Then they came to Cleveland and were outslugged by Derek Anderson, 51-45.

That's why they are cautious about coming here Sunday and why coach Marvin Lewis has reined in any hint of an early swagger.

That defeat to the Browns in 2007 sent the Bengals skidding on a bad run of 10-20-1 over two years. Only now do they seem to be recovering, but Lewis knows his team hasn't handled success well in the past.

The difference this year is the Bengals have what most believe are the basic elements of winning Football. They are running the ball on offense and playing defense like Cincinnati hasn't seen in some time. In sum, the Bengals have been toughened up on both sides of the ball.

They are playing physical Football on offense thanks mostly to running back Cedric Benson.

Quarterback Carson Palmer called the ex-Bear reclamation project "perfect for our division."

"He wears you down defensively and has big-play capability," Palmer told Cincinnati reporters. "He can take a screen for 70 yards like he did last year. He can have a 25-yard run and bounce around the outside and beat everyone with speed."

The defense has gotten a jolt of toughness from rookie linebacker Rey Maualuga. His scorecard through three games: tied for fourth with 17 tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles and one pass defensed. He bolstered his popularity last week by limping back onto the field after suffering what appeared to be a major knee injury in the Pittsburgh game.

With Maulauga helping to plug the running game, the Bengals in the second year of aggressive coordinator Mike Zimmer have manufactured a pass rush. After tying with the Browns for the second-lowest sack total of 17 last season, the Bengals co-lead the NFL with 10 already. Five of those came from end Antwan Odom in a game in Green Bay in which the Packers were forced because of one injury to change three positions on the offensive line.

The Browns saw a precursor of the new Bengals last December. In that previous meeting of the clubs, Benson ran for 171 yards in a 14-0 Cincinnati win.

With Palmer out, the Bengals threw only nine passes in that game.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: tgrossi@plaind.com, 216-999-4670

Box

Bengals players to watch

Running back Cedric Benson (above): Rejected by the Chicago Bears, he's found a home in Cincinnati. The No. 4 overall pick of the 2005 draft is second in the AFC and third in the NFL with 293 yards. He posted 171 on the Browns in December.

Quarterback Carson Palmer: He's struggled at times, but has been golden in the fourth quarter, leading three TD drives against Denver and Pittsburgh.

Defensive end Antwan Odom: A five-sack game against Green Bay shot him to the top of the NFL. He's still leading with seven overall - helping the defense to an NFL-high 10.