Sunday night e-mail, reflections, and looking ahead

It's 11:30, Sunday night, at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.

The e-mail is always slower after a Bengals victory than a loss.

Before I jump into football, give me a minute to tell you about a Saturday afternoon walk I took in Washington. It was just two days after Veteran's Day.

We stayed at a hotel about three blocks from the White House. A couple of writer colleagues and I walked past the White House and visited the new World War II Memorial.

It's a stunning , long-overdue tribute to the greatest generation. The memorial is perfect. The setting and placement of the memorial on the National Mall are perfect. My father, John, who died last year shortly before his 80th birthday, was a U.S. Marine who fought in the Pacific. He didn't live to see the memorial.

Dad was a native of Huntington, W. Va., so I made sure to visit the West Virginia posts and press my hands against the limestone. I got those goosebumps and watery eyes. Thanks for everything you did then and gave after you came home, Dad. Needless to say. ...

We walked on to visit the Korean, Vietnam and Lincoln memorials farther down the mall. I stood for a few minutes in the temple that honors Lincoln (I'm from Illinois, so we claim him) and re-read the "Gettysburg Address" that's engraved on a wall. Just amazing. It humbles just about everyone who picks up a pen or pecks at a keyboard.

Thanks for humoring me.

As for the Bengals: Funny what a difference a month makes. Heading into the Monday night game, the Bengals were 1-4. They've now run off three of four. Not bad.

The real key now is to elevate their play against division teams. They are 0-3 against
the AFC North and 4-2 against non-division teams. The next three in a row are against division rivals: Pittsburgh and Cleveland before going to Baltimore.

The rookie defenders are impressive. They are fast and smart and can play. Congratulations to the Bengals for a 2004 draft that's looking better every week.

Some reader e-mail:

Question, from Jim in Norwood: Why can't the Bengals put a team away? We were up 17-0 against Washington. We dominated the first half time of possession by 11 minutes. In the second half, we got conservative. When the bengals had chances to put the game away with a touchdown or field goal, they got conservative and just ran the ball up the middle. Four times in the second half we went three and out, giving the ball and confidence to a dismal offense. They can't put a team away. They always let the other team stay in the game by playing conservative. Why?

Answer: Good point. But I do recall them putting Dallas away. They led 16-3 after the
third quarter and added 10 points in the fourth.

Washington came in ranked No. 1 in defense. Coaches adjusted. The Bengals
counter-adjusted. And so forth.

The gameplan got more run-oriented in the second half in an attempt to eat clock. Carson Palmer also seemed to throw a lot, but a check of the stat sheet shows 27 pass attempts in the first half and 12 in the second half. The game should not have been nearly as close in the second half. The defense dropped five potential interceptions.

Hard to argue with a victory, though.