Bengals take 21-7 lead over Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati has scored again with 1:29 left in the second quarter, taking a 21-7 lead over the suddenly hapless Carolina Panthers.

Tailback Bernard Scott scored on a 12-yard run that was set up when the Panthers' Armanti Edwards fumbled a punt return. Edwards wasn't hit on the play -- in fact, he had at least 5-10 yards bewteen himself and the nearest defender.

After that, it took the Bengals only one play to score. Both Bengals' primary running backs -- Cedric Benson and Scott -- have over 60 yards at halftime.

Panther cornerback Chris Gamble, meanwhile, has a thumb injury and likely won't return. Carolina is also missing normal defensive starters LB Jon Beason and S Sherrod Martin, but that doesn't excuse another really poor first-half defensive performance (Carolina gave up 301 total yards in the first half to Miami last week).