Browns Shoot Blanks in Battle of Ohio : Cincinnati: It hands Cleveland its first shutout at home since 1977.

CLEVELAND â€”  The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t realize how badly things were going for the Cleveland Browns until they saw it in person Sunday.

“If you would have told me that we would shut out the Browns, I would have said it was impossible,� Cincinnati receiver Tim McGee said after catching four passes, including one on a 38-yard touchdown pass play, as the Bengals blanked Cleveland, 21-0.

Obviously, McGee hadn’t been paying attention to the Browns’ offensive problems in recent weeks. Their three-game total of 20 points is the lowest for any three-game span in franchise history.

Sunday’s shutout was Cleveland’s first at home since 1977, and it came against a Bengal team that hadn’t blanked anyone since 1980.

“The defense lately has not been playing up to its potential,� Cincinnati linebacker Reggie Williams said. “This week, we managed to turn it around. We got some hits on Bernie Kosar early in the game. When you do that, it can be a long day for the quarterback.�

Kosar was benched after three quarters, more because of his ineffectiveness than his sore right elbow. Kosar, who completed 15 of 30 passes for 130 yards, hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in 14 quarters.

“It starts with the quarterback, and I want to take responsibility for the football team,� said Kosar, who bruised his elbow three weeks ago in Seattle. “I was disappointed. But I don’t play the coach, and that’s their decision to make.

“There were a couple hits out there and the arm was a little sore, but I don’t think it was anything of any significance.�

Kosar, who was warming his elbow on the sidelines between possessions because of the 18-degree temperature and minus-10 wind chill factor, was booed heartily by the sellout crowd of 76,236 throughout the third quarter. The stands were nearly empty by late in the fourth quarter.

Cincinnati quarterback Boomer Esiason completed 14 of 32 passes for 197 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions as the Bengals (7-6) put themselves back in the AFC Central Division race, one game behind Houston (8-5) and a half game behind the Browns (7-5-1).

The victory gave the Bengals their first two-game sweep in the annual “battle for Ohio� since 1984. Cincinnati beat Cleveland, 21-14, Sept. 25 at Cincinnati.