DaytonDailyNews.com

CINCINNATI — Bengals players are seldom at a loss for words. But most of them stumble, bumble and fumble when asked this question:

Why can't the Bengals win consistently at home?

After all, "The Jungle" is supposed to be a dangerous place for outsiders.

Until last Sunday, the Bengals resembled Queen City Kitties, losing their first three home games of 2008 to Tennessee, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

But it was a different story against Jacksonville. The Bengals showed their claws, defeating the Jaguars 21-19 in a game that featured a dukes-up skirmish between Jacksonville defensive tackle John Henderson and Bengals left guard Andrew Whitworth that got both players ejected.

Quarterback Carson Palmer has a theory about the lack of home cookin'. Paul Brown Stadium is the Bengals' workplace. It needs to become their playhouse.

"We need to find a way to make playing at home special," Palmer said. "We're here every day, so it doesn't feel special to be here. It's work."

Palmer recalled his college days at Southern California. The Trojans practice on campus at Howard Jones-Brian Kennedy Field, but play home games at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

"You only went to the stadium six times a year," he said, "and when you got there, it was a special place. Here, this is work. It's not a stadium where you get fired up to go in the locker room because you only get to see it every so often.

"Sundays are special because it's game day, and we need to find a way that can motivate us to protect our home and not let anybody come in here and push us around."

Whitworth's role was key against the Jaguars. Henderson not only ripped off Whitworth's helmet, he attempted to gouge his eyes. But Whitworth and the Bengals fought back.

"What we need to do is what this team did on Sunday," Whitworth said. "That is to play with pride and say no one's going to come in here and shove us around. We're going to be the most physical team when we're at home and that's what we did on Sunday."

Defensive tackle John Thornton said the team sometimes plays better on the road.

"You focus a little more," he said. "Sometimes at home, you try to do too much or you just sense things getting antsy and going bad, and you may press a little too much.

"It's difficult to play at home when you're not playing well. You put pressure on yourself and the fans are on you. You're getting booed or they cheer when you get a first down. I wish we could solve that mystery."

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2253 or cludwig@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Next game

Who: Eagles at Bengals

When: 1 p.m. Nov. 16

TV: WRGT-TV (FOX, Ch. 45)

Radio: WTUE-FM (104.7)

Home not always sweet

The Bengals' records since 2000, the first season for Paul Brown Stadium:

Note: The Bengals have gone undefeated at home three times in their 41-year history — 7-0 in 1973, 4-0 in strike-shortened 1982 and 8-0 in the Super Bowl season of 1988.