Blake Bounces Back, Leads Bengals

Challenged by his coach to play better, Jeff Blake took advantage of Atlanta’s depleted secondary and produced his best game of the season.

Blake rebounded from the worst game of his career by throwing four touchdown passes Sunday, leading the Cincinnati Bengals to a 41-31 victory over the Falcons.

Blake threw a pair of touchdown passes in a 17-point first quarter--Cincinnati’s biggest of the season--as the Bengals quickly recovered from their first loss under Bruce Coslet.

The Pro Bowl quarterback has struggled through a subpar season that bottomed out last Sunday, when he threw for only 95 yards in a 31-17 loss to Buffalo. Coslet singled him out during the week, and Blake responded by leading the Bengals (5-7) to their highest point total in six years.

“I challenged him,” Coslet said. “I treat him like anybody else in that situation. I told him, ‘If you want to be a big-time pro quarterback, you have to come back from a bad game and lead the team.’ ”

He completed 21 of 36 passes for a season-high 349 yards along with the four touchdowns as the Bengals picked on an injury-thinned Falcon secondary. Cornerbacks Tim McKyer and Nate Odomes were inactive and safety Devin Bush sprained his ankle in the first quarter. Carl Pickens was Blake’s favorite target with 11 catches for 176 yards--second-best of his career--and three touchdowns.

“They just couldn’t keep up with our receivers,” Blake said. “We went to work today and had fun doing it.”

Blake wasn’t the only one who came away with an improved reputation. Coslet is now 4-1 since taking over for Dave Shula and improved his chances of remaining head coach beyond this season. His contract expires at the end of the year.

The Falcons (2-10) fell to their first 10-loss season since 1993, Jerry Glanville’s last year as coach. They did little to help Coach June Jones, who has two years left on his contract, but has been under fire.

Unlike their 59-16 loss at St. Louis two weeks ago, the Falcons played hard and nearly wiped out the early 17-point deficit behind Bobby Hebert, who woke up with flu Saturday and had to go to the locker room in the second quarter to get intravenous fluids.

“Before the game I felt all right,” Hebert said, “but I got hit a couple of times and went, ‘Wow.’ I got a couple of IVs and felt all right. I felt completely different in the second half.”

Hebert threw two second-half touchdown passes, giving him three for the game, but couldn’t get the Falcons closer than three points.

Overall, Hebert completed 23 of 40 passes for 304 yards with two interceptions.