Seldom has a one-point win meant so much to so many Bengals fans or assorted Keepers Of Odd Knowledge.
The "Kook" element will derive additional enjoyment from Thursday night’s 7-6 Cincinnati win over New England, for the provider of that differentiating point.
It will one day be posed as a trivia question: "When was the last time a former all-pro receiver, who changed his surname to a mis-spelling of his uniform number in a foreign language, kick the game winning extra point in an NFL pre-season game?”
The answer: Chad (Ochocinco) Johnson, August 20, Foxboro, Massachusetts. Cincinnati 7, New England 6.
Sadly, his being pressed into service to provide the extra point in Cincinnati's 7-6 win over the Patriots, will overshadow Chad's 3 catches for 69 yards.
The fact he was pressed into service speaks to the short-sightedness of the Bengals, who for whatever reason, don't have a spare place kicker in camp.
So, when Shayne Graham turned up with a “tender groin” (the team’s term, not mine) before Thursday nights game, Chad, who kicks balls in practice just for fun, nominated himself as a fill-in.
He executed the kick out of Kevin Huber's hold flawlessly, giving Cincinnati a 7-3 lead in the second quarter. Same for a kick off that carried some 56 yards.
Great for the 'Hard Knocks' crew, but what if he'd strained something himself or got knocked off by some bomb-squader trying make a name, if not New England's roster?
Thankfully it worked out well. The Bengals defense worked even better.
Same for backup quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan. He's firming up his hold on the role, relegating Jordan Palmer to third on the depth chart.
Pat Sims had 7 tackles to lead an inspired defensive effort.
The Bengals unofficially accumulated 193 yards rushing, 193 passing, with one touchdown, a 24 yard J.T.O. hook up with Chris Henry at the end of the first half. Somewhat replicating their lone touchdown in last Friday's 17-7 loss at New Orleans.
There's that "L" word again. If for just one pre-season game though, its a "W" we'll relish.
If Thursday was any indication, the defense alone will account for more of those than the entire team had last year.
