2nd quarter grades

At their bye week, the Bengals could look at their second series of four games and see the chance to climb back to .500.

Next was Kansas City on the road, the Jets at home and the Bills in Buffalo. Those were winnable games. Rival Pittsburgh was in there at home, too: 3-1 was probable.

But they went 1-3 to drop to 2-6.

Two major trends point to the problems. Defensively, the Bengals allowed opposing offenses to convert 25 of 51 third-down plays in the past four games, 16 of 24 (67 percent) in the last two.

That failure – coupled with the offense’s inability to consistently convert – has led to an average possession disadvantage of roughly 5 minutes and nine fewer offensive snaps in these four games.

The Bengals are a turnover-dependent team. In the past four, they have six takeaways but six giveaways. A wash in the turnover differential is not good enough.

Second-quarter report card:

Pass offense: B – In the one game the Bengals won in the second quarter, 38-31 over the Jets, Carson Palmer dropped back to pass just 22 times. The Bengals ran 41 times. In all, Palmer had six touchdowns and four interceptions in the past four, and the picks have come late when Palmer is trying to lead a rally.

Run offense: C – Kenny Watson breathed life into the running game in place of the injured Rudi Johnson. The run game, though, fell apart with 28 yards at Buffalo, the fewest in 116 games. In all, a 93.5-yard average, bloated by the 177 against the Jets, is solid. Injuries in the offensive line have hurt.

Pass defense: F – Defensive backs are being asked to cover receivers for almost an eternity because of the poor pass rush. Leon Hall was lit up at Kansas City and again by the Steelers. Johnathan Joseph, whose foot doesn’t look right, was victimized by Lee Evans at Buffalo. The Bengals allowed nine touchdown pass and had three interceptions in the past four games.

Run defense: F – The Bengals allowed an average of 135.2 yards rushing a game in the last four starts, allowing a 100-yard individual rusher (Larry Johnson, Willie Parker and Marshawn Lynch) in all three losses. Tackling is a problem.

Special teams: B – Even with a lot of new parts, the kick and punt coverage teams have stabilized and improved. Glenn Holt and his blockers have made kickoff returns a threat. But a fair catch is the best they can do on punt returns.

Coaching: F – Football is a bottom-line business. Though Marvin Lewis’ job is safe with Mike Brown, the Bengals are losing games they should and could win. They have not shown any more sustainable improvement defensively than they did in 2003. A third defensive coordinator under Lewis, possibly consultant Donnie Henderson, is on the horizon.