CINCINNATI - Receiver Chad Johnson's touchdown celebration went exactly as planned. Everything else was made up on the run.
Johnson caught the first of Jon Kitna's two touchdown passes and Rudi Johnson ran for 174 yards and two scores Sunday as the Bengals got a win like no other in their history.
The 41-38 victory moved Cincinnati back into a first-place tie with Baltimore in the AFC North and left San Francisco winless on the road.
"I knew we would win," Chad Johnson said. "We'll be all right. We put up 41 today."
It almost wasn't enough.
For the first time in their 36 seasons, Cincinnati gave up 38 points and won. San Francisco had 502 yards and 31 first downs, but couldn't overcome its propensity to self-destruct on the road.
The 49ers are 6-1 at home and 0-7 on the road, a mystifying trend for a team that historically enjoyed travel.
The Bengals took advantage of three costly 49ers fumbles, putting the game in the hands of their same-named players - one of them a showboat, the other a season saver.
Chad Johnson mugged for the cameras with a preprinted sign after his 10-yard touchdown catch, a display of one-upmanship that didn't sit well with coach Marvin Lewis.
"He got caught up in everything," Lewis said. "They have a fine player over there in Terrell Owens, and Chad was just trying to answer. Chad's a fine player in his own right. He ought to just be Chad."
All Owens did after his touchdown later in the half was flip some snow at fans.
Rudi Johnson scored two touchdowns in the second half as Corey Dillon's famous fill-in. Dillon missed much of the first half of the season with a groin injury, and was limited Sunday because of the flu.
As 64,666 chanted his first name, Johnson broke a 49-yard touchdown on fourth and 1, then gave the Bengals their final score on a 3-yard run with 2:18 to go. He also recovered an onside kick that clinched it after Kevan Barlow's 3-yard run brought the 49ers within three with 1:13 left.
In the first quarter, Kitna rolled right and spotted Chad Johnson in the back corner of the end zone for Cincinnati's first score. Johnson immediately popped up and retrieved a preprinted orange sign tucked behind a snow bank. The league has fined Johnson repeatedly for uniform violations and touchdown celebrations.
