Bengals’ Smith Has Own Version of ‘The Drive’

CLEVELAND —  Quarterback Akili Smith finished his first NFL start by leading the Cincinnati Bengals 80 yards in the closing minutes and throwing a two-yard touchdown pass to Carl Pickens for an 18-17 victory over winless Cleveland on Sunday.

Smith completed 25 of 41 passes for 221 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Fellow rookie Tim Couch of Cleveland, the NFL’s top draft pick, was 15 for 27 for 164 yards with one interception, but the Browns’ offense got only one first down in the second half.

Cincinnati started its winning drive from the 20 with 2:04 left, as a crowd of 73,048 fans was ready to celebrate Cleveland’s first win since it beat the Bengals in 1995 in the last game at old Cleveland Stadium.

When Smith ran onto the field, he gestured to the Dawg Pound to keep up the din and the obscenities directed his way.

Smith completed his first four passes during the drive for 49 yards, including a nine-yard completion to Darnay Scott on fourth and four.

A pass-interference penalty on Corey Fuller put the ball at the two with 21 seconds left and the Bengals were out of timeouts. After two incomplete passes, Smith made the final, decisive lob to Pickens, then put on a chest-thumping celebration.

“It definitely angered me,” Couch said.

“I will definitely remember it. It was like he was taunting our crowd, saying we should have picked him over me.”