holdover on the line, entering his eighth season — the pas

CINCINNATI (AP) — Jeff Driskel was better in his second NFL start. Joe Mixon ran for more than 100 yards. A historically bad defense held its own after a rough start.With all that Geno Atkins Jersey , the Bengals still couldn’t get the one thing they really need.“Need a win, and everything’s better,” coach Marvin Lewis said Monday.They haven’t had one of those since October, leaving Cincinnati (5-8) in a freefall that’s taken it from the top of the AFC North all the way to the bottom.A 26-21 loss to the Chargers was their fifth straight and their seventh in eight games, dropping them behind Cleveland into last place.The Bengals haven’t finished last since 2010, when they went 4-12 overall and lost 10 in a row — their worst losing streak in Lewis’ 16 seasons. They dropped the first eight games of the 2008 season, when they went 4-11-1. Their current five-game drought is the third-longest under Lewis.And there’s no sign it’s going to get appreciably better as the season winds down.That win they need? As elusive as a playoff victory, something they haven’t gotten since the 1990 season.Cincinnati finishes its home schedule Sunday against the Oakland Raiders (3-10), who are coming off a 24-21 victory over Pittsburgh . The Bengals will likely have one of the smallest crowds in Paul Brown Stadium history. Their previous home game, a 24-10 loss to Denver Michael Jordan Jersey 2019 , drew only 44,392 fans.The smallest crowd in the stadium’s 19-year history came in 2011, when they drew 41,142 for a game against Buffalo. The Bengals are averaging 51,637 fans this season, the second-smallest attendance in stadium history behind the 2011 season.Any hopes for a strong finish ended in Los Angeles when a few out-of-character coaching decisions and a couple of unfathomable penalties led to another loss.Lewis made some bold decisions that ended badly. He decided to go for a 2-point conversion in the second quarter trailing 14-12, and it failed.He also decided to go for it on fourth-and-inches from the Cincinnati 35-yard line on the opening drive of the second half. Mixon was stopped short, leaving the Chargers in range for a field goal.“It was fourth down and 4 inches basically,” Lewis said. “It’s aggressive, but it is 4 inches. We’ve got to be able to pick that up.”Otherwise Michael Jordan Jersey Womens , Mixon had one of his best games , carrying a career-high 26 times for 111 yards and a touchdown. Driskel was 18 of 27 for 170 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions during his second start in place of Andy Dalton, out for the season with a torn thumb ligament.Driskel led the Bengals to a touchdown with 1:54 left, but he was sacked while trying to throw for a tying 2-point conversion. The Chargers recovered an onside kick and added a field goal that finished it off.And essentially finished off the Bengals’ season, too.“What you did last week doesn’t gain anything,” Lewis said. “We’ve got to go back and do it better and find a new way, find a better way.”TAKING A DIVEThe Bengals had an apparent touchdown overturned because of a new rule interpretation this season. Driskel dived toward the end zone in the second quarter and slid in for what was initially ruled a touchdown, but he landed inches shy of the goal line and the ball was spotted there.Under the rule, a runner who dives is down where they touch the ground, an effort to protect them from hits. A penalty for a false start on the next play forced the Bengals to settle for a field goal.“It’s an unintended consequence of the (rule) change that’s made Youth Michael Jordan Jersey ,” Lewis said Monday. “And that’s what happens when people don’t think about all the parts of it.” CINCINNATI (AP) — Bobby Hart tops the Bengals‘ initial depth chart as the starting right tackle, but it’s more of a first draft than a final report.No part of the team will be under closer scrutiny than the offensive line when Cincinnati hosts the Bears on Thursday.The line became the offseason priority after the Bengals (7-9) finished last in the NFL on offense for the first time in franchise history. The line was the biggest problem, creating few holes for running backs and giving Andy Dalton little time to throw.Two weeks of training camp started sorting it out, with Hart listed as a starter for the moment. That could change quickly with a bad performance, dropping someone to the second unit.“There is not a ‘first’ offensive line,” coach Marvin Lewis said Tuesday.Hart was the first move in changing the line. The Bengals signed him Feb. 14 as a free agent from the Giants, where he started 21 games at tackle over the past three seasons. He’s competing with Cedric Ogbuehi at the spot.Ogbuehi was a first-round pick in 2015 when he was recovering from a torn ACL. He started 12 games in 2016 at right tackle and 13 last season at left tackle, but struggled at both spots. His competition with Hart at right tackle will come down to how they perform in the preseason games.Hart’s experience helped him get the early edge.“He’s got the experience and the chip on his shoulder,” Lewis said. “He’s a guy battling for a job, battling to be a starter. He’s still a very young player White Michael Jordan Jersey , a good athlete, a big man, still has development ahead of him. That was the attraction to Bobby.”One of Cincinnati’s biggest moves in the offseason was trading first-round draft slots with Buffalo to obtain left tackle Cordy Glenn . He’s backed up by Jake Fisher, a second-round pick in 2015 who started seven games at right tackle last season before a heart condition required a procedure.Left guard Clint Boling is the main holdover on the line, entering his eighth season — the past six as a starter. Trey Hopkins returns at right tackle, where he started the last 11 games last season.The Bengals’ other big move to upgrade the line came in the draft. They took Ohio State center Billy Price in the first round and installed him as the starter. He had some problems with snaps early in camp.“Billy still has to go out there and earn the job,” Lewis said. “We are giving him the first crack at it.”The coaches would like to have the competition sort out so they can get their starters enough playing time together during the preseason.“That area has to play as one,” said Duke Tobin, director of player personnel. “You can’t have five individuals up there. There’s still a lot of work to find out who that five are going to be and get them playing as one unit.”DARK CLOUD OVERHEAD: A downpour 45 minutes into practice forced drenched players to head for cover at Paul Brown Stadium. Practice resumed about an hour later in a steady rain. The Bengals are the only northern NFL franchise without their own covered practice field.NO BURFICT: Lewis said Vontaze Burfict won’t play Thursday. The linebacker wasn’t cleared to practice until Monday because of a hamstring problem. Burfict is suspended for the first four games of the season because he violated the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancers.WHAT ABOUT EIFERT?: Lewis declined to say whether tight end Tyler Eifert will play against the Bears. He was held out of the start of camp as he recovers from chronic back problems that limited him to two games last season.