Dillon Is Memorable in Finale

With the Cincinnati Bengals moving a few blocks away to Paul Brown Stadium next season, Corey Dillon gave Cinergy Field a memorable send-off.

Dillon rushed for 192 yards and three touchdowns in less than three quarters as the Bengals ground down the Cleveland Browns, 44-28, Sunday.

Playing on the same field where he broke Jim Brown’s rookie record with 246 yards in 1997, Dillon picked up chunks of yards at a record pace by eluding the Browns (2-12) with his cutbacks on the slick artificial turf.

Coach Bruce Coslet sat Dillon down late in the third quarter with a 44-21 lead, ending his pursuit of Walter Payton’s NFL-record 275 yards rushing against Minnesota in 1977.

“We knew he was just under 200 yards and we thought about putting him back in to go over 200, but then we realized that wouldn’t be a team record or anything,” Coslet said. “And there is such a thing as sportsmanship.”

It didn’t matter to Dillon.

“I was not disappointed,” Dillon said. “I know what the record is. Records are made to be broken, just not today.”

It was a virtual replay of the rivals’ first game in Cleveland on Oct. 10, when Dillon ran for 168 yards.

This time, Dillon had 162 yards in 20 carries by halftime on a cold, rainy afternoon. Dillon has rushed for 1,173 yards this season, 360 of them in the two games against the expansion Browns.

The Bengals (4-10) rushed 53 times for 279 yards, the second-best total in franchise history. The Browns had only 11 yards in 11 carries, the fewest ever allowed by a Bengal defense.

“I wasn’t pleased and I let them know it,” Brown Coach Chris Palmer said.