Boomer Is Throwback to Old Days

CINCINNATI — For one afternoon, Boomer Esiason showed he still had it.

With a re-energized crowd chanting his name, the quarterback who led the Cincinnati Bengals through a Super Bowl season nine years ago provided some of the best moments in a lost season.

Esiason, 36, threw two touchdown passes and led a 97-yard drive during his first Bengal start since 1992 in Cincinnati’s 31-26 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

The Bengals (4-8) may be going nowhere for a seventh consecutive season, but Esiason gave them an afternoon in which to revel.

“This was one glorious Sunday in November,” Esiason said. “I don’t know if I can keep it up.”

It was one frustrating day for the Jaguars (8-4), who blew a chance to take sole possession of first place in the AFC Central. They remained tied with Pittsburgh, which lost to Philadelphia.

Two Cincinnati touchdowns were set up when Jacksonville’s special teams fumbled a kickoff and gave up an 85-yard kickoff return. Mark Brunell had pass batted down on a fourth-and-goal second-quarter gamble at the two-yard line and Natrone Means lost a fumble at the Bengal 37 with 3:04 left, ending the Jaguars’ serious scoring chance.

“The offense certainly had plenty of opportunities,” said Brunell, who completed 20 of 33 for 286 yards. “Too many field goals, not enough touchdowns.”

That wasn’t the case for Esiason, who led Cincinnati to four first-half touchdowns--its best first half since he was the quarterback in 1990. The Bengals traded Esiason in 1993, and he played for the Jets and Cardinals before returning this season.

He was 26 of 36 passing for 211 yards and kept the Bengals moving after leading receiver Carl Pickens was lost because of a groin injury in the first quarter.