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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- George Seifert's second job as an NFL
head coach has turned into a second chance for Tshimanga Biakabutuka.
Bothered by injuries and inconsistency since Carolina made him a
first-round draft choice in 1996, Biakabutuka broke the Panthers'
record Sunday for the longest run from scrimmage. Less than two
hours later, he broke it again.
|  | | Carolina's Tshimanga Biakabutuka runs away from the Bengals' Brian Simmons for a 67-yard touchdown, his second of the game. |
Biakabutuka bolted for a 62-yard touchdown on Carolina's first
play from scrimmage, then added a 67-yard scoring run to help the
Panthers to a 27-3 victory over woeful Cincinnati.
"I'm pretty excited. This is the best I've felt since I've been
here," said Biakabutuka, who finished with 132 yards on eight
carries.
Carolina (1-2) won for the first time under Seifert, who joined
the Panthers in the offseason after eight successful years in San
Francisco.
Seifert has been using Biakabutuka as his starter and giving him
the bulk of the work, and the result has been 224 yards on 22
carries -- Biakabutuka's best start yet.
"He's getting a lot of opportunities," Seifert said, "and
he's taking advantage of it."
Steve Beuerlein threw for 204 yards and a touchdown, and he
added a crucial block on Biakabutuka's second score.
"Tshimanga's runs were huge for everybody," Beuerlein said,
"but the second was probably more important for him because he
made something out of nothing. It does wonders for his
confidence."
Cincinnati is 0-3 for the third time in seven years.
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GAME NOTES |
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Carolina's only injury of note involved center Frank
Garcia, who left in the second quarter with a concussion and did
not return.
The Bengals rushed for 92 yards in the first
quarter, but just 37 the rest of the way.
Tshimanga Biakabutuka's 62-yard
run was 9 yards longer than the previous record rush by Derrick
Moore against Tampa Bay in 1995.
Carolina tight end Wesley
Walls had one reception, giving him 177 with the Panthers and
moving him past Mark Carrier atop the team's list of career receptions leaders.
Darnay Scott leads the Bengals with 20 receptions
this season, including seven Sunday, but has yet to catch a TD
pass.
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"I know we have a lot of guys trying hard, but other than that,
it's a little dim in there right now," coach Bruce Coslet said.
"It's something different every week."
Jeff Blake started at quarterback for the Bengals even though he
suffered a separated throwing shoulder one week earlier. Blake was
sacked three times, knocked down numerous other times, intercepted
once and appeared to have trouble on most throws longer than about
10 yards.
Cincinnati's problems weren't limited to Blake. Darnay Scott was
wide open at the goal line, but dropped what would have been a
22-yard touchdown pass. Doug Pelfrey was wide left on field-goal
attempts from 47 and 37 yards and hit the right upright from 30.
And the Bengals were penalized eight times, including a trio of
false-start infractions by guard Brian DeMarco, a five-year NFL veteran.
Making matters worse, Ki-Jana Carter, the oft-injured first
overall pick in the 1995 draft, went down again, this time with a
dislocated right kneecap in the first quarter. He did not return.
Corey Dillon rushed for 113 yards, but it was hardly enough to
carry a Cincinnati team that has allowed 97 points this season.
"I can only do my job," Dillon said. "I can't be accountable
for everybody else. It's a team sport."
The Bengals opened each of their first two games with touchdown
drives, but this time they had to settle for the first of Pelfrey's
errant field-goal attempts. The miss gave the Panthers the ball at
their own 38.
On the first play, Biakabutuka took a handoff, headed for the
right sideline, slipped free of two attempted ankle tackles and
outraced the Cincinnati secondary down the sideline.
Pelfrey atoned for his earlier misses by hitting a 39-yarder
that cut the Bengals' deficit to 13-3 just past the midway point of
the third quarter, but Biakabutuka once again had a quick response.
The Panthers ran one play before Biakabutuka tried a rush around
left end, only to find his path sealed. He reversed directions in
the backfield and headed for the right sideline, where the defender
with the best shot at him, cornerback Artrell Hawkins, was cut down
by Beuerlein, clearing the way for Biakabutuka to go untouched down
the sideline for the score.
Beuerlein, 34, who has never been known as
particularly mobile, began laughing when asked about his block.
"You can't coach that. It's just all natural ability," he said
jokingly. "Actually, if I really was an aggressive person, I could
have blown him up."
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
Cincinnati Clubhouse
Carolina Clubhouse
Week 3 wrap-ups
Week 3 infirmary report
TJ's Take: Titanic development
Week 3 PrimeTime Players
Week 3 stats leaders
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