Bengals Eliminate Falcons

Coach Jerry Glanville knew the Atlanta Falcons’ longshot playoff chances would come down to containing Cincinnati quarterback David Klingler.

They couldn’t do it. Klingler completed a career-high three touchdown passes, the last one with a minute to play, to give Cincinnati a 21-17 victory Sunday that eliminated the Falcons.

Klingler’s six-yard pass to Carl Pickens handed the Falcons (6-9) their second consecutive road loss to a struggling team.

“We just haven’t played consistent enough,” safety Scott Case said. “We beat Dallas and San Francisco, the elite teams, and go and lose to teams we feel we’re better than.”

They thought they had pulled one out Sunday when Erric Pegram topped off a 37-carry, 180-yard rushing afternoon with a one-yard touchdown run, putting the Falcons ahead, 17-14, with seven minutes to play.

But Klingler, who had only three touchdown passes all season, led the Bengals 70 yards in eight plays, highlighted by his 26-yard scramble. Then, Pickens ran a simple turnaround pattern in front of Darnell Walker for the winning pass.

The game winner was the type of play Cincinnati has rarely made in the clutch. The 6-foot-2 Pickens lined up and saw he was guarded by the 5-foot-8 Walker. He looked back at Klingler, grabbed his jersey--the sign he wanted the football--and pointed at the smaller defender.

“I had a pretty good idea I could beat him,” Pickens said. “I knew if he threw it to me, I was going to catch it. He expects me to go outside. He had his back turned--he didn’t see me or the ball.”