry closes the season strong, and the Bengals decide to let Houshmandzadeh go (whether they should or not is a totally different argument), then Henry would likely be the leading candidate to start next season opposite Chad Johnson. Henry is signed through next season, due to earn $620,000 in base salary.

(Amendment: We forgot to add that if Henry closes the season strong, and remains invisible this off-season -- you know what I mean -- then he'd be a leading candidate for #2 WR)

So the Battle for Ohio wasn't so much a battle, as it was a total dominating effort by our defense, led by Leon Hall's three interceptions (one for a pick-six). This is the first shutout pitched by the Bengals defense since a 30-0 win, at Cleveland, in 2006. Before that, it was December 3, 1989 shutout, at Cleveland. Brandon Johnson added an interception, giving Browns quarterbacks four interceptions. That's the first time the Bengals intercepted four passes since picking off four Derek Anderson passes in 19-14 win, on December 23, 2007, against (but not at) Cleveland.

As if that wasn't enough, the Bengals offensive line showed with a workman like effort, largely contributing to the team's 191 yards rushing; led by Cedric Bensons' 171 yards rushing on 38 attempts. With a powerful wind, and the Bengals obviously geared for a hard nose ground effort (evident that they only activated four wide receivers), Ryan Fitzpatrick's contributions were limited to nine pass attempts -- but 14 called passing plays, five of which ended with scrambles or a sack. So the Bengals ran, ran, and ran. As a result, T.J. Houshmandzadeh was shutout for the first time in a game in which he played, since an October 17, 2003 loss at, you guessed it, Cleveland.

If there's one criticism that the Bengals didn't overcome, or a trend that they allowed to continue, is the inability to put together two halves of football on offense. After only punting one time in the first half, in the second half, the Bengals punted five straight times before their final possession with back-to-back victory formation plays.

Still, criticism is invalid this game. Winning by two scores -- first time this season -- and shutting out their opponent (Browns or anyone else) is a tremendous accomplishment for the players, who are still efforting to show some professional pride; getting blown out by 28 points in four of the past eight games, notwithstanding. This still doesn't validate Mike Brown, because win, lose, or tie this game, it's still going to be his way. So enjoy this win, I say. Enjoy the shutout, the reemergence of a rushing offense, and an opportunistic defense that forced four turnovers on a team that came into Sunday with a +9 turnover differential.

Touchdowns? You're not getting them. Bengals haven't allowed a touchdown in six straight quarters, progressing our Wreck Your Team project. So far, we momentarily sent the Eagles into chaos, exposed the Jaguars, destroyed the Redskins' playoff run, and likely sealed Romeo Crennel's (and maybe G.M. Phil Savage) fate in Cleveland. Since the bye week, the Bengals are 2-3-1.

Defensively, the Bengals limited the Browns to 181 yards total offense, which is clearly the best defensive showing of the season. Before that, it was a 252-yard effort against the New York Jets. Including three sacks (two by John Thornton, another by Chinedum Ndukwe), the Bengals limited the Browns passing offense to 45 yards. 45. Yards. Not including sacks, the Bengals defense allowed 76 yards passing. It's the best pass defensive effort of the season. I mean, it's not even close.

Leon Hall is largely responsible for that. Along with three picks on passes that targeted Braylon Edwards, the Browns star receiver only caught four passes for 35 yards. Clearly, Leon Hall was the better receiver today.

This is the first string of back-to-back wins this season, and first time since closing the season with wins over Cleveland and Miami in 2007.

In truth, I've lowered my expectations of Ryan Fitzpatrick. I think evident this afternoon, was simple contributions to an (at times) ineffective offense in the second and third quarters -- he only completed seven of 16 pass attempts for 76 yards. In the second quarter, the Bengals had the ball two times (the third being a knee to end the first half), going three-and-out and picking up zero yards. In the third quarter, while picking up first downs, punted both times they had the ball -- 35 yards being their best drive.

However, Fitzpatrick led an offense that set (and obviously won) the game in the first quarter, and sealed the game in the fourth.

On the Bengals first drive, not a single pass attempt was made. Cedric Benson rushed for eight and seven yards respectively (not back-to-back). Andre Caldwell took on an end around, on second and two, cut up-field once he realized that little existed on the outside, picking up four yards and the first down. On first-and-ten at the Washington 15-yard line, Fitzpatrick scrambled outside to the right, staying in bounds, dodging defenders, going down at the one-yard line. That set up a naked boot leg to the right, which Fitzpatrick took into the endzone, untouched and unchallenged, for the game's opening score.

After going three-and-out on the second drive, the Bengals were stuck on the six-yard line, clearly losing end of field position after an exchange of punts. After Benson picked up 11 yards on two rushing attempts for the initial first down, Fitzpatrick threw a deep pass down the right sidelines, two steps overthrown. After completing a 22-yard pass to Chad Johnson that was nullified after an Anthony Collins hold, Bob Bratkowski called a running back screen to the right. Dodging a tackle, Benson sprints down the right sidelines (with great blocking from the offensive line and Chad Johnson), tackled 79 yards downfield.

After Benson runs up the gut for a limited one-yard gain, Fitzpatrick floats a pass down the left sidelines from the Washington 12-yard line targeting Chris Henry at the back of the end zone. Nice throw, great over-the-shoulder catch, Bengals 14-0 on the touchdown.

The Washington Redskins went three-and-fumble (that led to the Bengals first offensive touchdown), and then three straight three-and-outs.

The Bengals clearly dominated the first quarter.

In the first quarter, Cedric Benson recorded 120 yards from the line of scrimmage (41 yards rushing on 7 attempts and 79 yards on one reception). Fitzpatrick completed three of six pass attempts for 93 yards passing and a touchdown (135.4 passer rating); also rushing for 17 yards giving him 110 yards contributed.

If the first quarter is when the Bengals won the game, then they sealed it in the fourth. With 9:33 left in the game, the Bengals offense took the field, ran 16 plays, 41 yards (which includes Chad Johnson's 15-yard penalty for taunting), absorbing 7:13 off the clock -- all on that drive -- all but icing the Redskins shot at making a fourth quarter run.

This allowed only one possession by the Redskins after Rock Cartwright returned the ensuing kickoff 87 yards, saved by Leon Hall at the Cincinnati 13-yard line. The Redskins didn't gain a yard -- no-gain rush by Clinton Portis rush then back-to-back incomplete passes (the first encouraged by Darryl Blackstock bringing him down in the middle of his throwing motion). The Redskins kicked it out of bounds after the field goal to bring the score within one possession, and Ryan Fitzpatrick took three knees and the game was over. Over, baby. With the Bengals winning.

Here's the numbers in the fourth quarter.

Fitzpatrick was also key in the fourth quarter, completing six of seven passes to five different receivers; two of which were completions on third down to Houshmandzadeh. Fitzpatrick also converted a fourth-and-short with a quarterback sneak after a shovel pass that predictably didn't gain much yardage (much less a first down).

That seven minute drive sealed the win for the Bengals. Not only did it end with a field goal, giving them a ten-point advantage, but it took seven minutes off the clock forcing the Redskins to score a field goal and touchdown with just over two minutes left in the game.

Just when Corey Mays thinks he can break through the team's depth chart this off-season watching guys like Landon Johnson, Caleb Miller and several other linebackers depart for free agency (most haven't even attached to other teams), he watches the team draft Keith Rivers and sign Darryl Blackstock and Brandon Johnson, further limiting his potential playing time. Inclusive is an injury suffered earlier in the season that decreased his already limited playing time, standing in street clothes on the sidelines watching games unfold.

Mostly a special teams player, today Corey Mays was the man of the game on defense. On second-and-goal with 6:27 left in the third quarter, the Washington Redskins line up big formation with one yard to-go for the touchdown. When Mike Sellers got the handoff, he was stuffed around the line of scrimmage, nearly a full yard short of the touchdown. The refs called a touchdown anyway thinking he was atop someone else, which Marvin Lewis challenged immediately. The Bengals won the challenge and Sellers was called when his knee touched the ground with the football just two feet shy of the touchdown. Mays was credited with the tackle.

So the Redskins line up same formation, third-and-goal and hand off to the fullback again. Guys like Rashad Jeanty filled the gap at the point of attack, limiting Sellers rushing lane. So the full back tries to leap while leaning the football out unprotected, which never broke the goal line. Instead, Mays forces the fumble, who then recovers it on his own and comes out of the pile with the football.

Touchback. Bengals football.

This was significant because the Bengals were only up 17-10; a touchdown would have tied the game. However, the Redskins never had another opportunity to score a touchdown for the rest of the game, simply exchanging field goals in the second half.

Bengals offense is passion of love terrible. Excluding the eight-play, 89-yard drive that closed out the first half with a field goal, the Bengals gained 66 yards on the game's 45 other plays, averaging 1.5 yards-per-play. Eight of 14 drives went three-and-out, 11 ended with a punt and three ended with an interception, turnover on downs and a field goal respectively.

If a highlight film were shown to a symposium of rookie coaches, the Bengals would be featured as a benchmark of how to flawlessly orchestrate one of the league's worst offenses. Take the team's first six possessions. Even though the Bengals started the game with an 18-yard pass to Chad Johnson, the Bengals recorded 20 yards total, on 19 plays; two drives gained negative yards, all ending in punts. During a stretch of nine possessions, the Bengals ran three-plays-and-punt eight times picking up five total yards. Ryan Fitzpatrick sneaked on a third-and-short scenario converting the Bengals first third-down situation with 13 minutes left in the game.

You know an offense is bad when they...

• ...pick up only six total first downs.
• ...only convert two third downs out of 15.
• ...have the ball for 21:02 of offense.
• ...go for it on fourth down, while on their own-20 yard line to prevent Kyle Larson from setting a new record of most punts in a game.

Mark the entire offense "terrible" across the board. Passes batted at the line of scrimmage, fumbling the football without contact, throwing a dud when he meant to double-clutch, Ryan Fitzpatrick is not an NFL quarterback, personally nominating him among the worst quarterbacks in Bengals history; notably those played in the 90s not named Boomer Esiason. With three minutes left in the game, Fitzpatrick was finally pulled for Cincinnati's most popular younger brother, Jordan Palmer. His first attempted pass, and only completion in the game, went for a pick-six to safety Jim Leonard; his first interception of the year and career touchdown. Center Eric Ghiaciuc doesn't belong in the NFL either, and if all things being equal, Nate Livings proves he's a third guard on the depth chart. Injuries force Livings into the lineup, stupidity forces Ghiaciuc. And I believe that Chad Johnson is simply going through the motions, Chris Henry was given a spot on this team, not through performance or talent, rather size and that Ben Utecht is just as disappointing as any in the NFL.

Don't paint me colors because I hate being painted colors. I'm not a trooper. I didn't sit through the entire game, mindlessly starting choirs during the back-half of the fourth quarter. This is the first game in which I didn't complete the game, not just here on this site, the couch too. I'm having a hard time looking forward to these games, typically a beat-down incorporating the league's worst talent in Cincinnati, and, in some cases, coaching. If you saw the game, then you know my struggle to put things together, recapping the game for this site. If you didn't, then it's a good thing. We're one of the worst offenses in the league, and taking a serious toll on my fandom.