Crocker: 'We gave them the game'

Posted: 9:20 p.m.

A few postgame observations following Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Raiders in Oakland.

» "When you don't win you better learn a hell of a lesson because we paid a hell of a price today," Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said.

Asked if his team was over-confident, Lewis said "You can't be over-confident in the NFL. We got beat in every area."

» "I think I should have gone down," wide receiver Andre Caldwell said of his fumbled kickoff return that set up Oakland's game-winning points. "I learned from that. I was trying to get some extra yards when there weren't any there. That's part of being a young guy like me. You live and you learn. I'm going to capitalize the next time I get in that situation."

» "That back shoulder fade is hard to stop, but I guess I should have been in better position from the get-go," Bengals cornerback Morgan Trent said of the game-tying 29-yard touchdown reception by Raiders wide receiver Louis Murphy. "We were basically in man coverage. They made a good play and I didn't. That's how it is in the NFL. The good and the bad. Of course we're upset. We didn't play well, but we can't get down on our ourselves."

» "I catch that ball 10 out of 10 times," Bengals cornerback Johnathan Joseph said of his near interception on a third-and-10 pass intended for Raiders wide receiver Chaz Schilens with just over a minute remaining. "It was a laser and I took my eyes off it. I should have had it."

» "We gave them the game," Bengals safety Chris Crocker said. "We kept putting ourselves in bad situiations. We had chances to take the ball away and we gave the ball away, and when you do that you lose."

» Chad Ochocinco seemed perplexed that he didn't get more chances because the Raiders were playing him one-on-one for most of the game. He was targeted five times and caught four of them. He was surprised there weren't more opportunities for him.

"How many came my way, (five) right? All I know is when it is thrown my way I catch it," he said.

"Coach Lewis always talks about stealing games on the road, beating the really good teams and beating the teams you should beat. This is a game we should have had. We had it a couple of times and we didn't get it. Putting in the work we did this week, it hurts, especially with a long flight. I've got to fly four hours with this on my mind."

» Asked if this team would rebound, Ochocinco said, "We'll be fine." When asked why he pointed a couple of lockers down to quarterback Carson Palmer.

» On Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, Ochocinco said, "He's the best in the game and he will be until someone goes at him on a consistent basis. But no one tries to, not even us."

» Defensive tackle Domata Peko left the game with an injured right knee. He will get an MRI. He says it is his MCL but it doesn't feel as bad as the similar injury last month, and he didn't miss a game with that one.

» "We just gave them too many opportunities to stay in the game, and kept giving them the ball with turnovers and field goals, and not getting points in the red zone and letting them hang around too long," Palmer said. "We knew all week that we couldn't do that, that they had too much talent."

» On the failures in the red zone Palmer said, "We had some good runs and we had some zero runs, and that puts you in a bad situation at third and goal."

» It is only the second time that Palmer has been sacked three times in a game, and the first time since the opener against Denver.

» The Bengals had 177 yards rushing, their second-highest total of the season (215 against Chicago).

» It was the second straight game that Palmer hasn't thrown a touchdown pass. It is only the fourth time in the regular season Palmer has gone two consecutive games without a touchdown pass.

» Bengals running back Bernard Scott said the Bengals wanted him to be the deep return man on the kickoff that Caldwell fumbled, but he couldn't go in because he was cramping. Scott's 61-yard run from scrimmage in the third quarter was the longest run in the 107-game Marvin Lewis era. In 2002, Corey Dillon had a 67-yard touchdown run. With his 119 yards on 21 carries, Scott became the first Bengals rookie to rush for 100 yards since Dillon in 1997. He's also the 12th back to have a 100-yard game in running backs coach Jim Anderson's 26 seasons.

» "I don't think we weren't ready," tackle Andrew Whitworth said. "When you drive the ball like we did and then you have the fumble like we did at the 15, that's a crucial deal to get down and have some good drives, some good runs and not put it in the end zone. That doesn't mean we weren't ready. That's them making plays and us not making plays. And that's how the game went."

» On the red zone failures Whitworth said, "It was tough when it's third and long because they are going to bring extra people and Carson has to get rid of it in a hurry."

» Whitworth added: "It shows you when Pittsburgh layed an egg also. Maybe both teams were (affected) by the battle last week. This team has fought hard. We've beaten better teams than this team today. I don't think we're worried about rebounding. We are mature. Guys will be in the locker room figuring out how to beat the Cleveland Browns, and that's all we're worried about."