CINCINNATI — Laveranues Coles had what amounted to a big game against his former Jets teammates. He actually caught a pass from Carson Palmer.
No other Bengals receiver did as much.
The Bengals (10-6) are headed into the playoffs with the worst offense in the bunch. They managed only 72 net yards in a 37-0 loss at the Meadowlands last weekend — the worst performance in franchise history — and now get to play the same league-leading defense again in a first-round playoff on Saturday at Paul Brown Stadium.
The Bengals would like to think a lot of it was due to their lack of inspiration. Essentially, they had nothing at stake. But they’ve gone for long stretches this season getting nowhere on offense, their main concern heading into the playoffs.
“There have been ups and downs for this team,” receiver Chad Ochocinco said Tuesday. “Our offense has struggled all season long. But we’ve found ways to win.”
Not against the Jets (9-7), who manhandled them like no other team in years.
Playing on a slick field in cold, windy conditions on Sunday night, the Bengals looked like they didn’t want to be there. Ochocinco slipped during pregame warmups and landed hard on his left knee, which is still swollen. He failed to catch a pass for the first time since 2003, a span of 120 games.
That wasn’t the only astounding statistic.
Carson Palmer started and went only 1 of 11 for zero yards with an interception, leaving in the third quarter when the Jets had the game in hand. His passer rating was 1.7. The Bengals finished the game with more penalties than first downs. The Bengals managed only seven yards in the first half.
“Those stats are insane right there for us as a defense,” Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis said Tuesday, during a conference call.
And, contrary to what the numbers suggest, the Bengals were trying. Running back Cedric Benson was the only starter on offense who could have played but sat out.
Players said on Tuesday that many of them were unsure how much they would play against the Jets, which took the edge off their approach.
“There were guys not knowing if they were going to play or not play,” offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “There was not a lot of communication either way.
“You can’t perform very well at this level when you play a team as talented as (the Jets), that has so much to play for, when you’re not emotionally prepared.”
Coach Marvin Lewis knew there was a chance the Bengals would play the Jets again in the playoffs, so he had his offensive and defensive coordinators go with simple game plans. Ochocinco compared it to playing a preseason game.
“We went into the game knowing (the rematch) was one of the possibilities,” Lewis said. “Based upon that, I told the coordinators how I wanted to do things, and we based the game plan on that.”
Although the result was extreme, the performance wasn’t totally out of character. The Bengals’ offense is the weakest of the 12 teams still playing.
Cincinnati has scored the fewest points, gained the fewest yards and scored the fewest touchdowns of any team in the playoffs. The offense finished the regular season ranked 24th in the league, by far the lowest for any Cincinnati playoff team.
In their eight previous playoff appearances, the Bengals had only one offense that wasn’t ranked in the top 10. Their first playoff team in 1970 was ranked 16th. The result was a 17-0 loss at Baltimore.
The Bengals reached the Super Bowl in the 1981 and 1988 seasons with offenses ranked No. 2 and No. 1 in the league, respectively. In four of their eight previous playoff seasons, their offense was among the top two.
This one has a knack for doing nothing over a long stretch, then putting together a few brilliant minutes at the end. For instance, during a 23-20 overtime win at Cleveland, the Bengals went more than 2 1/2 quarters without a first down.
The passing game is the biggest problem. It was de-emphasized after T.J. Houshmandzadeh went to Seattle as a free agent, depriving the team of 100 catches a season and its best third-down receiver. Chris Henry, the Bengals’ best deep threat, injured his thigh at the end of training camp, then broke his arm. He died during what police said was a domestic dispute in North Carolina last month.
The Bengals signed Coles to replace Houshmandzadeh, but the former Jets receiver has struggled to fit in. He has only 43 catches for 514 yards. Ochocinco has been the only consistent performer among the receivers.
“I’m the first guy that would like to throw it 65 times a game,” Palmer said. “We don’t have the personnel to do that.”
They’re hoping that with a little more focus and with Benson running the ball again, they’ll be able to do enough against the Jets to win.
“It starts with No. 32 and that’s how it will go on Saturday,” Ochocinco said.