CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Marvin Lewis would've never let that happen to his old Baltimore Ravens.
Jon Kitna passed for three touchdowns, including an 82-yard connection with Chad Johnson, leading the Cincinnati Bengals to a 34-26 victory over the Ravens.
Lewis is in his first year as coach of the Bengals, where he is trying to turn around one of the NFL's perennial laughingstocks.
But Lewis is best known as the defensive coordinator for the Ravens when they established a record for fewest points allowed during a 16-game season in 2000 and went on to defeat the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.
Lewis was not really pointing to the game against his old team.
"I didn't think about it to tell you the truth," Lewis said. "I've got a job to do and they've got a job to do. I love those guys but we were here to compete against one another."
"Forgive me I'm not popping champagne bottles for him," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "At the appropriate time, that's one where you say, `Good job.'"
On Sunday, Lewis watched his offense get the best of his former team. Kitna led the way by completing 16-of-27 passes for 274 yards.
Kitna's 82-yard strike to Johnson 20 seconds into the second quarter gave the Bengals (2-4) a 21-7 lead.
It was an inconsistent afternoon for Ravens rookie Kyle Boller, who passed for two touchdowns and threw an interception. He also fumbled three times, losing two.
Boller's two fumbles in the first quarter led to 14 points for the Bengals.
"I think the offensive line did a great job," Boller said. "This is a tough game. I tried to get us back in there and you just can't put yourself in that situation. Those fumbles were huge in the beginning."
Boller did complete 15-of-27 passes for 302 yards. His favorite target was tight end Todd Heap, who had seven catches for 129 yards. Travis Taylor added four receptions for 138 yards.
Jamal Lewis rushed for 101 yards for the Ravens (3-3), who lost to the Bengals for just the second time in the last nine meetings.
Boller opened the scoring with a 45-yard touchdown pass to Taylor 4:45 into the contest. But his miscues started on the Bills' next possession.
At the Bengals 43, Boller was sacked by Brian Simmons, who recovered the fumble and returned the ball into Baltimore territory.
Three plays later, Kitna rifled a pass over the middle to tight end Matt Schobel for a 45-yard touchdown pass.
Boller's struggles continued on the next possession when he was sacked by Carl Powell and Rogers Beckett. Powell recovered Boller's fumble at the Ravens 15.
"You need ball security," Billick said. "Kyle (Boller) is pretty good about ball security. He's got very good fundamentals of holding onto the ball. Twice he didn't, and it cost us."
Four plays later, Corey Dillon ran four yards for a touchdown, giving the Bengals a 14-7 lead with 4:11 left in the first quarter.
Dillon, who missed last week's game with a groin injury, was limited to 39 yards rushing on 18 attempts.
After the Ravens had a drive stall in Bengals territory, Kitna and Johnson hooked up on the play of the game 20 seconds into the second quarter.
On a post pattern, Kitna lofted a pass for Johnson. The ball deflected off the hands and helmet of strong safety Ed Reed and Johnson grabbed it and raced into the end zone for an 82-yard score, extending the lead to 21-7.
"He (Reed) wasn't supposed to be in the play," Johnson said. "He got there late. We got a break that usually doesn't go our way. With the angle he had by the way the ball was falling, he wasn't going to catch it. I prepared myself to go either way to the left or right."
"The reality is sometimes things are out of your control," Kitna said. "There's been plays like that going against us."
It was the longest Bengals pass play since Jeff Blake connected with Darnay Scott on an 88-yard connection on September 17, 1995.
Johnson finished with five catches for 130 yards.
Shayne Graham connected on a 44-yard field goal with 6:24 left in the half, giving the Bengals a 24-7 advantage.
After Graham and Matt Stover traded field goals in the third quarter, Kitna connected with Peter Warrick on a 21-yard TD pass seven seconds into the fourth quarter that made it 34-10.
Just 24 seconds later, Boller found Travis Taylor with a 73-yard touchdown pass.
Boller also directed a 10-play, 83-yard drive that Chester Taylor capped with a two-yard run, pulling the Ravens within 34-26 with 1:16 to play.
But the Bengals recovered the ensuing onsides kick and ran out the clock.
