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It was only a few weeks ago that the world, myself included, could not get enough of the Cincinnati Bengals. Although not exactly an unexpected Cinderella season, this year was the time for the Bengals. After two years under the always staid direction of Marvin Lewis, the Bengals were poised at the beginning of the 2005 season to end the reign of embarrassment associated with Cincinnati sports. They surprised many doubters by beginning the season at 6-0.

Then their fairy tale started to unravel. When they lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars, it brought the idealist dreams of starved Bengals fans to a crashing halt, but the game was a good one. The lost was respectable, and it only served to show the Bengals fans that their utter disappointment was proof that their franchise had indeed come a long way.

Then came the rest of the season. The team showed some flashes of brilliance. I will admit that despite my utter hatred for the University of Southern California, even Carson Palmer began to win my heart. Commentators and older fans alike began to ignore the touchdown celebrations and ever-running mouth of receiver Chad Johnson. Some of them even began to look forward to Johnson's tirades.

The team played well in some areas and struggled in others. Deltha O'Neal and Odell Thurman were the highlights of a weak defense. More players like O'Neal and Thurman would give Cincinnati the chance to be a Super Bowl-caliber team. In too many games, like the one against the Indianapolis Colts, the Bengals poor defense forced the offense to need to score on every possession. Still it is an area where one can foresee improvement and can point to drastic changes since Lewis' tenure began.

Then came the last two games of the regular season. The Bengals beat their nemesis, the Pittsburgh Steelers, in a much-hyped game before dropping contests they should have won to the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bengals clinched their division and could have earned a first-round bye had they won out, but they dropped the ball, literally in some instances, in those cases.

Never mind, thought Bengals fans. They are in the playoffs for the first time since 1990, and that is sweet enough. The Bengals did manage to clinch home field advantage so that the fans of the Queen City could host the game. The Bengals played against the much-despised Steelers again in their first playoff game.

At the beginning of the game, Carson Palmer went down on a sketchy play. With Palmer out with two torn tendons, the Bengals had to rely on backup quarterback Jon Kitna. That did not lose the playoff game for them. Kitna kept it together, helping the Bengals pull ahead by 10 points. The defense could not get their act together, and after some sort of altercation at halftime between Chad Johnson and one of the assistant coaches, the offense fell apart, too. Cincinnati's first playoff in 15 years was not the victory they had hoped. Instead it was an utter failure.

Still Cincinnati was in the playoffs, and that matters. And we are back to my original question. Are the Bengals falling apart?

I think that the answer is a resounding no. Lewis denies reports that Johnson got into a fistfight in the locker room during halftime. He is couching questions about what happened with vague comments about Johnson's passion for the game, which probably means that there was a physical altercation. Still I don't know that many fans would give up on Johnson because of the heated exchange. They must understand that the excitement they see on the field translates into other strong emotions and a desire to win, too.

Bengals fans also should be confident that Lewis will done as he has in past off-seasons. He will work until next fall to make the team better. He will examine their weaknesses and bring in new players. The Bengals should have Palmer back, all rehabbed, assuming his progress goes smoothly. The Bengals will have a better defense. They will fill in the gaps. They will show that they can compete year-after-year now. And their fans will be there cheering.

By Julia Mercer