Black the right fit for colorless, beaten-down Bengals

CINCINNATI -- Say this about the Cincinnati Bengals: At least they know how to dress for the occasion.

In all black for the first time this season, they were perfectly attired for their 24-13 loss to Pittsburgh -- a defeat that has the natives restless, the players befuddled and the coaches frazzled.

Are the black uniforms a sign of Carson Palmer and the Bengals' dying offense? (Getty Images)

Did somebody say "funeral?" Yep, it sure looks that way from here, and not because the Bengals can't play defense but because they're no longer entertaining, effective or imaginative on offense.

"We need to be more aggressive," said coach Marvin Lewis. "We've got to get back to that. We've got to go out and push the ball down the field."

Once they did. But that was six weeks ago when they lost to Cleveland 51-45 on an afternoon when Carson Palmer threw six touchdown passes. You know how many Palmer has thrown since? Six. Yep, he has as many scores in five games as he had in one.

Big plays just don't happen to these guys anymore, and let's not get started on Chad Johnson. His longest catch Sunday was 16 yards. T.J. Houshmandzadeh put up a 28-yarder, but that was the big delivery for the day.

And that's the way it has been.

I know; opponents play a lot of two-deep zones against these guys, but that's no excuse. Maybe that explains why Kenny Watson has been so effective, but it doesn't explain why the Bengals' passing attack has gone from good to blah.

"It's all about execution," said Lewis. "We've got to attack and execute. We had some things go wrong out there, and that just can't happen. Everyone has to get it right."

Lewis didn't single out Johnson, but he could have. The Pro Bowl wide receiver saw a third-quarter pass ricochet off his facemask and fall incomplete, but let's not pick on Ocho Cinco. He was making plays when others weren't, and isn't that how it goes with bad clubs?

Which is what the Bengals have become. In case you haven't noticed, they're not only last in the AFC North; dating back to last season, they've lost eight of their past 10.

"Disappointed and frustrated are two words that describe how a lot of the guys on this team feel," said a solemn Palmer.

How about inept? That open window of a defense couldn't stop the Steelers all afternoon, with Pittsburgh converting eight of its last 10 third downs, not punting after the first series and scoring when Cincinnati had 10 on the field.