We keep hearing how the Browns players like coach Romeo Crennel, which I'm sure they do. They say they respect Crennel, and I suppose they do. Marvin Lewis is another coach fighting for his job, and the Bengals outhustled and outplayed the Browns on this frigid Sunday. It was Cincinnati's first road victory of the year. After a 1-11-1 start, they have won two in row, beating Washington last week.

The Bengals were without

six starters on defense yet shut out the Browns. They were without star quarterback Carson Palmer and star receiver Chad Johnson. They threw the ball only once in the second half, but still beat the Browns. They are a team going nowhere, but showing more spirit than the Browns. Yes, the front office made some mistakes when it comes to personnel - but do the Bengals have more talent than the Browns? Maybe they just played with more heart, more of a sense of purpose.

Most fans know that

in four years, Crennel is 0-7 vs. Pittsburgh. You might know he's 5-18 in the AFC North. But he's also only 2-6 vs. the Bengals in that stretch.

I watched this game in the press box

with former Browns coach Sam Rutigliano sitting next to me. He raves about Josh Cribbs: "A pure Football player. You just have to get him the ball." So if you're a fan and have been saying that all season, you are in good company. Coach Sam also likes Cribbs as a flanker / receiver who can catch passes and sometimes run the ball. He believes you can put Cribbs in short pass patterns - and run reverses - to maximize his talent.

On the Browns' first offensive series,

Cribbs carried the ball three times for 23 yards. He didn't carry the ball for the rest of the first half. He carried the ball twice in the second half. He finished with 32 yards on five carries (6.4-yard average), but the Browns hardly used him. Don't even bother to ask why; stuff like this has been happening all year.

Yes, Rob Chudzinski

is the offensive coordinator and calls the plays. So when you hear a defense of Crennel that he doesn't determine how Cribbs is used or how much tailback Jerome Harrison plays - the obvious question is "Why not?" Chudzinski works for Crennel. It's up to the head coach to set up the basic outline for how the offense will approach that week's game, with the coordinator filling in the details.

I've never seen a stat like this: Bengals cornerback Leon Hall intercepted three passes for 87 yards. The Browns receivers totaled 76 yards. So the Browns got more production through the air throwing to Hall than they did to their own receivers.

Love the fan who brought

the sign: "ALL I WANT 4 X-MAS IS A TD!" Yes, it's been five games and 20 quarters since the offense reached the end zone. Ken Dorsey has seven interceptions, zero TD passes and a dismal 26.5 quarterback rating. He also has been sacked five times in his three starts. For his career, he's 2-11 as a starter. In those 13 games, he has eight TD passes, 18 interceptions. It's why he is a backup QB.

Andra Davis always plays

well in the cold and snow. He knows the game and can read plays quickly. His lack of speed hurts him on warm, dry days. But on Sunday, he had a team-high seven tackles, including two for losses. Still, in the end, the Browns were helpless against the run - and that's all the Bengals wanted to do. Cedric Benson ran over them for 171 yards in 38 carries.

Another fan carried a sign

reading "HELP WANTED!" That's so true for Browns fans, who saw only 10 touchdowns scored in eight home games.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: terrypluto2003@yahoo.com, 216-999-4674