Bengals Lose Tempers--and the Game, 29-20

CINCINNATI —  Cincinnati cornerback Louis Breeden didn’t know what to think of his interception-turned-safety, but Bengal Coach Sam Wyche wasn’t at a loss for words.

“This was not a good day for the sport of football,” Wyche said Sunday after the Bengals lost their tempers and then lost a penalty-marred, 29-20 game to the New York Jets. “I think it hurt the sport a little bit.”

The game was punctuated by 29 penalties, including eight personal fouls and an ejection. Most of the Bengal outbursts came after Breeden’s interception keyed a nine-point Jets spurt with less than three minutes left in the third quarter.

The Jets (4-1) were clinging to a 17-13 lead when quarterback Ken O’Brien’s first interception in four games set off the sequence that left the Bengals (1-4) fuming, complaining and beaten.

O’Brien’s bomb for Wesley Walker was short, and Breeden cut in front for the interception at the six-yard line. He continued into the end zone and was tackled for a safety.

The Jets scored on their next possession for a comfortable 26-13 lead, and survived a hot-tempered fourth quarter for their fourth consecutive win.

“I really can’t discuss the call intelligently because I don’t know what happened,” Breeden said. “I don’t know if I was on the three or the five or the seven when I caught it. Everyone told me they made a bad call.”

The Bengals argued for a touchback, but the officials ruled Breeden intercepted the pass outside the five-yard line. It’s a touchback only if the interceptor’s momentum takes him into the end zone from inside the five.

The game deteriorated after that. The Bengals wound up with a team-record 16 penalties for 123 yards, while the Jets drew 13 for 100. Bengals’ safety Robert Jackson was ejected late in the game for kicking.

The safety call brought loud protest from the Bengals and boos from the crowd of 51,785.

Kirk Springs returned the ensuing free kick 58 yards to the Bengals’ 18-yard line. A third-down unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty on linebacker Reggie Williams gave New York a first down, and O’Brien hit tight end Mickey Shuler with a seven-yard touchdown pass for a 26-13 lead.

Pat Leahy tacked on a 33-yard field goal, his second of the game, in the fourth quarter.

Stanford Jennings ran one yard for a Cincinnati touchdown on the last play of the game.

The interception by Breeden broke a streak of 103 passes without an interception by O’Brien, who completed 19 of 28 passes Sunday for 211 yards.

O’Brien’s accurate throwing directed the Jets to a pair of first-half touchdowns and a 14-13 lead.

The Bengals took the opening kickoff and ground out a 13-play, 80-yard touchdown drive behind quarterback Boomer Esiason, making his third consecutive start. He hit his first four tosses for 46 of the yards, then scrambled 11 yards for the score.

Fullback Tony Paige tied it with a two-yard touchdown run on the Jets’ first possession.

Jim Breech kicked field goals of 53 yards--the longest of his career--and 29 yards on the Bengals’ next two possessions for a 13-7 lead with 4:30 left in the half.